These artists produced nigerian music’s best 3-album runs
Santi, Reminisce, Asa and more.
Written by The NATIVE – 12.Oct.2024
In late 2020, just a few days after Wizkid released his seminal album ‘Made In Lagos,’ the megastar went on a country-wide press run that detailed his frame of mind while working on the project as well as the rigorous and lengthy process that it took to carefully compile his magnum opus. “Believe it or not, there’s been like 10 [versions of] ‘Made In Lagos’ before this one,” he said nonchalantly on air in conversation with radio host Osi Suave.
Pulling off one great album with that level of diligence and care is a triumph for any artist. Being able to deliver multiple strong projects consecutively, though, is a feat that’s reserved for acts who are well versed in the science of making an album while constantly showing artistic progression without a trade-off in quality. This year, the release of ‘Lungu Boy’ capped off a near-perfect trifecta for Asake in the space of three years. In the list below, we’re going to discuss some of the best three-album runs the country has ever seen. While there’s a large pool to select from, and a case to be made for several other artists whose projects might not have made this list, we’re keeping ours to just seven spots (with a few honorable mentions) and we’re keeping the timeline to the year 2000 up until now. Let’s get into it.
7. Cruel Santino – ‘Suzie’s Funeral,’ ‘Mandy & The Jungle’ & Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN
There was something special about Cruel Santino right from the start. His early works, the 21-track mixtape ‘Diaries Of A Loner’ and ‘Birth Of Santi’ introduced him as a reclusive rap artist who was not shy to experiment. While there was still some restraint on his first two projects, largely favoring Hip-hop inspired production and flows, ‘Suzie’s Funeral’ represented a turning point that would kickstart an impressive run that established him as a shapeshifting musical genius. The release of the project also coincided with the rise of the innovative alte scene and Cruel Santino’s successive releases – 2019’s ‘Mandy & The Jungle’ and the conceptually dense follow-up ‘Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN’ – not only enforced the Edo native’s ingenuity but it also contributed heavily in giving legitimacy to a scene that has been met with apprehension and scrutiny since its inception.
6. Reminisce – ‘Alaga Ibile,’ ‘Baba Hafusa’ & ‘El-Hadj’
Although ‘A Book Of Rap Stories,’ Reminisce’s debut, mostly highlighted the rapper’s hit making abilities, it was through his latter three albums that he truly established himself as a gifted lyricist and a well-rounded act who is not afraid to take risks with his styles. ‘Alaga Ibile,’ his sophomore, showcased his musical dexterity as well as his rap credentials: cuts like the Sarz-produced “Fantasi” find Reminisce employing an infectious Fuji flow over a beat that sounds like it takes influences from both Electronic music and Afropop, while the Olamide and Endia-assisted “Government” served as a ceremonious call-to-arms that proved Reminisce was not one to mess with. ‘Baba Hafusa’ and ‘El Hadj,’ both of which debuted on the US Billboard World Albums chart, also put the 43-year-old’s eclecticism and, most importantly, his mastery of words, on display; cementing him as one of the best rappers of his generation.
5. Asake – ‘Mr Money With The Vibe,’ ‘Work Of Art’ & ‘Lungu Boy’
After years of tinkering with various styles and sounds, Asake found the perfect formula in the early parts of 2022, blending Afropop, Fuji music and Amapiano together for distinctive medleys that were garnished with choral vocals and became one of the long standing highlights of his breakout year. This unique alchemy is what powered his first two hit-laden projects ‘Mr Money With The Vibe’ and ‘Work Of Art,’ both of which are undeniably modern classics. ‘Lungu Boy,’ his third album in as many years, stripped back some of the vim and the turbo-charged production of his earlier projects and while the result is perhaps not as impressive as what he managed with his debut and sophomore, the album still delivers a handful of memorable records that underscore the 29-year-old’s dynamism and ambitions to push the boundaries of his highly infectious sound.
4. Asa – ‘Asa (Asha),’ ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ & ‘Bed Of Stone’
Asa has a near-perfect catalogue. Across her illustrious career, the acclaimed singer-songwriter has delivered five stellar studio albums that have helped distinguish her as one of the most gifted and eccentric artists of her generation. It’s, however, her first three records that really made her standout. ‘Asa (Asha),’ her compact, eponymous debut which was largely constructed alongside legendary artist-producer Cobhams Asoquo, introduced the singer’s moving soul-alto which sat comfortably atop gentle guitar strums and Reggae-Gospel arrangements as she sang passionately about estranged lovers and the dire state of the country. Her 2010 follow-up ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ trades some of the melancholy of her debut for a wider range, delivering evergreen cuts like the upbeat “Be My Man,” while ‘Bed Of Stone,’ which came four years after her sophomore, completed an impressive trifecta, once again delivering a memorable body of work that proved the singer is in a league of her own.
