FROM sizzling rice cakes to frenetic weather, the chilly city of Jos is a haven of many wonders. And one of such gems is the enigmatic rapper Pharaoh the 47, the Afro-fusion maestro who is spreading the gospel of Hip Hop from the plateaued regions of Northern Nigeria to the rest of the world.
Born Timothy Lass, Pharaoh The 47, has been on a steady climb to the top, since his 2021 debut, High Breed, and his 2022 magnum opus Top Boy. In his latest feat, he has stretched his ascent to the top with a 3-city tour across the North, dubbed Street Ctrl.
The tour which climaxed in the Aliyu Doma Theatre, in Jos, last Sunday, after shutting down venues in Kaduna, and Keffi, was a beacon of hope for the Hip Hop community across the Northern sphere of the country.
Headlining alongside the Bauchi-bred rapper B.O.C. Madaki, and supported by other Northern mavericks such as Pablo, King VI, Nicole, Clowdy, Wonder Dougg, Krisskillz, Toqwase, among others, the Street Ctrl finale in Jos was an intimate-yet-grande spectacle of impressive stagecraft on display.
“The revolution has only just begun,” an energetic Pharaoh the 47 screams on stage, as a handful of his fans encircle him on stage. From mosh-pits, to real-time crowd interaction and stage presence, the young rapper held the crowd spellbound as he performed his litany of hits, including music from his forthcoming record dubbed, Product of My Environment.
Since the era of the Choc Boiz, rap music has grown at a slow pace across Nigeria, with only few Hip Hop artists getting mainstream appeal for their craft. And musicians from other regions outside Lagos have had to struggle for the same attention that artistes within Lagos have enjoyed in the past several years, following the concentration of music business institutions (labels, distributors, media, etc.) in the mega city.
However, Pharaoh the 47 and the band of musicians from the North are attempting to change this reality, with a bohemian approach to their sounds – largely driven by UK Grime, Drill, and US Melodic Rap influences, as well as Afrobeats – and a consistency that is interesting to watch.
On what’s next for his career, the soft-spoken rapper envisioned performing his music to other parts of the North, and the rest of the country, before releasing his much-anticipated studio album, Product Of My Environment, later this year.
