‘Gdzilla’ EP is an attempt to correct consumers’ hasty conclusions influenced by a faulty and problematic rollout.

After successfully onboarding era-defining talents Rema and Ruger into the Nigerian music industry, Gdzilla is D’Prince and Jonzing World’s attempt at scoring a hat trick.

Both Gdzilla and his label would wish his entry into the industry was met with a more positive response but between his choice of Godzilla-styled mask, poor choice of snippets, and overall disconnecting rollout, many listeners appeared to have made up their minds about his artistry before he even had the chance to put out his debut single.

It’s the burden of correcting this hasty conclusion that Gdzilla undertakes with the release of his eponymously named debut EP.

The EP serves as a statement of intent from the rising act who’s aiming to make his mark on the Nigerian music scene as he offers bits of his talents that showcase an energetic approach to Street music.

The opening record offers a peek into his journey from obscurity to discovery as Gdzilla shares his humble beginning in the inner city area of Ikorodu. And while the subject matter of humble beginnings is practically an Afrobeats’ rite of passage that prepares rising stars for the incoming grass-to-grace story, Gdzilla stands able to convincingly sell his story by deploying impressive storytelling and a bold delivery that straddles the street and mainstream.

Gdzilla intended to cause a stir in the Nigerian music scene and his stage name and corresponding mask were the first albeit problematic attempts. On his debut EP, he intends to generate similar public reactions through party-starting records that pack similar chest-thumping confidence as his predecessors in Jonzing World.

On the EP, Gzdilla showcases an artistry that’s markedly inspired by Yoruba indigenous music and Street elements. These Street influences are obvious in his vocal texture that’s cut from Fuji music and his Islamic background to the heavy street language and Yoruba infusion in his lyricism.

When he shares the stories of his humble beginning in ‘Rise & Shine’, it’s with the poignancy and supplications of Street acts emissaries whose emotional exploration forms the crux of what’s now known as the Afro-Adura subgenre.

When he crafts party-starting records, it’s with the same sonic approach, technique, and hedonistic pursuits that underpins Street music.

The log drums in ‘High Tension,’ ‘Idan’, and ‘Kele’ are deployed in a talking drums style synonymous with its use by Street music producers like Yo Dibs who used it to soundtrack Seyi Vibez’s mainstream success. Gdzilla’s delivery on these records is also a variant of the Hip Hop, Indigenous Yoruba music, and Pop blend deployed by Asake & Seyi Vibez.

The sampling of B Young & BNXN‘s ‘Ocean’ on ‘Kele’ is done in a Street music style with vocal stacking and manipulations similar to that of Seyi Vibez.

If at all Gdzilla’s debut EP shows anything, it’s that he is a street act who brings an energetic and exciting approach to Street Hop. It also shows the difficulty in reconciling the music with the branding and positioning of the artist as Gdzilla is clearly a street act that is being branded and rolled out through the mainstream strategies that successfully scaled Rema & Ruger.

At any rate, ‘Gdzilla’ EP is an attempt to correct consumers’ hasty conclusions influenced by a faulty and problematic rollout. With the mask off and the music clearly showcasing him as a Street act, it’s time for Gdzilla to find his audience.

Ratings: /10

• 0-1.9: Flop

• 2.0-3.9: Near fall

• 4.0-5.9: Average

• 6.0-7.9: Victory

• 8.0-10: Champion

Pulse Rating: /10

Album Sequencing: 1.5/2

Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.5/2

Production: 1.4/2

Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.3/2

Execution: 1.4/2

TOTAL – 7.1 – Victory