pleeeeeeeeeeese is M.I really worth d price.

Dude, he's not even ben rated yet

How can such a hardworking embodiment of talent be over-rated??
His mixtape will murder any Nigerian rap album . . . forget his album

Also his old school hits will murder any Naija rappers latest

KAI, i don tire, who is M.I self, dis is not real rap, it is just corny metaphorical usage. lol u guys really hav low standards. im looking to the day when Nigerians can really back artists who are trying to go global, not local. Akon - senegal, Sway - Ghana, Wyclef - Haiti, Sean Paul, Sean Kingston - Jamaica. Nigeria has nooooobooodyy ooo. and plz Asa is no global superstar my friend. all your naijajamz are just clones of eachother, that industry is not SERIOUS.

DBanjFan:

KAI, i don tire, who is M.I self, dis is not real rap, it is just corny metaphorical usage. lol u guys really hav low standards. im looking to the day when Nigerians can really back artists who are trying to go global, not local. Akon - senegal, Sway - Ghana, Wyclef - Haiti, Sean Paul, Sean Kingston - Jamaica. Nigeria has nooooobooodyy ooo. and plz Asa is no global superstar my friend. all your naijajamz are just clones of eachother, that industry is not SERIOUS.

A day old baby would be more reasonable/sensible than u Retard. . . . . .

showbobo:

A day old baby would be more reasonable/sensible than u Retard. . . . . .

Thats a way to bang on someone, go tiger, just as your signature says. I think this retard is part of life

And M.I sits and spits on the Rap Throne of Africa

@DbanFAN, SHOUT IT OUT LOUD! Make dem hia, they nid to get a book.
They're all on Drugs anyway accordin to Tosinaded@

showbobo:

A day old baby would be more reasonable/sensible than u Retard. . . . . .

I dont understand this forum @ all.Most people just throw insults on people anyhow here

I am a fan of MI but insulting people is not really a good thing here

M.I's mixtape is d best rap album out of africa!
and sum1 says he is overated?

That he is hardworking is indisputable . . .

That he is intelligent - no doubt . . .

That he is a really good rapper is evident . . .

That he released the Best Rap Album in 2008 is undeniable . . .

He pays attention to details. He's got skills. His delivery is on-point. His lyrics are good.

I don't have any issue with all the above.

The only issue I have is when peops just come out and say "MI is the best rapper in Nigeria and to ever emerge from Africa" . . . C'mon guys, it takes more than all those to be called "the best".

The best Whatever happened to consistency - determined by number of albums/hit songs, staying power in the game, etc

I don't know if its a Nigerian thingy . . . but we tend to discard old wine . . . too quickly . . . just to accept new wine.

It's a technical thing though . . . an artiste might be so good that he becomes the best with a single album . . . plus an equally good mixtape . . . but maybe you need to be as good as Biggie to do that . . . with the material that MI's got out now, I think his sophomore album should be the deciding factor.

Though subject to dispute, before MI; the best rappers from Naija were only two - Mode9 and Ruggedman . . . Mode for the lyrics, Rugged for the delivery . . . and you have to admit it, Naija was kinda gettin' tired of these 2 cats . . . we were craving for improvement . . . and then MI suddenly bursts on the scene . . . with great skills . . . and promises of being the Rap Messiah we had always wanted from Naija . . . but ain't we too fast in labelling him "the best"??

Of course, "Talk About It" is currently the best rap album in Naija. Currently. What if either Mode or Rugged follows the advice being offered by peops in here to go commercial/lyrical What if tomorrow Mode or Rugged comes out with an album better than "Talk About It"??

Peops, radio, and other media have described MI as "a breath of fresh air" - does that not tell you sumn And yes I agree. Cos he's new, good and different. But "the best"?? I don't think a new Roca wear should be rated better than an old TM Lewin - just because the TM got old . . .

And we got tired of it.

5 career-active years ain't too long a period to put an artiste in what the Catholics call Purgatory . . . to thereafter decide whether to place him in Heaven . . . or Hell . . .

