Ajebo Hustlers: Taking the Kpos Lifestyle to the World

After years of scenic dominance in Port Harcourt, the assured duo mine the realities of contemporary Nigeria for a formidable debut album. Here's their story.

“We were in a session,” Piego tells me. The member of the two-man pop group Ajebo Hustlers wouldn't tell me anything related to that session but he'll gladly discuss Kpos Lifestyle Vol. 1, their recently released debut album. Our interview is taking place hours from the supposed time and between the pace of the music industry and Nigeria's heralded network issues, it was a blessing we discussed on Zoom for close to an hour, unperturbed by the earlier buzz of daytime.

High school leavers Isaiah Precious (Piego) and George Dandeson (Knowledge) had been colleagues in a restaurant almost ten years ago, and bonded over a mutual love for music. While they recorded individually with their chosen aliases, a 2015 remix of fan favourite “Bole and Fish” saw them officially come together as the Ajebo Hustlers, a sobriquet coined from their comfortable middle-class backgrounds and their self-determination to grind relentlessly regardless.

Katakata, a pidgin term that means scattered, describes the duo’s music. Overtones of Dancehall meld into vivid drum arrangements reminiscent of Cardinal Rex Lawson.

This versatility mirrors the cultural history of Port Harcourt as a melting point for genres, inspiring many of the city's artists who strike out from its gritty reality to create music that transcends the state. The trio of Timaya, Burna Boy and Omah Lay are contemporary artists from the state who've risen to global prominence, and the last two are much still present in the streaming era, and remarkably feature in the story of Ajebo Hustlers, the latest stars from the Pitakwa universe.

“Burna was just one of those artists making the music he was making and it sounded so elite, way ahead of its time,” says Piego. “That song (“Like To Party”) sort of just redirected the whole industry, cos that was the Azonto era. Seeing someone from Port Harcourt actually breaking the norm, that people actually listened to him and appreciated him... It made us say ‘oh, if Burna can actually do it, we could do it too’”

“It's the environment, the lifestyle,” he says, further explaining the city's appeal. “In Port Harcourt, you just have to be smart, to be on the lookout because in two seconds, everything fit burst.”

On Kpos Lifestyle Vol. 1, the duo condenses the sounds and experiences of several generations into ten remarkable songs. Often related from a masculine viewpoint, the album features perfectly weighed ruminations on love, lust, hustle and the Nigerian state, uniting diverse markets through an uncanny alliance with pockets of popular culture. A record like the folksy “Bus Stop” could fit into the playlist of a university undergrad trying to get laid and is yet mellow enough for an outdoor party full of millennials. “Solace” dons the influence of the 2000s Nigerian pop sound, pairing nostalgic composition and modernist lyricism. Album closer “Kpos” connects the mystery of the Nigerian university with other sub-themes Ajebo Hustlers discusses throughout the tape, making this a concept album, however loosely threaded.

“We recorded Kpos Lifestyle in different places,” says Piego. After the success of “Barawo,” the duo hit an inspired run. The album was created between Lagos and Port Harcourt, orchestrated alongside familiar producers like Orlando Magic (“Symbiosis,” “Zamo”) and 1daBanton (“Barawo”) while touching down with the accomplished duo of Telz (“Oh My Home”) and Fresh VDM (“Solace”), pushing the tape towards familiar rhythms with an eye on loftier sonic possibilities.

Nissi, the talented Afro fusion artist who's also the younger sister of Burna Boy, drops a phenomenal verse on “Symbiosis,” a cult classic among early fans of Ajebo Hustlers. “We had Ideas From My Voicenotes [an LP released in 2018] but we took it off streaming platforms cos we were working on this new tape,” Piego says.

The Omah Lay collaboration happened earlier this year at Omah's Lagos home. “We recorded three tracks that day,” says Piego in a tone spiked with innuendo. “Omah Lay is family. His label, his team—they’re all family. We did it for the culture. As the guys popping from the south-south, we had to do it for the South and everybody.”

Though Ajebo Hustlers typically relate tales of young life through the prism of heterosexual relationships and ambition, “Barawo," one of their biggest records is an indicting account of Nigerians, especially its political elite. “Fuel dey scarce, fuel dey scare, dem set my boys on fire and nobody gree quench am,” raps Knowledge raps in his verse. The song is dedicated to the four university students who were lynched in Aluu, Port Harcourt.

“For us, it’s going into the studio with that conscious direction to speak about certain stuff,” Piego says about creating the song. “Big L and Tipsy were our colleagues and there was no way we'd talk about jungle justice without mentioning the Aluu 4 ‘cos that was one of the most talked-about barbaric act ever. These guys were very close to us so we had to reference that.”

After Davido jumped on its remix last year, the song became an ubiquitous presence in many spaces, eventually finding its way to End SARS protest grounds, one of its stirring soundtracks.

Stylistically, Ajebo Hustlers are a perfect duo. Their strengths can stand distinctly, but fused together, it beautifully recalls the harmony of iconic duos like P Square and Danfo Drivers. Influenced by notable performers like Drake, Buju Banton and Fela Kuti, Piego pulls off incredibly technical deliveries, slicing through instrumentals with precision and emotive resonance. On “Sophisticated Iyawo,” his heartfelt singing remains measured even as he falls into a plea, asking for rain so “[he and his baby] can cuddle right.” Often the playmaker, his hazy recollections set up Knowledge, a more direct attacker possessed with the instincts of a tested rapper.

Knowledge, who joins the call later, is keen to make up for lost time. He takes after Piego's question, mentioning some of his favourite rappers: M.I. Abaga, Fabulous, Ruggedman, Master Ace, Jay-Z, Freestyle and Mode9, who he dubs “the height of Hip Hop.” Knowledge’s classy technique, a verbose slang vocabulary and an ingenious application of Naijacentric stories contributes to his rising reputation as one of the most enjoyable rappers in Nigeria currently. Above all, his chemistry with Piego is the greatest factor for their success. The more we talk, Knowledge’s respect for his partner becomes evident—he tells about the first time he heard Piego sing. “I told him, ‘you don't have to rap anymore; bro, you can siiing’,” he says with a lighthearted laugh.

Between their Ajebo Hustlers tag and the group's style, their holistic branding is already tickling some sensibilities among mainstream audiences. Elements such as power bikes and dark jackets, colourful sun shades, the dyed hair and gothic jewelry present them as road men, adventurous partakers in the city's lore. Locations for their photo shoots also collects familiar totems in the contemporary Nigerian existence: the brick wall, the beer parlour, the skyscraper, the water tank.

So far, the tough work of extending the run of an excellent tape lies ahead of them, and to that task new videos are in the works, with a TG Omori-directed visual for “Yafun Yafun” out. They’re still counting their blessings: Gracing covers of streaming playlists. A potential record with an avowed admirer, Mr. Eazi. From the South, they've come this far and surely the ride continues. But, before the call ends, what is even the Kpos Lifestyle? And why does it inspire an entire album?

“It's perseverance,” says Piego, “our journey through Port Harcourt has always been about making the most out of every situation.” “Kpos is a movement, it's a lifestyle,” Knowledge says and, in the search for better qualifiers, stops, as though to say: Let the music talk.