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On his debut album 'Truth, Love & Confession (TLC)', Idahams dig deep and offers huge fragments of himself which spill into each other and make for a wholesome body of work.
Having experience life in different ways both painful, dangerous, and exciting, 'TLC' offers a peek into Idahams diary when he breaks the different aspects of his emotions and reality into bits.
Truth: Honesty is not the strongest suit for some artists as they struggle to deal with its corresponding vulnerability.
On his debut album, Idahams reflects on his life's journey and through a selection of songs, he takes on the bold task of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Idahams' vulnerability and honesty were quickly revealed in the intro 'Gratitude' where Idahams employs the assistance of a choir in delivering a hymnal rendition of gratitude to God for his life. Over an orchestra, Idahams delivered sobering vocals that evoke the emotion that he felt when reflecting on the pain of loss, the struggles of his journey, and the gratitude for making it out of the hood.
In 'Che Che', he narrates the ups and downs of coming from nothing and the struggle of trying to win in life. "The more you look, the less you know," he says over a baseline that drags along with the chords as he re-emphasizes his desire to lead a quiet life.
Idahams truth cuts across his reality which includes the pain of heartbreak which he narrates in 'Hate That I Love You. On this quintessential Afrobeats beat that carried the classic five-beat pattern, Idahams curses his luck for falling for a woman who was undeserving of it. Xenia Manesseh played the role of the cheating lover and her catchy vocals lightly pushed above the chords and added harmony to the song.
The truth is often personal and on 'Odeshi' Idahams emphasizes that he's untouchable and out of the reach of his detractor. He employs the famous call of the vigilantes that held the peace in the South East in the early 2000 and which was popularized by the Nollywood classic "Isakaba".
The choice to use children's vocals for the chorus was an artistic one and while it worked the song could have used a rap verse. A Dan Dizzy or Barzini verse could have added the required sting the song lacks. While it's also somewhat contradictory to have the term Odeshi which is essentially black magic bulletproof and Psalm 121 on the same song, they both pass a singular message.
While the truth is often personal, it also extends to the reality that unfolds before our eyes. Idahams' reality was that of a man who grew up in Rivers State Nigeria which is locked in what is a perpetual struggle against different forms of environmental degradation latest of which is soot. Idahams touches on the plight of his people and the effect of oil bunkering and oil spilling in 'Kposfire' which has a drill baseline. Similarly, in the outro 'Where I'm From,' he talks about the criminality and violence created by corruption and inequity.
Love: Idahams is a lover and beneath the facade of a tough guy is a man who battles with his large appetite for women. In 'Hate That I Love You' he goes out of his way to surprise a cheating lover. On the R&B record 'Lovina' remix featuring Zach Zoya, he extols the beauty of his lover as he describes her in the superlative. Idaham's stretches his vocal chord as he delivers adlibs and harmonies that blend with the Fiokee's scintillating strings.
He delivers a wedding tune with 'Somebody's Daughter' where he encouraged body positivity as well as the trite message that beauty will always remain in the eyes of the beholder. Muthaka compliments his effort with a lovely delivery that lets her voice fade into Idahams' which makes for a lovely duet.
He blends his playboy/bad-boy side with his lover boy side on the Highlife tune 'Oyeh' where he narrates how hopelessly he has fallen while also promising toe-curling experiences.
On 'Rapid Love', he shows his vocals as he emphasizes his capacity to love truly, honestly, and entirely. The percussions echoes through the baseline which pauses perfectly as Idahams catchy melody propels the song.
Confession: Idahams shares parts of his story as he narrates sexual escapades that will have listeners wondering about the curious sex life of Port Harcourt Boys.
On the wavy single 'Bad Girl' featuring Ajebo Hustlers, he holds up his sexual prowess by sharing how he leaves girls in bad shape after a satisfying romp. Ajebo Hustlers laid a catchy verse and well-placed harmonies that elevates the track and makes it a potential favorite for many listeners.
In 'Go Again', he shares his sexual escapade with a sugar mummy with whom he engaged in an explosive sexual affair that involved pills and kinks.
Idahams' confessions were not limited to his sexual escapades. On the Hip Hop track 'Pressure' feat Tugga Skii & Metha4our, he narrates how he uses liquor, beautiful women, and cheap thrills to take the edge off. Tuga Skii and Metha4our made their marks with well-laid verses.
Idahams showed his knowledge of music on the outro 'Where I'm From' where he interpolates lines from Stereoman's 'Ekwe' and Blackface's 'Hard Life'. It's also bold that he chooses to close out the album with messages of the pain he feels over the situation in the Niger Delta and the evil of police brutality. While the track is far from being a good outro, especially considering how perfectly he opened the album, the saliency and expediency of its content make it understandable.
Final Notes
On 'TLC', Idahams was able to open himself up and offer different aspects of his reality. Sonically, he was able to offer a rich selection of mainstream Afrobeats sound that is clearly tethered to Port Harcourt and appealing to ordinary listeners.
While his writing is quite simplistic and often free of nuances, one will appreciate the honesty that drives it and the relatability it embodies.
The album sequence follows the title as it is divided into three parts of truth, love, and confessions which sonically and contenwise spill into each to make for an enjoyable listen.
Overall, Idahams was able to dig deep and offer different fragments of himself which spill into each other and make for a wholesome body of work.
Ratings: /10
• 0-1.9: Flop
• 2.0-3.9: Near fall
• 4.0-5.9: Average
• 6.0-7.9: Victory
• 8.0-10: Champion
Pulse Rating: /10
Album Sequencing: 1.7/2
Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.6/2
Production: 1.7/2
Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.6/2
Execution: 1.6/2
Total: 8.2- Champion