Time, dear friends, would tell.

Seems u guys have forgotten freestyle. Abi na bcuz the guy never release new album?

I don't think anyone forgot Freestyle . . . skill for skill, Freestyle ain't as good as any of Mode, Rugged or MI.

Bamsyle:

I don't think anyone forgot Freestyle . . . skill for skill, Freestyle ain't as good as any of Mode, Rugged or MI.

Forget story. . . . Freestyle would murder any of the above mentioned. Whilst Modey may be lyrically superior, Freestyle is more dextrous with flow. . . . infact, he is the full package technically speaking.

Which flow?? Which dexterity?? Which full package

MI Though a good rapper, you can't compare Freestyle's flow with that of MI. MI's flow might be referred to as 'laid-back' but it still cuts it. Some MCs naturally don't rap fast and it's still all good. E.g Biggie raps slowly but his flow would murk whatever fast-rapping Jay-Z spits. Freestyle tends to rap too fast and with little or no rhythm atimes.

Rugged Freestyle might beat Rugged on delivery. Might. But he lacks one very important element. Voice. A good rapper needs a dominating, authoritative voice to be reverred. That's where Rugged beats other Naija rappers hands down. Freestyle's voice sounds like that of a mouse squeaking atimes. Too soprano. Even falsetto. My days, even 2face had a more dominating voice on his "Sip Easy" . . .

Mode You said it yourself - lyrics.

Freestyle needs to upgrade his style, especially his voice - to be rated with those 3.

@bamsyle
Spot on.
Nice and correct analysis

@Funkybaby

Welcome back . . . been sumtime . . . where've you been?

@Bamsyle

I dey gbadun ur analysis. I'm a fan of lyricism and modenine is the only one that gives me that in nigera

M.I is not being overrated.He has suddenly caught the attention of everybody wiv his superb lyricism and exquisite delivery.

About the issue of is he the best or not, well he answered that on his track from his classic album TALK ABOUT IT. The track title is AREA ft.YQ. The line goes thus


I'm not saying i'm the best but am just asking who is better

Well i'm glad someone said something before i did. On Nairaland, the second you don't support popular opinion, your a hater. Maybe some people on here should actually listen to the lyrics of Crowd Mentality.

MI is good, no doubt, but rap messiah, saviour, the best in Africa, please, get a grip. He came along at the right time. As Bamstyle correctly said, there was a gap in the market and he took it. People were tired of ruggedman (i think he's fallen off personally) and Mode 9's jams while lyrically on point, don't appeal to the masses per se.

So MI comes along with some clever punchlines, a decent delivery and a very good hype machine and all of a sudden, he's raps messiah.

As Bamstyle correctly said, we need a bit more consistency to determine if he is truely the best. He has good punchlines, but that doesn't make a rap classic.

yeah man

@Chrisical

That's called braggin' in MCing . . . it's a common/accepted element of rap, especially when not overdone . . . atimes they're outright lies . . . atimes exaggeration . . .

You'd be surprised that some Ajegunle rapper would someday tell you he's got a bedroom in the White House . . .

@Audio

You're right man.

@Javalove

You don come again o . . .

I think M.I is d hottest right now.
where is Sanchez? dis guy n M.I came out same almost d time.

Key words: hottest right now . . . I do hope he's not doing what Eminem called "Sing for The Moment" . . . 'newayz, let him enjoy the moment . . .

Yeah, I'm also wondering . . . Sanchez came out with MI . . . to use your words same almost d time . . . I wonder . . .

if he is overated what are u doing to be rated i think we should try to learn how to talk

Abeg, MI is a fake Lil Wayne. Forget him.

Flowwise, none of em can mess with Freestyle. I dont care about his voice. Hes the only Naija rapper I can actually learn from in terms of flow construction.

Ibime:

Abeg, MI is a fake Lil Wayne. Forget him.
Flowwise, none of em can mess with Freestyle. I dont care about his voice. Hes the only Naija rapper I can actually learn from in terms of flow construction.

