Back in secondary school, I had these two classmates who had unexplainable bad blood between them. They abhorred each other at such a visceral level, you could keep both of them in a room for days and not one word would be directed in the opposite direction. Trying to keep up with their shenanigans was baseless, because no one knew what the main cause of their malice was, we just knew they stayed as far away from each other as possible. Until one day. During an interclass football match, both of them quietly decided to play right beside each other, combining so superbly you’d think they were BFF’s with matching tattoos. I wish I could say that was the turning point in their relationship, but in those minutes on the field, one thing was clear: each respected the other’s ability well enough to forget about differences and combine to reach their goal(s).
Dislike doesn’t equal disrespect, which seems to be the case of Loose Kaynon and AQ. About a week ago, in a tweet pushing the pre-order link for Crown, the duo’s new joint album, AQ intimated that Loose Kaynon explicitly stated he wasn’t a fan of his in their initial linkup.
https://twitter.com/thisisAQ/status/1027988570013884416?s=19
But he also explicitly stated his maximum respect for what AQ had achieved and is still achieving as a rapper, on an independent level at that. That respect is supposedly the foundation for Crown, a characteristic I’d deem as a solid bedrock to lay an album on top.
As private entities, Loose Kaynon and AQ are known quantities; both rappers, at their best, have a shark’s intuition and a vampire’s appetite for blood, able to reduce tracks to the equivalent of lifeless bodies with stunning displays of lyricism. AQ’s catalog is more comprehensive as show-and-tell for his skill set, releasing 4 full length projects in the last 3years – 2016’s Rose and last year’s Blessed Forever, one of the best albums of 2017, are in the lead as Mr. Bani’s opus.
By contrast, Loose’s catalog is quite scanty, boasting one solo album in Gemini, a relatively, mediocre compilation of Iceprince-type pop-rap songs. Judging Loose solely by that album would be very misguided, the man has unleashed a substantial amount of figure 8 verses on cuts by other rappers over the years, a quick search around the interweb is all you need do. (The only rapper that has “Renegade”-d M.I Abaga more than once is Loose Kaynon, most notably “Lost” off Illegal Music 2.) All signs point toward the fact that Loose puts his best foot forward in the company of other rappers, and AQ seems like the sure-fire catalyst to ensure Loose brings out his A-game for on Crown.
Also of significance is that Crown is the first of three rap albums executive produced M.I – all boldly situated as a series of stimuli shots to state of Nigerian hip-hop – which means that the hype has been played up significantly and the stakes are high as they’ve ever been for both rappers. Safe to say a lot of eyes are on hip-hop, and ears are attentive. Over to Loose and AQ to get #LAMBaugust started.
From here on, all you’ll read is my gut reaction to each song, from start to finish. I can’t pause, rewind or fast-forward. Let’s get it
Out of This World
Soft piano keys ushering us in. Is that Folu Storms? What is better than one crown…100 crowns. Some voices are chanting, very pleasant on the ears. Percussions just came in without disrupting anything, a nice a bop, explosive bass is in. AQ is here, and he feels like he’s an alien. He’s sitting in the pocket of this beat nicely, getting some introspective bars. The chants just joined in, very beautiful. Loose! He sounds so alive, I love how he tagged in. Both these guys have a tendency to crumple their flows a little sometimes, but it’s cool. Who’s crooning? Very beautiful voice, soulful and shit. Someone’s talking, I think this is AQ. We need to do this. Serviceable intro.
Regrets (Feat. Debbie Romeo)
Weird grunt, some eerie sounds, the laughter just cranked it up a bit. Is this Debbie Romeo? Vocal timbre sounds exactly the same as Nezi Momodu. This beat is legless at the moment, waiting for the drop. Well, that wasn’t a heavy drop but I’m far from mad. Bring boom bap back 2018. Loose is here and his heart is colder than Chicago. Very solemn, poised flow but his lyrics are very vengeful. Whoever pissed Loose off should watch they back. Now this hook is even more ominous. AQ is in his bag on this, he’s always very at home over beats with some soul in it. I came like a thief in the night/beheaded them twice. AQ sounds a lot more alive on this beat, like he has real targets in mind, at the shooting range doing target practice. “A lot of people gon have a lot of regrets.” This is ride out on your enemies solemnly music, while the plan is bubbling in your head. Whoever is speaking at the moment must have done some serious shit to be this contrite.
