Ice Prince is the rapper who wears a number of creative hats on his new EP, C.O.L.D.
With three studio albums and one EP, Ice Prince has now dropped his fifth solo project in C.O.L.D.
The rapper who is credited with one of the biggest hip-hop songs in Oleku from his debut album, 'Everybody Loves Ice Prince', has gone through the really high and baseless low of the Nigerian music industry.
The former Choc Boy has at some point been the butt of Internet jokes over his lyrics, but his music has also seen him sit on the same table as the likes of respected music personality, Charmalagne, becoming the only Nigerian to have appeared on the popular American radio show, Power 105.1's 'The Breakfast Club' Show and also share a moment with Roc Nation boss, Jay Z.
C.O.L.D is his first offering in two years, a period where he has been most silent, and coincidentally a period when the rap scene in Nigeria has hit its lowest levels.
The eight track project sees Ice Prince working with the very talented Remy Baggins, on three of the songs, tapping into the mind of modern day music listeners as he brings back his rap and singer personae rolled into one.
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The album in a way is created in two parts, highlighting his versatility with the first three songs featuring Ice Prince, the gritty and hungry rapper, while the remainder of the project showcases Ice Prince, the lover boy, who can sing as well.
'Shut Down' is the first song on the 8 track project and it features Jethrofaded, but the real gem of this joint is Remy Baggins as the beat bangs hard.
Opening with an ominous chant over some dark production, Ice Prince kicks it off with his energetic bars as he rhymes, ''Back on my solo shit... Now they asking questions on the timeline, but we only respond on a Friday''.
Remy Baggins is both the producer and featured artist on 'Space Funk', one of the standout songs on the project, which has a charming retro feel that reminds you of the Bruno Mars experiment on 'Uptown Funk' and '24k Magic'.
The song recreates the old times with the infusion of urban vibe, that is well pulled off by the duo.
Previously released single, Hit Me Up which features young talents, PatrickXXlee and Straffitti brings some trap flavour to the project.
There is the brilliantly conceived interlude, 'Die For Your Love', which closes the rap part and opens the door to the soft side of the EP.
'Tour 254' is Ice Prince channeling his inner Drake as he sings and raps about the time he spent with this girl, while 'So High' features Kayswitch, who brings a distinct ragga flow to the song, as Ice Prince raps about his love for the marijuana, ''roll up and burn that fast''.
On 'Watching You', Panshack Zamani is the lover boy trying to woo a lady, but when he goes, ''Twinkle, twinkle, little star'', it doesn't really help in pushing his case of convincing whoever the girl is.
The EP comes to an end with 'Las Gidi No. 1 Chic', where he identifies the number one girl on Lagos streets.
It helps that the past couple of years has seen less music from Ice Prince, which has made it possible for him to stay fresh and gradually whet the appetite of his pop audiences for his sound, which stays distinct amidst the saturation of new music that prevails.
But most of all, it helps that Ice Prince is a balanced performer, let's face it, rappers who can sing is the new survival move for anyone who wants to stay relevant in the game.
His artistry on the EP is quite convincing, more coherent, and working with a set of young and talented producers, similar to what M.I Abaga achieved on his playlist Rendezvous, also helps in projecting his new direction.
On C.O.L.D, Ice Prince's music shines through safety and packs the element to please more than the need to convince.
The music is not deep or aiming at authenticity, it is just the sound of a man who is now more comfortable with the colour of his flawed artistic skin and just wants to make music that provides harmless fun.
Rating: 3/5
Ratings
1-Dull
2-Boring
2.5-Average
3-Worth Checking Out
3.5-Hot
4-Smoking Hot
4.5-Amazing
5-Perfection