The first time this writer ever experienced the magical spin that is The Drop, the 2022 collaborative album by Northern Nigerian rapper B.O.C Madaki and ODUMODUBLVCK, it was quite an exceptional experience, to be honest. It was a mesh of interesting cultures. ODUMODUBLVCK already represented part North, while carrying the energy of Southern Nigeria and his identity as an Igbo Nigerian. Connecting with B.O.C Madaki on an entire project felt like a standout moment for Nigerian hip-hop.

Beyond the contextual placing of that duet, the most important thing was that the music actually stood its ground when report cards were being presented. Across the entire project, two tracks particularly stand out for this writer: “First and Last” and “Igbo Don Come.” Importantly, both records spotlight some of the most interesting sync moments between the rappers. One of the key forces within the production picture is Nigerian producer PMax, whose involvement across these records offers an interesting study of just how much creative and sonic direction matters when producing for two artists coming from distinct musical backgrounds.

For one, both songs are hip-hop heavy, but generally lean towards having a strong chord base. There are lengthy guitar chords, repetitive loops and tropical guitar flourishes that sometimes carry a little bit of a Caribbean touch. There are high-octane moments with the guitars too, which is not necessarily the first thing one expects from a hip-hop duet of this nature.

But that feels like part of the mission from the jump: creating a bedrock that is somewhat alien to both cultures but still familiar at the same time. Northern Nigerian music has its own deep relationship with string-led melodies, while Eastern and Southern Nigerian music have long histories with guitar music, especially through highlife and its different offshoots. Finding a common melodic ground around that history gives both rappers somewhere to meet without forcing either of them completely into the other’s sonic world.

So, having both rappers flow in a very melodic train while still keeping their rapping rooted in hip-hop was a smart decision. ODUMODUBLVCK is an interesting rapper and singer partly because he tends to have that highlife key almost automatically tuned into his voice, and his presence around the choruses makes that quality even more useful here. The arrangement understands this and gives the melodic sections enough space to become an actual part of the records rather than simply interruptions between rap verses.

Another important element in “First and Last” and “Igbo Don Come” is something around the loops and how the songs are arranged. A lot of songs carrying two or three rap verses and two chorus points can easily become very linear. Here, the rap passages arrive within a much larger melodic arrangement, while significant portions of the songs are carried through singing, hooks, loops and recurring vocal sections.

So, half of you is hearing a rap song; the other half is hearing an interesting pop-leaning record. That chemistry is perhaps one of the things that makes the entire experiment work. Neither side completely overwhelms the other.

The use of backing vocals also deserves attention. They are very smooth and almost constant across significant stretches of the music. At certain points, it feels like hearing a singer perform the same section ten times, recording ten different takes and playing all of them simultaneously, yet somehow they still arrive in your ears as one voice. That is how solid and unified the vocal layering feels. It thickens the melodic sections without making the records unnecessarily crowded.

And this is where the larger lesson around production becomes more interesting. Producing for collaborations, especially between artists with very distinct identities, cannot simply be about making a good beat and leaving enough space for everybody to rap. There has to be an understanding of creative direction and sonic direction: where both artists naturally meet, which parts of their individual musical identities should remain untouched, and what new world can accommodate both of them.

Across “First and Last” and “Igbo Don Come,” PMax’s documented involvement sits within that larger production achievement. The guitars, recurring loops, vocal layering and balance between rapping and singing help the songs occupy a curious middle ground. They are unmistakably hip-hop records, but they are also melodic enough to escape some of the rigidity that can easily come with rap collaborations.

That common ground is perhaps the strongest thing about both records. B.O.C Madaki and ODUMODUBLVCK never have to sound alike for the collaboration to make sense. The production simply gives them a world where both can exist.