…And the winner for AFRIMA 2017 ‘Best Music Video Of The Year’ goes too Orezi for the video ‘Cooking Pot’. That sound bite still plays in my head even twenty-four hours after the event. This kept me wondering; maybe it’s time for Orezi to shine bright like diamond.

..He’s a household name today but maybe a lack of
consistency is dragging him back. I feel it might be the one thing
that is hindering him from reaching his full potential. In the
Nigerian music industry there is no middle ground, you either win or
you lose – no time to snooze. May be it’s time for him to go all out..’ – Nnamdi Onyimadu

If there is one thing I pride myself in, it’s the uncanny ability to
spot talent. I became aware of the artiste called Orezi in 2010 when
he dropped the jam titled ‘I no fit lie.’ I never considered the song
a hit – and it wasn’t really – but I loved the vibe and what it
aspired to be. In an industry constantly burst at the seams with
artistes contending for the number one spot, it wasn’t long I forgot
about him, until 2013 when he resurfaced with the undeniable hit that
was ‘Rihanna.’ I was delirious that my hunch about this dude was
right. The song enjoyed heavy rotation and I had more than a few
buddies who used it as their ringtones at the time and I remember how
it used to set the dance floor on fire whenever the deejay pressed
play. The music video was said to have cost his record as much as
7.3million naira. Arguably, he got signed to Davido’s record label HKN in 2013.
He also released more singles in 2013 like ‘You Garrit’ which was
another certified club banger. In 2014 he released a new single titled
‘Shoki’ which rivaled Lil Kesh’s version which was also trending at
the time. Indeed, this was one chap that was poised to take over the
industry. In my mind at least.

In the years that followed Orezi’s career has been peppered with a
number of trendy jams such as ‘Shuperu,’ ‘Booty Bounce,’ and ‘What is
the Need.’ On September 9, 2015 he announced the release of The Gehn
Gehn album which boasted of the sleeper hit ‘Ogede’ ft Wizkid and
Timaya. Like he has a thing for Septembers, Orezi dropped a follow-up
to The Gehn Gehn album with the release of ‘Call the Police’ on the
27th of September to mixed reception, with fans especially ruffled by
what they considered a desperate promotional artwork to go along with
it. He has also been busy in 2017, dropping hot singles such as
‘BomBom’ ft Davido and Special Ed, ‘Cooking Pot,’ a song which pays
special homage to the legendary Fela, and ‘Halleluyah’ (or Hustlers’
Anthem). Needless to say, he has been busy and his discography
suggests that he has all it takes to thrive and dominate the Nigerian
music industry. His appears to be another curious case just like the
few we have diagnosed on the pages of this magazine before. But on a
deeper look, he’s also one of the few with a fair share of hit singles
in this country. Let’s admit that even achieving that is not exactly a
pot of beans. He’s a household name today but maybe a lack of
consistency is dragging him back. I feel it might be the one thing
that is hindering him from reaching his full potential. In the
Nigerian music industry there is no middle ground, you either win or
you lose – no time to snooze. May be it’s time for him to go all out
with hit songs back to back so as to claim his place in the music
industry. Maybe it’s time for some Orezi.

– Nnamdi Onyimadu