Beats, rhymes and life. Since its first instalment just over eight years ago, Show Dem Camp have used the highly rated and respected Clone Wars mixtape series as a trusted vessel to showcase their raw instincts and burning ambitions as rappers, distinct qualities that have set the duo apart from most of the Nigerian hip-hop class. As much as Tec and Ghost seem to be at their most biting on Clone Wars 1-3, the by-product of this palpable confidence is that they are loose and in their natural element, making the tape series the best way to track their evolution from cult heroes to frontliners of Nigerian rap.
Clone Wars 3: The Recession, released on the very last day of 2016, marked a new high for the series, garnering instant critical acclaim, and also arguably the best project SDC yet. In the two years since CW3, Tec and Ghost have become prominent fixtures in the Nigerian rap conversation, finding higher levels of success with the more ubiquitous-minded, but equally satisfying Palmwine Music series. A full circle into the Clone Wars series has always been on the mind of early fans and those who have doubled back to listen to the duo’s previous work.
Coming in just three months after the well-received Palmwine Music 2, a new SDC project, Clone Wars 4: These Buhari Times, is a New Year miracle. Since Tec and Ghost have proven time and again to be masters at making sequels worthy of their own applause, even if tied to a franchise, there’s little doubt that Africa’s premier rap duo will be turning in a phenomenal body of work. With the stakes higher than before—this is technically their third studio album, as per it’s (supposed to be) on all streaming platforms—a stacked guest list and a magnificent cover art to boot, I choose to believe in SDC because they have never disappointed me.
Let’s begin 2019, guys. Bang! Bang!
In usual 1-listen Fashion, no skips, no rewinds, no fast forwards, and no pauses. All reactions are written in real time.
(Intro) City of Excellence
Heavy organs is probably the best foreboding sound ever. The natural presence of Ghost’s voice will make a scarecrow shit its pants. Boom bap drums just came in, Clone Wars is here! That Burna line is nice, good introductory verse. These caricature-like choir is making me chuckle. Tec! He sounds prepared, no more Palmwine! That motivational bar is premium Tec-ism. That’s a thinkpiece, don’t steal it, please. I wish I was getting sucker punched by this intro, but the build-up is nice. I can’t place the voice singing, I’m tempted to say Tajie.
Savage (f/ LadiPoe)
What’s happening? Oh, Tec is rapping from a distant land? These tribal drums, sheesh. “Way ahead of my peers, I feel like I’ve been here before,” okay, Tec! Haha, a Dasuki bar. This production is gorgeous, please. Ha! Tec is taking all the shots. Oh my God! Ghost! That’s what she said, LOL. Ghost is going hard, not super Saiyan, but he’s running this beat for what it’s worth. Poe just paid respect to Prodigy. A couple of vicious bars. YOOO! This is reminding me of CW2’s “OD,” where Poe came from nowhere and pulled the rug out from under Tec and Ghost. Ah, good times.
Respect, Loyalty & Honour (f/ M.I Abaga)
Sinister bass guitar sounds like an evil ghost humming while on the prowl. I’d pay for real nigga lessons from Ghost. Seriously, I need this song to kick me in the nuts, please. Contemplative Tec is always on point. I like that Naeto C parallel. Bruhh! So many quotables in here, I fuck with this verse. M.I in full mischief mode has my lips slightly curled upwards, he sounds good. This is “Popping” part 2, it’s a little to evident, but it’s still a nice angle of entry. M.I gave up the goods, impressed. I’m going to like this one more with subsequent listens.
Duade (f/ Cina Soul)
Tec is soliloquising. Yo! Is Nigerian rap going to be more woke in the nearest future? This is some real honest yarns, as per men need to open up more. I can’t understand a word from Cina Soul—much like cluelessness on her latest ep Ga Mashi—but these chants contain the elixir of life. She switched to English, her falsetto is premium! This is balmy. There is raw feeling in Tec’s voice, capturing the dour energy of his lyrics. We need more Cina Soul hooks! Ghost’s verse started off well, and it’s built up to gripping levels. I like that he used that Wiz and Tiwa line in painting the hypocrisy of Nigerians. Cina Soul’s voice probably gives angels Goosebumps.
