Enter, Skales’ Man Of The Year, Holds Launch Concert May 31

THE past one year has been serious business for Baseline Entertainment artiste, Raoul John Njeng-Njeng popularly known as Skales.

Following the success of his singles, Shake Body, Je Kan Mo and I Am For Real, Skales and his team have worked effortlessly to give fans all over something to look forward to in his debut album, Man of The Year, which is set to hit the streets on Monday, and the launch concert on May 31, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

According to the rapper, songwriter and performer, the concert is going to be the best gig ever witnessed. “We have started rehearsals already, this is the most exciting and nervous time I have ever been in my life, but I promise, it’s going to be the best concert ever witnessed,” he said.

The singer has also dropped a new video titled, Always, a track off the album, featuring the Skelewu crooner, Davido. The new hit was produced by Spellz and the video directed by Adasa for Squareball Productions.

The 22-track album, which comprises songs spanning a wide range of genres and fusion, is the act’s first album to be released under Baseline Entertainment franchise.

The concert will feature performances from Skales and support from artistes featured on the album. Unlike most acts, who would embark on war of vendetta, Skales completely ignored his past life in Man Of The Year, as he never made mention of E.M.E, Banky W, and Wizkid.

Many had expected that he would catch-in on the recent brouhaha with Wizkid, to make lyrical point, but Skales fails to go down this path, saying that bygones are bygones.

The LP is star studded with array of talented high profile and features some Nigerian music acts like Davido, Burna Boy, Ice Prince, Phyno, Victoria Kimani, Olamide, Reekado Banks, Capital Femi, Rotimi, Uhuru and Attitude, all getting a piece of the action.

Though some of the songs were recorded years ago; the new album is a testament of Skales’s growth as an artiste, with songs dating as far back as 2012 making the cut.

His romance with the formative years of his craft are clearly seen and felt. Not totally a hip-hop album, there is more singing and pop music than his rap angle; the Shake Body singer stays true to free art, pushing the confines of his creativity, sampling diverse genres all in a bid to give listeners a holistic approach to modern music.

With Olamide and Omo Baba Olowo (O.B.O), Davido, featuring in two tracks, both songs are believed to carry enough stardust to generate mass acceptance.

“The videos for the singles have been shot, and will be strategically released,” Skales explained. It would be recalled the former Empire Mate Entertainment (E.M.E) artiste got signed to Baseline Entertainment in 2014, and since then, it has been hit after hit, which are dominating the airwaves.

Skales journey into music began in 2000, when he started writing his own songs and honed his rap skills in Kaduna, where he grew up. Between 2007 and 2008, he frequented Jos, where he worked with some of Nigeria’s finest producers such as Jeremiah Gyang and Jesse Jagz.

Emerging from the Zain Tru Search talent competition in 2008, where he emerged the winner of the North Central region and Soundcity Blast concert in 2009, he astonished the crowd with a rap acapella and wooed many audiences with his unique rap style and stage charm According music critics, who had been privileged to see the new album, credit must be given to Skales, for his refusal to adulterate the content of the album with an international guest and strictly making it a local content.

“No international collaboration, Man Of The Year is a strictly local affair prepared specially for local music consumers and fans.

One thing that is really puzzling is the non-feature of his label-mate on the album,” said one, on his twitter handle. He added, ‘No Baseline Entertainment artiste got the nod on this album. Saeon, Aramide, and Mr Chidoo are missing on the album.

Not that it takes away the quality of the work, but it is common practice for artistes to extend guest verses and hooks to fellow artistes signed under same record label.”