On April 5, Phyno hosted a free concert at the International Conference Centre that drew a full house and produced one of the weekend’s most talked-about entertainment moments—Olamide’s unexpected appearance—giving Enugu a night to remember.
Online videos of the performance have surfaced, showing the audience erupting in “Baddo” shouts as soon as Olamide took the stage. When he sang his popular song “Wo,” Phyno, who was obviously moved, gave him an introduction that summed up their relationship perfectly:
“A legend, my friend.
“Nwanne dị na mba” has this whole definition.
In a room full of Enugu fans watching a Yoruba musician perform at an Igbo one, the term, which roughly translates to “a brother found in a faraway nation,” struck the right note.
It wasn’t so much a manufactured reunion as it was the most recent phase of a friendship that has existed since 2011 and is easily recognisable to anyone familiar with Nigerian hip-hop culture.
The two were still establishing their careers when they first met, and their relationship has endured despite changes in the industry, trends, and the customary politics of Nigerian music.
Phyno was featured by Olamide on Street OT in 2014 and Baddest Guy Ever Live in 2013. In response, Phyno rewrote “Ghost Mode” for his first album No Guts No Glory that same year, making it one of the most well-known collaborations of the time.
Later, they collaborated on a project called 2 Kings, which was a declaration of equality between two artists who had everything to celebrate and nothing to prove to one another.
While Qing Madi was performing that evening, Phyno also brought his daughter on stage, which gave the event a new dimension and made it more than just a headline artist performing.
The rapper, whose popularity opened the door for a generation of Southeastern celebrities, returns home every year with this event. Rappers, such Jeriq, Aguero Banks, and Evado as Phyno, provided a platform for the new generation of celebrities that are spearheading rap music in the area.
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