Shadow of Doubt (f/ Tems)
I’m trying to make out the words in this monologue; what I’m hearing is heavy on rebelling, I think. Tec has been in his Louis bag on this album. “How can I elevate when my environment is looking quite deformed” sheeesh, I felt that. Tec and “blamming babes,” cue in Jacob Zuma meme. Digging this beat, it has an encompassing, off-kilter vibe. Tems is my favourite plant since Falana, word to TMT. Ha! Ghost is asking a couple *hit blunt* questions. This is a series of conspiracy theory in deft raps, I’m impressed. Tems has a gorgeous voice, that might be trite now, but it can’t be overstated.
Epigenetics (f/ Ozone)
Ozone! Last Night in Lagos still slaps! The Axelrod of all flowers starting us off with deep lines, that generational trauma bar caught me off guard. Beat just got some bounce to it. These portraits Ghost is painting have depth, but they are easy to grasp scenarios. Jarring opening bars, sorta, from Tec. “Whole country got post-traumatic stress” is too relevant, this whole verse is relevant. Sell Nigeria and let us collect our shares and move on, to be honest. Ozone is wigging, this man needs to give us more music, please. “If you don’t move an inch, prayer won’t do a thing” got me mouthing wow, haha. Nigeria IS a script, a very terrible one at that. SMH.
Packaging
Production has been very nocturnal and vibey, used to it now. A punishing bounce landed as Ghost let out his first bar, and I’ve just caught the Holy Ghost. Haha, I like the concept of this one, the mischief in every line being uttered is selling it even more. Lasisi Elenu is barely ever funny without a filter and visible theatrics to help. Bruhh! What is Tec on? This is a fantastic verse so far, that whole part about his babe is funny. Okay, Lasisi just pronounced “booty” in a way that made me laugh a bit. Wait! Hold the fuck up?! Is this Wegele? I need answers, please. This is an instant favourite.
TDV (Trust The Vibe)
Growling bass and handclaps, Amen music. Woooo! This is gorgeous. Ghost is flowing like a preacher over this resplendent beat. This is resurgence music, so much love it already. “Had to go against the grain to make sweet corn” is a multiple fire emoji bar. Man, I trust these vibes wholeheartedly. Tec just related his path to Icarus, a marker of another solid verse. This song is a bop, seriously. These Buhari Times has been on a nice stretch, or maybe it’s taken me a while to adjust. Great vibes, gorgeous beat.
4TH Republic (f/ DAP The Contract & Vector Tha Viper)
YO! Those horns are a trip. Okay! Vector sounds like he’s interested in rapping again, I haven’t heard him sound this laser focused in a long while. “The shades no be for lights alone” is an example of how Vector can spin mundane into clever and somewhat funny. Ha! DAP! He’s rocking this beat like it was made for him, definitely sounds like something that would be at home on Everybody Fall in the Summer. Jesus! This is a fucking fantastic verse! Heard a lot of these sentiments from him before, but no less striking. This production is voodoo jazz, my God. Tec philosophizing is my favourite Tec to listen to. OH SHIT! That Ambode line! Shit! Ghost is a cheat code, haha. Stunning line after stunning line. This is a stunning song! WOW!
+234
Nah, this album revved up and hasn’t looked back. Like this beat, icy with a nice bounce. Ghost referencing movies is the 8th wonder of the world, he never fails to drop an applause-worthy flip. “G-O-D is my co-sign/ain’t no time except go time” is a 2019 mood. He definitely had fun writing and recording his verse, very relaxed but 100% assured on every line. Tec saying he’s in touch of his soul is 2019’s best news yet. “After these projects, we’re gone” better not be referring to a hiatus. Well, we can’t be mad, they’ve been giving us great music for two years now. Like this one, definitely going into constant rotation.
