Abuja Stand Up: Antiworld Gangsters are raising the stakes in Nigerian hip hop 

“Abuja stand up” is OdumoduBlvck’s rousing call to his home city which first embraced him before the rest of Nigerian and the world caught up with his music. Nigeria’s hip-hop leading protagonist, OdumoduBlvck decidedly ensures everyone knows a big part of the glory for his success belongs to Abuja whose role in his rise he documents in his songs like the career-defining hit single ‘Declan Rice’.  For the the award-winning rapper, his wins are not his alone, they represent the collective efforts of his boys Agunna, Fatboy E, Reeplay, and Shagba with whom he shut down shows. It’s law, that they join him on stage to fly their city’s flag wherever he goes. After 5 years of toiling behind the scenes and waiting for their time in the spotlight, Antiworld Gangsters have finally gotten their moment in the mainstream and they intend to let everyone know nothing changed. On ‘Nothing Changed’, the star power of the group’s frontman OdumoduBlvck is on full display as he secured guest verses from Nigeria’s music icons Olamide, MI Abaga, and Don Jazzy.  The album is Antiworld Gangster’s first tape since they came into public consciousness, and the crew who pride themselves as the face of Abuja’s music scene intend to mark the moment with music that captures their essence and intention to stick around for a long time. A group whose talent is forged by the harsh realities of the inner city that drives the music of notable street acts, Antiworld gangsters don’t hold back nor engage in tongue-in-cheek. When they thump their chest, it’s with the aggression of young men who made it despite society’s limitations. When they sing about love, it’s with the vulgarity that leaves little to the imagination. And when they share life nuggets, it’s with a poignancy that provokes listeners to confront their hypocrisy.  While the hypermasculinity that drives their aggressive chest thumping and coarseness is the common denominator that runs through the group, they also showcase range by shapeshifting across genre lines while refusing to restrict their takes on society’s moral stance. On ‘Bandwagon’ they smoothly pass the baton as they celebrate the longevity of their crew whose foundation is built on the originality that may appear strange and confrontational to outsiders. They called on Nigeria’s music icon Don Jazzy who brought his distinguish vocals to the highlife fusion ‘Asampete’ to craft a jolly record that soundtracks the fast life and explicit trysts that shape what’s a good time to the boys from Abuja. Hip Hop icon Olamide Baddo delivers a veteran’s chorus on the highlight blend ‘Jegede’ where the lamba combines with melodies to create one of the most memorable tracks on the album.  Their versatility shines on ‘Ambagana’ where they thump their chest on party starting production that showcases their hitmaking credential. The hypermasculinity that shapes their music is spotlighted on the hard-hitting drill record ‘Grr’ where they roll out the vulgarities and sexual explicitness that make OdumoduBlvck’s music polarizing yet strongly resonating with a section of listeners whose realities he documents. Antiworld Gangsters switches to storytelling on ‘After God’ where they use vivid language to narrate the frightening hypocrisy that shapes the affairs of man. Hip hop royalty MI Abaga restates the universal failing of man with an easy verse that hardly echoes his genius. The crew are joined by fellow Abuja associates Psyco YP and Tomi Obanure, and UK rapper Hotyce on ‘Thunderstorm’ for a rapper’s testimonial. Antiworld Gangsters restates the importance of a mother’s prayer in navigating life trials before paying tribute to the creative hub of Rumuokoro (a town in Nigeria’s oil-rich city of Port Harcourt) where only the quick-witted thrive. Antiworld Gangsters takes a glorious exit with the double-sided track ‘Zero To Hero/Amebo Tweet’ where they gloat at their haters and online detractors while announcing their arrival on the big stage. After 5 years of grinding, the boys from Abuja are enjoying their moment in the spotlight, bringing with them the originality that shapes their artistry. On this album, they displayed originality that holds up their respective talents. OdumoduBlvck’s versatility, Reeplay baritone, Fat Boy E’s swaggering flow, and Shagba’s rastaman cadence all shine. However, what makes the project whole, is their musical chemistry, which reflects the brotherhood that continues to wax stronger. For them, come trials, come fame, come success, nothing changed. With Nigerian hip-hop in desperate need of stars whose music can move listeners, Antiworld Gangsters are here to inject energy into the game. From scoring viral hits to shutting down concerts including a sold-out headline concert in Abuja, Antiword Gangerstars are raising the stakes in Nigerian hip-hop while proudly flying their city’s flag. Abuja stand up! It’s your time to shine.  Ratings: /10 • 0-1.9: Flop • 2.0-3.9: Near fall • 4.0-5.9: Average • 6.0-7.9: Victory • 8.0-10: Champion Pulse Rating: /10 Album Sequencing: 1.5/2 Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.5/2 Production: 1.5/2 Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.5/2 Execution: 1.5/2 TOTAL – 7.5