Ro the rapper – 2am Wavez (prod. by Ro)

Coming after his last self produced single Lean, Ro the rapper tries his hands on some more alternative hiphop production and this time the outcome is an Afro infused rap song which he calls 2am Wavez.

According to Ro, he got inspired to make this song as soon as he stumbled upon the sample and did not sleep till he was done with the beat.
2am wavez is a dynamic blend of urban trap music and traditional African sound which sees Ro delivering punchlines and metaphors like:

You cannot beat this it’s the pentatonix,
flow is futuristic like my last name hendrix

If you are a lover of rap and alternative music, then 2am Wave is just the wave you need to get on this summer.

Download 2am Wavez

Download Link 2

Listen to 2am Wavez on Soundcloud

Ro the Rapper – Baller Lomo (Prod. by Young Forever x Ro)

“… And you know that I keep it a hundred like five twenties, and you never seen nothing this dope since 4 20… “

Ro the rapper who is known for his unique rap style which is a fusion
of Western Trap music and a little blend of the Nigerian Hiphop
flavour is back which his first official single for the year after
offering us his “234 Come Up Freestyle” a few months back.
On Baller Lomo, Ro the rapper delivers a mix of dope lyrics, a catchy
chorus and a groovy Trap beat; also with the inclusion of some
alternative Hiphop element.
Ro the rapper bring the full package on this track which was produced
by Young Forever and refixed by Ro.
Wait no further, Download and enjoy this brilliant tune.

Direct Download

Download Link

Ro the rapper – 2am Wavez (prod. by Ro)

Source: Ro the rapper – 2am Wavez (prod. by Ro)

The End by Dozie Amanze

After writing a thousand and one creative articles and a truck full of stories, I yearned for more, for something a few strides beyond satires which have become a signature style of mine; a brilliant style that is.

I have tried my hands on short stories previously and it came out really well as seen in my post The Typical Monday Morning Of A Job Hunter which was arguably one of my best articles of that era.

I did not come up with the idea of writing a short story and then brainstorm on a plot.
It came complete, as though it was destined to be written by me.

I don’t want to give out excerpts of the book or a leak of the story, so as to ensure it remains captivating during and after reading. 

In the most unrevealing way possible, this is a brief description of the book:

This book was conceived in a dream. It is however ironic that it tells the story of how a dream was shattered and brought to a somewhat sudden end. The End sees the author drawing from real-life happenings in our society (Nigeria) and putting them into a fine blend to produce this fictional piece.

Download “The End” by Dozie Amanze (PDF)

Ro the rapper – Lean (Prod. by Ro the producer)

Ro the rapper brings his 2017 to a start by putting out his first piece of the year titled “Lean”.

Ro the rapper who is known for his Afro-trap sound experiments with a more pop influenced sound on this track. 

In his words: “I wanted to make a Michael Jackson type record but replace the high pitch singing with rap, but somehow I deviated and made something equally beautiful.”
He futhermore described Lean as a bad girl appreciation song.

Lean was produced by Ro and mixed and mastered by his long time collaborator, David Glaze.

Download LEAN

Listen to LEAN on Soundcloud

Ep.04: Sound The TRUMPet Of TRiUMPh

So something went down this week, If you don’t know what it is just from the topic of this post then maybe you don’t deserve to have access to the internet. Just saying! 

So this week, November 9th to be precise  will go down in history as the day the media and popular opinion failed.

Firstly, we all know that the media plays a core role in politics, the way the image of a candidate is projected by the media has a huge stake in how the masses judge and perceive them to be. Its all branding. 

Lets take a case study of the Nigerian Elections in 2015, I don’t know if you all noticed but media branding was a core part of the Buhari campaign. From putting up pictures of him taking tea made with sachet milk, to him claiming he has only one house just to make the lower class feel like he is one of them. Its all branding.
And it worked quite well for him, though we have now found out that his wife rocks Hermes bags and other designer items worth millions of naira; I wonder if she wears these items in the kitchen or even in the other room. 😕
(See what I did there)

So fast forward to the US presidential race and how the media failed.
If you followed up on the lay up to the elections, you would say that Trump could never win because his image on the media was sh*t! Trump was portrayed as the devil, not even the Antichrist, the devil.

Now I’m not going to say this was the handiwork of the opposition, because we all know that Trump said some really horrible things in the course of his campaign, and his campaign was riddled with tonnes of mishap – The most famous one was his wife’s speech, or should I call it Michelle Obama’s speech. (Or Michelle Obama’s speech writer’s speech. 😒)

With things like that going on, it is hard to have the media portray a good image of you except you have a strong media PR team just like the ones Jagaban employed to handle Sai baba’s campaign. 

