YCee – The First Wave

It can be argued that the true break-out song for YCee is neither ‘Omo Alhaji’ (the song that earned him the 2015 Rookie of the Year award at the Headies) nor ‘Jagaban’ (the remix of which was supposed to have inducted him into the streets if Olamide’s declaration at the beginning of the song is anything to go by). That honour might go to ‘Juice’, a party tune—the outstanding song on The First Wave, his debut project, an EP.

YCee has opted for an EP over an album, foregoing a chance at establishing himself at this near-golden hour of his career—a chance several up and coming artistes won't pass. His relaxed stance might go deeper than his laid-back style; perhaps it’s also his attitude to the hustle.

The songs on First Wave are incidental to his image and brand which in the beginning may have been mistaken for that of a street rapper. The new EP contains carefully crafted songs deliberately diverting listeners from those initial thoughts to the true YCee brand: He is a chilled-out stylist with a tinge of street. Just a tinge.

Though YCee has said that MI Abaga is his main Nigerian influence, with Olamide as runner-up, at 24, he has become a sort of torchbearer for a set of music appreciators—“elite” university boys and plugged-in girls who want to enjoy rap music stripped of the influence of rappers from the older generation (like MI) and removed from overly street artists (like Olamide). The latter feature sets YCee from Lil Kesh whose predominant market is the street.

The more popular tracks on First Wave take YCee farther from his ‘Omo Alhaji’ and ‘Jagaban’ remix days. These are meticulously crafted songs with an appeal to a particular set of listeners. Of course overlaps occur, but his target audience is apparent from the pattern of his songs and selection of guest artists. So that one of the closest songs to ‘Juice’ and the Reekado Banks featured single ‘Link Up’, ‘Bubbly’, gives the EP a direction of some sorts in its earnest reassertion of the YCee style.

Falz’s comic mastery makes up for YCee’s lyrical deficiency (which is apparent across the entire EP). But despite Falz’s efforts, the song has no memorable punchline, struggles to achieve any sort of potency and cannot be said to be a good rap song, as with almost every other song except ‘Don’t Need Bae’ where the line, “No dey beat around the bush—mow lawn for me,” sets it apart. Whereas ‘Need to Know’ featuring Seyi Shay allows YCee’s relaxed happy-go-lucky act reign to good effect.

That Ycee’s style has garnered him followers is not in doubt, but he would need further infusions from the likes of Olamide (and maybe Lil Kesh), on whose wings he partly rose to stardom. This is because those acts provide a certain quality—an ability to effectively close the border between rapping and singing, as they have had success on a scale denied “posh” rappers. This is absent on First Wave, and might have worked in YCee's favour. But then, it is possible that he's only trying to establish himself as a serious rapper. Sadly, on a project where those street infusions might have mattered most, neither Maleek Berry’s vocals nor linking up with Reekado Banks can serve as buffer.

The First Wave is a decent offering. As an album, it would have collapsed, but as an EP it works well as the sound of hope.