DIALOGUE
Dagrin vs Olamide – Who Is The Best Yoruba Rapper Of All Time?
Olamide or Dagrin – who is the best Yoruba rapper of all time?
The argument about who is supposed to be considered the best Yoruba rapper of all time has been ongoing for decades. Hip-hop lovers, especially keen listeners of Yoruba rap, know for a fact that the debate is between Dagrin and Olamide, the two Yoruba rap icons who paved the way for other indigenous rappers in Nigeria.
Dagrin ruled the rap scene with his distinct Yoruba style of rap. He’s been cited at different times as one of the pioneers of dialect rap singers of the Yoruba language and Pidgin in Nigeria. Although his death in 2010 was untimely, he gave Nigerian hip-hop one of the best rap albums ever, C.E.O. (Chief executive Omota English: Chief Executive Thug), which won the Hip Hop World Award 2010 for best rap album.
Dagrin’s legacy is still much alive even after death. To date, his name is brought up in rap conversations, and his hit singles such as ‘Pon Pon’, ‘Thank God’, and ‘Ghetto Dreams’ have remained evergreen.
Olamide, on the other, took over as the King of the Street next after Dagrin’s exit. He announced himself with the groovy ‘Eni Duro’ and over the years he has been consistent with releasing critically acclaimed albums and chart-topping singles.
Olamide’s rap style is much akin to Dagrin’s, a mixture of Yoruba language, English, and Pidgin. But speaking of delivery, they’re different. Dagrin delivered mostly in a simple tone but with catchy, easy-to-remember lyrics. Meanwhile, Olamide can go hardcore, as he did on ‘Voice of the Street’. Perhaps, we could have seen more of Dagrin’s versatility if he were alive.
Both Olamide and Dagrin are Yoruba rap icons, as mentioned earlier already. But if you were to choose the best Yoruba rapper of all time between them, who would it be?
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