2 Kings (album)
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2 Kings is a collaborative studio album by Nigerian rappers Olamide and Phyno. It was released through Cloud 9 and the iTunes Store with little announcement on 1 April 2015, by Penthauze Music and YBNL Nation. The album features collaborations with producers and guest artists such as Wizkid, Lil Kesh, Storm Rex, Pheelz, Major Bangz, B.Banks and Young Jonn.[1] Prior to the album, Olamide and Phyno frequently collaborated with one another on several songs including "Ghost Mode" and "Dope Money". The album produced the singles "Une" and "Confam Ni", both of which were released in the months leading to the album release.
Background
Olamide first announced plans for a collaborative project with Phyno in January 2014. He tweeted the announcement which was later confirmed by Phyno via Instagram.[2] The album was initially scheduled for release in 2014, but was pushed back. While speaking to Yaw of Wazobia FM in October 2014, Olamide said that the album was still being worked on.[3]
Singles
On 5 February 2015, Phyno released "Une" as the collaborative album's lead single.[4] On 8 March 2015, Olamide released the album's second single titled "Confam Ni"; the song features vocals from Wizkid and was produced by Young John.[5]
Critical reception
2 Kings received mixed reviews from music critics and consumers. Jim Donnett gave the album a rating of 4/5, stating: "2 Kings is more like the battle axe, crafted and fashioned for the reawakening purpose. Olamide and Phyno broke the fetters and toed in the direction they reign supreme as kings."[6] Ayomide Tayo of Pulse gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, stating that "while we most applaud the bravery and courage of Olamide and Phyno in bucking the ‘let’s play it safe’ approach most Nigerian rappers have, we most also not fail to see that ‘2 Kings’ is a project that had more promise and potential than impact."[7] Jaguda describes the album as a "classic masterpiece" and commended its production and length.[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cypher" |
|
| 2:47 |
| 2. | "Koba Koba" |
|
| 4:37 |
| 3. | "Nobody's Fault" |
| Pheelz | 3:57 |
| 4. | "Ladi" (featuring Lil Kesh) |
| Young John | 3:42 |
| 5. | "God Be With Us" |
| Major Bangz | 3:10 |
| 6. | "Une" |
| Major Bangz | 3:38 |
| 7. | "Real Nigga" |
| Pheelz | 3:26 |
| 8. | "Confam Ni" (featuring Wizkid) |
| Young John | 4:28 |
| 9. | "Carry Me Go" (featuring Storm Rex) |
| Pheelz | 3:46 |
| 10. | "For My City" |
| Pheelz | 3:52 |
| Total length: | 37:28 | |||
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's cover.
- Olamide Adedeji - Primary artist, writer
- Azubuike Nelson - Primary artist, writer
- Ayodeji Balogun - Featured artist, writer
- Lil Kesh - Featured artist, writer
- Storm Rex - Featured artist, writer
- Pheelz - Producer
- Major Bangz - Producer
- B.Banks - Producer
- Young John - Producer
Release history
| Country/Digital platform | Date | Version | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
April 1, 2015 | Standard |
|
References
- ^ Akan, Joey (1 April 2015). "Rappers release tracklist, release date, artwork for '2 Kings'". Pulse. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ^ "Olamide, Phyno to collaborate on album, 2 Kings". Premium Times. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ^ "Olamide, Phyno to drop album titled 2kings next year". Vanguard. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ^ "Phyno – Une (Prod. by Major Bangz)". NotjustOk. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ^ Showemimo, Dayo (9 March 2015). "Olamide and Wizkid team up on 'Confam ni'". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
- ^ Donnett, Jim (8 April 2015). "ALBUM REVIEW: Olamide & Phyno – "2 Kings"". Tooxclusive. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ Tayo, Ayomide (14 April 2015). "'2 Kings', the sum of its parts is greater than the whole". Pulse. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ^ "Album Review: Olamide and Phyno – 2 Kings". Jaguda. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.