Nigerian music has had—and continues to have—its fair share of duos. Think Lijadu Sisters, P-Square, Skuki, The Cavemen., and many more. While these are formal composite acts, mainly consisting siblings, it’s perhaps more intriguing when two people initially connect through a random collaboration and it ends up in a thriving musical kinship. Think JAY-Z and Kanye West, Wizkid and Skepta, Central Cee and Dave, Paybac and Boogey, and more. For many young Nigerians, BOJ and Ajebutter22 represent the epitome of informal duos, two distinct artists with differing yet complementary skill sets, and have partnered to deliver timeless classics.

This inimitable collaboration dates back to the early 2010’s, in what many would describe as the first wave of alternative music in Nigeria. At this time, the likes of Black Magic and Show Dem Camp burst into the scene with immense levels of authenticity and creativity, in successful attempts to challenge the status quo and traditionally recognised ways of making music. The contributions of Ajebutter22 and BOJ to this rebellious reformation dates back to 2013 with “Omo Pastor,” a seminal pop-rap slapper that helped introduce both artists to a wider audience, and appeared on both of their 2014 solo projects, ‘Anytime Soon’ and ‘#BOTM’.

“Omo Pastor” possesses many stellar qualities, at the top of the list is its storytelling and the pair’s ability to paint a clear picture of their feelings, armed with bars in Yoruba, Pidgin and English. Once the track’s heavy baseline arrives, you know that BOJ and Butter mean business as they set the scene to describe their love interest who, as the title translates, is the child of a pastor. “It’s 11pm je ka sneak out, open fridge and I drink daddy big stout,” Ajebutter spits 10 seconds after the instrumentals have laid the groundwork. He starts by explaining that he’s in the house of his love interest who happens to live with her father. He takes the next couple of lines, in a seamless blend of Yoruba and English to establish himself as that guy, making sure to emphasise his worth in stacks of money. Afterwards, he serenades her in a few slick lines, explaining that to his own advantage, she doesn’t carry on the typical holy stereotype of a pastor’s child.

BOJ slips in after the faultless first verse by Ajebutter22 to deliver the chorus, reiterating his lasting messages and referring to her as a bad girl. “She wants me buy her rosé, she said that she’s feeling naughty/I said that I’m really not sure, I swear that I’ve seen you before,” BOJ’s sonorous vocals croon on the hook as he expresses his skepticism to unwind with her because he seemingly recognises her from church. At this point, BOJ appears amused at the contrast in her personality, within and outside the church as he barely begs her to refrain from all advances, “Ah omo pastor they you want to put me for trouble omo pastor.” All this is accompanied by BOJ’s lush vocals singing in the background, smoothly contrasting his deep rendition placed at the forefront.

For the second verse, Ajebutter22 taps a clever rhyme scheme, raising the track’s memorability up several notches. While a rhyme scheme typically looks like similar syllables at the end of a word used in succession, Ajebutter’s penmanship shines through for the meanings in his word pairing. “Oya 2face is the hardest, I no lie her beauty na asset/And it’s hard for her to be honest, so she double side them like a cassette,” he kicks off. Ajebutter admits that while he admires his muse on one hand, she tends to be rather cunning, using iconic African musician 2Baba and a cassette tape as similes for her trickery. Despite choosing to play along, Ajebutter is not buying the act. He is clearly skeptical around her as he quips, “Her eye service, hm, e pass racket.”

The track takes on a third perspective of omo pastor’s friend who is warning her to be careful of the lifestyle she’s choosing, but she turns her back on the warnings to respond —according to Ajebutter22— “hm, you don’t know what you’re missing.” At the end of this tulutous journey in storytelling, the pair’s muse appears to have gotten away unnoticed by her pastor father, “After the link up, change pj’s and off make up, and she’s in bed before daddy wake up.”

After all is said and done, it’s evident the pair is here to have a good time. BOJ comes in for a final rendition on the captivating hook, assisted by Ajebutter in the closing lines where he showers her with praises. By the time the track draws to a close, BOJ and Butter’s ability to capture audiences with stark attention to detail and equal delivery is evident. In many ways, “Omo Pastor” laid the foundation for this distinctive pairing and as a result a guaranteed stack of tracks.

Once the dynamic duo was established, then came the birth of ‘Make E No Cause Fight’ and a Falz-assisted follow-up for ‘Make E No Cause Fight 2’. On the four and five track extended plays respectively, they deliver an enthralling play by play of life and love as young Nigerians in their vibrant prime. With the announcement of the final entry to the trilogy, ‘Make E No Cause Fight 3’, we can expect nothing but more peerless storytelling and pristine delivery.

 

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