But one thing that struck me when all these we’re going on is the fact that Trump was always in the news (although for the wrong reasons) and he got the highest (negative) publicity. Hillary Clinton was not as prominent in the press as Trump was ‘cos bad news always makes headlines and that is Trump’s specialty.
And as the saying goes, no publicity is bad publicity (I don’t 100% agree with this saying but it’s quite true).

So the media polls picked Clinton as the favorite to win and Trump the “bad guy” favorite to lose, but look at God! (😒)
So where did the media get it wrong, I like to believe they judged too hastily and expressed their opinion on TV not the opinion of the masses.

I’m not a Trump fan, neither am I a Trump hater (I don’t want to be barred from visiting the US 😔), but let’s look at it this way, Trump’s campaign rallies were always filled up, people attended his functions, we never heard of a Trump rally where he ended up speaking to chairs. And this went on from city to city, what did the media think these people we’re there for? To eat free jollof rice? Of course not! Its not Nigeria. 

These numbers in attendance and still they shoved off the hint that he might win, just because they “supposed” that a right thinking person will not vote for a trash talking man like Trump. They refused to learn from the Nigerian scenario, Buhari won the elections without attending any Political debates. In a right thinking country a political aspirant that refuses to openly debate and answer questions that would be raised on issues going on in the country and how he would tackle it, does not deserve one vote. In fact he should be dropped by the party. But hey, he’s in Aso Villa today, going on world tours and what not. 

This is enough example to let the US media know that when the people want something, they are blind to everything else, even if it is not logically right, the people must get what they want.

Even God had to give in to the people of Israel when they wanted a king, he tried to warn them but in the end, the people must get what they want so he gave them Saul.

Saul wasn’t a good choice in the end, same as Baba is not, and Trump may not be…but the people gets what they want.

You know if this were to be Nigeria we would have said they rigged the elections because the results were not in line with what the popular opinion was.

This would teach us to break out of the mentality of “no right thinking person would do this”, do you seriously think everyone is right thinking? 
A study once said that 80% of Nigerian have mental health issues of one form or the other. I agree, I talk to myself, I sing and dance in the bathroom, I remember funny stuff when I’m on my own and laugh while people around look like what is wrong with this guy. I am not normal! So don’t put me in a box.

Secondly this should teach us not to judge by popular opinion. The popular opinion in Nigeria is we are anti-gay, but look at Bobrisky, patrolling the entire Yaba metropolis with his head high.
Judging from popular belief someone like that should be in hiding from the police, but instead the police is his friend. (see what I did 😁)

In the end, if you don’t learn anything from this, you should at least learn this:
Don’t believe the hype!

…and also try to watch The Simpsons more, they might just predict your future, you’ll never know.

Written by Dozie (Ro) Amanze.

Ep.03: ​Don’t Touch My Gaddam Plate!

    

I’m still thinking of a subtle way to start this piece without showing how passionate I am about the topic, without attaching so much emotion, without causing a hullabaloo out of a topic as seemingly simple as this. 
But I believe I am not alone on this, I’m sure that at least 70% of the male population of this earth agree with me on this. 
What exactly am I talking about? 

Let me paint this scenario: (every time I use this word I remember how Falz pronounced it “Skinaro” and it cracks me up. 😂😂). 

You are at an eatery with bae, and both your meals get served, say you ordered Nigerian jollof (I’m a fan ;)), fried plantain and a chunk of turkey while she ordered bolognised spaghetti with salad, eggs and chunks of beef. 
Stay with me, I promise I’m heading somewhere. 
So both of you are enjoying your meals, next thing her fork is on your plate trying to take a piece of plantain. 

Nooooo!!!! Don’t Touch My Gaddam Plate!! 

We guys don’t complain sometimes because we are trying to be romantic or we are trying to k***k and don’t want to spoil our runs and hard work thus far (😑). But deep down, we don’t like that sh*t! Ladies need to stop doing it. 

I have done a personal survey and 103 out of 100 guys interviewed don’t like it! 
You could have ordered for plantain if you wanted some, I like eggs, I love salad, still I did not pick off your plate, I allowed you eat in peace. Why can’t I eat my rice and drop spoon without you touching my plate. 

Why? 

Here is one thing you ladies don’t know, for every piece of plantain you pick off my plate,  I mentally deduct 6 yards from your wife material (I bet ya don’t know! 😁). 

