Yxng Dxnzl: M.I's Playbook on Self-Worth to an Entire Generation

M.I Abaga: Yxng Dzxnl / amped illustration

Yxng Dxnzl has a recurring signature sound — a coin landing on a hard surface. That sound has been a prominent feature on recent M.I Abaga songs since Rendezvous dropped in February. It arouses something in you, you immediately feel like something really big is about to happen. One of the smaller objects around, a coin toss is a simple way to resolve disputes, it ultimately helps get to a fair decision, and it’s widely used in sports and even on few occasions in political history.

In rap circles, M.I Abaga is an old sport. On new album, A Study of Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl he plays the role of preacher and therapist. Most of his topics shouldn’t be trivialized. It doesn’t offer much wit or the funky sounds of earlier cuts like Anoti, but then again it doesn’t need it. He takes an understated and doleful route to hit the nail on its head, approaching his topics gracefully and with admirable thoughtfulness. Topics that confront the legacy he’s built, his failings; as an individual, and that of his environment. He deconstructs an entire race, society and culture. He confronts toxic masculinity gracefully. And that’s not even all he speaks about.

On track 3 (see tracklist) he urges the younger dudes in Nigerian hip-hop to step up and push the envelope with their craft when he says “ I just been watching like I’m at the opera/I should’ve brought my binoculars/’Cause I don’t see nobody dope/I don’t see nobody great/I don’t see nobody serious ’bout taking my place”. I feel like he shouldn’t have released this song earlier because it makes more sense listening to it as a part of this album. In the context of the album the skit that follows of a Yoruba man speaking about the leadership of Nigeria may initially sound out of place but it adds a welcoming comical relief; making one see the state of things from another perspective. The interlude before track 4 addresses a theme he has been vocal about in recent times (see Human Being from his 2014 album Chairman) — the bloated adoration celebrity status comes with. Aptly detailed by Caryn Solomon when she says “…to them you’re not a person, you become an object of their fantasies, of their projections, of their idealizations… and that’s what celebrity is all about — creating people into objects of adoration.”

Most of M.I’s lyrics aren’t instantly quotable, but they slowly reveal fortune-cookie levels of wisdom like when he says “real love is proven, it’s rarely announced” on track 6. Loyalty is a common life theme and on track 4, he compares ni***s switching sides to hookers sleeping around for money. On Track 9 the change of scenery is sudden; one second you’re listening to the intro — a voice recording of his mother advising him, the next second he’s quick to publicly admit to some of his lustful fantasies as he raps “all i want to do is drink, f**k, smoke, chill, party all day” .

Black capitalism is foremost on his mind and he yearns for others to follow. He wants to build his community, as he implores blacks and everyone to embrace true independence and self sufficiency. He encourages black liberation when he raps on track 1 “…for generations we perpetrated psychology/Divided and conquer each other relinquish policy/ You cannot build each other up, how would you build economy?” The interlude that follows is thought provoking and noteworthy

We got two major issues An identity crisis and psychological homelessness We hate our Africanity Even within the Black consciousness community we are still anti-African because deep down within our subconscious; we were all conditioned by the same superstructure that made us feel that Africa wasn’t anything worth claiming Our problem is totally mental, we are a trillion dollar people. We got all the degrees we need, all the expertise but you know what we’re lacking? That cultural commitment to ourselves Until we hate racism, more than we hate each other; nothing is going to change

Being the opening track you’re quickly acclimated on the project’s direction, which is far from the popping sound of mumble rap and trap. His message is resoundingly clear and I bet its sober mood can possibly move many to tears. He confronts toxic masculinity when he advocates for the emotional liberation of black men. Conversations with unsung hero of the album, Caryn Solomon helps him peel back the concept of “toughness” in the representations of manhood. She also plays 2Pac to M.I’s Kendrick Lamar in Mortal Man on shortest track title+/- with rising youngsters Odunsi The Engine & Lady Donli. The Engine drops a stellar hook and Donli singing “positive vibes, no minus” in her verse encapsulates the simple & direct message of the song.

On Track 8 he goes on overdrive of self-belief. He turns evangelist of the self belief and potential-realization gospels when he says

I know you pissed at me for listing me/As king to B.I.G, Pac, Em and Jay-Z/All praise unto them, I’m just into me/As we all should be, if you don’t agree/It don’t halt and pit, slow or alter me/Fire in my heart, alka-seltzer please/Where’s the tent of gold? this is alchemy/Fate and irony that ain’t faulting me/Cause once my self-esteem was low as low can be/Then I caught the glimpse of older me/Yxng Dxnzl has come, set the culture free/You should want to be all you’re called to be.

Many people find it difficult to accept when musicians they’ve known as rappers opt to be sonically fluid and go into singing mode. He expresses this liberation on the album closer by singing completely on his verse and his effort is commendable. Two guys with a bright looking future: Tay Iwar & PatricKxxLee join him in crooning the soundtrack to his victory lap.

I wrote an article after J. Cole’s visit to Lagos that addressed the claims of a lack of support by Nigerians to indigenous rap music(read it here). In the article, I stated unequivocally that as far as rap in Nigeria goes M.I Abaga is the only Nigerian mainstream rapper worthy of rare extolment for his consistent efforts with music, and with Yxng Dxnzl he shows why. Yxng Dxnzl is a well curated body of work. It could still have shortcomings in some areas other songs in his discographies might have delivered on. With a career spanning a decade, still on this album, M.I shows he’s still capable on the mic, although its production and curation does more of the lifting. He isn’t as nimble with his rhymes as some of his earlier works, but he repays with deliberately considered themes, and fluid delivery that has come to characterize his work.

This article also appears on RADR

Listen to “A Study on Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl”