Phyno’s throne isn’t under threat, for now. Having built his brand
organically, and by sticking to good music and branding, he is on a
level that would take more than a Zoro to surpass in the short term.
Phyno blew in 2012. That’s when one of the greatest Nigerian Hip-hop collaboration, ‘Ghost mode’
was released. The song, a hard-spitting, vibe that Nigeria took to
immediately. What was also crucial was that it marked the start of the
singer’s mainstream journey. A journey which has led him through stages
to the top of Nigerian music.
An album,
and a string of hit singles, Phyno’s credibility wasn’t gotten from his
ability to kill bar after bar. Having earned his bones from producing
sounds, the singer combines his exquisite ear for hit sounds with a
catchy Igbo flow and loud urban branding to bring out a potent package.
He leads all conversations regarding Igbo music, (with Flavour, and Illbliss also representing), and keeps churning out hits.
But
over the years we have had a group of Igbo rappers come out strong from
the eastern hub of Enugu, aiming to work their way to Phyno’s height.
Notable names include Zoro Swagbag, Splash, Aifee, Bosalin, and K-Large. Of all of this, Zoro looks like he’s the main threat.
Owoh Chimaobi Chrismathner aka Zoro SwagBag was born on the March 20,
1990. He hails from Agwu in Enugu state. Tracing back to the music
archives he’s the rapper on the massive hits ‘Owu sa gi’, ‘Safe journey’ and recently dropped a resounding joint that instantly became the Enugu state anthem: ‘042’, followed by other unique singles such as, ‘OTU state of Mind’ and ‘Usain Bolt’.
While Phyno is heavily invested in the fast life, Zoro is regarded as
the voice of the street, and a true son of the soil. He flows about the
mundane, and raps on anything which defines the Igbo way. Already, his
fan base in the East is formidable, and at the moment, he is currently
in Lagos, working on getting his pop hit, very much like Phyno’s ‘Ghost
mode’. Once that happens, Zoro will ascend, He has organic traction, has
paid his dues, and is raring to go.Other acts on this list have made no impact in mainstream, except for
female rapper Splash, who has been a mainstay of the Nigerian rap
underground scene. She is currently signed to Bong House, a label
financed by Nollywood actress, Mbong Amata.
Phyno’s throne isn’t under threat, for now.
Having built his brand organically, and by sticking to good music and
branding, he is on a level that would take more than a Zoro to surpass
in the short term. A ‘Ghost mode’ might be a good start for Zoro, but
not strong enough for a coup.
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