Meet The City Boys
Port Harcourt city, the huge, densely populated, and boisterous metropolis, is considered by many as the pride of Rivers State. Yet, peering deeper, you would come to see it as a beautiful relic—a place made and marked by history. Bursting with life and a multitude of individuals, Port Harcourt holds the stories of so many that it would take millennia to tell them all. Some stories have stood out so strongly that these tales just must be heard. For what is PH without men like Timaya, Duncan Mighty, Burna Boy, Omah Lay, Ajebo Hustlers, 1da Banton, and Dandizzy—bright stars in the music industry. These PH City boys rose out of the throng, distinguishing themselves by the success they attained in the art that is music. Their stories must be told to all, inspiring the next set of dreamers as they strive for great heights.
Timaya
Picture this: it’s 2012, you’re reclining in the sitting room after a long day, and you decide to turn on the radio. Blasting out of the speakers is the chorus to Timaya’s “Bum Bum.” Later that evening, as you stroll to a nearby shop, one of the cars passing by is blasting out a song, and you immediately recognize the voice. It’s the same artist. The next day is Saturday. You go out to the club in the night, and not long after you enter, the DJ changes the song from the slow, chill vibe track he was playing. “Malonogede” starts booming out from the speakers, immediately turning up the vibe on the dance floor. This narrative could very well be yours, for it was near impossible to live in Nigeria, especially in the 2010s, and not know or at least have heard of Timaya.
A household name known by many, Timaya is one of the pathfinding veterans in the Nigerian music industry who dominated the industry for the longest time. He was one of those who paved the way and helped make afrobeats what it is today. Even now, nearly 20 years since Nigerians first heard him, he remains relevant in the music industry. Timaya’s career kicked off as far back as 2005, and it took him no time at all to start making waves across the country. In fact, his very first song; “Dem Mama” was such a big hit amongst Nigerians, especially because of the true story of pain and bloodshed it told.
Now, with 8 very successful projects; True Story (2017), Gift and Grace (2008), De Rebirth (2010), LLNP Long Life N Prosperity (2011), Upgrade (2012), Epiphany (2014), Chulo Vibes EP (2019), and Gratitude (2020) to his name released over the span of his 18-year career, his place as one of the greatest to do it is forever cemented in history. With his resilient nature and his ability for consistency and continuity, it’s not a surprise when he floods the music platforms with hot new singles like “Cold Outside” featuring BNXN or “Tomato,” a track he released just this year. Timaya has continued to thrive and he serves as a musical icon, motivating many new artists and younger folks to aim for high peaks.
Duncan Mighty
It would be impossible to refer to music in Port Harcourt without mentioning Duncan Mighty. Popularly referred to by many as the first son of Port Harcourt, Duncan Mighty rose to fame in 2009 with the release of his very first project of any kind, an album he named “Koliwater.” It was such a success that he immediately became a household name in Port Harcourt and even across Nigeria. Amazing! No other word could better describe what he did.
His style being predominantly culturally inclined, a lot of his songs were sung in his native Ikwerre language or in pidgin, the language of the nation. He penetrated the souls of many, especially right there in Rivers State, giving them a vibe that they could understand, relate to in many ways, and dance happily to as well. In truth, he earned the title he bestowed himself with, a Port Harcourt Son, through and through.
Releasing projects consistently, spanning from 2009 when he debuted, to 2016, Duncan Mighty has 5 studio albums to his name and a host of hit songs and features with Basket Mouth, Wizkid, Davido, and Tiwa Savage, to name but a few. His albums; Fully Loaded (Koliwater) (2009), Ahamefuna (Legacy) (2010), Footprints (2012), Grace & Talent (2014), and The Certificate (2016) were all critically acclaimed and it is clear to all, Duncan Mighty has well and truly left his footprints on the sands of time, and luckily for us, he is still very much a part of the music industry, and his powerful voice will be heard on many more tracks in the future.
Burna Boy
Arguably the biggest musician in Nigeria right now and unarguably one of the best, Burna Boy, like so many others, was born and bred in Port Harcourt. It was there too that his interest in music must have been kindled. As he has declared so many times, he was and is inspired by the great musical legend, Anikulapo Fela Kuti, and it is no wonder that his music is so unique, in a class of its own.
Burna rose to stardom in 2012 after he released the hit song “Like to Party.” Not long after this, in 2013, he released his first studio album which he named “L.I.F.E.” To any who might have been watching, the glaring success of this album would have been a clear indication of the great feats we would come to consider as a norm from him, for Burna got on a roll and has not stopped since.
On a Spaceship (2015), REDEMPTION (2016), Outside (2018), African Giant (2019), Twice as Tall (2021), Love, Damini (2022), and I Told Them (2023). A host of 8 albums, all successful chart-toppers and concert sellout-worthy with smash-hit songs that would become street and club anthems for the longest time after their release. What’s more? He’s not even done yet. Having had 5 Grammy nominations in total, 3 of his albums nominated for the Grammy awards, with Twice as Tall winning the award for Best Global Music Album in 2020, he also has a host of other awards including The BET awards, The Headies, as well as AFRIMA awards. Clearly, Burna has blazed a very bright trail behind him, and it is not surprising, the number of people who deem him musically worthy of emulation. Port Harcourt definitely has a gem in him and they know it, lauding him loudly wherever they go and honoring him proudly, as they did after he won the Grammy award in 2021.
Omah Lay
Termed by many as the Afro-depression king due to his distinctly melancholic style of music, Omah Lay is one artist that is different in every sense. His ability to channel such heartrending pain through his lyrics, his vocal delivery, his ability to jump on a wide variety of beat genres, his vivid yet poetic depiction of all things sexual—all these qualities have effortlessly put him in a class of his own.
