Pulse Versus: Before Loose Kaynon and A-Q's 'Crown', there was 'Faceoff' by Boogey and Paybac

Rap in Nigeria has enjoyed magical moments since the late 90s, but few have been as elite and gripping as the collaborative records, 'Crown' and 'Faceoff' in recent times.

Loose Kaynon and AQ have succeeded in delivering a classic all-star record that pitches some of the finest lyricists on the same court, in a way that Boogey and Paybac pulled off in 2016.

Friday, August 17 witnessed the release of the first offering from the LAMBAugust projects in Crown, the joint album put together by veteran emcees AQ and Loose Kaynon.

Boasting 10 tracks, the project has sparked online reactions from a section of hip-hop lovers, who have critically adjudged it as one of the best body of works this year, with some (although a bit prematurely) already tagging it a classic.

Loose and Q brought their growth to bear on the project, but one track that has gotten 'hip-hop heads' hitting the roof is the album titled track, 'Crown'.

The track which features the heavyweight duo of Show Dem Camp's Ghost and Tec is a wack emcee nightmare.

From Ghost's opening bars, A-Q's hot knife follow-up verse to Loose's cocky delivery and Tec who brought fire to an already burning house, Crown is a rap record plus more and the beat supplied by Reinhard bangs harder than an angry judge's gavel.

While A-Q's career has been quite polarizing until his recent body of works, that of Loose toes the skeletal path, with SDC gradually edging closer to having their names mentioned as the best rappers on the scene.

A combination of these four heavyweights was bound to produce nothing less than a stellar outcome and that was what we got.

Ghost opened up the posse cut with his steel voice threatening to do damage to someone's mindstate as he rhymed,

''See when it comes to this rap game, most of these cats are just acting, from the start, I pick them apart, call it casting.''

But while his attempt at stealing the show is fast becoming second nature, AQ wasn't letting him have it as he went ham, switching the flow and taking us down a journey of proving why he is indeed the 'greatest'.

''Mama always told me to be less explanatory, I'm sorry mama, I ain't trying to miss the point like Kobe... Fuck soundcloud plays, we control the sound waves, bar for bar homie, this is the bar gauge.''

Loose and Tec refused to be restricted to the shadows as they also brought their sharpest pen to the record. 'Crown' is a hip-hop fantasy, one we never saw coming, and the end result is befittingly the stuff of rap legends.

Boogey and Paybac go to war on Faceoff

Before 'Crown' though, there was the rap single Faceoff by Boogey and Paybac. Not enough to be called a 'Posse Cut', but adequate to go head-to-head with a thousand rappers.

Ironically also the album title track from the project, Boogey and Paybac, who have a natural chemistry having worked together on previous singles and also share same producer in Charlie X, did damage on levels yet to be fully unearthed.

'Faceoff' represents that one rap song where the duo at the point didn't exactly need to prove that they could rap but they it was necessary to showcase their skills at its best.

 

Everything on this song is on point, from the energy to the flow, and if you can keep up with the pace of each rapper, then you find that almost every line is a quotable quote for your rap hall of fame.

Boogey was in fiery form, the type that bodies any other rapper in the booth. Despite rhyming at an intense pace, his every word carries the right punch and does not misstep in the surgical and crystal-clear aspect of his delivery.

''Game change Y'all was just kicking it. I'm hands-on, I do handshakes but you licking on a man's dong, for the fame and the fortune, You claim that they forced you, wanted to be hot, you played with flame and it scorched you, I'm the chosen one.. that they never gave any torch to''

For Paybac, his light flow and insane play on words, is an art that he has mastered to near perfection, which helps in taking the joint to insane levels.

 

His verse makes you stop the song just to catch your breath, as he meets Boogey bar for bar.

''I'm the God Homie if you can't get me then call Zeus, I be on Mount Olympus telling Venus to fall thru, Hit up Medusa like "baby girl what that tongue do, already got a heart of stone and the throne, welcome to the age where niggas download they own shit and they lie about the numbers they sold.''

The part at the end when they started exchanging lines is pure eargasm.

From a technical standpoint, this song is one of the best rap songs ever out of Nigeria, the sheer skill and ability on display stay gripping two years after it was released.

So for all the accolades coming the way of 'Crown', 'Faceoff' at the period of its release gave rap an incredible run of great music, sadly they do not have the name, MI Abaga executive-producing their project to give it the much needed hype.

As far as rap goes, Crown is great, Faceoff is unbelievable. Both songs leave you with goosebumps and a perfect reminder that when Nigerian emcees step in the zone, there is really no competition on this side of the world.

If you have to choose, which will you go for, 'Crown' or 'Faceoff'?