REVIEW: Ruger - The Second Wave EP
In the end, ‘The Second Wave’ is too short, with Ruger in this form. But profanity never felt so religious.
When Ruger released his debut EP, Pandemic, it was a nod to his rude introduction into the Nigerian music industry. Although he had been around under a different moniker, he seemed reborn. Away from the eye patch, his social media freestyles are garnished by a new persona, confident lyrics delivered in a patois-tined tongues, wondrous experimentation with sexually-charged lyrics and aided by insane production from, Kukbeatz, who was discovered by D’Prince.
His debut EP showcased his talent and ability to find impossible pockets inside beats. While ‘One Shirt’ was slow to catch up, ‘Ruger’ was an impressive track that was marred by weird sound engineering. ‘Abu Dhabi’ was an instant favorite after the EP dropped and ‘Bounce’ became a mega hit across the world.
As Detty December nears, Ruger’s name has become etched on different lips across the country - mostly women. His amiable personality merges with his confidence in their eyes. The result is the young man who thrilled fans at the O2 Arena in London. With a chance to further extend his appeal and potentially make some yuletide money, he has released an aptly titled sequel, The Second Wave.
If his entrance was a double entendre, which gives a nod to the infamous pandemic, which then became a metaphor for his entrance into the Nigerian music industry, ‘Second Wave’ is a brilliant title for a sequel. If Ruger was impressive on his debut EP, his sophomore is even better. Ruger is more confident and more experienced, with a clear identity.
The EP also shows the clarity with which his team, lead by D’Prince now thinks. If the riveting sexual innuendos elevated ‘Bounce’ and became a leading tune for sex playlists, they have simply gone ahead to strengthen his hold on a potential future tag, ‘The King of Sex.’ And guess what, sex never gets old and there are different ways to articulate the topic.
His deft application of his vocals and his songwriting stood out on ‘Pandemic,’ but he’s now gone a step further. His ability to find pockets take center stage on all the four records off ‘The Second Wave.’
His songwriting is filled with confident creative license, which beguiles his age. It’s also an impressive nod to D’Prince’s artist development, and ability as an exec and A&R. Records like ‘One Shirt’ and ‘Champion’ fit the grass to grace aesthetic that Nigerians love. Victor AD literally built a career on that.
If ‘One Shirt’ was a story of his struggles, ‘Champion’ is a documentation of his sharp rise and change in fortunes. The record highlights the offerings of his stardom, as a juxtaposition with his background: the boy who used to wear one shirt, the boy whose mom used to sell friend yam and the boy who used to trek from computer village to Ojodu Berger.
However, ‘Champion’ should be the last time Ruger follows that concept. But shortly after that track, Ruger introduces his fans to a party, filled with sexy women whining their waists to ‘Useless’ and ‘Dior,’ only to soundtrack the amazing coitus after they get home with ‘Snapchat.’
There are then the ludicrous quotable sexual innuendos like “I want your pum pum waterlogged” or “Take my vanilla coldstone” or even the creative license, with with he says, “Creme de la creme” on ‘Dior.’ There’s also the adlibs, which form the post-chorus on ‘Useless.’
And can anybody explain how Ruger effortlessly switches between Patois and Yoruba.
With proper promotion, ‘Dior,’ ‘Useless’ and ‘Snapchat’ will all become hits. But they all need clean versions for proper mileage via radio. ‘Dior’ is a beauty of epic proportions and a party start. ‘Useless’ looks like the banger of this EP while ‘Snapchat’ will age best.
In the end, ‘The Second Wave’ is too short, with Ruger in this form. But profanity never felt so religious.
Ratings: /10
• 0-1.9: Flop
• 2.0-3.9: Near fall
• 4.0-5.9: Average
• 6.0-7.9: Victory
• 8.0-10: Champion
Pulse Rating: /10
Album Sequencing: 1.8/2
Themes and Delivery: 1.5/2
Production: 1.8/2
Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.8/2
Execution: 1.8/2
Total:
9.0 - Champion
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