Seven years ago, somewhere in the heart of Nigeria’s bustling capital city, Abuja, Apex Village sprang to life under the aegis of Psycho YP and his sister/manager Cindy Ihua, with a talented group of mavericks, including Zilla Oaks, Kuddi, and Marv OTM in tow. By 2019, they had etched their first sonic offering as a group, with the 8-tracker ‘Welcome to the Ville’ album. The record showcased their brilliant progressive rap persona, outlier stories, and team spirit, rebelling against the idea that it was impossible to gain significant momentum with their music from anywhere other than Nigeria’s cultural capital, Lagos.

Now, their recent sophomore album, ‘Welcome 2 The Ville,’ expands that vision. The 14-tracker spin introduces Laime, Azanti, Uloko, and Thrill Max, positioning the group as a vanguard of Hip-Hop’s generational shift in Nigeria. The record weaves melodic Rap, street poetry, and hustler narratives, featuring a lineup of collaborators spanning Nigeria and the UK, including Arieenati, Kemuel, Bkay EastGaad, Zhud Jdo, Rjayondtrack, Tyira, Not3s, and Jeriq.

The soothing baritone of Nigerian broadcaster EDK opens up ‘Welcome 2 The Ville.’ “Monday is here! Brand new work week! We made it!” The radio-dub interlude segues into the trippy, anthemic hi-hats and Afro-Trap melody that structure the album’s opener, “God No Go Shame Us,” setting the tone for the ambitious youth memento that the entire record preaches. The song is a braggadocious duet between Psycho YP and Azanti where YP’s pidgin-inflected chorus, “Now when I don cash out from the Maye/ God no go shame us,” opens up room for Azanti’s hazy vocals as they affirm their self-belief and reliance on God’s providence. 

With most of the tracks produced by Apex sonic honcho Thrill Max, the rest of the record possesses that suspenseful, anthemic feel that introduces the group’s grandeur. In the second track, “How Far” (with Uloko, Psycho YP, and Marv OTM), the group introduces its polarizing Afrobeats shift, which began with earlier tracks like “Extracurricular Activities.” The same crew talking about the signposts of their financial success is reminiscing on earlier financial struggles. Uloko, who is a more recent member, brings on his Pop-leaning alto as he talks about his materialistic shayla from Tinapa. 

From there, the album segues into “Been A Minute” (with Laime, Aguero Banks, and Marv OTM), which brings their rap focus into full view. The track, which should have been a filler track at best, springs to the front burner, but the high-octane energy from Laime and Aguero on the track revs the record into an instant replay addiction. Trading bars in Pidgin, Igbo, and English juices the song with an instant relatability and groove that finds legitimacy among contemporary Hip-Hop records.

The polyphonic groove, melding hi-hats, 808s, Trap drums, backing vocals, and punchy bars, continues in the next track, “Anymore” (with Laime, Psycho YP and Arieenati) as they dive into their Kanye-esque energy in this track. Swapping stories of “pearls and diamonds as their fashion style” and “flying to Calabasas”, as they reflect on their quintessential ‘bad b,’ the record finds its footing in the raspy paces from both YP and Laime, who enshrine their deliveries with hard-hitting enunciation.

By the time the album spins into “No Hand$” (with Kemuel and Psycho YP), the album displays Apex Village’s versatility. Kemuel delivers feathery vocal smoothness; YP counterbalances with UK Drill cadence. Other tracks, like “Can’t Complain” and “Memories,” maintain this balance of R&B melodies and Trap grit. “Practice,” a solo track, showcases YP’s range, while his presence across nearly every track cements him as both the collective’s creative anchor and lead melodic voice. His dual upbringing in the UK and Nigeria is audible in his fusion of Afropop and Trap.

The entire album thrives on a particular tempo that prioritizes cohesiveness. Each track seeps into the other with familiar piano chords and suspenseful ambient melodies that buffer its Hip-Hop feel. The storytelling also follows a similar sequence, where braggadocio and hustling take centre-stage, while romance appears as a minority. For a collective like Apex, the stories feel like hair on skin, easily arriving as natural, intimate, sincere stories, like reading chapters from their personal journals. The celebratory, defiant, and ambitious mood that defines the album is, perhaps, the most exciting part of the music. It’s an instant adrenaline jolt, with no waning moments and instant replay value.

The album draws its curtains with “Memories.” The soothing, lithe vocals from Tyira, “I don’t want to lose you,” hang like thick clouds in the air, before Thrill Max’s airy drums usher in Laime’s Pop-Soul-leaning verse. Psycho YP’s pidgin bars surface again, as he odes to his roots, “From Rivers State, make dem no dey follow me play.” This particular track reveals the synergy between Laime and Psycho YP, who appear to be the most versatile in the entire group. Whether it’s blending their energetic Southern Nigerian spirit or their American-inspired Trap flows, the cousins understand the subject of tonal clarity in each of their collaborations.

Overall, ‘W2TV’ feels like a very fluid, progressive arrangement of ideas, sonics, and storytelling. The choice of features also ranks as one of the record’s strongest pillars, with invigorating contributions from indigenous rappers like Aguero Banks, Jeriq, to stylized UK/US Trap from Psycho YP, Marv OTM, and Bkay EastGaad, as well as Pop-Soul-influenced delivery from Laime, Azanti, and Kemuel. With brazy-but-intimate lyrics, each track feels well-tailored to feel uplifting, introspective, yet still giddy.

In some ways, the album is essentially a statement-making document of Apex Collective’s rise as one of Nigeria’s most vibrant and impactful Hip-Hop crews in recent times. Nearly a decade after rising to fame, Apex Village revives the communal, storytelling energy of earlier collectives like the Choc Boiz while tweaking it for today’s expansive, multi-genre soundscape. With clever lyricism, meticulous production, and carefully curated features, ‘Welcome 2 The Ville’ positions the group as both chroniclers and architects of Nigerian Hip-Hop’s next era.