De Vector's Second Coming "Album Review"

De Artiste Vector

The Second Coming Album

Producers: Da Piano, Tee Y Mix, Sagzy, Tyrone, Licious Crackit, Daseoa Productions, Dolla Sound Shogon, Del B

Features: Muno, Mavado, Sound Sultan, Rocksteady, Emmsong, Modenine, Bad Man Floss, Jazzy, 9ice, and Shank.

De Vector is back again. While his debut album (State of Surprise in 2010) went largely unnoticed, ‘Vector tha Viper’ as he was known early on in his career, is back with a second LP, which aims to show why he should be the next rap superstar in Nigeria. He has been touted by some rap heads as the messiah of rap, the new Modenine whose pop sensibilities won’t alienate him from his core fan base.

As a lover of rap, there are reasons to love Vector’s sophomore offering, The Second Coming (T2C). His strength lies in his wordplay and punchlines, and on T2C he gives you a full dose.

On the banging ‘Se Won Fe Ku’ Vector slices his way through Licious Crackit’s beat, spitting lines such as ‘H factor- I’m Hernan [(H) earning] like Crespo/‘cos a nigga cash-in, sort of like XO’. On

‘Onyeolu’ featuring Bad Man Floss, he accepts his messianic role in the game- ‘I’m the apostle of rap/what I write in the book is the acts- real rap…I’m real 9ice, Bashorun Gaa.’ Even when he is introspective, like on the highly influenced Drake album opener ‘Intro 1972’ he has to put a little flash ‘and record label execs will try to recreate you but receive the virtues of their advice/but watch closely ‘cos soon dem go add vice.’

Many of Vector’s fans will certainly go gaga listening to him drop punchlines with ease, and just like Lil’ Wayne, Vector has used punchlines and wordplay as his major selling points. The downside to this is that sometimes, punchlines get tiresome and unnecessary. Take, for instance ‘Alone’ featuring Emmsong, where Vector overdoes it when he says ‘maybe like the fifth month and the second alphabet.’ An MC should know when to keep things simple and Vector needs to learn this.

After hits like ‘Angeli’ and ‘We Are Made Oh,’ certain rap heads raised the old, tired and unnecessary phrase ‘sold out’. Vector allays their fears with V9 Chypa, going toe to toe with Nigeria’s greatest lyricist Modenine.  Modey comes through as he calmly spits ‘I’m so death, now you can be the illest/mismatch, Godzilla versus chinchilla/you’re a spitter only when you sip alomo bitters’. Vector justifies his Lyricist on the Roll award at The Headies 2012 when he ends his verse by saying ‘and take it easy for me? Where? I laughed/the only time I played safe a short black boy rapped/it’s a wrap.’

As a rapper who takes pride in his love for Hip-Hop culture, Vector goes to battle as he takes shots at a certain popular producer on the rousing ‘Fear No Evil’. Vector seems to be ready for war when he says ‘being a rapper is kinda hard/some people say e no dey pay well/get off your BB you dunce/twitter no be record label.’

The most surprising thing on The Second Coming is Vector’s ability to be introspective and conscious on songs like ‘Hussle’ featuring Sound Sultan, ‘Amen’ featuring Jazzy and ‘Don’t Envy Me’ featuring Rocksteady. ‘When you lost, prayer is the way/when predators come, don’t forget to pray’ he sings-rap on ‘Amen’. On the dancehall cut ‘Don’t Envy Me’ he drops these lines ‘street brother, street brother, I know me and you are not from the same mother, I see when you smile when you beef undercover/ we don’t share position- do we share a lover?’.

But Vector’s attempt to further barrel his way into pop territory with songs such as ‘Shaye’, ‘You Bad’ ‘Na You’ and a few others threaten to derail his plans of a second coming. Thankfully, the track ‘We Are Made Oh’ and ‘Rora’ featuring Shank are on the LP to steer the project back on course.

The Second Coming reflects where Vector is now, in between the rap and pop world. Staying relevant in both worlds isn’t easy, but Vector pulls it off, barring a few mistakes which should be expected from a rapper who is still growing professionally. T2C is a smart display from Vector whose second coming will bring him more disciples.