by Eromo Egbejule

The track is such an agglomeration of recycled lyrics from both acts that it is a wonder there is no sponsored message from an environmental-friendly NGO on the cover art.

Sometime last year, I was present at a rehearsal for a musical where Praiz Adejo did a cover of Bongos Ikwue’s Cockcrow at Dawn and his rendition of the classic was so beautiful that my female companion was teary as we clapped simultaneously.

This only reinforced my belief that he was a better performer than his contemporary, Bez Idakula. After murking the Super Sun crooner on his own record – the equally impressive Stupid Song, it seemed to me at the time that the Project Fame alumni was the next best thing – after Abacha and nkwobi. Even his version of Rhanna and Mikky Ekko’s Stay is a chart-topper anyday and just as soothing as the original.

There and then, I proclaimed with a straight face, ladies and gentlemen, that Bez (who was also at the rehearsal but sitting quietly with his guitar in a corner) was a talented singer and songwriter but overhyped and that Praiz was our own John Legend; the real McCoy.

Fans of the Glo ambassador will however be definitely getting an early Christmas present, as I eat my words hours after the release of Oshe, his MTN counterpart’s new single featuring Makossa great, Awilo Longomba. It is ear-stinging and an irrefutable piece of evidence that two rights can indeed make a wrong.

When you read reports of your favourite male soul singer recording with a legendary makossa singer, you refresh your feeds multiple times and then sigh five seconds later when there is no disclaimer or this-is-a-spoof caveat because you imagine that the result will be as shocking and disjointed as a Limp Bizkit and Dietrick Haddon collaboration. Your gut instinct is eventually proved right when you reluctantly download all 3MB of wasted studio time as soon as it hits the blogs.

The track is such an agglomeration of recycled lyrics from both acts that it is a wonder there is no sponsored message from an environmental-friendly NGO on the cover art. While Awilo is decent enough to dip into his catalog, Mr. Adejo prefers instead to use lyrics from one of Paul Agubata’s many praise medley records that are more popular underground, along with a sprinkling of hackneyed lines that Wizkid would give a thumbs-up to.

Jekalo, his previous attempt at going commercial was passable but like Iron Man 3, this is a terrible sequel to a good movie and he badly needs to be taught genre branding, to nip this sequence of repeatedly releasing trashy art in the bud before his fanbase whittles down to a band of starry-eyed crushy schoolgirls. If a video is to be shot for this song as it most likely will, his dancing cannot measure up to Awilo’s in any way, as he is no Iyanya or Flavour and can hardly wiggle his waist. And that, will be another flop.

Time and time again, there have been cases of talented musicians who have released some of the worst music compositions ever, all in a bid to go commercial and this follows the trend.

Will he redeem himself with future releases or will he go down the same path Iyanya and Chidinma are treading and go all pop on us (must be an MTN thing, yeah)? Truth is, if Rich & Famous doesn’t turn out to be a soulful album, then Praiz will have lost the chance to show that he isn’t in the shadow of his good friend as the blogs claim and as their individual songs prove.