Tracklist

1. INTRO
2. WAA WA ALRIGHT FT. SKIN
3. NOBODY ELSE FT. SHANK
4. TURN BY TURN FT. WIZKID & YQ
5. BEAUTIFUL LIFE FT. AIQUE
6. JEUN SOKE
7. TOO FINE FT. ALAYE & MAYD
8. OMO YAPAYASKI FT. DURELLA
9. THE SOLA THOMPSON SKIT
10. NEED YOU IN MY LIFE FT. SIX & DAREY
11. BOY MEETS GIRL FT. SLK
12. LOVE FT. M.I. & OC
13. THE TOSYN BUCKNOR SKIT
14. DEM DON DEY MOVE FT. ILLBLISS, THA SUSPECT & UCHIE
15. DIE HUSTLING FT. ILLBLISS
16. PUSH FT. NYORE
17. WAA WA ALRIGHT REMIX FT. ICEPRINCE
18. SITTING ON TOP FT. WAJE & JESSE JAGZ
19. OUTRO

Female emcees are far too often regarded as decrepit in the industry. They are sometimes even sidelined by their male counterparts despite the role they played when hip-hop began in the 1970s. The marginalization of female voices in the industry has discouraged a lot of females to get involved in the art form but Kel is using “The Investment” to shatter the ‘Wall of Sexism’, lay a foundation, and set a standard for up and coming female MCs.

She raps with a style and class that contradicts the image many have of female rappers. A veritable talent who blends an ethereal beauty with a beautiful haunting voice something that we don’t see too often in the hip-hop world as far as female MCs goes (you might want to glance at Lil Kim’s recent pictures). Let’s hope lip gloss won’t kill female rap in the Afro hip-hop scene with a female MC like Kel bringing some skills and class to the table.

Waa Wa Alright (ft. Skin)

Don’t let her look fool you because behind that pretty face lurks a dragon that spit rapid conflagration lyrics over a sick beat. Kel’s vocal alone is ponderous that it can stomp out much of the competition. Kel is a quadruple threat: she writes, raps, sings and looks smokily hot. When you add those qualities to the kicks, claps, and snares of Tha Suspect all you get is a winner, which ever way you might want to look at it. And if you are feeling dejected just play this track and “Waa wa alright” immediately.

Nobody Else (ft. Shank & Suspect)

Shank blazed throughout this track with his wicked unique voice bringing an exceptional blend of reggae and hip-hop to this fine production by Tha Suspect. A repetitive listen of this track will lift the pleasant-sounding voice of Tha Suspect over you while it gently settles in with the rhythm of the beat.

Turn By Turn (ft. Wizkid & YQ)

Turn By Turn harkens back to those days when music used to embodies powerful emotions and messages. Kel shared her little life experiences on this track with the aide of Wizkid’s archetypal delivery. YQ as usual came correct on this record with his distinct voice and I must say that you should be on a look out for Wizkid because that kid is going to be a problem.

Beautiful Life (ft. Aique)

With a track like this you cannot categorize Kelechi Ohia (Kel) or put her into one box of music. This soulful kind of track only make her musical talent to run the gamut of all genres of music. And the continuation in this path will broaden her audience and make her the darling of Nigerian soul (Asa is still my favorite though). Aique is a rare talent that I still have to discover his music.

Jeun Soke

With production credits that range from Modenine to M.I., Jesse Jagz has become Nigeria’s next top producer to make the list of “must work with” producer by every Nigerian artist’s. His background in classical music reflects in his finely crafted beat that enhances the sultry voice of Miss Kel.

Too Fine (ft. Alaye & MayD)

Featuring Alaye a.k.a Pluto (an undeniable talented MC with deep roots in the 1970s funk and reggae) makes this track one of my favorite off the album. “You too fine, girl you dey blow my mind, my mind girl. You too fine, Kel you be one of a kind, a kind girl” MayD sings in hushed tones with his haunting silky tenor that blends with the groove-driven production of Tee-Y Mix.

Omo Yapayaski (ft. Durella)

Kel restates her claim has the lyrical best over this unique beat that consists of pianos, hand-claps, and a drum loop. And she might have even won over a number of “Zangalists” with Durella (King of the Zanga) throwing in some Zanga argot to light up the song.

Need You In My Life (ft. Six & Darey)

This song is a mid-tempo harmonic rap about a boy that is trying to sweet talk a girl. The song moves between Darey’s smooth vocal (“oh Kel you got me going wild/could it be your eye? /Maybe it’s your thigh/probably your size”) to Six calculated staccato pidgin rap (come on ma ain’t trying to play you/anta lomo boy just wanna be with you/ok no shitting/loving what am I seeing/all of you get meaning/my Nubian queen”). This is definitely a radio-friendly song.

Boy Meets Girl (ft. SLK)

Kel display her story-telling ability and razor-sharp lyricism, such as “You find love in the strangest of places/you even find lust in the strangest of faces/what I felt was way beyond me/the kind of love we all assume is way beyond reach.” This is another standout track off the album.

Love (ft. M.I. & OC)

This is, without a doubt, a timeless music created by Naija Poster Child of Rap. This is a song that we can all grasp something from when it comes to the things of the heart. M.I. & OC were huge asset to Kel on this record.

Dem Don Dey Move (ft. IllBliss, Tha Suspect & Uchie)

This track is infused with the hyperactive energy of IllBliss’s lyrics; Dem Don Dey Move features Tha Suspect gritty sounding beat and Tha Suspect also featured on the track. IllBliss ego enhancing rhymes were on point as usual and Uchie another guest appearance pulled it off quite well.

Die Hustling (ft. IllBliss)

Nearly 97 percent of the tracks on the album had guest appearances but I’ll pre-empt any criticisms by saying that the guest appearances make the album an exceptional debut for Kel. IllBliss took control of the track with his not too complex punchlines, verbal wordplay, name dropping, and ability to grab-attention with his emphasizing voice. Kel wasn’t intimidated at all by IllBliss’s wordplay as she was just “packing what dudes are lacking”.

Push (ft. Nyore)

Nigeria reggae sensation did justice to this track with her strong reggae base and I should quickly chip in that her performance on “Rodeo” has made a lasting impression on her fans. This is truly an enjoyable soothing song.

Waa Wa Alright (ft. Iceprince)

Iceprince’s chest pounding rhymes can be compared to those of eLZhi’s (the member of the Detroit group Slum Village) and his intelligentsia approach reflects on the track. His heavy metaphors were leaking all over the record as this Chocolate City cat took us on a lyrical quest. Kel’s self-assertiveness and braggadocio come to life on the track with lines like “Cos I’m capital real/I’m copping the wheels/while you checking the bills/I’m locking dem deals”. This is a 3 mics for the hip-hop heads that loves rating.

Sitting On Top (ft. Waje & Jesse Jagz)

Kel decided to have the last track on the album auto-tuned that the digital pitch-correction device overshadows the message of the song. The T-Pain robot voice is so annoying that I will recommend Jay’s “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” to Miss Kel. It’s just tough love Kel no pun intended at all.

Rating: 3.5/5