“OUT OF SIGHT – OUT OF MIND: VOLUME 1” is Ycee VS Zaheer If It Worked 

7 years ago, Ycee repurposed Reminisce’s iconic one-liner on Kako Bi Chicken, “O ye rappers [I’ve moved on to greater things]” on It’s Amazing, the intro to his debut album, Ycee VS Zaheer. The line tied into Ycee VS Zaheer’s concept, a face-off between the Jagaban rapper’s dual aspects: Zaheer, the moody, bar-loving alter ego, and Ycee, the chill, lover boy with a penchant for cheesy hooks. Bearing a boatload of braggadocio bars, Ycee was declaring a next level ascension. A man free of the burdens of his former record label, Tinny Entertainment. And up until that point, a rapper with undeniable hit-making prestige. 

Before the album’s November release, Ycee dropped Balance in January, a The Heart-style record declaring the coming of the “Old president re-elected.” 2018 had come with massive hit singles, Say Bye Bye (feat. Eugy) and Juice Remix with American rapper, Joyner Lucas, and the Late Night Vibrations EP with Bella Alubo. As such, there was no cause to doubt his prowess—dating all the way to his debut project, The First Wave EP. All three lead singles failed to create a buzz. But even that was excused as circumstantial. However, when the reactions eventually began pouring in for Ycee VS Zaheer, most were overwhelmingly negative. It was one of those rare moments where critics and fans alike unanimously agreed on a project’s failings. Depending on who you read, this marked the beginning of Ycee’s decline and a dip for the golden renaissance of swag hip-hop led by himself and ex-DMW signee, Dremo. 

Ycee would go on to release the mellow, romance-themed 7-track EP, Love Drunk, in 2021, regaling fans with a smattering of singles, freestyles, and feature appearances in that time frame (including deep cuts like E.N.K.R on Reminisce’s ATSG Vol. 1 and Nigerian Man on Psycho YP’s YPSZN3—bouncing on that baile funk Teriyaki Boyz flip). He’s also grown more vocal about sociopolitical conditions, issuing posts on the inactions of the Nigerian Government and the occasional controversial take. 

Earlier in February 2026, Ycee’s Man2Man verses stopped Naija hip-hop in its tracks. APC supporters and rapper Phenom were the hardest hit in an eviscerating tirade that explored his ‘falling off’ allegations, colleagues sucking up to Seyi ‘ST’ Tinubu, Tinny Entertainment dispute, and the state of the rap game. Ycee’s stellar verses reminded everyone why his name dominates internet discourse every other quarter. Another freestyle over DJ Mac and Crash Dummie’s viral WYFL Riddim on 4th June, 2026, put the scene on alert yet again—although a few weak, cheesy bars were in the mix. Little did listeners know that a surprise sophomore album was in the offing as he released the 14-track OUT OF SIGHT – OUT OF MIND: VOLUME 1 LP on Democracy Day, June 12, 2026. 

OOS-OOM Vol. 1 follows in the footsteps of projects by Reminisce (Alaye Toh Se Gogo Vol. 1) and Adekunle Gold (Afro Pop, Vol. 1), attempted reinventions from artists in a new creative prime. It’s also a loose concept album in the mold of Ycee VS Zaheer, consisting of two 7-track discs, each on a separate theme. On Disc 1, Zaheer delivers hip-hop goods for a rapper in rare form. On Disc 2, Ycee croons themes of sensuous romance and heartbreak in a much more alluring manner than the valleys of  Love Like That and Vacancy on his debut. Both discs are catalogued as music from the fictional radio station, ANBT Radio, drawing on a rich tradition of radio motifs in Nigerian hip-hop—think One Billion Point One Palmwine Radio in Show Dem Camp’s Palmwine Music series and MI Abaga’s Rendezvous. There’s even an interlude, LOVE LARA, building on the narrative on intro, OOSOM, where an acquaintance with a UK roadman twang talks about praying for Ycee. Over Jazz horns, a lady we can assume to be Lara echoes the mysterious roadman, reminding Ycee that “he’s a king whose crown can never be lifted.”

Concepts are only as good as their execution. And Ycee delivers on this, for the most part. His lyricism, while not at the Olympic tier of, say, Midf (Money I Dey Find), maintains a steady high for the album’s run time. On LEAVE ME ALONE, gruff melodic bars pepper KK Freeley’s Boombap-piano instrumentation (“What’s your life like? Block of flats no be Section Eight[y] / 24/7 like I’m Ella Mai, I’m booed up with a couple babes”) as the Omo Alhaji rapper says a prayer for Mohbad and his personal struggles (“Almost lost my mind in Mile 12”). He and Dremo exchange cheeky punches on THE GEES, a +234 Drill number hearkening to the post-pandemic heydays. You almost believe that Ycee indeed ran deals in the trap, as Dremo Drizzy bursts into a sweet double time flow evoking imagery of thugs with Bajinatus—street name for the not-so-sophisticated shotguns popularised by Olamide’s Goons Mi. Even down to dispensing knowledge on ITK about the purpose of wealth. 

