The Federal Capital, Abuja, has long lagged behind the city of Lagos in term of the entertainment offerings to present to the insatiable and hungry consumer. In fact, it’s become a well-known industry fact ‘that if you want to blow come to Lagos’, the industry know it all’s words not mine. Lagos has established itself over the years as the entertainment capital of Nigeria and cemented its place as one of the biggest, if not the most popular entertainment hub in Africa. The fact that the City itself was once the capital of the country contributes to its lion claim over the music scene, as well as the mega social-cultural known as FESTAC and the Yoruba tribe’s dominance in every genre of music.

Despite playing second fiddle to Lagos in almost every aspect of the music industry, there has been one genre that Abuja people have refused to give up on, HIPHOP, and it seems that the dividends are being dutifully payed. Abuja and Rap culture’s love story is as timeless as it is wonderful. A relationship that has gone on to birth some of the newest guild of Nigeria HipHop as well as reviving a culture that was feeding on beefs and old rappers coming on podcasts to diss their peers.

Even before the whole of Nigeria started believing that ABJ was the home of Rap, they knew, that was why even when Falz and other rappers were holding the game at a different geo political zone and enjoying much more commercial success, they kept on building their community, collaborating, reaching out with their hard bars, trap flows, drill beats and swag that everyone in the capital wanted to emulate. Psychyp and the entirety of Apex village had ushered in another era of rap music. The exploits of these few but noisy and talented Hip-hop artists were making were not going unnoticed. Their fanbase that started with a few of their guys and families steadily spread and took root in secondary schools around the city and moved to Universities. Zilla Oaks and Eeskay were steadily becoming household names among Abuja youths and were even causing waves in the Hip-hop industry, tracks like “The Matter” by Eeskay rolled of the tongues of almost everyone who listened to rap in the city, a sign of things to come. Spearheading the movement was non other Psycho, Yung Papi. After a career launch in 2016, the Abuja rapper, then based in Manchester, quickly became a force to reckon with in the industry. With a goal to revive rap, Apex village and a multi creative sister in Cindy at his back, Psycho pushed forward. His flows, hard drill beats, swag, array of school ours as well as the hit song “Oga” that spurned the Oga remix with Ycee, Blaqbonez, and Dremo, it was clear to all, a season was upon us, YPSZN(season) and you had to be there.

But all of these did not still give rap the same spotlight and commercial success and music exports like Afrobeats did. It was still seen as a struggling genre in the country and only a few profited from it. Those that were able to get their voices heard in the vast space of Nigerian music did so by incorporating the elements of afropop and Afrobeats into their rap. It was time for rappers to evolve, and well not many could make that jump, shout out to Blaqbonez, who not only made full utilization of infusing different elements into his rap but also still remaining a hip-hop head true and thoroughly. But Abuja rappers had gone quiet. The rap culture that once infected the scenery was dulling. Traces were still there but many of the custodians had gone lowkey, save for Yp and a few.

That was until the global announcement of Abuja’s very own “OdumodoBlack” to the world. Many were introduced to gangsta rapper, mummy’s boy persona after “Dog Eat Dog” became a major hit, as well as delivering one of the verses of the year in PsychoYp’s track “Bando Diaries” of the rappers mixtape YPSZN3. But he’s been around for longer, sowing the seeds and fanning the flames of what would lead to a wildfire later. Early fans of the rapper saw him delivering R-rated bars that caused controversies along the airwaves. His self-acclaimed “okporoko” style of music that infuses several elements of rap especially grime and what many have termed cult rap. Before his international recognition and huge record “Declan Rice” and deal with Native Records, Modu was rapping with his crew, the Anti-World Gangsters; he is still a member of the crew. The collective filled with Abuja rappers like Reeplay, Fatboy E, Odumodu and managed by Cross are rappers known for their hardcore lyrics as well as pushing the hip hop culture in the capital city to new heights.

While housing major figures in the rap industry, Abuja is still a hub for underground rappers and boasts of quite a number of hip-hop artists who can hold their own in the strength of their lyrics, flow as well as delivering punchlines and bars. Also, they are not afraid to throw a diss or two.

The Abuja entertainment scene has always been rap centric, with PsychoYp and Odumodu leading the frontlines. The past two, three years has seen a resurgence like never before in Nigeria hip-hop and it’s not just the artists,music producers are stepping up their game and becoming forces to reckon with, with producers like Trill Xoe, UC, Afroselecta and so many more leading the way. Abuja has seen such a resurgence in its rap scene that it has begun to draw other rap artists and hip-hop heads to become drawn the city. This has led to brotherhood of Jeriq and YP, a union that birthed a rap classic extended playlist in the making; “Evil Twin” and communities among artists and rappers like being formed.

One day and soon enough, the Capital City would equally boast of being an entertainment and music stronghold like Lagos, and it will come. But for now, it is home to the very best of Nigerian Hip-Hop