WANDE COAL, with a total of seven
nominations, leads other artistes nominated
for this year’s edition of Hip Hop World
Awards. Wande Coal, who won the Next
Rated category of the awards two years
ago, really had a good time last year with
his album entitled Mushin 2 Mo’ Hits, and it is
no surprise to many that he is getting such
recognition now.
Other music stars with a lot to hope for at
the awards ceremony slated for May 29 this
year include Kefee, Darey Art Alade, the duo
of Nwachukwu Ozioko and Ali Obumneme,
better known as Bracket, with five
nominations.
It is that time of the year when the bubbles
of excitement, long kept aside to germinate
since last year, will begin to burst into full
events of spectacle. The first indication of
such fascinating times and scenarios was
set in motion on Tuesday April 6, 2010,
when organisers of the trend-setting award
dedicated to excellence in music unveiled
the list of nominees for this year.
The unveiling of the nominees’ list, as
released by the screening committee of the
Hip Hop Awards, was greeted with
excitement by players, analysts and
followers of the industry. The list, which
contains the names and works of the big
names currently making waves in the music
industry, did not come with too many
surprises. The list of nominees for the 2010
edition will, however, lead to a keen contest,
the kind of which has not been witnessed
in a while.
When the Hip Hop World Awards debuted
with the maiden edition held in 2006 at the
MUSON Centre in Lagos, it caused more than
a few to raise eyebrows as a result of the
depth of knowledge shown by organisers
of the awards. But that was to be expected
by people who have been in the game for a
long time with the exciting magazine,
Hiphopworld, and when the follow up
editions of 2007 and 2008 came by, even
turning out more glittering and better
organised, the whole industry shook with
the reality that a revolution has been set in
motion.
Incidentally, “Revolution” was the title of
the edition in 2006 and with each edition
having a fantastic title with the last being “A
Prize To Die For,” a fitting title for the 2009
edition of the Hip Hop World Awards,
arguably the most organised and keenly
contested awards in the country, and so far,
largely unmatched as regards content,
organisation and delivery.
For the 2010 edition, the key categories of
the award is populated by the biggest
names with the exclusion of a few stars like
9ice, DJ Zeez, Asa and D’Banj missing,
primarily due to the fact that they did not
release albums for the period under review,
December 2008 to November 2009.
Dagrin, who has suddenly become a
household name in recent times as a result
of his well received album titled C.E.O,
coupled with the biting power and clarity of
his lyrics, is staking a claim for the Album of
the Year award. Joining him in the quest for
that same pedestal is Wande Coal who ruled
especially for the major part of 2009 with
his album, Mushin to Mo’ Hits. Darey Art
Alade with the fantastic UN-DAREY-TED
album containing the smash single, ‘Not the
Girl’ is in reckoning while P-Square and
Bracket complete the list with Danger and
Least Expected respectively.
The same artistes nominated for the Album
of the Year category dominate in the Artiste
of the Year category with Dagrin, Wande
Coal, Darey, Bracket all in contention, while
Gabriel Amanyi popularly known as the
‘eccentric microphone tester,’ Terry G, taking
up the final slot with his very popular street
anthem, Ginajh Ur Swagger – Season 1.
The Song of the Year category, one of the
most sought after as the popularity of
songs are put to test has Bracket in with
‘Yori Yori,’ Kefee with ‘Kokoroko,’ ‘You Bad’
by Wande Coal, Terry G’s ‘Free Madness’ and
‘Alanta’ by Art Quake. Recording of the year
throws into the fray ‘Keeper of My Dreams’
by Lara George,’ ‘Heaven Please’ by Timi
Dakolo, P Squre’s ‘I Love U’ and ‘Strong Ting’
by Banky W.
Cobhams is once again in reckoning in the
Producer of the Year category and he is up
against Tee Y Mix, Don Jazzy, Sossick and
Dokta Frabz for their various outputs from
the refreshing production efforts while
Jude Okoye (for ‘Danger’ video by P-
Square), Wudi Awa (for ‘Kokoroko’ video by
Kefee), Clarence Peters (for ‘Finest’ video by
Knight House), Bobby Boulders (for ‘Ako Mi
Ti Poju’ video by Naeto C) and Mex (for
‘Safe’ video by MI) are slugging it out in the
Best Music Video category as the award
goes to the director of the winning music
video.
Darey, with a total of four individual
nominations, is also in reckoning for best R
‘N’ B single with ‘No Stars’ while ‘Never Felt A
Love’ by Femi Adeyinka, Banky W’s ‘Strong
Ting,’ Djinee’s ‘Overkilling’ and ‘I Love U’ by
P-Square are the others in contest in the
rhythms and blues arena. Other categories
include Best Pop Single, Best R ‘N’ B/Pop
Album, Best Rap Single, Best Rap Album,
Lyricist on the Roll, Best Collabo, Best Vocal
Performance (Male) and Best Vocal
Performance (Female). Other categories are
Best Street Hop, Next Rated, Hip Hop World
Revelation of the Year and Hip Hop World
Hall of Fame, a non-competitive category.
9ice, whose new album is really beginning
to catch up on the terrain and who was the
biggest winner last term around, is one of
the big stars missing due to the date of
releasing his album around December 2009,
while Asa also has no nominations due to
the same reason, but MI has two to his
credit thanks to an unreleased track titled
‘Somebody Wants To Die.’
Feelers from industry watchers are
extremely positive that the screening
committee of the awards has done a good
job reflective of the strengths and
weaknesses of the performers and efforts
on display.
Who wins the Lyricist on the Roll category,
would be awaited with eagerness owing to
the fact that Mode 9 has won the prize in all
the past editions of the awards.
Omawunmi, Next Rated last year, is up
against Djinee, Ill Bliss, Kel and Wande Coal
for the Revelation of the Year award.
GT ‘D’ Guitarman, who released his album
titled The Truth late last year has one
nomination, while Banky W, Terry G and
Dagrin have one each with P-square with
four nominations.
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