In the last five years artists such as Moelogo, Fuse ODG, Mista Silva, Vibe Squad and Kwamz & Flava have been gradually building up the “UK Afrobeats” scene to become one of most exciting things out of London since grime. But it would be remiss of us to ignore the foundation JJC and the 419 Squad laid for these guys over a decade ago.
JJC and 419 Squad – Atide
MP or Master plan was one of JJC’s able lieutenants. The singer had a brief meeting with JJC in Kano in ’98 before uniting with the group’s leader again a few years later in the UK. He, JJC, Smokey and So Simple formed the core of JJC and the 419 Squad. The crew would have a highly successful run that was truncated in ’07 when Mastaplan decided to take a break from the group, in a “last in, first out” manner.
It got to a point where I felt very uncomfortable. I couldn’t understand why. It may be because I came very late into the group, and maybe they didn’t want me.
Writing wise, I contributed a lot to the group. I felt I deserve more than I was getting. I had to wake up from my slumber. I had to go solo.
Mastaplan (Nigerian Films), 2007
Mastaplan signed to a new label, Limelite Records, that he formed alongside his producer Dapsee. The duo quickly went to work on MP’s debut album No Dull Yourself. Despite reports that MP’s departure was precipitated by in-fighting in the group, it didn’t seem like there was any bad blood between MP and JJC specifically, at the time. JJC would make a cameo in MP’s first solo video for the album’s title track and was set to produce on the album proper. Sadly, that album never saw the light of day.
When Yahoozey, the dance step, began buzzing in nightclubs at home and abroad that same year, a number of artists saw an opportunity to create an accompanying song that would capture the moment. MP was one of them, and given his background as a member of a crew that literally made a name for itself from a word that connoted advanced fee fraud, it seemed like a dubious but organic progression. Unfortunately, the overwhelming success of Olu Maintain’s version of “Yahoozey” would make all other submissions sound like poorly done covers.
MP would get his chance though, he released a number of other singles in the space of a few months. “One for me” in particular would get a lot of airplay and showcase the artist’s ability to perform love records in addition to his normal club bangers.
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However, the one song that really made the industry feel like MP was one to look out for was the vapid but undeniably catchy “Pasa Pasa”, released in late ’08.
“Pasa Pasa” was a clean fusion of soca and fuji, a marriage of the singer’s own Carribean and Nigerian heritage. The hit song saw a visible improvement in MP’s sound, which up until that point, was difficult to separate from the rest of the pack. What happened afterwards remains a mystery – MP would leave the scene and desert a growing fan base that was expecting him to make a mark; the returnee artist blow-up move was popular at the time.
But MP did leave a mark of some sort, I’m not quite sure where Vector got his “Osamo” from but it’s quite obvious MP made it his signature before the rapper did. To my mind, MP could have had an even greater impact on the industry. It’s a bit of a shame that things fizzled out because, of all the members of 419 Squad, Masterplan’s solo career showed the greatest promise.
In an interesting plot twist, last year the former singer would make headlines again but no, not in Lagos or London but in his new home in Delaware, USA. And this time around, not in music but as a distinguished healthcare professional. MP was recognized as the Outstanding Member of the Month for October 2015 by the community of ambulance service providers in his community.
Brent Gbadebo (Mastaplan) (Source)
He was rewarded for making 19 ambulance runs in under two months, a feat he had achieved shortly after completing his training. Kudos to him, it’s great to be able to celebrate Nigerians doing good things for themselves and their communities regardless of their field.
Brent Gbadebo (aka Mastaplan) has exited the music scene but we still applaud his excellence, who says it always has to be about the music?