Gang Gang (Feat. Torna)
No bangers yet, but this has promise. It’s building up nicely already. Whoever is on this hook is killing it, trap style, even though I don’t understand shit he’s saying. Nice knock here but it’s not leviathan, the snare is bringing the bounce. Okay! Now we have a rumbling beat, fit to set the Richter scale off. Loose is bringing the brags, “my kick game is in rare form” is something my broke ass can’t relate to fully but I’m with it. This is flow is dripping rich man sauce, with some belligerent energy to it. “Money on my mind like a snapback”. A lot of quotables are in here, come pick you Instagram captions if you’re in Loose’s tax bracket. AQ sounds like he’s here to fuck shit up. “I’m filthy rich in a filthy way”. Seems like M and choc city gave Q a really nice, fat check. This is in Q’s lane, he’s fine tuned the grating the excesses that used to bog down his raps, especially his flow. This. Is. Madness. “Gang Gang” should get a few spins in the club, especially when a particular table is buying out the bar and ordering expensive bottle(s).
Best Rapper Alive
This is a skit, sounds like a white kid with a youtube channel. “Get a fucking life” to everyone claiming they are the best rapper alive is hilarious.
Crown (Feat. SDC)
WOOOOOO!!! This sounds like it was made in the Bronx. Loops with drums that go boom and bap, I can feel the dust–angel dust—flying out these drums. Ghost could be silent on a track and his presence would still be louder than the weed Snoop Dogg smokes. YUP!!! He’s snapping without any problems. The weight in his voice always emphasizes his words so you must believe him. Dear sweet baby Jesus, this is rap music every rap lover is going to gulp up, especially old heads. Q is here. Older rappers really be mad at these young cats for mumbling and watering down their shit. There are some nice bars here but nothing is knocking me out of my chair right now. I take that back, haha. This Linda Ikeji line has some shock value in there. “Mama always told me to be less explanatory,” seems like the Migos aren’t the only one that have mum nuggets to drop. That Kobe line is fire. Loose Kaynon sounds like money, foreign currency to be specific, the confidence in his flow is mad. This is the best verse on this posse cut, yet. Man, Loose is walking on water right now. My hands are typing way too slow to write everything I like about this Loose verse and this song in generally. “Y’all delicious in this bitch” What?!!! Loose just left this in a body bag. Tec is coasting as well. Okay, he’s giving Loose a run for his money. The intricacy and composure on Tec’s verse is crazyyy, and he still sounds so casual, like solving a rubik’s cube with one hand while holding a glass of palmwine in the other. Beat switch, this yatch boom bap, very glamorous stuff. Reinhard killed this beat, on God! Who’s this delirious lady, haha. Must be calling a Yoruba guy.
By Your Side (Feat. Yoye Hayba)
Is that Yoye or a sample? Whatever it is, I like it already. This album has had a steady pace all through. This is the girl record. I see what that skit was for, nice sequencing. Loose is declaring his love in pretty picturesque terms without being corny. This beat has M.I written all over it, the piano keys are amongst his favorite tools, not to mention the sampling. AQ is always so passionate when he’s rapping. His cadence is a little too thick on this silky beat, but it’s working pretty well here. I knew there was going to be a little vulgar bar there, this man is nasty, shaking my head. This production is premium butter. Okay, this is Yoye. He’s singing pretty well, but the mix of his voice is a no for me, please. I don’t know how much I’m coming back to this song, but if I do, it’s mainly for the production and Loose’s verse probably.
No Time (Freestyle)
Some lady is on the phone, AND LOOSE JUST SLAMMED THE PHONE BEFORE SHE COULD CONTINUE. HAHAHA! I’m laughing out loud. This is a nice ratchet beat, feed this to the strip clubs many guys Lagos claim they’ve not visited. Ckay came with a mild banger, M.I seems to be on adlib duty here. The amount of confidence Loose has been exuding on this album is unruly. “Hip-hop’s Don Draper” is a bar, if you know you know. HA! Loose has so many threats, y’all should stay away from this man. Q in with the silver surfer flow. He’s running this beat ragged, love it. “If you ain’t feeling me, give yourself a fellatio” is a whole ass mood for the rest of 2018, except I don’t have haters like that. This is a jam, bars and a bastard beat. Standout track.
