Erigga perfectly combines Vanity and Reality in ‘The Lost Boy’ [Pulse Album Review]

The rapper from Warri, Delta State was able to establish himself as the rap king of the South through his use of pidgin, a conversational delivery style, and savvy punch lines packed with street parlance.

Outside the South, Erigga’s music stuck out in the mainstream hip-hop scene that was dominated by swaggering English-speaking rappers and a collection of street-famous indigenous rappers.

“If I dey look wetin guy men dey talk for back…I for don stop dey rap” Erigga says in the opening track ‘Inshalla’ where he looks back at the heavy criticism of his rap style. After years of grinding and refusing to kowtow to pressures to change his style, Erigga is now at a level where he can look his critics in the face and tell them to shut up.

‘The Lost Boy’ is a bragging right for Erigga who wishes to pass an emphatic message, and to achieve the desired result, he opts for unabashed showmanship. Rappers talk up themselves when they want to highlight their status in the game and Erigga assembled a talented collection of artists with whom he explores different hip-hop sounds to pass the message of his vanity and reality.

“The only L we dey take dey come with V,” he says on ‘L with V’s’ as he delivers a smooth rap in his trademark style. His confidence oozes through the bars and the swaggering delivery with which he throws around the names of designer brands which is now a part of his everyday life.

Even when he’s trying to win the heart of a woman, Erigga isn’t engaging in some poetic romance. “I may not be the one for you but I’m the one that’s right here,” he says in ‘How Many Gyals’ which captures his status as a playboy who doesn’t have time for romantic gestures. Known for his punchlines, Erigga rhymes “Shook hand put” fancily across different lines. ‘L with V’s and ‘How many Gyals’ are sprinkled with so much vanity that it might have been intolerable if it were coming from a less talented artist. However, with Erigga, the music holds up.

“All my guys are lit,” he says on ‘Lit’ as he promises trips to exotic Islands and a good time with his equally rich friends. Alpha P matches Erigga’s energy over an Afrobeat drum arrangement to deliver the “All my guys are ballers” message popular amongst hustlers. The lack of horns on this song is obvious especially since its presence would have further emphasized its Afrobeat cadence.

Erigga’s insistence on using money as a way to a woman’s heart is perhaps shaped by the bad experiences he suffered at the hands of women when he wasn’t successful.

It’s hard not to see his decision to throw money at women in a take it or leave it manner as a defense mechanism for past traumas. He gave insight into this in ‘Cotton Candy’, a song that captures his ascension into a higher realm as regards his music. His delivery is boss-like as he paints a sultry picture of the kind of canal pleasures money can buy. Even though he tries to be romantic and paint a perfect picture, he still struggles with commitment. Mephyz matches Erigga’s extravagant display of talent as he lays a smooth chorus that provides the feel needed to enjoy the song that is maybe the best track on the album.

‘A girl called Grace’ offered more insight into Erigga’s state of mind regarding his materialistic approach to relationships. On the Afro-swing record, he shares the different ways money attracts women and the accompanying liabilities. He understands the danger of committing to a woman who’s after money hence his insistence to adopt an individual approach to love.

Erigga’s success didn’t fall on his laps. He is a man who toiled for his success and he doesn’t intend to let anyone be it family, friends, or women take advantage of him. In ‘Broke or Rich’, he makes it clear that he works hard to get paid even beyond music, hence his reluctance to give handouts. His thoughts were assisted by a melodic chorus delivered by Jay Teazer. In ‘Family Ties,’ Erigga further emphasized his zero-tolerance for leaches on a Highlife track with a quintessential Highlife chorus. Erigga’s decision to also include and credit Comedian Igosave on the track shows how the comedy and music shape Warri’s entertainment scene and serve as an escape from the streets for young talents.

Erigga’s music is a testament to his experiences on the streets. On the Drill track ‘Vawulence’, Erigga thumps his chest as a Street Don. In ‘PTSD’, he shares that his decision to make music was informed by tough experiences that left him two choices: Settle for life on the streets or find a way out through music.

The Odumodu Blvck assisted eponymous track ‘The Lost Boy’, further revealed the dangers of life on the streets that Erigga had to endure while hoping that his music will get him out of the hood. His shares his reality where life was brutish and short, and the people are nothing more than chess pieces to a selfish political class.

The album ends on a sober note as Erigga shares his the pain, hardship, and loss that inspired him to use music as an outlet and an escape from the bad hand life dealt him.

For Erigga, it was Get Rich or Die Trying. On ‘The Lost Boy’, he reflects on his struggles and down the pain with his success. It’s his time and he doesn’t intend to be humble about it and who can blame him for it.

In ‘The Lost Boy’, Erigga shares the story behind the struggle while holding up his success in an attempt to permanently silence his critics and he does this through a well-curated album.

He was able to carry along his loyal fans by retaining his trademark rap style and use of punchlines that are embodies everyday life in the South. He displays an understanding of the current soundscape by teaming up with young hip-hop acts Psycho YP, Odumodu Blvck, and Jeriq. He was also able to use catchy hooks delivered by Jay Teaser and Mephyz to elevate the songs and give them Pop appeal.

He was able to offer different elements of Hip-hop sound such as hardcore hip hop on ‘PTSD’, Afro-swing on ‘A girl called Grace’, R&B ‘Cotton Candy’, Highlife on ‘Family Ties’, and Drill on ‘Vawulence’ and ‘Perfect Timing’. This makes for a balanced project that appeals across board.

He shared experiences of poverty, crime, and police brutality that are instantly recognizable by listeners in the South and also relatable on different levels to other listeners.

The album sequence achieves coherence as the songs flow into each other. In track 2 & 3, he flaunts his success. In track 5 & 6 he speaks on individualism. In track 9 & 10 he speaks on materialistic love. And in track 11 & 12 he shares his experience on the streets.

The production is top-notch and except for ‘Lit’ that could have used some horns, the production and sound engineering are on point.

Overall, Erigga’s ‘The Lost Boy’ is a well-curated body of work. As far as this writer is concerned, it’s one of the best Nigerian albums of 2022.

Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.7/2

Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.7/2