What happens when all but falls down in a niche you’ve grown accustomed to and grown to love? You begin to query its foundation and the elements that seem to be pulling it down. M.I Abaga has questions, he’s ravished by the intricacies of self worth and so he has embarked on a long introspective journey. This journey he has trekked within the confines of his mind is now being shared with the rest of the world. On soundscapes of raw lyrics & with assists from talented artistes he relays the consequence of this journey.
The album which is stylized by track titles inspired by what comes across as fleeting thoughts is introduced with Do You Know Who You Are? Take Sometime & Meditate On Yourself. In this track, he taps into Tay Iwar’s swaying vocal ability. As his vocals rise with the cadence of violins fused with forest calls, M.I joins in with an added background of bass drums and an outpouring of profound lyrics. Together, they implore the listener to meditate and rise above the volatility of the world today.
Yxng Dxnzl hasn’t even gone deep into the project yet he’s steering up boggling thoughts in the mind of his listeners through the conversations he has with uncredited voices. He has one in the introductory track and he takes it up in the next; Last Night I Had A Dream About A Hummingbird in which over a soundscape of airy synths and pads, he encourages the ‘Hummingbird’ to ignore the ‘Mockingbirds’, spread its wings and fly.
M.I comes for uninspiring & underperforming rappers in the next track which stirred up controversy way back in 2017 when it was released. You Rappers Should Fix Up Your Lives is the title of this menacing track. M.I lays down his claims of how his cold flow set the pace for acclaimed rap in Nigeria which has now been subverted by a new wave of Rappers who can’t even keep up with South Africans on a background of thumping 808s.
He cuts through the next 3 tracks vocalizing his perception about how dumbed down the rap scene has now become, how Chocolate City is doing it right with signings, how as humans we don’t need the validation of others to make us feel better. With soulful assists from Cina Soul and Lorraine Chia on Stop! Never Second Guess Yourself and You Are Like Melody, My Heart Skips A Beat, they serenade the ladies and by extension men, with uplifting lines. Cina soulfully croons “you don’t need them to validate yourself” and her words cut through the surface while Lorraine’s lulling vocals pave a path for M.I to woo his lady love on the planes of bass drums & cymbals in the first track off the project that centers around a romantic theme.
M.I aims for perfection in the 7th track in which he draws us in with pulsating synths. He reiterates his need for positive vibes only. With help from Odunsi The Engine and Lady Donli whose alluring vocals lure us in further, we’re made to understand the sense of panic that comes with not succumbing to the pressure of not being top tier anymore but for M.I, it’s positive vibes only, no matter what.
On a soundscape of synthesized voices and thrumming beats, M.I pushes further in his introspective journey of self evaluation, by re-establishing the solid prints he’s leaving in the world, despite the feelings of inadequacy that stem from societal and familial shortcomings.
M.I makes sure that before he rounds up, we understand the crux of this project which is to expose in entirety the crevices of his mind. The eponymously titled second to the last track is a gritty menacing cut though softened by sonorous vocals from Niyola which eventually blend with his, that contain elements of raw rhymes that reveal Yxng Dxnzl’s true persona.
M.I has done well in touching on critical vices that plague our society today. As he draws the final line on this project, he resurrects Tay Iwar and brings on board PatrickxxLee on Love Never Fails But Fails Where There Are Prophecies Love Will Seize To Remain. Going by the inspiration of a mesh of millions of minds in the world, they deliver profound lyricism centering around the emotive intricacies of the human mind.
We’ve gone through an intense session of wild expositions and crude narrations stemming from the study of self worth of Yxng Dxnzl. We’re impressed & long for more. After all we were promised 3 albums executive produced by M.I Abaga this August.