Review: Ugonta's Eze Goes To Work Is A Blueprint For Purpose-Driven Rap

Reporting For Duty: Ugonta’s 'Eze Goes To Work' Is A Nostalgic, Gritty Leap Into Adulthood

Cover Art

Ugonta — Eze Goes To Work Album Review 

Score: 7.5/10

Fast-rising rapper Ugonta Eze, popularly known as Ugonta, rebrands with his debut album "Eze Goes to Work". The body of work is filled with real life experiences and true stories from the artiste and other featured acts — among whom are Fayamide, Jesse, Alpha Hybrid, Plicool, and Chiegeonu. Their voices and presence in the body of work killed monotony. 

The conceptual album is filled with storytelling as its cover art lies between a visual allusion and literal concept art. The cover art symbolizes the transition of the young boy Eze going to school to the adult man Eze going to work.

When you hear or see the title 'Eze Goes to Work', what immediately comes to mind is 'Eze Goes to School' — a book co-written by a Nigerian Author, Onuora Nzekwu and a British writer, Michael Crowder in the early 60s. 'Eze Goes to School' spanned for decades in Nigerian homes and is still referenced in classrooms today. Although his real name is 'Eze', Ugonta must have had nostalgia from his childhood memories to have adopted a similar title for his album. The two titles in different eras ring a bell with Nigerians. Ugonta isn't just going to work, he is reporting for duty.

The album is produced by Arzona, the in-house producer of the House of OZZ studio and mixed and mastered by Ugonta under the production name Hundred Mix. The nine-track album widely leans on hip-hop and blends in Afrobeats on a few tracks. The album production is styled with the 2010s hip-hop percussion and mastering; giving listeners retrospective nostalgia just as the book resonates with them.

The album opens with 'Full Time', a track filled with deep life lessons that sets the tone for the entire project. The intro gives you a glimpse of what the entire album looks like as he explores the concept of resolving to put an end to distractions and getting his life together to achieve his set out goals. 

Moving to 'Self O'Clock', amidst the scarcity of resources which leads to selfishness, Ugonta mirrors the consequences of selfishness through a deep, introspective lens. Jesse's chorus elevates the track as Plicool rap-sings his verse giving a different flow to the entire cut. The outro samples M.I Abaga's 'My Head My Head' track.

Ugonta gave a reason to work hard on 'Yellow Bus' as he highlights the Lagos lifestyle while Fayamide complemented the track with his unique vocals as he employs storytelling. He delivers his verse as he rapped and sung in light tone.

On 'Grass to Grave', Ugonta pays tribute to his close friend who passed away during their underground days. Having shared similar dreams and visions, they believed each other. He drew a lesson from it and rapped against the dangers of drug abuse. He raps, "The highness him dey find, don take Kam 6 feet low", as Chiegeonu layered the chorus in an old Igbo requiem anthem.

Continuing from the stories told, he enters 'From The Heart' with a reflective meditation on the essence of doing music. He centers the theme on how music generally should resonate with fans and audiences. Ugonta raps, "I am Socrates and J. Cole combined. Leave you medicated thoughts, if you and I rub minds". Alpha Hybrid complemented the track with his vocals and flow as he broadens the canvas. The keys elevate the track as the pass-the-mic style on the chorus adds flavour to the track.

Ugonta uses wordplay to ease the already built up tension caused by the previous track. On 'A People Without Problems', he portrays a different realm to introversion with words of hope while eliminating despair from one's thoughts. This cut resonates fully with humans as life is filled with ups and downs. He proclaims acting like who you want to become as the solution. The chants in the chorus elevate the piece.

Amidst the danceable beats and elated vibe of 'DOREMIFASO', he tells a real life story of his journey, passion, and dedication to music. The chorus resonates with everybody who sings.

The danceable tune continues in 'Bounce' as he keeps his elevation while he reminds his opposition not to joke with him and to avoid transferring aggression from what the government did in his hood.

'All I've Got' ushers in the close of the album as it mirrors the lyrical depth of track 5, 'From the Heart'. It serves as a note to self — he assures himself that he will not back down on his dreams and career. He delivers and raps his verses in a cold tone employing wordplays as Jesse complements the track with his hook.

Ugonta in the 'Eze Goes to Work' album displays wisdom gotten from all the experiences he's encountered during his underground years. With this level of lyricism, intentionality, and consciousness, he stands out amongst his peers. His projectile cannot be merely measured nor calculated and he is chary of social media validation.

From sealing his name as a motivational and evergreen rapper, songwriter, mixing and mastering engineer, to treading the path few rappers have walked, Ugonta positions himself as one to watch as the 'next big thing' in the Nigerian music industry. However difficult this path might cost him, having the faith and courage to stick to this purpose will be worth it. The 37-minute album and 9 tracks are solid, though Ugonta's delivery drags slightly on the tempo. Also, most of the featured acts could have a better delivery and sharper penmanship. Eze Goes To Work, a defining album for the decade-long artiste, Ugonta.

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