Drill music is characterized by its uncensored depiction of violence, graphic storytelling, gritty and raw sound. It is these characteristics that has made Drill music a globally accepted and much maligned brand of music with many critiquing its glamourization of violence and its contribution to cycles of violence in many Drill hotspots. Originating from South Side Chicago and popularized by rappers like Chief Keef, Sheff G, Lil Durk, King Von and Pop Smoke -whose electrifying brand of Brooklyn Drill music made him the hottest rapper in the world- Drill music has enjoyed widespread acceptance across the globe and in Nigeria where artist like King Perry, PsychoYP, Legendury Styles, Neeza and a lot more have scored chart topping hit singles delivering their unique take on the sound. Due to the never ending criticisms of Drill’s promotion of violence, artists/rappers have explored different themes and styles while some have remained loyal to Drill’s core identity, Zhus Jdo is one of them.
Zhus first came to this writer’s attention when he brought the house down on Swayvee’s underground hit record ‘Para’ released in 2023. He was announced by Nigerian rapper and music executive AQ as one of the flagship artists of his imprint The Cake Bizness and followed swiftly with the release of ‘Johnbull’,-a true reflection of his talent and gateway into his mind- and also featured on Dremo’s ‘WBYD’, a record that is best described as a crime scene..
Zhus crafts his lines like he is a sick and twisted person, he loves violence and he is always raring to go. This writer likens him to the WWE character Mankind. Only thing is with Zhus JDO, there are no scripts, it’s all real. ‘This na real life P/Nor be everything be film trick’ he raps. However, there are reasons why he is who he is. First, he is from Benin City. Usually, that’s more than enough reason to be a little bit tapped in the head, unfortunately for Zhus and all his opps, it gets worse. He has also been dealt a crushing blow by an Igbo stallion named Oluchi. ‘Who hurt you like this?/Don’t tell me it’s that Igbo girl/What’s her name again, Oluchi?’. He tries to brush it aside and undermine its relevance but some of us know how that feels, we’ve been there.
Regardless of what he claims to be the root of his issues, we know for a fact that the guy is tapped and it’s reflective in the music and the gory pictures he paints. Which is why his opps have a legit reason to be scared for their lives when his threatening baritone punctuates the sonic atmosphere on the EP’s menacing opener.
‘Dump on dem/Tell em badman has come for them’ he repeats multiple times on the record as he delivers raw energy and unfiltered aggression. Wondah’s dark and hard-hitting beat creates a somewhat tense atmosphere in the opening seconds before Zhus takes command of the situation as he raps about catching his opposition off guard. The lyrics tell a story of an ambush, where his enemies, thinking they were safe, find themselves outnumbered and overwhelmed by Zhus and his crew. The outcome is chaos as their opps find themselves scrambling for safety. The record is an attention grabbing, tone setting and listener exciting opener. However, the second verse was not necessary. He didn’t have to say anything and sometimes that’s alright. Actions speak louder than words they say, why are you still asking ‘man’ to ‘fuck around and find out’ after we just saw what you and crew did? The second verse felt forced and didn’t add anything to the energy of the song.
He is brutally honest on ‘Johnbull’ , diving into his dark side and revealing what makes him who he is, embracing his role as the villain without remorse. The lyrics are sharp and unfiltered and the delivery is cold and confident. It’s a flawless rap record and is one of this writer’s favorite songs of 2024. ‘Zhussing’ is a weird song. It’s not a good song, the opening minutes of the song loses you, but it has that moment from 1:20 – 1:35 that catches your attention briefly and that’s it. Unfortunately, It’s not enough to rescue the song.
He displays his hit making abilities on ‘1 work’, an infectious upbeat Amapiano bop that combines Magnito-esque storytelling with witty wordplay and a simple hook. ‘Divine Pree’ is as chaotic as a rush-hour traffic jam in Lagos. Only Jeriq attempts anything reasonable on the record, everything else is a drab. It’s a forgettable record.
Zhus Jdo‘s ‘Dump on Dem’ showcases his commitment to Drill music’s essence. He stays true to the genre’s roots with graphic storytelling and aggression. ‘Johnbull’ stands out with its sharp lyricism, authenticity, believability and confident delivery, others like ‘Zhussing’ and ‘Divine Pree’ fail to reach the same height or even anywhere close. He shows a lot of personality and an unwavering intentionality to embrace who he is regardless of how dark side that person is. That intentionality also reflects in his lyrics as he shows he is not afraid to say what he thinks he should say, he is not one to sugarcoat anything.
