One of the enduring narratives of 2018 is that there are far less stringent rules for young, new artists seeking to walk the challenging path that is the Nigerian music industry. As much as we are in the market era where catching a hot single is very much emphasized, we’re also in the internet era where artists have the increased ability to create and release music at their own pace, growing their fan bases over whatever mode of release they deem fit, from singles to full-length projects. With this increasing level of democracy and the wider number of strategic options afforded, artists can side-step the norm of wyling for a hot song and focus on a more sustainable tactic of building a catalogue. Obviously, this alternate approach isn’t a sure-fire way to get out the rat race, but it’s far more sustainable and can be more rewarding because the efforts add up over time and it mostly leads upward for the artist.

In the spirit of unconventionality, most of the remarkable debut albums of 2018 have come from artists without the traditional hot single(s), rather opting to use their growing, cult bases as the target audience, and also using the goodwill from the release to further expand their reach. This year has seen lauded official debuts from multi-hyphenate rappers Alpha and DAP The Contract, a career-defining album from rapper Paybac, a splendid debut tape from prettyboydo, superb entries each by the potential Trap music trinity of Blaqbonez, Psycho YP and Straffiti, and the long-awaited debut of buzzing, highly rated indie polymath Odunsi (The Engine).

While every artist mentioned above can lay claim to releasing the best debut album of 2018, quality wise, rare., Odunsi’s debut, stands quite taller because of the significant amount of impact it has been able to reel in since gracing the public, mixed with its positive critical reaction upon release, is the prerequisite for the momentous body of work it is turning out to be, a solid foundation for the classic tag it may one day inherit in the future.

Prior to the release of his debut, Odunsi was already a fixture at the forefront of an increasingly raucous Alté subculture, and the excitement was naturally bound to extend into rare. Making his entrance with the widely well-received EP Time Of Our Lives in 2016, Odunsi, probably unbeknownst to him initially, uncannily positioned himself as the most viable thoroughfare to the burgeoning scene. The music on T.O.O.L had the ineffable vibe of the “new wave,” but it also showcased the artist’s steeper incline toward afro-pop, in comparison with his identified colleagues.

Doubling on his appeal, “Desire,” a splendid record with Tay Iwar and Funbi, and War, an acclaimed but grossly underworked EP in collaboration with highly rated singer Nonso Amadi, were Odunsi’s definitive releases for 2017. While this sparkling moment revelled in the tender ambience of R&B, there were loosies and a myriad of features displaying the effervescence of Odunsi’s musical ambitions. Following up, rare., released this past October, is a culmination of all the hype and potential, a crescendo that would have taken a sharp nosedive if the music didn’t match up—it did.

It is palpable that Odunsi knew the sky-high stakes were for rare., using that integral detail as an assertive way to start the album off. Odunsi’s voice is not heard on the opening, title track, rather it’s a gentle burst of voices declaring in harmony: “it’s my time and nobody can tell me nothing”—“my,” in this case, refers to Odunsi. That sentiment, in all its confidence, is winning, if not for its starry-eyed outlook, but also for the fact that it is eases around with purpose. What follows “rare” is a meticulously crafted, distinct and enjoyable setlist.

rare. functions dually, as introductory, to the significant amount of listeners who were going to listen to an Odunsi project for the first time, and celebratory, to those who have been paying attention to the 22-year old artist and his trajectory since his arrival. While it does play into the tropes common to many Nigerian debut albums—a few introspective, self-revealing tracks thrown in the midst of songs with easy-going themes—rare. resonates with more front-to-back listens because, at its core, it’s a testament to reaching for your dreams while moving differently. “outcast” pins this motif down with an equal mix of levity and potency, a somewhat traditional come-up song that’s clearly the album’s centrepiece. While it is slightly nebulous in lyrical form, as is usual for most Nigerian singers, the finger snap bounce is fitting as related to mood, and by extension, “outcast” lends a resonant persona to rare. as a whole.

