Watch M.I Abaga’s Stunning ‘The Guy’ Video

Jude Lemfani Abaga, professionally known as M.I. Abaga, recently released his video for “The Guy.” The iconic rapper has been a prominent voice in the African rap scene for over ten years.

“The Guy” is the title track from 11th studio album, which dropped last week. The video was put together by TG Omori, one of Nigeria’s leading cinematographers, who has worked with artists like Wiz Kid, Olamide, and Burna Boy. The video features crisp shots with vibrant colors and angles. In the video, the veteran rapper pays homage to his Northern Nigerian roots by wearing various Northern Nigerian regalia and, at several points, changing outfits from a religious leader to a military general. The vibrant video, with its smooth transitions, complements the rhythm and flow of the M.C. Over the years, the rapper and record producer has solidified his reputation in the music industry as a respected lyricist with a penchant for sharp punch lines and intelligent verses, intricately tied together.

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The rapper’s music career started after he left Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to return to Nigeria in 2003. Returning home inspired him to start producing mix tapes, which inspired him to release “Safe,” a song that spoofed prominet Nigerian songs at the time, and intricately wove them together to create an entire body of work and received considerable radio play. The record spearheaded his musical dominance.

In 2006, M.I. Abaga rose to prominence with his song “Crowd Mentality,” which quickly became widespread in Jos, Nigeria, a mecca for upcoming music artists. Two years later, he released his debut album, Talk About It. From 2015 to 2019, the Taraba native was a CEO at Chocolate City, a music label once home to artists like Brymo, Jesse Jagz, Femi Kuti, and his protege Ice Prince Zamani, among others. The M.C recently released his 12-track project, which includes various features from his protege Ice Prince, music veteran Duncan Mighty, indigenous rapper Phyno, and budding talent BNXN, to name a few. M.I first gave fans a pre-listen of the track in July and recently revealed that he would retire his stage name “Mr. Incredible Abaga (MI Abaga).” Watch the video below.

M.I Abaga – The Guy (Official Music Video)

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