Applying this my formula there is one babe I know who’s wife material has entered the minus scale, she is owing me 12 yards 😂😂.  What did she do? She picked 3 pieces of plantain, and a large chunk of beef off my plate in one seating. Yes, I know, she deserves more, but let’s leave it at minus 12 yards. 
On a more serious note ladies observe your man when next you’re picking stuff off his plate, I’m sure he has this face on:

The worst part of this issue is when they pick the last piece of say, plantain (I love plantain 😍) or turkey lap, or crispy wings, or any other food valuables (yes they are valuables, leave it like that! 😠). Think about it, why would you pick the last piece of chicken from my plate? Don’t you have the fear of God? 😦
I know this sounds like a joking sturvs (I play too much :twisted:) but you will be amazed at the number to relationships this has ruined. 

I always try to end my pieces with a round up speech/advice, so for this one it goes like this:
Be content with what you have, mind your own food, don’t allow long throat ruin your relationship, If you don’t taste my piece of chicken you will not die. Allow your man eat in peace. 

*drops mic*

✌ Ro. 

Ep.02: Success Is The Enemy

      

When people talk about the fear of failure and how they are scared of attempting something because they don’t want to fail, I am usually astounded. 
I see no reason why one should fear failure. Failure is very easy to achieve and also very easy to handle and manage. 

      Abraham Lincoln failed eight times. He was not assassinated throughout this period of failure, instead it was when he became successful that he was killed. In other words, failure did not kill him, success did. 

So failure should not be a problem. N.B. I am not saying you should aim to fail and keep failing. No. What I mean (if you haven’t gotten the message already by now) is that when you fail, don’t stress it, it happens, move forward onto the next attempt. 

However, one thing that gets me stressed is success. (plot twist of life! 🙌) That is why I believe we should fear success not failure, hence Success is the Enemy. 
So I listened to The Album About Nothing by Wale and on the song “The Success” Jerry Seinfeld made a remark at the intro saying: 

“The worst thing is when you get comfortable, That’s why success is the enemy”. 

That right there summarises everything else in this post. 
The thing about success is when you become successful at something, people look at you in a new light, people expect you not to ever fail again, even if you’re someone like me who pays little heed to people’s expectations, as a person you have your own expectations, and you don’t want to fail, you want to continue being successful in all your endeavours from that point onward – This is where the stress sets in. 

You try to be perfect at it you try to ensure you don’t go below your self-set-standard, even worse, you try to attain the people-set-standard of you. Where they think you should be and what you should be doing. 
To achieve this you put in double work, sacrifice sleep, money, money (time is money  ;)), you even put your life on the line. Then finally you beat your own record, then the wild goose chase continues, you double the already doubled work, walk around like a zombie due to lack of sleep… and so on. 

With success, you can’t really win. Its either you become successful and get comfortable and fall off, ending up as a one time success (However take note of these wise words of a random Nigerian man: “I get am before no be property.”), or you keep working to maintain the success and meet up with people’s expectations, sacrificing your all…until you get tired one day and fall off or probably die. 
If you die, you are safe, if you fall off there are two things involved; start working your way up again or settle as a one time success.  

What I’m saying might sound light to you and you may not fully understand till you have attained success at something and you get to feel the pressure first hand. (p.s. I’m not saying I have attained success…and I am also not saying I haven’t :?) . 
This pressure can be self inflicted or people inflicted. 

Give this a thought, why are famous celebrities so desperate to remain famous? 
Why is the guy voted most likely to succeed not usually that successful? (p.s. I was not voted most likely to succeed. Just so you know :'() 

The pressure to live up to these is what usually lead to their failure.
It is easier for a man who has never succeeded to fail and bounce back, than for someone who has known success most of his life to accept failure and bounce back; they sometimes end up committing suicides. 
Because they have set so high a standard that falling and living below that line is unacceptable and apparently death is better. 

Success is the enemy, and what do you do to your enemy, face it, fight it, subdue it and most of all control it. 
Control the enemy. 
Control success. 
Success is the enemy. 

Ro. 

*******

Episode 3 of the Speaking My Mind 2.0 [Tales from the city], drops in 2 weeks. Stay tuned. 

Ep.01: ​The “I don’t have change” Experience

        

I’m not going to just start writing and act like I did not take a one year long hiatus from the act. Not that I haven’t been writing at all, but over the last year it’s been more educational and school/profession inclined write ups like exams, tests… Lol just kidding. But seriously I wrote a few engineering pieces, won a few professional body competitions (still haven’t received my prize for the last one but it’s cool).
Pardon me, I just had to sell my market small. 

