It is an undeniable fact that the 2000s was the golden age of Nigerian Hip-hop. At the time, Rappers were revered, respected and highly sought after.
A lot of the biggest superstars at the time were Rappers.Think of Mode 9, Ruggedman, Terry the rap man. Then think of the late 2000s when rappers like M.I. Abaga, Naeto C, DA Grin and a host of others were dominating the airwaves.
Nigerian Hip-hop thrived like never before in 2000s.
While a lot of the Rap stars of that era still receive plaudits, the same can not be said for the hands behind the board.
In that era, producers were not given their due credit so it was easy for a lot of them to be easily forgotten.
Rapkulture intends to celebrate as many producers from the era as possible and give them their due credit for the amazing work they did in shaping the sound.
This piece is the first of many that recognizes five producers that bossed the Nigerian Hip-hop scene in the 2000s.
5) Frenzy
When ever you listen to a record and you hear “What” or “Naija”, you’re listening to a record produced by Frenzy.
In the 2000s, Frenzy was one of the most popular producers around. He is credited for popularizing Crunk Hip-hop in Nigeria.
He was the producer behind a lot of classic Hip-hop records such as ‘Too much’ remix by DJ Jimmy Jatt, ‘Put it down’ by Sasha P, ‘Elenu’ by Roof top Mcs, ‘Olewu’ by KOD9Z featuring Da’Grin.
His most prominent work till date is the record ‘U go wound’ by Illbliss which was awarded the best Hip-hop video at the sound city music awards in 2008.
4) Tha Suspect
Suspect is a legendary producer and sound engineer. He gained prominence in 2008 for his work with international superstar Wyclef Jean as well winning the best Hip-hop video at the sound city music awards in the same year alongside Illbliss and Kel.
He worked with superstars like M.I, Terry G, Frank D Nero, Kel, Rooftop mcs, Illbliss Dat Ibo Boy, Durella, Alaye (UK), Blak Twang (UK), Ice Prince, Teeto Ceemos, Sasha, Zee, Blaise,Eva, Ghetto P, Vector, Str8 Butta e.t.c.
He produced and engineered Kel’s debut album ‘The investment’ which was released in 2009.
3) Jesse Jagz
Jesse Jagz is best known for his god level rapping skills. However, his work on the board is not talked about enough.
While his brother M.I took most of the credit for the incredible album that is ‘Talk about it’, Jesse is credited as a producer on all 15 records on the album including timeless hit records like ‘Safe’, ‘Anoti’, ‘Teaser’, ‘Blaze’ and ‘Crowd Mentality’.
Jesse Jagz also produced records for Majek Fashek, M.I Abaga, Banky W, Ice Prince, Mode 9, Proverb and many more.
2) Sossick
Sossick is one of the most recognized names in Nigerian Hip-hop. He started out as a rapper and was part of a rap group called ‘D’kru’.
In 2005, he ventured into music production first showcasing his production skills on Gino’s album ‘Pain plus work’ where he produced the track ‘No be God’.
However, he remains the celebrated figure that he is as a result of his work on Da’Grin’s sophomore album ‘CEO’ where he produced hit records like ‘Pon Pon Pon’, ‘Thank God’, ‘Hola Hola’, and ‘Everyday’.
1) I.D Cabasa
In all honesty, I.D Cabasa transcends Hip-hop. He makes a strong case for greatest Nigerian producers of all time. He is in that conversation for sure.
However, his contributions to Nigerian Hip-hop can not be erased. He is the man responsible for unearthing some of the most legendary Nigerian Rap stars. His impact is almost immeasurable.
He produced the legendary ‘Gongo Aso’ by 9ice which explored the fusion of Hip-hop and traditional Nigeria sounds.
He also produced Durella’s ‘King of the Zanga’ album which spurned hit records like ‘Shayo’, ‘In the Zanga’ and ‘Enu o se’. He also produced the iconic ‘Ruggedbaba’ off Ruggedman’s sophomore album of the same name.
The record was the first Nigerian Rap record that successfully explored the Rapper-Singer combination which has become a mainstay in Nigerian Hip-hop.
He also produced 2shotz’s 2005 album ‘Original Copy’ alongside El Dee. He also dominated the Hip-hop scene in the 2010s producing smash hits for Rapstars like Olamide, Reminisce and a host of others.
