A substantial part of the anticipation generated by Ruger & BNXN’s joint EP ‘RnB,’ is due to the highly publicized rift that preceded it.
While ‘RnB’ makes for an enjoyable listen, it’s an anticlimactic end to the event that led up to it.
A substantial part of the anticipation generated by Ruger & BNXN’s joint EP ‘RnB,’ is due to the highly publicized rift that preceded it.
However, the music that marks their newfound bromance brings an almost anti-climatic denouement to the event of the last two years.
When they released ‘Romeo Must Die (RMD)’ as the first offering of their joint EP, the single failed to leave up to the big moment of truce it was meant to soundtrack. The follow-up release ‘POE’ failed to pick up the pace and essential build-up to an EP on which both artists appear to withhold their jokers.
The calm buildup created by ‘RMD’ and ‘POE’ is immediately felt in the sensual opener ‘Bae Bae’ where both artists deploy familiar melodies.
The infectious melody Ruger weaved on the soothing RnB record ‘Calculate Love’ isn’t complimented by a stronger chorus which is quite surprising as both artists are skilled in coining great hooks.
Although the Sarz-produced ‘Ilashe’ packs quintessential BNXN melodies and a sprinkling of log drum that makes it the most striking song on the EP, it’s Ruger’s chorus that’s filled with sexual innuendos capable of provoking social media sensibility that positions the track as a potential hit.
Kukbeat delivers a stellar production on ‘Party Monster’ on which Ruger and BNXN deliver easy melodies when the beat seems to be yearning for them to go for the kill and deliver a stinging hit record.
The album ends just as casually as it started with ‘Not Done’ where BNXN and Ruger leisurely sing about fighting for love. After 7 tracks and 20 minutes, it’s easy to agree that ‘RnB’ makes for an enjoyable listen. However, it’s undeniable that it feels unsuitable and unexciting for the moment it’s meant to mark.
The chest-thumping Ruger that made ‘Ruger,’ ‘Asiwaju’ and ‘Jonzing Boy’ was strikingly missing on this album. And even the relentless playboy in him was tamed within RnB territory. Similarly, the BNXN who can rightfully lay claim to the position of Nigeria’s Captain Hook who’s eager to run away with every feature also didn’t come to the party.
It’s almost as if Ruger and BNXN who spent the days of their highly publicised rift in a supremacy battle suddenly decided to play it calm and make a chilly RnB project that douses all the rush and tames the competitiveness.
Perhaps if the moment that preceded the EP didn’t leave listeners on the edge of their seats, ‘RnB’ would have been received with a different perspective. However, the EP doesn’t live up to the moment it’s meant to mark even though it makes for an easy listen.