Let me kick off with this disclaimer: This piece has nothing to do with the APC (pun intended). With that out of the way… Let’s go! 😎

 The subject for today’s piece is one which I’m sure a lot of people can relate to like a cousin (Bars!! 😁 M.I taught me that). You can’t spend a week in Lagos and not experience it, except you don’t buy stuff or don’t engage in any form of cash transactions. 
For those who may not be familiar with the “I don’t have change” term I would attempt at defining it. 
“I don’t have change” is that phrase which is usually dished out by a typical Nigerian store sales person or cashier when you make a purchase and they don’t have certain cash denominations to give you your total balance, so they give you part of the balance.

A quick example: Say you go to a store with a thousand Naira note and make a purchase of 150 naira, and they don’t have the cash denominations to give you 850 naira so the salesperson tell you Sir/Madam I don’t have change. 
Sometimes the conversation ends there and you’d be left to find an alternative, or in some cases you would be given part of your balance, say 700 naira and then the salesperson tells you “eh sir, please I will owe you 150”, as though that isn’t enough they take it a step further to give you suggestions, you can come back later to collect it or you can buy something else, we have gala, or yoghurt. 

And while all these statements and suggestions and what not are being thrown at me I’m just standing there like 50 cent with 21 questions running through my mind – 
Why do you want to owe me?
Do you even know me? 
Why should I buy gala?
Do I look like Harrisong? 
And why do you think I would like yoghurt?
Do I look thirsty to you? 

But all these are in my head, In reality I only have two choices, take their suggestions or take my money and walk away. 

This “I don’t have change issue” can be annoying and frustrating to the point that you would have money but still won’t be able to buy what you need. Mans (it’s not a typo… It’s a new lingo; get with it) would be with 1k and still not be able to buy bottled water to drink. Doubt me? Trying buying bottled water with 1k note from a Yoruba (no dis-respek) woman’s store tomorrow, I bet money on it you would get cursed out. I bet the entire N6753.14 in my bank account. YOU WILL GET CURSED OUT! 
If she’s a nice person, she would just ignore you or hit you with the “If dem send you to me this morning, tell them you did not see me” line. 

Another segment of this topic I would like to highlight is the “your change remains N20 part”. Lord knows of all the 20 naira balance I have forfeited in my lifetime were accumulated it would be enough to get me a G Wagon….. or maybe not. But you get my point. I still left N20 with the Keke driver yesterday, and I’m certain I’m not the only one who does this, I’m sure you do too. Yes, you. 

I’ve been playing the disgruntled customer all through this article, let me for a brief moment view this issue from the store owner’s perspective. 

I come to my store in the morning, open shop, “shed my markeeeet, and the first customer comes with 1k to buy something worth N50,i sell to him and settle his balance from the left over cash from yesterday, this goes on for the next 5 customers and I eventually run out of “change”. The next person who comes to buy something of that same pattern, I have no choice but to hit em with “I don’t have change”. And when the customer goes “Oga you no fit ask your neighbor or go find change” chances are I would snap! Probably curse them out like “Make I go find change? You see me carry broom for hand? I resemble APC? Or shey na change I come Lagos come find? Nwanne be kiafu dia! Take time!”. (lol 😂)

It should also be noted that many store owners make less sales due to the inadequate availability of “change”, i.e. when they tell a customer I don’t have change, he drops the goods, takes back his cash and leaves – There goes another lost customer. 

Seeing that the “change issue favours neither the buyer nor the seller, so who/what would we put the blame on since we can’t blame the store owner nor the young man with 1k note trying to buy water? 

Here comes the Plot Twist! (Nigerian home video soundtrack playing in the background) 

*In Jamie Foxx’ voice* Blame it on the ah ah ah ah ah A.T.M  (so you actually thought I’d say alcohol.. 😦 Smh) 
Yeah, blame it on the ATM for dispensing mostly 1000 naira notes. Finding an ATM which dispenses 500 naira notes these days is hard!, speak more of smaller denominations like 200 and 100 naira notes. 
If you know an ATM that dispenses 100 or 200 naira notes hit me up I would like to… Nah don’t even bother, you’ll never find. 

Having put the blame on the ATM, do I have a solution to the problem? Nope! 
Then why did I write this since I’m not preferring a solution? 

I wrote this for the same reason you read it. Go figure! *drops mic!*

Ro.