Ycee strikes a balance between technical multisyllabic rhymes and enticing romantic lines on Disc 2 of OOS-OOM Vol. 1. The second verse on LEMONADE playfully fancies a “lah-lah-lah” end rhyme with innuendos about genital juice and a random name drop of retired NBA superstar Andre Iguodala. However, the downside to this balance is the litany of corny one-liners and simile abuse in the fashion of Illegal Music 2 MI Abaga (“When I think of that bell (Tinkerbell), I be Peter Pan”). It’s jarring on certain songs, passable on others (“Mo le kpe Paso bi ti Wande [Coal]”). Fitting songs for the average listener who just wants chill Rapfrobeats without a care for how basic those lyrics sound. 

There’s no attempt at social consciousness here—not that he has ever been adept at conscious hip-hop. In this way, Ycee’s sophomore album is an extension of the legacy of Wizkid’s Superstar. Both projects are more about a good time and  reinforcing the artist’s reputation than about the state of the country. And both were released on Democracy Day. But where Wiz only speaks up occasionally, Ycee has been considerably more vocal. Regardless, it’s hard to shake the bitter taste away once you notice how much apoliticality is a defining feature of Ycee’s discography. 

Four artists are featured on the project. All appear on a four-song run in the hip-hop catacombs of Disc 1. Of the four, Damilaremusic delivered the most, taking over BALLING FOREVER with just 16 seconds of airtime. His Apala runs on alternating lines of Pidgin English and Yoruba, likely pushed Ycee to do a second verse—think Kendrick Lamar on Poetic Justice. On the opposite end is Psycho YP, who’s, well, Psycho YP: obligatory weed bars  and references to ‘the streets’ included in an extremely skippable ISLAND GIRLS verse. The collaboration was made all the worse by excessive reverb and distortion on Drill-piano production. No one needs that much auto-tune. 

Contrasted with some of the better production choices on the project, the YP-Ycee collaboration makes for sorely forgettable listening. Menacing soundscapes with sirens, low-end 808s, dark minor keys, clock chimes, sirens, and much else form the backbone of Disc 1. On Disc 2, longtime collaborator Adey (produced Juice) brings out the best from Ycee’s strained tenor and baritone on the final three-track stretch. A song like KIGALI, which tells the story of Ycee’s 5 AM longing for his partner back in Lagos—sister record to BNXN’s 5AM in Nairobi—thrives due to the stripped down, percussion-forward instrumentation and deliberate choices, such as panning out his vocals just before he raps about returning to Lagos. Ycee’s slurred delivery is a weapon fashioned against this LP, but thankfully the mix engineers made the most of those melodic mumble raps. The Baile funk and R&B madness of ME OR ME is the crowning jewel of OOS-OOM Vol. 1, complementing a remorseful Ycee. A record that feels like the spirits of PSquare, Capital F.E.M.I, and Craig David in communion. Cocky, but delightful nonetheless. 

Beats by Karma’s “Mother, mother, mother” (Vector, Vader The Wildcard, and Payper Corleone’s diss record, The Purge) and Bond’s “Booond” (Blackmagic’s trap record, Ego off Blackmagic Vol. 3: Starving Artist) producer tags are sure to be treats for hardcore hip-hop heads. However, it’s the romantic rhythms of Disc 2 that will keep heads turning. Breezy hooks for sunny beach days. Lacking enough energy to be radio-ready but satisfactory for easy-listening. Ycee’s formula isn’t so much a formula as it is an acceptance of his limitations. He uses that to craft 14 songs that represent both sides of his artistry. And in a way where the listener can tell that this is the full Ycee package. This is Ycee at his peak powers as far as a full-length project is concerned; within his comfort zone, barely pushing the subject matter envelope in the 10 years since listeners first met him. 

An even more accomplished OUT OF SIGHT – OUT OF MIND Volume 2 could be in the offing. Ycee just might have an earth-shattering magnum opus in him. This writer knows not to place bets on either outcome. Take Vol. 1 for what it is: substantial improvement on a basic concept executed tastefully by a rapper at peace, making ‘okay’ music. Ycee and Zaheer are satisfied with a duality of basic romantic gbẹdu and rappity rap. Any more demands and you’ll probably find yourself back in 2019, confused and needlessly disappointed.