Days after his new album was released, Rapper Modenine and I met up for an informal interview at the Excalibur Lounge, G.R.A Ikeja. Over drinks and background music, we had a very stimulating conversation which I recaptured in prose.

Out of sheer curiosity, I asked rapper ModeNine what ‘rut’ pattern he wanted to see filled out in the Nigerian music industry and in one phrase he said ‘the band wagon of reggae tone beats’. The Red Eye Record label artiste is piqued that Nigerian artistes have become deeply cocooned in their comfort zone of staccato beats.

Mode is basking in the euphoria of his newly released album and in being one of Nigeria’s, (if not the most) distinguished hip-hop artiste. Three 2007 Channel O music video awards and a HipHop World award for Lyricist of the Year 2008 are no easy feats. It comes with innovative brilliance, grim determination, jaunty attitude and an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Late last year, the imposing Rapper hosted a ‘no-airs’ listening party for his new album ‘The Paradigm Shift’ while few days after, the eagerly anticipated album was released into the market. The twenty-two track ‘Paradigm Shift’ is a gigantic project that involved collaborations with artistes currently burning up our airwaves and hot upcoming others. It is no longer news that Banky W (and his amazing vocal cords) featured on commercial hit ‘I’m Talking to You’. Then there are other collabos with the incredibly talented Sound Sultan; fresh and sultry Eve; Sage the spellbinding Poet; Mallam Spicy and Soul Sensi.

It would be doing the artiste great injustice to typecast him as a ‘militant’ rapper or his ‘in you face’ music as virulent outbursts from an angry lyricist. Again, this should not interpret that Mr. Nine will back out of a challenge; if it must be known, the prolific artiste will competently take the fight to any contender’s backyard. Maybe delving into historic war literature, one of his favourite past times, has honed Modenine’s word-fight skills or studying the art of war by famous/infamous generals has helped his musical strategy. Whichever the case, hip hop’ music is not always about ‘battles and war of words’ precisely what Paradigm Shift has set out to declare. It is pleasing to hear some serious ‘schooling by these hip hop Lyrics’ to borrow Djinee’s hook in M.I’s ‘safe’. The album is a trip into the mind of it’s artiste and a meditative rhythm of words. Some of the tracks may not be club bangers but they carry impressive weight in lyrical content and depth. Truth is we can’t have it any other way.

As an artiste, if your art does not positively influence, inspire and build up, it is a shameful waste. Somewhere in the barrage of words and beats must be tiny nuggets worth any buyer’s N150 (one hundred and fifty naira); an amount which according to industry persons is a sad reflection of the artistic value of Nigerian music.

During the listening party, Black President caught my ears and interest particularly when Barack Obama’s name up; it was a misnomer. Why? Because, though Obama had achieved the momentous and the inconceivable, I was getting a little bored with his success. More so when it has no direct ‘bearing’ on the quality of our leadership or how Nigerians were faring. Thus, I queried the artist, ‘was he becoming a praise-singer…? Had he hopped on the ‘bandwagon’ of African-American hip hop stars who were churning out election success songs; a symptom of Obama-mania delirium…? In a matter of fact tone, Modenine corrected my assumptions explaining that the song had been a ‘near completed work’ months before Obama’s election victory. Black president was a song written to celebrate iconic black figures like Fela and Nelson Mandela. Fortunately, while he was putting finishing touches to the track, the U.S election result were announced and Nine though it fitting to acknowledge the landmark achievement of the ‘Kenyan phenomenon’.

Influence, respect and power are qualities the ‘Glo Ambassador’ emits and gravitates toward. He is simply fanatical about books, intelligent conversations and ‘wicked beats’. The unconventional lyricist prides himself on working with not necessarily the celebrated but no less brilliant people in the industry. Over years in his musical career, the veteran artiste has merged with a dynamic team of daring industry people who have set clear musical horizons for themselves and seek new frontiers to explore this.

In the course of our interactions, I sought chinks in Mode’s ‘armour’ after all everyone has a weakness; (it could be anything from chocolate; money; sex; fast cars or pilfering public funds). Voila! I had found his. The lyricist indicated a bit of handicap rapping in Yoruba (his mother tongue) and displayed an endearing bashfulness when pushed to do so. He gave props to fellow rapper Lord of Ajasa, and award winning 9ice who have broken barriers and opened up indigenous yet contemporary music to serious contemplations within the Art.

As our conversation lightened, Mode, in encore mode burst into two minutes of pure, unadulterated Yoruba rap without missing a beat. Stunned, I asked him why the initial reluctance and why he never goes indigenous on his tracks. The artist said through the years, he had learnt to harness his uniqueness and allow others thrive in theirs. With his rare and short-lived Yoruba freestyle session, Nine succeeded in proving that he welcomed challenges because they provided room for growth and opportunities to alter existing superficial paradigms.

This material was used in National Mirror Newspaper of February 4, 2009