Hunger Cries
Dreary piano keys just got some sauce with the drum knocks. Buhari and other politicians are getting this work. There’s pain in Ghost’s voice, something every Nigerian can feel. “Men, fuck this government!” has been and will always be a mood. What is the point of this government if they aren’t doing shit? Nonsense. Fuck SoundCloud! What are these glitches? SMH. Tec just changed the angle, but it’s just as gripping. “We’ve been chasing greatness even when they weren’t relating” is a real ass bar. Man, fame and success has its toxic side. Another keeper.
Everything I Love
There have been a lot of shiny piano keys on this album. Crisp drums on the money. Pensive Tec can take all my money, but I don’t have any, so he has my ears and undivided attention. This level of self-awareness Tec is toting on this verse should be bottled and sold as the same price of diamonds. Ghost tapped into the same current, recapping his past days as the point of entry to his evolution. “Find something to live for/if not, fond something to die for/and keep grinding” is a lyric I’m hanging somewhere visible.
No White Flags (f/ Phlow, Tems & Rotex)
Final song, sheesh. Organs make me emotional. This is Rotex, nice hook. Wooo, Phlow came in with the swaggy entry. “I mean, they say the flesh is weak, so curb your aspirations” is a bar. There’s an avalanche of remarkable bars in this Phlow 16, each worth its weight in gold. Ghost said he’ll never compromise, and I stan even harder. This beat is more radiant than Gucci Mane’s teeth set, by the way. Ghost dropped a fantastic verse, water is wet. “Inclined to reason/self is divine” is a bar Buddha would be jealous of. Tec’s woman is the real MVP here, if we’re being honest. Tems could cough for 10-minutes straight on a track and I’d still listen to it judiciously.
(Bonus) Tipping Point (f/ Boogey)
Actual final song. Chopped vocal sample and jazzy boom bap is an eternally exquisite combo. Haha, Ghost is snapping and he’s not even acting like it. “If hustle’s a degree, I have a masters in that” haha, talk that talk, man. Ghost is dropping a jewellery store of eyes wide open bars with the casual candour of someone doing slight work. This beat is impossibly beautiful. Boogey! Ha! Woke, conspiracy theory Boogey is always a trip to listen to, and yes, he’s running this ragged. This is the type of vindictiveness that makes my soul cry for joy. Fuck the government, again. This is higher echelon rap! WOW.
1-Listen Review Final Thoughts: Clone Wars 4: These Buhari Times
At the risk of being too forward, These Buhari Times is the most purposeful entry of the Clone Wars series till date. While previous entries carried subtitles that are socio-political in nature, only seeping into the music in trickles, CW4 takes its other header so serious it figures into a significant part of the album. The good thing is that this more conscious switch-up untethers itself from the overt burden and righteousness of “conscious rap” by moving side-by-side with, and relying on, the basic concept of the series: a display of supreme rap skill.
While its predecessors could be brash, and hollow even, due to Show Dem Camp’s preoccupation with bringing real rap back, CW4 is far less ordinary, with masterful lyricism acting as premium context for gripping content. As much as These Buhari Times functions as an annotation of a dysfunctional government and country, it also follows that Tec and Ghost sound very accomplished on the more personal tracks of the album. All of this is embellished by the trusted, deft hands of frequent producer Spax, exchanging the smouldering grooves of Palmwine Music for swaddling vibe-centric production that’s immersive but never points away from the matter at hand. Then there’s also a roll call of guest artists who deliver impressively.
Over the years, it’s evident that Tec and Ghost are a fabulous pair, but with CW4 clearly not fuelled by a spirit of brotherly one-upmanship, the two are on an even wavelength for the entirety of the project. Debating who had a better verse on what song or overall performance already feels pointless, because both rappers operated like two pilots guiding one Jaegar—that’s the hallmark of a well thought-out, blindingly executed album.
And, on a general note, to all Nigerian rappers with plans of releasing a project in 2019: Congratulations, you have your work cut out for you. Show Dem Camp just set a high bar for Nigerian hip-hop this year with These Buhari Times. Bang bang, people.