All of these observations still lead back to something very pertinent: Odunsi’s musical ambitions. rare. is a breezy record, it lasts just past the hour mark, but it packs in enough sonic excellence in its lightness. In fact, the musical part seems to be its best quality. Surveying the Nigerian music landscape, very little sounds like the music on rare., with Odunsi laying down the marker right off the bat with the spaced out groove that earmarks “Falling.” At the same time, it feels familiar because the album’s moments of outright quirkiness can be traced to their funky inspirations—to paraphrase my friend Nico: “Odunsi got the spirit of Nigerian disco to flow through him”—and they are also balanced by slightly, more modish sounds. (Let me quickly posit here that the Davido-assisted lead single, “divine,” is a serious contender for record of the year.) Musically, rare. splits itself between being able to score a ballroom scene on Americans series Pose, as well as a random gathering of young people on a humid evening. And there’s no dissonance because there’s a precision that feels quite organic, matched by a stunning level of attention to detail, including pacing, sequencing, and the inch-perfect placement of the myriad of guest artists.

rare. also makes for great listening because it understands Odunsi’s skill level as a vocalist and songwriter, the sides of his artistry that are not as spectacular as his undeniable expertise behind the boards. Rather than cover up those inferior aspects, stellar production is used to accentuate and elevate the other parts. The writing is often hook driven and always focused on expressing as much as possible, and the singing, in all its delicate glory, nestles with it a relaxing vibe that only grows on you with time. Taken together, this approach makes for an album that’s more balanced than it initially has the right to be. To be more colourful, rare. is like a glass house, where the production serves as its sturdy truss, while the vocals and writing is the exoskeleton: you might be tempted to throw a stone at the outer parts, but if you stare long enough, all you’ll be doing is appreciating it for the well-helmed piece that it is.

Critically speaking, rare. is obviously not perfect. But the album’s slow hurdle towards being regarded as classic extends beyond impact into something more mythical: importance. Besides, if perfection were the only way for an album to earn the classic tag, a couple of contemporary Nigerian albums deemed as classics due to their significance won’t be looked at as such—@ me for album titles. Again, critically speaking, rare. is not the best body of work to come out from the Alté scene (see: AYLØ’s mixtape Insert Project Name), but it’s of the highest essence because Odunsi is the de-facto face of the movement, and the most accessible, musically, which makes the success of rare. a success for the burgeoning movement by extension. The fact that there’s a lot of input and appearances from artists affiliated with the scene makes the ongoing acclaim of rare. even more wholesome.

At the same time, it all goes beyond the superficiality of ties. Despite being as accessible as possible, Odunsi ultimately espouses the rebellious energy that is characteristic of this community of artists he’s associated with. Observing the musical shifts across his projects, from sticky Afrofusion on T.O.O.L, to tranquil R&B vibes on War, and the crisp retro-present canvas of rare., there’s a constant, boundary-pushing motif to Odunsi’s music, a spiritual, boundless trait that is shared by his associates, and other up-and-coming artists making and pushing music in forms that are beyond the traditional scope of the mainstream. Since these new age artists are angling to become the new mainstream, or at the very least, a significant part of it, rare.’s ongoing critical win, together with its projected lasting impact will serve as the bar for other young artists, and will also go down as an important part of the crusade.

Of course, there are those with lesser opinions of rare. Music appreciation is subjective and everyone ultimately picks what they like. In Odunsi’s case, though, the criticisms don’t always centre on the merits of the music as much as it does the occasional, class-driven banter aimed at the alté movement. Just a few weeks back, a shitstorm of smear tweets was thrown at these artists, the lightning pole being the 90s/00s horror movies inspired music video for Santi’s “Rapid Fire.” While a lot of the barbs that went around that day were mostly rethreads of older negative comments, a significant amount of it funnelled into jabs at Odunsi’s debut, some of which were for the cool points. In a supersonic era where conversations surrounding an album barely last past the weekend of release, the extended, organic reactions to rare. weeks after its release is a sign that Odunsi and Co. might actually be onto something monumental. Besides, disruption isn’t always welcomed by all and sundry.

