Read about the musical theme in Cross Roads EP Review while listening to the songs in the EP below.
Vector tha Viper is a household name in Nigeria Hiphop music. From good bars, controversy and now to scanty bars. Normally when people call the name Vector, it was all about punch lines and illustrative lyrics but that is not the case here. This Extended play album which he released recently titled “Cross Roads” explains a few things about Vector and his recent work ethics. Vector have in recent songs released lesser and lesser words in his lyrics. He has not been able create songs that listeners will be word filled when they listen to it. His bars have become scanty and scantier because of a possible laziness to his craft. He has also been trying to water down his sound like Phyno and Olamide just to remain relevant, but that is not who Vector is. The Lafiaji born star is allowing laziness affect the time he spends writing his rhymes and lyrics. Eminem is who arguably the greatest rapper alive, did not remain on top of his game for almost three decades by showing such negligence to his rhyme pad. Vector has to go back to using a Biro and Rhyme pad to write his words down. Vector did great in his last beef song to MI and that is the type of motivation he needs in his normal music. From the songs in this EP, there are only two songs that one can tell from the lyrics and production that a little work was put into it.
THE THEME (Cross Roads EP Review below)
The song is centered on his struggles from being big, to being small and becoming big again. He appreciates God as the reason for his rise back to relevance and success in his records. In the song titled “Blessed”, he uses an RnB beat to talk about his rise to fame and how he fell off the peak of his carrier and eventually picked it up again. Claiming that he is blessed to have been able to overcome the hustle, he thanks God for the blessings. Featuring DJ Neptune, Vector switches up his sound to a makosa beat. He sings about being wanted by many ladies. Rapping about being super fly, he claims that he cannot go anywhere because of the temptation of getting laid by a random lady.
Switching his beat and Rhymes to spoken words, Vector raps about the corona pandemic. Talking about the different conspiracy theories and how there are person out there gaining from the pandemic. He talks about everybody having to win in the rain before thinking of winning in the sun. In arguably the best song on this album titled “No Peace”, Vector tells haters that he does not care about their opinions about him. Acknowledging that people thinks that he is cocky, he claims he is just lucky with life. Vector declares that he is only answerable to God. In the last song and probably the second best song in this album titled “No Worries”, he talks about having no worries in life. According to him, he knows that God has his back hence he fears no body. Thanking God for his life and relationship, he claims he just has to jolly and stay happy, partying after party.
THE PRODUCTION
Working with MastaaCraft on this five track EP, Vector blew a good opportunity working with a hitmaker. MastaaCraft is a producer who gives the best when working with talented artist. Vector did little to harness that part of MastaaCraft. This can be seen in the ratio of rap verses to verses he sang. If a neutral person who is not used to the Nigerian music circle listens to this EP, he or she might think Vector is an RnB or Afropop artist. The time put into creating his stories and Rhymes was not adequate. It might just be that all the songs were freestyles with little or no attention to setting the verses straight. This is a creative mistake that one will not expect from a music veteran like Vector. Vector has past that point where he releases shallow music. The productions of mastaaCraft was okay but the words fused into the beat were not good enough.
POSSIBLE HITS AND FLOPS
There are only two songs that could at least be mentioned as relatively good songs. “No Worries” and “No peace” are the songs and could become the flag songs of this extended play album.
