Bigger is a song that can best be described as a 3’23’’ long hug from M.I.
Off his latest album, The Guy, the song, featuring American legendary rapper Nas and YBNL boss Olamide, has been at the top of the hip hop charts since it was released in August. The album itself is a good attempt at reinvention after an incredibly eventful 15-year career. A career which has spawned an excellent discography, multiple awards and a solid legacy as Nigeria’s foremost rap artist.
With the buzz everywhere, from social media videos to airplay on radio, Bigger has become quite the gift that keeps on giving. Produced by M.I Abaga and the late Nigerian music producer BeatsByJayy, Bigger is a meditative, mid-tempo joint with gentle piano chords and a bounce that’s supposed to be Nigerian, even though it evokes the trademark boom bap knock.
Official audio. Credit: MI Abaga/YouTube
In a 12-track album featuring both international and Nigerian artistes such as Nas, Olamide, Duncan Mighty, Phyno, Cavemen, Wande Coal, BNXN, Ice Prince, and Jesse Jagz, this song has been a stand out. Little wonder why it was the first single released.
Away from the hype, the number is a prayer, a testimony and an acknowledgement of how far the trio have come. Half the time, however, as with all hip hop songs of this nature, the average listener cannot relate to braggadocio.
M.I is his usual self, dropping laid-back (sometimes, familiar bars), nothing too crazy– and Nas doesn’t make an attempt to rap about things the average Nigerian listener on the street would recognise. His entire verse, though enjoyable, is a missed opportunity to endear himself to a new demographic. After all, there is a certain Nigerianness his father’s name carries. His own name “Nas”, is short for Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones. His father, Olu Dara (born Charles Jones III), is a jazz and blues musician from Mississippi.
It’s all rather interesting because most rap aficionados would have expected a more explosive (authentic) verse from the legend, especially given the fact that he is on a track with two of Naija’s finest, but this feels generic by his standards. Almost as though he was trying to play it safe.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that the Grammy award winner and Mister Incredible have had a not so palatable history working together. At some point, there was even a lawsuit! All of that is water under the bridge now. Hopefully.
Olamide is the true hero in this joint. He does not perform any hardcore bars, neither does he try to prove a point. He sing-raps in a confident, reassured way that is borderline cocky. Everyone and their mother know who he is. A younger Baddo might have tried to outshine both M.I and Nas but adopting this style and technique is, in fact, what really elevates the song.
Overall, it is an interesting 3:23 about fame and repercussions– success and the price one has to pay for it. It’s about growth and reinvention. At the end of the day, M.I proves that he’s still got it. And despite all the talk about him running out of material, he is still “The Guy”.
Didi Dan-Asisah is an art enthusiast and critic. She lives in Lagos.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
