Terry tha Rapman returns as Joe Spazm

The mixtape, which was scheduled to drop last year, was delayed for an undisclosed reason. But during the delay Terry Tha Rapman released single after single to keep his devotees close.

Though the mixtape boasts 17 songs, seven of its tracks were leaked last year, and two of the remaining 10 are skits with no correlation to any track on the project. The mixtape is supposed to restore Terry's reputation as one of the most respected emcees in the country, but it is impaired by a few songs.

The project possesses some quality songs. The near perfect ‘Intro’ (Joe Spasm) featuring Beat FM presenter Douglas Jekan is a good starter. ‘Open Letter’, featuring Lady Donli and modelled after Eminem’s ‘Stanley’, is a decent song. ‘The Reason’ is brilliant and features the lyricists Boogey and Dabo Gemini, both of whom are perfect on the song.

On ‘Wrong Number’ and ‘I Go Love’, Terry features his old group member (from SWATROOT) and frequent collaborator Modenine. On the Doc-Def-produced ‘Wrong Number’, the host’s delivery is top-notch, while Modenine experiments with reggae and grime but maintains his highfalutin rap style and deploys clever punch lines. But on ‘I Go Love’, also featuring the songstress Simi, Modenine sounds mawkish as he languidly renders frail lines; but Terry eulogizes a lady with well-scripted lyrics.

At some point, the mixtape ambles into pedestrianism. ‘Knack Olosho’ and the Oritse Femi sample ‘Okpolo Eye’ are awfully bland. The former, with its clanging beat, encourages prostitution; the latter is filler. ‘Dan Nasarawa’, ‘Ray Bans’, and ‘Baby Boy’ are average songs. And ‘Mrs. Hustle Skit’ has no correlation with the project.

Terry the Rapman has tried to satisfy hardcore hip hop heads as well as tawdry street fans, and for all its imperfection, The Life of Joe Spazm is worth listening to, if only because the few good tracks outshine the bad.

Buy The Life of Joe Spazm on iTunes

Artist: Terry tha Rapman
Album: The Life of Joe Spazm
Label, Year: B.A.N.S Nation, 2017