I use the term “effortlessly” because not many artists can boast such feats as pioneering a new music genre or topping music charts with their very first musical project, and yet this is exactly what Omah Lay did.
With only 2 songs to his name at the time; “Do Not Disturb” and “Hello Brother,” released in 2019, Omah Lay began prepping his fan base for his Extended Playlist by releasing 2 tracks off the EP which he called “Get Layd” (2020). Upon its eventual release, the project was a sensational hit, a roaring success that soared to the top of the music charts and took the whole nation by storm for a very, very long time. He was thrust straight into the limelight and like someone who was born to it, he shone and has continued to shine brighter since then. With one additional EP; “What Have We Done” (2020), a studio album; “Boy Alone” (2022), and the said album’s Deluxe (2023) to his name, the surface of his potential has barely been scratched. He is definitely a Port Harcourt boy that many will yet be proud of.
Ajebo Hustlers
Piego (Singer) and Knowledge (Rapper), two PH City boys with big music dreams, met each other while on the hustle, working as waiters for a catering company/restaurant right there in Port Harcourt. Admiring each other’s style of music and featuring each other on their individual tracks several times, they realized that they had good musical chemistry and were generally better together with a higher level of fan receptivity to the music they made together.
Thus, the dynamic duo was born with one goal in mind: making music that caters to the tastes of the hustlers striving on the streets and even those individuals referred to as Top G’s. The creative name “Ajebo Hustlers” was coined, and it continues to influence the manner in which their songs are structured.
Their first release as a duo was in 2015 in the form of a track: “Bole and Fish Remix.” Staying on the hustle together, their breakthrough eventually came in 2020 with their hit song “Barawo” remix featuring Davido himself. Once they got out there and Nigerians heard that sweet combination of sweet vibes and hard-hitting pidgin rap, there was no going back; the candy was way too sweet to pass up. Following “Barawo” with “Pronto” (2021) featuring Omah Lay, they soon released their debut album: “Kpos Lifestyle, Vol 1” in 2021. If anyone wasn’t taking them seriously before, then they definitely sat up because that project was solid with several hot vibes coming off it. In 2022, their sophomore project, an EP named “Bad Boy Etiquette 101,” was released, and it has such depth as well as a fusion of beautiful sounds that if a listener were told to choose a favorite track, they would most likely be unable to. A symbiotic partnership through and through, there is still so much to expect from the duo, and truly, it would be marvelous.
1da Banton
To the observer, it would have been a surprise, a shock even, watching an individual, highly skilled, and focused on a career in the sport of football suddenly and drastically choose instead to tread the completely alternate path of music. Yet this was exactly what Godson Ominibie Epelle did.
In the internal chaos left behind after his mother’s passing, the sportsman was suddenly lost to us, gone, and from the ashes, a new man emerged: 1da Banton. Singer, songwriter, producer—a musician through and through—an epitome of reinvention at its finest. The success of his hot hit song “No Wahala,” released in the summer of 2021, served as proof, glaring evidence that all his efforts in the music arena had not been in vain, as the track soared to such great heights, becoming the must-play song on everyone’s personal playlist and the vibe activator in nearly every fun gathering across the nation for many months on end.
1da Banton has released a host of other singles, including a remix of the same song “No Wahala” featuring Kizz Daniel and Tiwa Savage. He also has 2 projects, both Extended Playlists (EPs), to his name: “The Banton EP” (2017) and “1da Shall Never End” (2023). Clearly, 1da Banton’s story is one worth telling because regardless of what he chose to do, failure was never a choice; he was always going to choose being a wonder instead.
Dandizzy
With all the spectacular variety of talent coming out of Port Harcourt, it is no wonder that out of the same place, an amazing rapper going by the name Dandizzy would spring out as well. Highly talented, with a pen game that’s worthy of being called elite, IdanDizzy as he loves calling himself, hustled his way out of the trenches of Port Harcourt by taking advantage of the streets and the rap battles that are usually hosted on them. Freestyles, covers, diss tracks, rap battles, and competitions, you name it, Dandizzy was there putting in the work.
Starting his music career as far back as 2009, Dandizzy aka Wave Daddy has released several hit songs such as “Who Goes Der” (2019), “Woskey” (2020), “Denge Pose” (2020) featuring Bad Boy Timz, and “Sote” (2023). He has worked with several artists including Ajebo Hustlers and Blaqbonez, and he has also cinched awards including the Artist of the Year award and Best Rap Single award at the Galaxy Music Awards held in 2018. He has also partaken in several rap competitions as well, battling against the likes of Vector and Olu Maintain, and not only did he compete with energy and pizzazz, he came out on top in 2 of them: Rhythm Rap Competition and Sprite Triple Slam.
With his resume already this full, there’s so much more to be expected from the Port Harcourt City Rapper, and he’s definitely someone to watch closely.
There is one thing worthy of mention that is common amongst these men from Port Harcourt, and that is their willingness to recognize the sameness of their roots and to collaborate at least once with each other. Ajebo Hustlers with Omah Lay at one time on a feature (Pronto), and with 1da Banton another time as the producer for their track, “Barawo.” Duncan Mighty also worked with Timaya at some point on a track of his: “Baby Don’t Cry,” and he featured Burna Boy on his track: “Nibolowa.” All of these men spent a greater part of their developmental years in Port Harcourt, and true PH City boys that they are, their roots resonate in their work, and thus, with every song, they share with the world a taste of what it is to come from Port Harcourt City.