Are u high on Bolivian weed?? M.I. is better than Freestyle in every department of MCing. . . .
Have u seen this guy flow at all?? He has that cool, creamish demeanour of Jadakiss. He is a natural.
He spits like he was born with lyrics unlike cats like Mode-9 and Eedris who force words. . . U can tell they cram their lyrics. . .They don't come out nice.

All hail bamstyle the best analyst
@sauron
hi darklord, i'm glad to see u back online.

Don't mind that so called Mode9 i no gbadun the guy jare

all he knows is to abuse his fellow man

M.I. is not the greatest thing since sliced bread, only since Ghana bread. But seriously though the dude is good and he's on point so far doing all the right things at the right time but only time will tell just how good he really is/can be.

His greatest achievement in my eyes, is that he has shown that you can be lyrical and widely accepted. A lot of people might not notice but he actually drops a lot of killer punchlines like Mode 9.

He just got that sex appeal for the ladies, that swagger guys respect and the content heads can relate to.
And the fact that his record label is on point should not be overlooked. It is not easy selling rap in naija, go ask Obiwon.

~Sauron~:

Are u high on Bolivian weed?? M.I. is better than Freestyle in every department of MCing. . . .
Have u seen this guy flow at all?? He has that cool, creamish demeanour of Jadakiss. He is a natural.
He spits like he was born with lyrics unlike cats like Mode-9 and Eedris who force words. . . U can tell they cram their lyrics. . .They don't come out nice.

Stop yarning nonsense. . . . I rap pass MI if Im serious about HipHop . . . .he needs to put his baby rhymes away. . . .  Freestyle is a whole 'nother level, with flow and wit. . . . even the sturvs Freestyle did in Pidgin English ten years ago trumps whatever the hell MI is doing now.

Bamsyle:

The best Whatever happened to consistency - determined by number of albums/hit songs, staying power in the game, etc

Consistency has nothing to do with being the best . . .
Being the best is about being excellent and overshadowing the rest, that's what M.I has done
No one called him the G.O.A.T . . . infact ifhe drops a below-par album next, he'll be forgotten ASAP

It's a simple thing, other rappers have shown that they're not half as talented as he's proven
This is someone spinning real ish on hot beats, reminds me of albums like Thy Album Come (an album that took over nine years to make)
His catchy punchlines convert ladies into hiphop fans . . . his delivery reminds us that hiphop is still music
And as you said 'What if tomorrow Mode or Rugged comes out with an album better than "Talk About It"??' Then he will become the best rapper on Nigerian soil.

Bamsyle: I don't think a new Roca wear should be rated better than an old TM Lewin - just because the TM got old . . .

If the Rocawear comes with silk-smooth seamless edges, with signature style and sells 30,000 in 30 minutes, then it'll be rated better than the TM, Ben Sherman, Ralph Lauren and Paul Smith put together

Ibime:

Stop yarning nonsense. . . . I rap pass MI if Im serious about HipHop . . . .he needs to put his baby rhymes away. . . .  Freestyle is a whole 'nother level, with flow and wit. . . . even the sturvs Freestyle did in Pidgin English ten years ago trumps whatever the hell MI is doing now.

Yeah man!!! U're ahead of him lyrically,ur battles speak for you.

Freestyle is better than M.i

M.i is so overrated and i don't know why y'all are praising this swagger jacker.He ain't wack at all but the fact that he sounds like some American rappers ain't working for me.Yeah,he got so many baby lines and i can name 5 rappers in Nigeria that are way ahead of him.

And y'all talking bout M.I being the best in Africa,please shush now,M.I won't make the top 20 list and i ain't hating.No be lie.Where U wan put Proverb,Tumi,Golden Shovel,Munetsi, and all those ill cats on Ahh.All y'all "New heads" need lectures on Hip-Hop.Ignorant Heads on nairaland make me laugh,i miss Ahh.

Real Hip-Hop is not on the Radio