For the last couple features, we’ve been keepin our UK & American audiences real sweet with some G.O.O.D.M.U.S.I.C from Drake, Bashy & Skepta… SO we just thought it’d be only right to take it back to the motherland with this week’s feature…
Ok so I’ve known about this here feature artiste for a very loong minute now (since 2003 or sufin) & I’m not even gonna lie, I haven’t always been a fan. I dunno what it was but I just always preferred my homegirl Sash P & last year when I sent ‘thismetalchic’ the instrumentals to Gigg’s ‘talkin your hardest’ to get some 9JA emcees 2 jump on it (Yup that was us too lol!) & she told me she was gettin Kel involved wiv the project, I was rather skeptical but what I heard completely destroyed any concerns I had about ‘NaiJa’s Poster Child of Rap’, Kel’s ability as an emcee… Let’s listen after the jump (look out 4 her @ 0.49)
Anyway her debut album is finally upon us… Kel releases ‘The Investment’ under the Capital Hill Music imprint in a couple weeks!!! The 19-track L.P which is virtually all produced by Tha Suspect (remember him? Teeto C’Mos’s ‘Oshamo’?) features some of Nigeria’s big hitters such as Dare Art-Alade, Shank, Alaye, Waje & Durella & is being touted in various circles as a HELL-OF-ALOT!!!
& You already know right here on ‘We Plug G.O.O.D Music’, we do things very differently to other folk out there SO two weeks ago when everywhere on the internet & local Nigerian radio were inundated with ‘Too Fine’ (featuring Alaye & May D), the promo single for ‘The Investment’, we wanted to introduce Kel to you on quite a different tip… Here a few EXCLUSIVE album cuts from the L.P for y’all 2 rock wiv… Why don’t we call it a sneak-peek preview!
Whatchu jus heard is titled ‘Love’ & it features Mr. Incredible himself, M.I & the amazing voice of OC & it’s produced by Tha Suspect. This right here is my fav track off the L.P… OC on the hook is jus heavenly, I cannot get over how good he sounds… M.I does his thing as per usual… home-girl Kel is the business on this record & all in all, its jus a beautiful thing! Did I hear you say ‘CLASSIC S**T’? Yup I think so too!!! People talk bout the chemistry between Kel & Tha Suspect but I reckon her & M.I are sufin like 9Ja’s Jean Grae & Talib or Foxy & Jay (insert your fav emcee/femcee chemistry here lol)… & if you’re thinking ‘they dunno what they’re on about!’, listen to this other collabo right after the jump…
That there was the theme song for last month’s ‘Hip Hop World Awards 2009’ titled ‘How Much Do You Want It’ featuring Banky W on the hook with M.I & Kel trading very capable verses back & forth. Production on this was courtesy Banky & Eldee the Don… What do you think bout the track? Me personally, I love it + 9Ja’s Bonnie & Clyde or what??? & The Kemi Adetiba directed video 4 the record is very very creative, check that HERE!!!
Anyway let’s get back to ‘The Investment’, where the hell are my manners? Another exclusive cut right off the L.P after the jump (Don’t say we don’t take care of you now!)
Ok I love off the singing on this one! Its by SLK on another ‘Tha Suspect’ produced effort called ‘Boy Meets Girl’, funny how I haven’t heard bout SLK until now because I’m very very impressed wiv her voice… I mean jus listen 2 the adlibing alone, it’s pure quality! & homeboi Suspect brings that eerie kinda feeling on the decks, it’s soft, its gentle, subtle when it needs 2 be… it works & apparently Kel in story-telling mode is the business SO what do you think about this record??? Your two pence here…
So ladies & gentlemen, put this on your To-Do List and the day ‘The Investment’ hits the shelves (from early and all), make sure you actively seek it out in your local record store or more specifically, your friendly road-side C.D seller on your way 2 work, uni or wherever else the day carries you too… & for our international audience, ‘The Investment’ will be available on all major internet retailers as well so make sure you go & buy this L.P… From what we’ve so far heard plus… Kel’s Summer 2008 smash hit ‘Waa Waa Alright’ featuring Skin, the single’s B-side, ‘Beautiful Life’ (the record starts @ 0.55 ok & you can check out pics from the soon 2 be released video HERE) also appear on ‘The Investment’, I think this album is gonna be quite the listen! I’ll definitely be coppin mine as soon as it drops, Standard!!!
We leave you with the next single (the street single lol) off of ‘The Investment’, it’s titled ‘Turn By Turn’ & it features Wizkid & YQ with production from J. Martins… Let’s listen!
… Now I call this record ‘Marmite’ cos there’s only two ways it can go! you can either jus detest it (like my cousin Remi lol! He goes ‘so what the hell is “tinini tanana” then?’, I jus laugh cos I dunno either lol!!!) OR you could love it off, which I’m sure the ‘blue collar worker’ demographic that I reckon is the target audience for this record, will do… & I must admit, this song brings out the ‘Proper Eko (Lagos)’ in me… It’s catchy as f**k… YQ smacked it on the verses(I love the bit where he goes ‘now I get many many land for VGC…’, & incase you didn’t get it, that there is the come-up in this grand hustle!) let’s be honest & asides from that ‘tinini tanana’ bit, the chorus gets you singing along… ‘dem say I no go blow, leave me alone oh’!!!… It’s not tryin 2 be mainstream , secular or conform 2 the world, its real Lagos street music at its very best & Kel comes HARD on the verses, I think I enjoy her more on this record than any other we’ve featured on We Plug GOOD Music…
Soo there you have it ladies & gentlemen, from what we’ve heard, I reckon it’d be safe to say that Kel’s debut offering ‘The Investment’ is something worth going out & buying… we’ll be posting links 2 the album when it drops for our European & American audiences (look out 4 it regardless!) BUT to our 9Ja massive, you know what to do already… In a lil while now, the streets will be flooded wiv ‘The Investment’ (I hear Capital Hill Music are ODT wiv their business so there’ll be no problems there), make sure you get this album cos it’s got the ‘We PLug G.O.O.D Music’ co-sign all over it PLUS you gotta support your 9JA artistes you get me!!!
Until the Next Time…
It’s Kel… It’s NEW… It’s The Investment!
I believe I deserve some credit here cos I definitely told you she was on her way with the #39;talking the hardest#39; session. Big ups! Naija femcees are really stepping up their game. Would that be OC as in Okechukwu Ukeje on the hook of the #39;love#39; track? Sounds like him. Loving it even more! You already know how I feel about the #39;how much do you want it track#39;. Absolute fire from my absolute Naija faves! And the video? Don#39;t get me started. Good job all around tho. br /br /BTW, may I suggest a feature on Banky W. The guy is gold if you ask me, but then again I just may be biased…lol. I think he#39;s worth it even if he#39;s not that new to the scene. Use your inside connect to get us The W Experience before it hits the streets. The singles already out there already (Lagos Party and Strong Thing) are maaaaad if you ask me. My 2 cents…
Its all said – Kels? Great…..br /Love the songs!
one more thing…..well done!!
like you know and we know…music lives in naija!! this is personal so it took me bn extra objective to listen to this album. i have listened to the album and i can tell you that KELLY KEL…the blueblooded poster child of rap has come of age and that isnt personal at all…she worked hard and she has redefined what female MCs shld represent!! cha bruv!!