Off Black (Feat. Blaqbonez)
Cloudy keys and Blaq’s voice. Oooh! That’s a really saucey drop. BadBoyBlaq is riding this with no problems. This is the record that makes your shoulder shimmy unknowingly. Man, this is a bop. AQ is riding thos beat pretty nicely, some really savage lyrics, I’m chuckling. There’s no ketchup on this beat, just sauce, word to Joey Akan. This hook is infectious. Loose is rapping like the battery in his back was made by Duracell. This man can rap, why is he dropping songs and verses once in a blue moon? I really like this song, and Blaqbonez is a big reason, even though I’m not his biggest fan, yet.
Hustler’s Prayer (Feat. Chi Gurl)
OOOOHHH! Some swanky, jazzy keys. God will continue to bless M.I, he’s sorely underrated as a producer, word to OneMotolani. Another angelic sample I can’t place, love it some much I want to make this song my ringtone already. “On the road to success, transportation is passion driven” AQ is dropping street preacher bars, plenty Monday motivation quotes in here. This is a fantastic composition; no drums, just samples, keys, M humming and cutting raps. OH SHIT! Is the sample actually Chi Gurl?! I never experred it! This is soul drenched rap at its finest, I’m cryibg tears of joy. Loose is philosophizing and splicing some religiosity in there. “Mindset: fuck you payy me!” is a mood I can get behind, Yes Lawd! These are bars for the dome that will pierce your heart profoundly. I can’t get enough of this production, I think I just left my body unto another plane of existence. Immaculate production accentuating raps with chaotic lyrics is a drug I’m addicted to.
God Wants Us To Be Lit Too (Feat. Big Daddy Jayy)
Last Song. This has been a breezy listen. These keys are softer than a baby’s butt. Ha! Things just got raucous, this is call the police music! LET’S GO!! This might be the first Big Daddy Jayy hook I don’t have reservations about. Mehh, now I think this beat should’ve been wayy harder. (Get Remy Baggins on the phone for that drum pack, plis dear.) “God wanted it, I just made it happen.” Fam, Loose came with swag of a thousand men while recording this album, he’s come super correct on every track here. Okay, now the hook is getting grating. Those adlibs aren’t helping by the way. “Blessed Forever/so I get checks forever!” AQ has some really dope one liners as well on this album. I’m going to tweet “Pope Francis when I bless is the mic” with multiple prayer hand emoji one of these days. This song should be a monster, instead it’s a slightly groovy zombie. This should be the song people get turned up to on their IG stories, getting they little shoulder shimmy on and showing those bathroom rapper hands off. The title is a fantastic catchphrase, but the voice singing it isn’t exactly doing justice. Not a bad way to finish off, but it could’ve been better.
Crown 1-Listen Review Final Thoughts
Similar to my classmates’ performance during that football match, Loose Kaynon and AQ have pulled off a splendid feat with Crown. Their combination proves to be solid because the respect for each other’s skill set is very palpable all through. For the most part, Loose and AQ rap shoulder to shoulder, either allowing hooks serves as bridges or swapping batons with each other cleanly. By declining to interject each other or force some type of back-and-forth conversational flow, both rappers acknowledge the bounds of their chemistry, sidestepping their limitations and forging their bonds based off easily built strengths. Loose and AQ may not be connected in series, but they are definitely connected in parallels.
Throughout Crown, both rappers are consistently on middle ground, thematically and sonically, with neither labouring for solid footing in between luxurious quips, loaded threats and ponderous lyrics. Their raps are evocative, effective, and also loaded with improvements on both sides; AQ’s delivery has taken another leap in its malleability with flows and overall form; Loose Kaynon is in command of his voice on a whole other level.
As far as production goes, the beats on Crown are some of the best either rapper has hopped on – props has to go to M.I for his extensive work behind the boards. From soulful loops and drums, to airy keys and knocking bass, the versatility is spread around, but it’s Loose and AQ who brilliantly anchor the album.
At 10 songs, Crown is sensibly precise and primed for full length replays. Lack of fat also assuages the little faults present on this album, making it a near airtight display of lyricism over beats that don’t pander to current mainstream trends in Nigerian pop music. Crown is not insular, a chunk of it is pure fun, but it demands to be met on the terms set by Loose and AQ: Great bars over solid beats.
#LAMBaugust has just set the bar high. One down, two to go.