Celebrating 10 years anniverasry of MI Abaga’s ‘The Chairman’

MI Abaga‘s place in Nigerian music is that of a visionary whose genius endeared a generation to hip-hop.

After emphatically announcing himself on the scene with the creatively daring classic ‘Talk About It’ in 2008, the Short Black Boy as he fondly called himself ascended to the summit of Nigerian pop music with the hit-filled sophomore ‘MI 2: The Movie’.

With his place at the top secured, MI flexed his abilities on the second installment of his Hall of Fame mixtape ‘Illegal Music 2’ before returning in 2014 with his third album ‘The Chairman.

Released on October 30, 2024, the album retained MI’s quintessential chest-thumping which packed the flambouyant undertone of a leader in African hip hop, the sobriety of a man who has seen both sides of fame, and a force in the boardroom proudly spotlighting new talents under his wing.

While 6 years in the game, MI’s ‘The Chairman’ retained the creative spark with which he pushed boundaries in the advancement of Nigerian hip hop.

Whether it be through his fine Highlife fusion on ‘Monkey’ featuring Chigurl, the new school hip hop flows with Motti Cakes on ‘Bad Belle’, his chest-thumping on the Afrobeats cut ‘Bullion Van’ featuring Phyno, Runtown, and Stormrex, MI impressively expanded himself and delivered a project where he introduces listeners to exciting talents Milli, Koker, and Motti Cakes.

The 17-track album held up MI’s superstar ability as he partnered with some of the era’s hottest acts Wizkid, Patoranking, Reminisce, Olamide, Sarkodie, and Ice Prince.

‘The Chairman’ offers something for every listener. It had Afrobeats bops, hard-hitting rap cuts like ‘Shekpe’ feat Reminisce, Dancehall in ‘Wheel Barrow’ featuring Jamaican star Beenie Man and Emmy Ace, RnB fusion with ‘Always Love’ featuring Seyi Shay, Gospel music on the album closer ‘The End’ featuring Oritsefemi, Frank Edwards, and Nanya.

While MI enjoyed thumping his chest on the album, especially on ‘The Middle’ where he combined with Olamide Baddo to send warning shots to those who dare to question their credentials, some parts of the album are personal to him as he explores themes of romantic love, relationships, and family.

On ‘Mine’ feat Wizkid and ‘Always Love’ featuring Seyi Shay, MI wears his heart on his sleeves. On ‘Enemies’ featuring Patoranking, he takes the gloves off and hits hard at backbiters and hostiles within his camp. On ‘Yours’ featuring Milli & Debbie he expresses his gratitude to his fans and forgives his detractors.

MI spends a part of the album addressing the pain of the Choc Boiz break up. On ‘Brother’, he taps Chocolate City act Nosa to send a touching message to Jesse Jagz and Ice Prince with whom he dazzled listeners as the iconic Choc Boiz Crew.

He taps Nigerian music legends 2Baba and the late Sound Sultan on ‘Human Beings’ where he shares the pain and struggles on the other side of fame. And amidst the struggles, heartbreak, pain, and challenges, he ends by making it clear his success is not of his power alone on ‘The End’ where he takes listeners to church.

While ‘The Chairman’ offered a rich variety that brought different listener demographics into the fold, the project didn’t have enough to retain the attention of a particular base. This largely accounts for why the album wasn’t a major commercial success as the singles didn’t reach the level of the songs from his iconic sophomore. It also wasn’t popular among MI’s rap base as it doesn’t offer enough hip-hop core.

However, the album excelled in brilliant production and every listener can be guaranteed to leave with something.