Following his bold and innovative 2008 debut with the hit song “Talk About It,” the Short Black Boy, as he affectionately dubbed himself, rose to the top of Nigerian pop music with his hit-filled sophomore album “MI 2: The Movie.”
After securing his position at the top, MI showcased his skills on the second chapter of his Hall of Fame mixtape, “Illegal Music 2,” before making a comeback in 2014 with his third album, “The Chairman.”
The album, which was released on October 30, 2024, kept MI’s signature chest-thumping, which was full of the flamboyant undertone of an African hip-hop king, the sobriety of a guy who has experienced both sides of fame, and a force in the boardroom who is pleased to showcase up-and-coming talent.
MI’s ‘The Chairman’ maintained the innovative spirit that allowed him to push limits in the development of Nigerian hip hop over his six years in the industry.
Whether it’s the new school hip hop flows with Motti Cakes on “Bad Belle,” his excellent Highlife fusion on “Monkey” with Chigurl, or his chest-thumping on the Afrobeats cut “Bullion Van” with Phyno, Runtown, and Stormrex, MI has impressively grown and produced a project where he introduces listeners to exciting talents.
As MI collaborated with some of the biggest artists of the time, including Wizkid, Patoranking, Reminisce, Olamide, Sarkodie, and Ice Prince, the 17-track album showcased his superstar skills.
Every listener can find something to enjoy in “The Chairman.” It featured R&B fusion with ‘Always Love’ with Seyi Shay, hard-hitting rap tracks like ‘Shekpe’ featuring Reminisce, dancehall in ‘Wheel Barrow’ with Jamaican singer Beenie Man and Emmy Ace, and gospel music on the album closer ‘The End’ featuring Oritsefemi, Frank Edwards, and Nanya.
Some of the album is personal to MI as he tackles topics of romantic love, relationships, and family, but he also loved beating his chest on the record, particularly on ‘The Middle’ when he collaborated with Olamide Baddo to deliver warning shots to anyone who dared to question their credentials.
MI shows off his passion on “Mine” with Wizkid and “Always Love” with Seyi Shay. In ‘Enemies’, Patoranking removes his gloves and strikes fiercely against hostiles and backbiters inside his camp. On ‘Yours’, which features Milli and Debbie, he thanks his followers and pardons his critics.
MI addresses the hurt of the Choc Boiz split for a portion of the record. ‘Brother’ features a tap from Chocolate City.
He enlists Chocolate City artist Nosa on “Brother” to deliver a heartfelt message to Jesse Jagz and Ice Prince, who wowed fans as the legendary Choc Boiz Crew.
On “Human Beings,” he collaborates with Nigerian music icons 2Baba and the late Sound Sultan to discuss the hardships and anguish that come with being famous. In the middle of the hardships, heartache, anguish, and obstacles, he concludes by pointing out that his achievement is not solely his own, taking his audience to church on “The End.”
Due in large part to the singles’ inferiority to the tracks from his legendary sophomore album, the album was not a huge commercial success. Due to its lack of hip-hop core, it was also unpopular with MI’s rap community.
Nonetheless, the record was masterfully produced, and each listener will undoubtedly take something away from i
