JOHNNY'S DRILL IN BEFORE WE FALL ASLEEP

If you're reading this you know the drill already. Johnny has with his talent over the years smuggled his name into the entertainment conversation in Africa with his first official single in 2015 Wait For Me which was a musical command from the unrepentant lover boy.

The wait ended on the 3rd of September 2021 when his debut album dropped on the seventh year of our wait--a perfect wait. Before we fall asleep is a sincere body of work that is a fusion of his lyrical maturity and his absolute surrender to the childishness of true love.

This album starts with MY TYPE OF BROWN. A detailed lyrical confession that flows from the first breath to the entire length of the song. The first four songs were fluid, flowing into each other like a relay race. Drille ran the first three laps solo before the fourth track Ova where he handed the baton to Don Jazzy in this track that was a plea to a chocolate skin lover who he wants to start all over with while the Don screams his regrets into the mic "I no come know wetin happen to me. I let a good one go Kai, stupid me go join stingy men" The regret flowed into a certain defiance at the end where the Don insisted on a second chance asking they start all over again.

The 5th track Odo featuring Style-plus was an experiment of a new style. Staggering in an out of Mac Anthony's Need You lyrics. Particularly the hook. The track ends in Mr Drille promising a certain Ogochukwu that he could die for her love.

Driving in the rain with his label mate Ladipoe is a conversational masterclass between the two talented chaps acknowledging the varying degree of light they both carry while they drive in the rain. The Mavin collaboration continues with Ayra Starr bringing her magic IN THE LIGHT where she flexes her vocal range with such ease and a familiar shrillness to her voice as she commands every listener to come in the light.

LIES was a break from romantic jingoism. I didn't expect this album to have a full track dedicated to reminding us of our collective realities as Nigerians. The consciousness flows through into LOST IN THE RHYTHM which starts with a dialogue between a DJ driving a Benz and a police man who shamelessly bullies and instructs the Officer in charge to bundle this disk jockey into their black Maria. A very relatable happenstance within the Nigerian space.

The Album is arguably a remarkable musical home run especially being a debut. I'll say its a 7/10 and I'm being modest.

Written by Mark Anthony Osuchukwu