Eedris Abdulkareem

About Eedris Abdulkareem

Nigerian hip-hop artist Eedris Abdulkareem has a lot to do with the financial revolution in his motherland’s music industry 16 years ago. It is through his resolute stand that Naija’s entertainment industry aligned itself into a multi-billionaire empire that the rest of Africa benchmarks. But, who is he?

He remains an old and present generation musician born on 24 December 1974 in the Kano area to a polygamous father from Osun State. The veteran singer attended Army Day High School where his rapping talent grew. Now 48, the artist fondly recalls that his free spirit in putting lyrics together back in a secondary school built his passion to pursue music as a lifelong career.

By the time he completed his secondary school education, he was ready to conquer the world with music. Singing was a way of expressing himself and staying focused having lost his father when he was only two years old. Death also robbed him of eight other siblings later in life which pushed him to music more. His journey started with a local hip-hop band, ‘The Remedies’ in 1997 and became its leader for five years.

As it is with many other bands, ‘The Remedies’ split in 2002 and the ‘Oko Omoge’ hitmaker went out to establish a solo career. ‘PASS’ (Pains And Stress = Success) introduced him to the public via another dimension as a solo artist. It was his first album and history never forgets that it was a springboard in shaping Nigeria’s rap genre. The songs in this debut album such as ‘Oko Achewo’ and ’Oko Omoge’ went viral with massive airplay across Nigeria. Eedris Abdulkareem summed up his life’s troubles for over two decades and what it took for him to rise to the top in this discography.

Still, in 2002, Eedris Abdulkareem released his second album titled Mr Lecturer and it was among his best compositions. The title track slammed students and professors alike for trading money and sexual favours for better scores in Nigerian higher education. His third album, ‘Jaga Jaga’ - a Yoruba word meaning "shambles” - came in 2004. The title track became something of a secret national anthem for Nigeria after being banned from radio by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. However, it was still played at bars and clubs around the country. Lemi Ghariokwu, who designed numerous album covers for Fela Kuti, created the artwork for this one and this made him so popular.

Eedris Abdulkareem dropped his fourth studio album, "Letter to Mr President," in November 2005 under his newly formed record company, Lakreem Entertainment. The album's title tune responded to Obasanjo's critiques of "Jaga Jaga," and the single "Flash Up Unu Lighter" paid respect to Obasanjo's late wife, Stella, who passed away during surgery in Spain. By now, he had fashioned himself as a poetic advocate for proper governance.

In his 2007 fifth album ‘The King is Back’ he detailed his struggles with Obasanjo's government, industry traders, and concert organisers who blacklisted him for speaking the truth. In 2010, he released a fiery single ‘Unfinished Business’. He has also guested on tracks by other artists, such as "Bad Guy Baller" by Mode 9 and VTEK, "Igborotidaru" by Klever J, Oba Mmega, and "I am Afrika" by Cecil.

The hitmaker took an album hiatus after 2012 but Nigeria felt he was a perfect social crusader fighting for Nigerians through music. Eedris Abdulkareem released a string of new singles covering a wide range of timely topics in Nigerian politics and society. The singer features the works of Femi Kuti, DJ Jimmy Datt and Konga in his singles since 2012. Eight years later – in 2020 - he released his sixth studio album titled ‘Nothing but the Truth’.

‘Nothing but the Truth’ has 20 tracks all critical of the persistent corruption and socio economic problems in Nigeria. Eedris Abdulkareem featured a plethora of top Nigerian artists such as Dede Mabiaku, Sound Sultan, Ruggedman, Olamide, Myke Pam, Adex Artquake, and Jazzman Olofin.

Most Popular Songs

1. Jaga Jaga
2. Oko Omoge
3. Koleyewon
4. Mr Lecturer
5. Country Hard
6. Clean Up Naija
7. Live in Yankee
8. Seriki Kano

EPs and Albums

1. Nothing but the Truth
2. The King is Back
3. Letter to Mr President
4. Jaga Jaga
5. PASS
6. Mr Lecturer

Mdundo.com lets you listen online and download all the latest audio and mp3 songs by Eedris Abdulkareem.