M.I. Abaga

about

An acclaimed Nigerian hip-hop artist, M.I. Abaga first entered the public arena with his 2008 debut Talk About It, an LP that showed off his sharp-tongued wordplay and confident attitude in equal measure. While attending college in the U.S., he had become heavily influenced by major American rappers like Jay-Z and DMX, and formed his own hard-hitting style that he would carry throughout his body of work. A contradiction of sunny, laid-back Afro-pop styles and gritty hip-hop, Abaga joined the prominent Chocolate City label and throughout the 2010s became a significant player in Nigerian popular music, winning numerous awards, branching out as a producer and collaborator, and releasing ambitious albums like 2018's A Study in Self-Worth: Yxng Dxnzl, as well as a series of mixtapes called Illegal Music. He returned in 2020 with the EP Judah and the impressive collaborative album, The Live Report, with fellow rapper A-Q. Born Jude Abag in the Jos, Plateau State, he first experimented with music in high school and later, while earning a business degree from Calvin College in Michigan, he became popular on campus playing local hip-hop shows, reading poetry, and even trying out comedy for a short time. Heading back to Nigeria in 2003, he eventually began collaborating with his friend Djinee and produced his first mixtape, PYERIBOY, which yielded the single "Safe." The song earned some national airplay and built momentum for Abaga's debut album, Talk About It, which was released at th

top songs

albums

The Guy

Rendezvous

MI 2: The Movie

A Study On Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl

The Chairman

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Playlist (feat. Nonso Amadi)

Talk About It

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Mi2 the Movie

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All My Life (feat. Oxlade)

Judah The E.P.

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Mr. Fantastic

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TBDK (feat. Sinzu & Erigga)

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