Asides from being one of the largest cities in the River state, Port-Harcourt has become a port that keeps exporting some of the best Nigerian musicians Africa has ever seen. From Burna Boy to Ajebo Hustlers, Omah Lay and many others who have dominated music charts and broken records and told stories about the oil booming state, Bad Boi Idahams is another Port Harcourt export who has risen to become one of the best artists in Nigeria. The artist who caught the attention of listeners when he featured on and produced Mr 2Kay’s “God can bless anybody,” the artist has gone on to release two EPs and has featured on songs with Teni, Ill Bliss, South African singer Nanette, Falz and many more. Now, after teasing new records on his social media pages, Idahams has released his debut album tagged “Truth, Love and Confessions.”
Idahams starts the album on a positive note with “Gratitude,” a reflection of his struggles, accepting his mom’s death and acknowledging God’s blessings on his life. It’s a song littered with choristers vocals, trumpets and Idahams voice. In the chorus, Idahams sings, “It’s you, it’s you o God na only you dey run am for me.” By the time we get to the middle of the song, the artist talks about his mom’s demise and his belief that she still watches over him at all times. At the end of the song, Idahams successfully put you in a mood where you reminisce on God’s mercies. When Idahams says, “Only Jah know, me I dey my lane I dey count all my blessings,” it’s a nod to his desire to not interfere in other people’s businesses. In “Che Che,” the artist advises his listeners to work hard, stay out of other people’s business and give thanks to God.
In “Bad Girl,” Idahams collaborates with Ajebo Hustlers to sing about their baddies and brag about their sexual prowess. They sing, “The girlie enter she no leave since that day, omo just to crown it all she tell me she dey like am when I give am the hard way. She don’t wanna zip it up she like am when I enter and I leave her in bad shape omo she dey find me come.” The song is quite catchy and sticks in the mind of the listeners.
Kenyan R&B singer Xenia Manasseh hops on the next song and together they both play the role of a jilted lover and an unapologetic cheater. In the Afrobeats song, Idahams tells the tale of being deceived by his lover while Xenia doesn’t show any sign of remorse for being a cheat, instead, she accuses Idahams of being responsible for her actions “What about all the girls that would call and would text when you said there was nobody. What about all the promises you never kept?” Idahams sings, “She dey with another I no say me I go still forgive her my love is beyond that/hate that I love.” Xenia is the perfect fit for this song as her vocals carried the right emotions and made the song more melodious.
“Odeshi” starts with the vocals of little children chanting “Odeshi,” a spiritual bulletproof vest and the choice to use children’s vocals is hinged on the fact that kids believe in superheroes and impenetrable bulletproofs “Idahams Odeshi nothing wey fit enter, anywhere dem gather o they must surely scatter,” and positions Idahams as a superhero. Here, Idahams wears a braggadocios cape, he lets everyone know that he is untouchable and can’t be put down by naysayers. He sings, “All na fallacy is it envy or jealousy. Be looking for enemies while I’m building a legacy, but they just can’t stop the conversation dem dey everywhere like prostitution try me again abomination. I dey for my lane no competition do anything na dem be hating.” “The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore,” the song ends with one of the children praying for Idahams.
“Lovina” is built on love and admiring one’s love interest. Idahams and Canadian artist Zach Zoya glide seamlessly on the -produced beat to sing about their Lovina and confess their feelings for her. They sing, “Tickle my heart omoge you tickle heart, omoge tickle my heart.”
“Kpofire” is the stark reality of the artist’s hometown. Idahams talks about the plague his people go through from black skies to unemployment, water pollution, banditry, oil theft and many more. “Kpofire” translates to a local oil process of heating stolen crude in a fabricated oven to extract petroleum products while the residual is released into the environment not minding the implication on the ecosystem affects everyone in Port-Harcourt, but the government neglect the struggles of the people. The song is drenched in painful memories and sad realities “My people dey die pollution dey kpai. Even fish dey die for water.” In “Go Again,” the artist sings about his relationship with an older woman. “Sugar mummy she call on me the phone she wan see me 2:00 am everyday she dey call me. She said hope I gat molly, molly she dey call me baby o/She like my style na me dey give her. She get her boo e no dey do her.”
Idahams continues to tell tales of love in “Oyeh,” where he sings about his lover and how she makes him feel “If you’re a drink I don moze you never touch me I don come. You dey overheat o my brain box you clear my doubts o like Thomas I don craze for your matter.” If you are looking for one of the best wedding jams, then you should check out “Somebody’s Daughter.” Here, Idahams collaborates with Nairobi’s Muthaka to sing about the perfect imperfections of their lovers “You been tell her say she’s not good enough you been tell her say she no sabi cook o, but now she come, my way baby, you’re perfect o you’re perfect o/Somebody’s daughter is about to wed somebody’s daughter is about to be loved, somebody’s daughter is about to jolly.” Muthaka compliments the song with her tale of receiving good loving.
“Pressure” is a painful representation of adulthood, living in Nigeria and looking for means to ease off stress. The song starts with people calling the artist to ask for house rent and pocket money. Tugga Skii and Metha4our join Idahams to sing about their individual struggles from family pressure to the state of the nation and living up to everyone’s expectation. “To take off the pressure I gotta turn up the music and smoke something,” this line depicts how many youths turn to cannabis and alcohol to suppress pain and struggles, but it always leaves a daunting repercussion. In “Rapid Love,” Idahams makes love confessions to his muse. The production combined with the artist’s vocals would make you follow the song all through. Here, Idahams makes sweet promises to his lover “For your love I go do times two. Give you Rapid like I rob samsu do that dirty dance baby dance Skelewu cos my love no be April fool/I’m not the kind of guy to tell you say I no go do I want to give you dirty wine won’t you give me your love and sacrifice cos you know say me I go pay the price o.”
Idahams ends the album with “Where I’m from,” a song where he uses lines from Stereoman’s “E Dey Pain Me” . He closes “TLC” with tales of police brutality, corruption, his rise to fame and the friends he has lost on the way. In this track, he puts everything in the hands of God, however, this might not be the best outro, but the theme of the song takes our mind off that.
“Truth, Love and Confessions” capture different parts of Idahams’ life from his experience with love, he told his truth and told confessions from the deepest parts of his heart. The stories are raw and relatable because it is the sad reality of every Nigerian, especially in the aspect of finding peace in alcohol and cannabis. This project gives the listeners something to listen to and find themselves. The simplicity of the songwriting lets listeners discern the different parts of the truth, the part of love and the part where the artist makes heartfelt confessions. “TLC” is a tribute to all of Idahams’ experiences. Listen to the project here and enjoy.
