10 years ago, after Tuface Idibia had blessed the world with African
Queen, two (2) Nigerian Music legends, Ruggedman and 9ice released a
popular joint that would change the history of African music in the
world forever.
The smashing hit song, titled ‘’Ruggedy Baba’’
was the turning point for afrobeats music, not only in Nigeria, but in
Africa as a whole. As you may known, Nigeria is the heart of Africa and
where ever Nigeria goes, the rest of Africa follows.
Ruggedy Baba
was a song that espoused, bolstered and propagandized the concept of
mother tongue in hip hop music, transposing the myth of rappers who
often claimed that only those who rap in English like Americans are
truly hip hop heads.
The boastful ‘’Ruggedy Baba’’synthesized hip
hop music with traditional tune that was not very popular at the time
and produce a masterpiece of Afrobeats music that would go on to inspire
confidence in the younger generation of African artists and embolden
them to confidently incorporate indigenous language into their music.
‘’Atewo
mo bala (I spread my palm and see lines), A o mo eni to ko (I don’t
know who wrote them), that was the first line being chanted by 9ice in
the chorus, before he added another line that said, ‘We spit in pigin
awon kan n wuko (we spit in pigin and some are unhappy), you better show
where you belong’’.
Beyond the sweet tune and local flavour of
the track, the central message is a clear call on the people of Africa
to jettison the culture of imitating foreign products, particularly
music,‘’ Wetin go make them know where your music come from in the long
run Na the fussion of grammar, your slang and your mother tongue’’
rapped ruggedman.
The legendary Ruggedman argued that, for a
music to be respected in the long run, it has to be in your mother
tongue and coming from an artist considered as one of the best rappers
at the time, a lot of younger artists craving for fame and identity were
forced to listen and act on his wise counsel. This has actually paid
off today.
Apart from artists who switched from hardcore to
indigenous rap music like Olamide, the CEO of YBNL records, Ruggedy baba
also helped increase the confidence of indigenous artist who were
always being looked down upon at the time.
In verse 2 of the
track, rugged man rap, ‘’I’m tired of so called hip-hop heads whispering
that I am not holding it down’’ ‘’Say I don change from the way I be
before’’ ‘’Say now I dey spit for pidjin’’, ‘’Dem prefer me when I been
be hard core’’ ‘’ Our elders mock our poo, Cos of our too much
metaphorical out of space type poo, When some rap, Dem no know where we
dey come from, Back then two rappers on stage was like seven throwing a
tantrum, We need to change that and put a face to our music, Let the
world know where we come from, Let no one abuse it’’.
Ruggedman was
very conscious of his message and the intention was to force a change in
our perception and priority. He wanted us to change from wanting to
sing and sound like Americans, he also wanted us to embrace our local
flavor and put a face to our music for the purpose of having our stamp
on it for easy recognition.
Ruggedman hold dear, the importance
of origin. He actually proposed that ‘’ We need to change and put a face
to our music’’. This is basically what afrobeats is all about. Africa
existing in its own music and taking ownership of it with confidence.
Having
addressed the subject of grammar in the first 2 verses of the track,
ruggedman dived into another subject of ‘keeping it real’.
He raps, ‘’ Look my guy, I no fit shout, I go only ask what’s keeping it real?
Explaining
the meaning of keeping it real, Ruggedman rapped, Is it singing or
rapping like Oyibo or doing what you and your own people can feel?
In
his view, singing and rapping like Americans doesn’t mean you are
keeping it real, it simply means that you are trying to be someone else.
So, he concluded by stating the rules, ‘’spit in whatever language but
make sense’’.
This rule, as espoused by Ruggedman is what many
afrobeat artist have taken to heart ever since and it has elevated
afrobeat, from just being a local music to a global and highly sorted
tune.
As ruggedman stated, ‘’ Wetin go make them know where your
music come from in the long run Na the fussion of grammar, your slang
and your mother tongue’’
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