“No one will believe in you until you make it. Life is how you make it. Believe in yourself, never limit, can-do spirit, go get it.” Do these lyrics remind you of anyone?
Okay, let’s go again. “Nea me Ka na eye final, Obiara nni choice.” Now I’m certain you get that we’re about to talk about the ‘demon’, Jay Bahd.
After “Return of Okonkwo Anokye,” we’ve waited forever for another body of work. We’ve had quite a number of singles to jam to, though. Let’s proceed.
Jay Bahd promises to overwhelm us with albums. “Behind the Scenes” is out, another with Skyface SDW is on the way, and finally, “Return of Okomfo Anokye 2” crowns the year for us. Beautiful! Let’s take a look at “Behind the Scenes.”
The first impression I got of this project was that Jay was just giving us a teaser of what he has on his hard drive. I mean, this EP is to “sweep the way” for the main show, ROKA2. Let me just state that Jay Bahd has very explicit lyrics.
According to him, it’s his way of connecting with the “streets” and getting his fans to love his music. Jay Bahd does not know subtexts. He says it raw, yes raw.
In this EP, I get a lot of blunt rolling, vigorous shagging, and mischief collectively called “Akata Life.”
Listening to this EP, I did not pay too much attention to the lyrics but rather to the ‘demon’s’ ability to leave a mark on every beat. There are a few songs on the project I’d like to touch on: “Akatani,” “Servicing,” “Shi Ma No,” and “They Can’t Forget Us.”
Servicing
This sounded a lot more like an intro to me. Jay was just eulogizing himself for how much success he’s chalked up so far. He’s definitely not stopping now. The song ended with some applause, giving a “now sit and let me show you what’s behind the scenes” vibe.
Akatani
The King of the Moment, Beeztrap, did some magic here again. Jay Bahd, together with Beeztrap KOTM and Kwaku DMC, are telling one story: Free Akata boys.
According to Beeztrap, Akata is bigger than chew and pour. Akata is used as a metaphor to represent street life, just as “chew and pour” is used to represent formal education. Is this true? I cannot tell; let me pass that question to you.
If you’re not an Akata boy, just jam to the song and go your way. It’s not for everyone to practice. A word to the wise….
Shi Ma No
Jay Bahd is a living example of versatility. We went back to funky vibes, back to the ’90s. Skyface SDW proved once again that he never misses. His verse was so smooth, right on topic, and very soothing to the ear. But “Se me Mya girl na se onte m’akoma a, men shi Ma no.” “Shi” as in smoke? Well, let’s move on.
They Can’t Forget Us
My personal favorite. I love it when artists go blunt on beats, and Jay gave me just that on the outro. I vehemently disagree with his stance of standing against the media because it’s a fight he cannot win.
Regardless, he has the right to speak on stuff that bothers him about the industry, which he did on this song.
One line reads: “y’aba mo ho se y? b? promoti ndwom no afei na mo bisa ye artiste bi ho as?m.”
He’s basically complaining about how media men and women will sway focus from music promotion to discussing other artists when they are present for interviews.
It is not Asakaa boys specific; there are moments where artists have to remind interviewers why they came for interviews. I understand you, Jay Bahd, but you still cannot make the media your enemy. It won’t work.
These four tracks stood out for me, and I did not explore all the songs mostly due to the content and the messages they carried. This is indeed an 8 out of 10 project for me.
I’m in high anticipation for the two other projects on the way. Big shout-outs to all who worked on the EP, from production to features and to the designer of the artwork, you all nailed it. Biggest congratulations to you, Jay Bahd!
There’s a line in “They Can’t Forget Us” I want to leave you with. He says: “They say the good die young, enti m’adi bone dabro na me live long.”
Think about it as you leave a like under this piece and share it with someone to read too.
By: Cyril Senason Anani
The post Behind the scenes: A glimpse into Akata life first appeared on 3News.
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