https://twitter.com/odunsitheengine/status/1068636563943374848?s=19

Regardless of how you feel about Odunsi’s music, he’s had a banner year, one that he’ll be capping with a headlining show this December, which is a big deal since he was mostly a fringe performer on a handful of shows just 12months ago. To say Odunsi deserves his accolades isn’t insane, and, speaking of accolades, the next step is receiving recognition from major award shows in the country, a development that seems to be here already via a recent nomination for Best New Artist at the upcoming edition of the Soundcity MVP Awards.

In Alté’s remarkable push from insignificance to fashioning some sort of limelight for themselves over the years, not much has been done by way of acknowledgement by major award bodies, which is expected since the movement is in its nascent stages. But considering that, in their left of mainstream approach, not only is the appeal and conversation around them growing louder, these young artists are some of the most refreshing voices in Nigerian music, and they deserve to be spotlighted on stages as highly influential as national award shows. It’s why Odunsi’s Soundcity MVP nomination is a big deal, and hopefully the first of many for young, independent artists charting their own course.

I don’t expect Odunsi to win the award for Best New Artist at the SMAs, he’s up against, most notably, Teni, aa fa more popular artist and mainstream darling in a voting category. The potential outcome of this category doesn’t invalidate this victory, rather it’s a siren call to other award shows to take this class of artists into cognizance while compiling their own nominations list.

As far as Nigerian music is concerned, the biggest and most esteemed award show is the Headies. Snagging nominations and wins at an award as venerated as the Headies would be a big deal for the Alté scene, and Odunsi is, at present, its best and most viable chance. While Odunsi is now ineligible for the Next rated category—the most coveted category at the awards meant for new artists that comes with a new car (shout-out to Teni, again)—by virtue of having released an official debut album, he’s available to be nominated in the Revelation of the Year category at the next edition, should the organizers be so inclined—they should.

Dedicated to relatively new, popular artists who have released an impactful debut album amongst other works, Revelation of the Year is far more liberal than the terms of the Next Rated category, especially where artists who have steadily built up there reputation are concerned. Customarily, Revelation of the Year is impliedly the next step for former winners or nominees of Next Rated, which makes DMW artist Mayorkun, current holder of the Next Rated crown, a practical option. But then, with the very mixed reactions Mayorkun’s recently released debut, The Mayor Of Lagos, has generated, and its relatively tepid impact, looking outside their traditional purview to less popular artists making a few rounds, nonetheless, and pushing great music as well, would make for a great adaptation. Obviously, with all the words so far, and the article title, it is obvious that I believe Odunsi, with the year he’s had, makes for a very worthwhile option, both as a nominated artist and potential winner of the Revelation of the Year award at the next edition of the Headies.

For further emphasis, and because Revelation of the Year is an artist-centric category that explicitly considers the artist’s overall impact, Odunsi being integral to M.I Abaga’s two solo offerings of 2018, Rendezvous and Yxng Dxnzxl, is another potent line to add to his for-your-consideration CV. Not only are those M.I albums the biggest in Nigeria’s hip-hop sphere for 2018, they are also the veteran rapper’s best work in years, and Odunsi is credited as producer and vocalist on a couple of songs across both projects, as well as A&R-ing.

Award shows are a strong reminder that no two ears are the same. While the perception of Odunsi’s music may differ—the ratio seems tilted to a more positive reception—a look at his achievements during the year, coupled with a far from the silly projection that he has an even brighter career ahead, is enough to peg him as the Revelation of 2018. If this happens at the next edition of the Headies, not only will it reverberate across the alté subculture, it will act as a lighthouse to artists who are making their way without the immediate, intense gaze of the mainstream.

And even if Odunsi doesn’t get this win or even a nom at the Headies—awards aren’t always the best measure of validation—we at FilterFree think Odunsi had a year fitting of such high praise. That should count for something, right?