Alpha P is evidently one of the most impressive talents in the evolved Nigerian music industry. With a unique voice and distinct sound that makes him stand out on any song, he has made a name for himself in the last half a decade. He kicked off his musical career as a young gospel rapper who eventually aligned with his Benin statesman, Rema, to form a music duo, RNA. With an eventual disbanding of the duo, Alpha P signed a record deal with Universal Music Group, in 2019, which set in motion the release of his debut EP, King Of The Wolves, and stamped his presence as a full-on afrobeats artist.
This distinctive and special ability evident in his sound and style of music, has at different points in his career, given him the opportunity to work with both local and international superstars including Wizkid, Alessiah, Ricky Tyler, Tay Iwar, amongst others. His latest project, Welcome To The Pack, comes on the back of his recent signing to Penthauze, a record label owned by one of the biggest Nigerian Mcs, Phyno. This 5-track, 15 minutes long EP, keeps you hooked from start to finish, and leaves you wanting more. On this project, Alpha P recruits Wondah, an amazing Nigerian producer, who creates 4 of the 5 tracks on this project, leaving one song to London.
The project starts off with Light, a soulful, mid-tempo, choral backed opening. This song, produced by Wondah, begins with sounds of string instruments carefully knitted into the song, which fades into a beautiful tune and one that ushers you properly into the project.
On OMW(On My Way), Alpha P taps Kemuel, to deliver this mesmerizing tune. This song, also produced by Wondah, has Alpha P sliding to the beat of this sound with an interesting falsetto that shows his all-round artistic prowess, and ability to explore varying ranges of vocal dexterity. Kemuel’s delivery is not short of brilliance, as he adds the right amount of energy into this song.
Released as a lead single to the EP, “W” features one of the greats in Afrobeats history and a kingmaker, Olamide. This London produced tune starts off with the intriguing “humming” sound, which leads to Alpha P’s opening. Olamide in typical style delivers an interesting verse on this song, and the addition of the log drum to the production, which in recent times have been critiqued as sounding repetitive and tired on Afrobeats songs, sounded so refreshing.
Hold Ya comes right after. With an upbeat tune similar to OMW, it has the choral chants at intervals, and a good dose of log-drums in the production. It is an uptempo tune, and one that gets you dancing right away.
Alpha P closes off the EP with the song, 4am. This drumy tune paired with an impressive vocal display from Alpha P, has the artist in his sensual bag. The tune is dedicated to his lover, as he continually describes the “D”, as the only thing she wants at 4am.
This project is generally an interesting body of work, and one that shows Alpha P’s ability to constantly grow as an artist.
Chukwuebuka Mgbemena is a writer focused on the Nigerian & African entertainment industry. He loves fashion, art and is a staunch chess player.
