Words by Ehis “Combs” Ohunyon
Recently, there has been so much buzz on social media following the release of the single “Festival Bar” by YBNL’s latest signing Davolee, the song which is his first official single since joining the label, paints an imagery of his life experience whilst trying to survive on the streets of Ikotun in Lagos, Nigeria.
It tells the story of how he once tendered at a bar owned by a foreigner who is married to an Edo lady, articulating the challenges faced in the line of duty “Lenu Ise, ko se ren be” and the nuisance played by his female colleague, Shalewa, who was out to get rich quick. Line after line, he made the beat his canvass, painting vivid pictures and giving us a peep into life as he once lived it.
It is almost common for a new artist on this side to kick-start his career with a heavy hitting dance or party themed song as he seeks to immediately tap into the present wave but the talented rapper chose a different path. With that single, Davolee has successfully been able to make his mark on the rap scene by choosing rhymes and narratives to situate real life happenings, maintained a theme and was able to capture the listener’s attention till the very end of the track. This was a movie but this time, it was on wax.
Storytelling is an art deeply rooted in hip-hop’s history, almost as old as the genre itself as artists have taken to this skill to form a connection and share a part of their life with their fans. It is an art that takes the listeners through the eyes of the artist as they breathe life into words, it is not however a skill that every rapper possesses but the ones who have perfected this skill have maintained the ability to keep their sound fresh and wrap their listeners to their rhymes as they take them on a journey that touches their heart and they can relate with.
Rappers like Slick Rick attained legendary status through his story songs and a list of top rap songs as it regards story telling will be incomplete without tracks like Slick Rick’s “Children story”, Eminem’s “Stan”, Tupac’s “Brenda Got a Baby”, Lupe Fiasco’s “He Say She Say” and “Kick Push”, Biggie’s ‘I Got a Story to Tell’, Jay-Z’s “Friend or Foe”, Nas’ “I Gave You Power”, Modenine’s “Cry”, 6ft Plus’ “E Don Do Me” just to mention a few.
Rap in itself is one of the best mediums to tell a story – over time, rappers began to tell tales not just of the betrayal they faced or the drugs they sold but also running commentaries on touching issues. It encapsulates details that stretch over years crafted into a 3 to 4 minute word fest.
Whilst rap music has transformed and regenerated over the years with the influx of various sounds and adaptations as it seeks to stay relevant in a changing society with new breed of listeners unable to relate to punchline or hardcore rap making the art in its purest form an endangered species.
Storytelling therefore remains relevant as the grass-to-grace tale of every man is always inspiring. Whether narrating a personal story or telling it from another man’s perspective like Jay Z often does, the art form is the truth and will continue to set the emcee apart from the crowd and bond with their listeners in ways indescribable.
Ehis “Combs” Ohunyon is a Lagos-based realtor, asset valuer and writer