Song: Innuendo
Artiste: AJ Nelson
Producer: Cabum
Author: Kwame Dadzie

Preamble: The rap game gets interesting by the day as our musicians (especially the rappers) try to live the real culture of hip hop through throwing jabs at each other in their songs.

The recent one has been a lyrical bout between Shattawale and Yaa Pono and Quata whose ‘diss’ to Sarkodie is awaiting reply. In the meantime, one of Ghana’s finest lyricists, AJ Nelson has cooked a song called ‘Innuendos,’ and this review reveals the entrails of the song.

Production: The beat sets a soothing mood for rap. It is a real hip hop beat with a head bumping baseline and kicks that will give any good rapper much convenience to ride on with varied flows. The live trumpet rendition on the instrumentation is a plus. Few hip hop productions would waste time to do any live thing of the nature. The trumpet plays melodies of ‘Ghana Land of Freedom’ by the legendary ET Mensah and the dexterity of play is worthy of plaudits.

Rap Fluidity: One basic tenet of a good rap is flowing to beat and arranging lyrics into bars that hit the ear drum and resonates in the head of the music lover. AJ knocks the beat straight on the head and every bar he spits sounds refreshingly good.

Content Analysis: This is hip hop. Rap! As the title suggests, the song is full of innuendos. An innuendo is “an allusive or oblique remark or hint, typically a suggestive or disparaging one.”

Who really could AJ be referring to in this song? Is it one person or a number of rappers? Well, maybe, this is mere fiction contrary to his first line that “my music breaks down reality, not fiction.”

The song has a bit of typical hip hop horn-blowing vibes, and jabs to people the rapper thinks waste time to do ‘diss songs’. He advises them to rather concentrate on their music career.

To me, AJ’s ‘Innuendo’ sounds cowardly. The pointers are too many to be attributed to anybody. The many pointers make it very difficult to get who he is really addressing. H says “you claim your brain dey work, and you’re always dissing.” At another point he hits “wo nkwa sua – I heard that from your flirty wife.”

There is a part when he advises someone not to waste time on “these” guys. Who is “these” guys and who is he imploring?

AJ also says somebody has been in the game for only two months so should shut up. I am not sure, if any musician should say ‘fi’, he can mention names.

On the other hand, this may be one of the critically – orchestrated jabs to get hype. It appears dude created fictional characters that may at least fit some people in the industry. At least if a line or two fits you, wear the cap. This is hip hop!

Limitations: He says “Jews and Tobah” instead of “Jews and Torah” Maybe it was a slip or he meant something different.

Also, the finishing of the instrumentals was not well hemmed. The baseline of the real chords at the ending does not jibe with the trumpet.

In spite of these, ‘Innuendo’ is a masterpiece and I rate it 88%.

Conclusion: “This is for all the real ones that love hip hop – for all the real ones that love real rap.”

Click on the link below, listen to AJ Nelson’s ‘Innuendo’ and try to tell who his jabs are targeted at?