Ask a Nigerian pop singer of the 2010s which album shaped them, and an answer that comes up again and again is Mushin 2 Mo’Hits. Wande Coal’s debut, released on 12 April 2009 under Mo’Hits Records and produced entirely by Don Jazzy, set a template for vocal style and melody that younger artists have followed ever since.
From Mushin
Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe grew up in Mushin, a densely populated working-class area of Lagos. He was a dancer before he was a singer. The album title tells his story: from Mushin to Mo’Hits, from the street to the hottest label in Nigeria.
Mo’Hits
Mo’Hits Records was founded by D’banj and Don Jazzy. In the late 2000s it was the most powerful label in Nigerian pop, with D’banj as its star, and it signed Wande Coal as part of a crew that included Dr SID, D’Prince and K-Switch. Wande Coal featured on the label’s compilation album Curriculum Vitae before his solo debut.
The sound
Don Jazzy built the album around Wande Coal’s voice. The beats mixed Afro-pop, R&B, dance music and ballads. Wande Coal sang with agility, using runs and ad-libs that sounded fresh in Nigerian pop at the time.
The songs
“Bumper to Bumper”, released as a single in November 2008, became a club hit, with a video directed by Sesan. “Who Born the Maga” and “Ololufe” became fan favourites. “Ololufe”, a love ballad, remains one of his signature songs and is often cited as one of the best Nigerian love songs of its era.
Influence
Many artists who followed Wande Coal, including some of the biggest names in Afrobeats, have spoken of admiring his vocal style. His influence is heard in the way many Nigerian singers phrase melodies, mix languages and bend notes.
The split
Mo’Hits collapsed in 2012 after D’banj and Don Jazzy fell out. Don Jazzy founded Mavin Records, and Wande Coal went with him. He later left Mavin to work independently, releasing further albums and singles.
Back on streaming
For years, Mushin 2 Mo’Hits was hard to find on streaming platforms. It was finally released on them on 24 October 2022, allowing a new generation to hear it officially. Fans celebrated online.
A classic
Many debut albums sound dated within a decade. Mushin 2 Mo’Hits still sounds like the blueprint for something. When people argue about the best Nigerian album of the 2000s, it is always in the conversation, and the boy from Mushin who sang on it is still the measure many singers are compared against.
