Oritsefemi commits many crimes on “Corporate Miscreant”

Oritsefemi commits many crimes on “Corporate Miscreant”

For a man with Oritsefemi’s level of talent and experience, this project isn’t just a poor one. It is criminal.

Album: Corporate Miscreant
Artiste: Oritsefemi
Guests: Flekta Man, Citiboi, Shokah, H.H.S, Reekado Banks
Producers: Puffy Tee, Obodo, Hycienth, Da Beat, Young D, Citiboi
Duration: 72 Minutes
Record Label: MSN Gang/Arogunmenite Sounds (2016)

Since his 2014 and early 2015 resurgence due to the success of‘Double Wahala’, Oritsefemi has tried to generate as much personal value as he can for his pocket. A lacklustre album “MSN”, which contained some accepted singles helped him stay relevant.

Relevant enough to make a small fortune personally, but not big enough to make any dent on the culture and the music.

After Oritsefemi dropped his MSN album in 2015, he went on to milk certain singles off the project. “Double Wahala” was the standout single, which relaunched the singer back into the market as a pop singer, years after he had toiled in Ajegunle as a conscious artiste. Other singles ‘Igbeyawo’, and ‘Redi Dance’ had further helped his cause, providing him with more acceptable content to chase the lights of pop music.

But he has managed what gifts that were thrown his way poorly. After choosing quantity over quality, he voiced over 20 collaborations since his album dropped, petering out his worth as a premium artiste. None of those songs have become hits. And then there’s his well-documented beef with his manager Danku.

Oritsefemi and Danku had fought through the entire country, often over the most basic of things. From money to names, to imprint monikers, the pair had sustained a war via the press and found out new ways to go lower in status. The police had been involved, physical altercations were reported and accidents have occurred. All of these had affected the singer’s ability to sustain music. An artiste at war cannot create, neither can growth exist without peace.

These days, they are lovebirds, coming out to say the extended battles that had been fought. They denied to have ever been at loggerheads and new music has begun to flow. Happiness yes?

But is Oritsefemi ready for an album? No. Albums in Nigeria have to be teased, and anticipation built via the release of singles. The fans and public have to yearn for new material from you, and this can only be achieved via the acceptance of singles. None of Oritsefemi’s singles post-MSN have become hits. There’s only ‘Mr Gomina’ featuring Reekado Banks, that have been marketed immensely to little effect. He still has no single to propel this album.

And it shows on the project. Just like his previous album, “Corporate Miscreant”, unfortunately has, wrongdoings distributed all over the album. Twenty-one tracks long, “Corporate Miscreant” is a disjointed, boring and unimaginative album from a singer who intends to disrupt the music system via misdemeanours. He doesn’t disrupt the system, but he sure offends, which is what miscreants do.

After ditching his previous ghetto sounds on MSN, continues his blatant approach to seduce the mainstream audience, and that continues to elude him. Instead, what he succeeds in getting, is an album that sees him dumping his ghetto gospel genre of music for something without form.

Only ‘Mr Gomina’, ‘On Rewind’ and ‘Eyo’ stand out. The rest roll out like a celebration of poorly executed and uninspired music. Opener ‘No dutty’ is Oritsefemi’s failed attempt at rap, while all of his attempt to add new material to the countless songs thematically dedicated to women are either lacking in production, or just ends up shoddy. ‘Baby Boo’, ‘Baby Oku’, and all others fall flat. ‘Kosere’ promised a different path, but ends up cluttered with no clear direction.

Lacklustre production, a lack of direction, and bad music composition are the triplets that kill this album. Let's add sloppy lyrics, and this album is an undeniable flop.

Guest acts also serve as a hindrance also on the album. Where he invited his Lekki neighbours on the last full-length project, he does the complete opposite and give handouts to acts on the come-up.  Flekta Man, H.H.S, bring nothing new to the project, but White Man, Citiboi and Shokah, give the album a desperate Hip-hop dimension to “Corporate Miscreant” with their energy on‘Emi ni’.

Oritsefemi distributed production of the album to a slew of producers who dragged him in every direction, depending on the ‘ghetto’ and ‘pop’ beat they had in their arsenal. It’s a disjointed way to record music, and it shows in the final product. A lack of a solid A&R is glaring with the many loose ends that should have been tied up.

“Corporate Miscreants” lacks all the makings of a project that would soar. It’s Oritsefemi struggling to recapture his pop footing which he has lost, while also touching base with the root sounds that grew his brand in the streets. He goes about this without a plan and no direction, and does what miscreants do best. For a man with Oritsefemi’s level of talent and experience, this project isn’t just a poor one. It is criminal.

Rating – 2

RATINGS

1-Dull
2-Boring
2.5-Average
3-Worth Checking Out
3.5-Hot
4-Smoking Hot
4.5-Amazing
5-Perfection