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A-Q and Loose Kaynon have come together to create one of the most unlikely alliances that has resulted in a critically acclaimed joint album, ‘Crown’ and they explain why the project was necessary.
With a career spanning over a decade individually, Gilbert Bani, popularly known as A-Q and Joachim Ikazoboh, aka Loose Kaynon have fully earned the right to be called industry veterans.
But while A-Q have constantly edged his way into the conversation of the greats with a healty catalog, the same cannot exactly be said of Loose, hence the first mention of a joint project from the duo created a buzz among their rap following.
Friday, August 17 heralded the arrival of the ”Crown” album and weeks following its release, the acceptance and reviews point to the fact that this is a well crafted body of work.
While speaking during an interview with Correspondent the duo shared on why it was important they recorded the project.
On why they recorded a joint album
”It was my idea, I wanted to do a collaboration project, I want to try something different… It wasn’t planned, I just came into M’s [MI Abaga] house one day and like, who did you think I can do an album with and he [Loose] just said to me, Me” A-Q explains.
Loose chips in, ”M [MI] is the catalyst for this project. Me and M were just having a conversation that day about how this hip-hop thing we are trying to do in Nigeria will never get anywhere if people don’t join forces.
So we having this conversation and this dude walks in, talking about the same thing, it is bigger than us.”
Days leading to the release of the album, A-Q had shared a tweet stating how Loose told him he never liked him and they explain how it all happened.
I came into Choc City almost a year ago, this man @loosekaynon stepped up to me and told me to my face that he never liked me, but he could see where I was heading and he was prepared to take it there with me.. Fast Forward..Pre-order The Crown Album 👉 https://t.co/yWyMDeCmJz
— Gilbert Bani (@thisisAQ) August 10, 2018
”So when that happened, the first time I met him, I didn’t really mess with him.” Loose says.
”I don’t know this dude (A-Q)… we haven’t had anything close or personal, but the moment I see we are gravitating towards the same circles, if there is anything that needs to be addressed, let’s put that on the table now.”
A-Q explains, ”At this point, we are supposed to be heading a record label together and this guy says ‘I never liked you…
It is the first time I find myself explaining to somebody, I think it is the first time somebody has approached me like that.
Somebody just sees you and the person has an idea about you and I told him, you can say what you want to say, but you can’t tell me you never recorded a diss track for somebody and MI or Audu [Maikori] said this thing is not coming out, there was nobody to tell me that.” he states.
On how they formed the label ‘100 Crowns’
Outside putting out an album, Loose Kaynon and A-Q are also responsible for the label, 100 Crowns, the brain behind the quarterly hip-hop event, The Coronation.
Loose explains the idea behind the platform, ”This 100 Crown idea was conceived with MI, he’s like, ‘do you know how powerful it will be if the two of you guys come together and started a label that was pure hip-hop because most young guys now they don’t have anybody to look up to when they want to make hip-hop.
Speaking on the name ‘100 Crowns’, which was conceived by both artists,
We thought about it and he is like, Chocolate City gives you an umbrella, just go and do hip-hop proud.
There is this mythical crown that they have all rappers chasing, we are all kings though, it is just a platform where anybody can come through, it is about hip-hop, it is not about you… don’t be ashamed to crown the next person, that is where we got the name 100 crowns from.” he adds.