3. Olamide – ‘Rapsodi,’ ‘YBNL’ & ‘Baddest Guy Ever Liveth’
Two things are consistent about Olamide: cigarettes and projects. Since the rap veteran debuted in 2011, he has released a body of work (collaborative and/or solo) every year since, barring 2019. It is, however, the YBNL boss’ first three albums that are arguably his best yet: ‘Rapsodi,’ which was released under ID Cabasa’s Coded Tunes label, earmarked Olamide as a highly talented rap star in the making, but it’s 2012’s ‘YBNL,’ which he released under his newly formed label at the time, and his magnum opus ‘Baddest Guy Ever Liveth,’ that established him as a superstar who was largely responsible for ushering in a new era of indigenous rap music.
2. Burna Boy – ‘Outside,’ ‘African Giant’ & ‘Twice As Tall’
The release of ‘Outside,’ Burna Boy’s third studio album, represents a watershed moment in the self-proclaimed African giant’s distinguished career. A few months prior, the fusion artist who had showcased his immense talent on earlier albums ‘L.I.F.E’ and ‘On A Spaceship,’ was struggling to connect with his core audience due to his inconsistency and numerous public antics that alienated a large swath of his fanbase. ‘Outside,’ however, signified a fresh start for Burna Boy who went ahead to have arguably the greatest creative run the country has ever seen following the album’s release. ‘African Giant,’ which came in 2019 earned him a nomination for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards and his follow-up ‘Twice As Tall,’ helped him make history, as he won the Grammy award for the Best Global Music Album, becoming the first Nigerian artist to pick the highly coveted music award.
1. P-Square – ‘Get Squared,’ ‘Game Over’ & ‘Danger’
It’s a testament to P-Square’s insane depth of quality that any three of their first five albums could make this list. While the famed duo boast a pristine discography, albums two to four are where their legend was truly cemented. Even though their 2003 debut ‘Last Nite’ helped the duo gain some recognition – especially with classic cuts like “Senorita,” – ‘Get Squared’ is what really launched the duo to superstardom. The follow-up, 2007’s ‘Game Over’ was revolutionary, as the duo embraced a slightly different but more ambitious stylistic approach to both their music and the accompanying visuals. The decision paid off massively as the album reportedly sold over 10 million copies worldwide and they capped off their awe-inspiring run with the release of ‘Danger’ which bookends perhaps the greatest three album run the country has seen since the turn of the century.
Honorable Mentions
Kizz Daniel – ‘New Era,’ ‘No Bad Songs’ & ‘King Of Love’
In retrospect it’s hilarious that Kizz Daniel was thought of as a one-hit wonder who was limited in his stylistic scope early on in his career. He beat those allegations fairly easily with the release of ‘New Era,’ his incredible debut that scooped up the Best R&B/Pop Album award as well as the Album Of The Year award at the 2016 Headies. His ambitious follow-up ‘No Bad Songz‘ was arguably even more impressive but 2020’s ‘King Of Love’ unfortunately pales in comparison to his first two works. While the album houses a few hit records like “Fvck You” and “Jaho,” the memorable moments are few and far between, something that his earlier projects had in abundance.
Wizkid – ‘Superstar,’ ‘Ayo’ & ‘Sounds From The Otherside’
Not much needs to be said about ‘Superstar.’ It’s an undeniable classic and one of the greatest debuts in Nigeria’s music history. While ‘Ayo’ didn’t quite receive the kind of acclaim ‘Superstar’ got, it’s a very strong body of work in its own right. Evergreen cuts like “Jaiye Jaiye,” “Show You The Money,” “In My Bed,” “Joy” and the timeless “Ojuelegba” ensure that the album is also firmly etched in Nigerian music canon. Wizkid had lofty ambitions with his third studio album, showing his versatility as he attempted to bring more global exposure to Afropop. While the album remains significant in Wizkid’s career and our collective musical history for a number of reasons, it sadly failed to resonate with the singer’s home-based fans the way his earlier projects did.
M.I – ‘Talk About It,’ ‘M.I 2: The Movie’ & ‘The Chairman’
Of all the albums and mixtapes that M.I has put out over his extensive and decorated career, none has been below par. His strongest run, however, remains his first three studio albums. 2008’s ‘Talk About it’ introduced M.I as the hottest rapper on the block but it was the cinematic ‘M.I: The Movie’ that truly established the rap legend as a creative and lyrical genius who stood head and shoulders above his peers. 2014’s ‘The Chairman’ would have completed a perfect three album run but the project suffered from a lack of focus and a host of supporting cast (26 features in total) that left it feeling stuffy.
