The gritty honesty of hip-hop makes the genre a perfect fit for promoting the street-smart gospel. It remains one of the oldest tricks in the rap book though boastful and showy raps have become more mainstream. But even when the style is at an ebb, it never really goes out of style with the harsh reality so many rap fans are and/or have been exposed to. Yakeeb taps into the Nigerian roadman lifestyle to seek inspiration for his new single, “Schemes”, and he captures the unpleasant reality with his harsh-sounding raspy vocals and rap bars, delivered like warnings over the catchy beat Krain produces.

Though Yakeeb might be a relatively new name in Nigerian hip-hop conversation, he features Zamir who is a veteran of the street-conscious raps, having started out as a member of the LOS crew. Together, they swear they’ve seen enough of the harsh realities on the street to plot their escape and the music video Nbeni Johnson co-directs with Zamir seems to confirm this through the gritty set that depicts the street life and the artists comfortably fitting in, despite their showy jewellery. The video also speaks to the importance of being mental health-conscious as Jesse Finesse cameos in the video, playing Zamir’s therapist who helps him deal with the stress from surviving in the streets.

You can watch the video for “Schemes” below.

Featured Image Credits: YouTube/Yakeeb
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You are meeting Debola at a strange time in his life. He wandered into a dream and lost his way back. Tweet at him @debola_abimbolu

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