Five Times Boj And Ajebutter22 Made Magic 

Boj, real name Bolaji Odojukan and Ajebutter22, Akitoye Balogun are two artists whose journeys in music in the last ten years have paralleled each other. With the rise of Alté, Nigerian Pop’s eccentric cousin which they helped pioneer, the two possess a musical relationship that is about as close to the ideal partnership as you get. They share a discography—with the Make E No Cause Fight 1 and 2 EPs, the summit of this arrangement—while maintaining two separate careers that thrive independently of each other. These careers have spurned three albums apiece for the singers (four for Boj if you count his Pioneers LP, co-helmed with Teezee and Fresh L, the other members of DRB Lasgidi). As artists, Ajebutter22 is the more rap-leaning creator, relying on subtle word play and rhyme while ignoring the quickness of flow that most rappers also possess. Boj is more likely to be considered a singer, blessed with an euphonious set of vocals that you often find in the hooks rather than verses of their collaborations. But these nuances are only broad generalizations, in reality, neither artist has any problem stepping out of his comfort zone to possess the other’s. It is part of what makes their partnership so potent—two complete artists that still find ways to complement each other when they duet. 

The first mainstream fruit of this cross-pollination is now a decade old. When Omo Pastor released in July 2012, it was one of the first songs shared by a group of young, unconventional creators that are now recognised under the umbrella of Alté. Since then, the pair has stamped their identities across genres and eras, bringing a sense of continuity to Nigeria’s fast shifting timeline. Ahead of Make E No Cause Fight 3, which will arrive on November 15 to complete the trilogy of EPs, here are five songs from Ajebutter22 and Boj that show why they are widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s finest musical duos.

Omo Pastor 

There would be no better way to kick off this selection than the musical origins of Boj and Ajebutter22’s connection. Omo Pastor told the story of the stereotypical Pastor’s child, whose repressed autonomy as a child manifested in intense ways with the taste of freedom that adulthood provided. It is a common Nigerian trope, the pipeline from pious child to deviant adult, and the people who parrot it can hardly provide evidence of its prevalence. Yet Boj and Ajebutter22 are able to script an original story around this generalization, about a woman whose outward churchy demeanor only served as a mask for a risqué side that rivaled even their own. 

Ajebutter22 begins by painting contrasts in her in- and off-church personalities. “O ti se good girl omo pastor/ O ku die iwo na lo ma bad gan”, he sings before naming a specific instance involving her drinking: “O mu Baileys, ati Vodka/ But ninu church o ma ma gbadura”. It is very difficult to overstate just how pivotal Omo Pastor was to the burgeoning careers of its creators as well as the budding collective they were a part of—Alté. It was released on Soundcloud, the choice platform for emerging unconventional creatives, at least at the time. When both artists released their debut albums two years after, signaling their individual entries into the mainstream, both projects featured Omo Pastor. 

What U Want 

In 2014, the self-styled MC with an MSc, Naeto C, was in the creative process for his next album, Festival, one that hardly anyone suspected would be his last. For the track, What U Want, he recruited both members of our duo, leaving them to stamp their mark on the song in their characteristic style before inserting himself in verses. They tag team on the chorus—Boj throwing up the question of “Tell me what you want, what you really want/ what do you want from me”, before Ajebutter22 replies with “Ten bottles of Rosé, pelu Sepe and Alomo/ Ten shots of Bacardi , Don Simon, or Paraga”.