A Review of T Dollar Rise EP Album. T Dollar Rise EP Rides On Hustlers Anthem Zeitgeist

Olabinjo Ayotunde Oluwatobiloba Quam, popularly known as T. Dollar didn't start as an Afro-pop artist. He started his music career as a rapper when he was still in junior secondary school, but his friends were the only fans he had then. Originally from Ogun State, he grew up in the Ogijo area of Ogun State, Nigeria, where he attended the community high school, Ogijo Ogun State.

Like the typical Nigerian artiste, he was exposed to real music while in school and even though he had many dreams, he was scared of the chance for big stardom would come. As fate would have it, his music career took an inch higher in 2022 when he recorded his Hit track, "Rise."



T. Dollar can hold it down with any afro-street artist of his generation. He's good-looking, has carved a niche for himself with his relatable stories, his touching lyrics and his exceptional vocals and, more essentially, knows how to string words together to form beautiful tunes.

T. Dollar's career skyrocketed after the live rendition of his track "rise" with Glitch Africa was released. It happened to blow up in a moment that hustler anthem seems to be the zeitgeist song for Nigerian Gen Z demography. Some other artists tread this same music path. Seyi Vibez, Barry Jhay, T.I Blaze, and Mohbad are worthy of mention for this niche of music.

What other ways to milk a song that has been on the lips of Nigerians than to release more songs? T. Dollar returned with a six-track extended play project and titled it "Rise" as well.

T Dollar kicks the sonic door open with "IF". In this song, T Dollar's obsession with success, wealth and prosperity became obvious. He sings about how he wants his hustle to pay off and become rich.

"Nobody know wetin I don see, e no easy my broddy, hustle everyday no sleep, mama tell me say make I no dy rush, say one day e go reach my turn, but dem no even notice say boy just dy work he no sleep, plenty money just dy come my way" T Dollar sings. On a mid-tempo beat, he rides over a slick drum and synth-pivoted production. The lyrics are enlivened with the regular street anthem prayer, and he added something that sounded like her mum's voice praying for him.

On "Grace", T Dollar featured the fast-rising Nigerian street sensation and rapper Otega. T Dollar takes all the success of his career back to God. He was acknowledging God's Grace in everything he does. However, the production isn't memorable, but Otega's cadence flows smoothly on the production nonetheless. Under the heavenly swirl of heavy kicks, piano strings and slow, racing drums, you hear Otega's held-up emotions in his verse where he sounded like Burna Boy at some point.



T Dollar synthesises Afro-Pop and Amapiano with an appealingly light touch on "No stress." "Ride in my beamer, If e no be money maybe later, Make them dey know when I fire, We go dance, tonight no go tire, Sheybi I dey try, So ma jaiye tan to my taste, Live my life with no stress, And Make you no go forget, Say man no get any worries so I pop shayo for chest, live without no complains, Sheybi you know you gats face your fears, Sheybi I dey try So ma jaiye tan to my taste(I cannot cum and kill my self)" T Dollar gave a snappy run of exuberance. It's a quick and concise run of the mill. He paid homage to his roots and subtly inspired people to enjoy their life.

"Our father" is a remix, and it features Harrysong and the versatile indigenous Yoruba rapper Ola Dips where the three artists tell their stories from different standpoints of view. For T Dollar, his obsession with money doesn't have to do with money ritual. "Cause Taxi ti su mi (Taxi ti su mi) And if you do ritual, iku ni, one time, And if you con broke body, Ara'ye ma soro won a ni "o ti'ju ni" But, them be wan catch me, Won o le mu mi Ero ota ni k'otan but Baba pass them, Turn my song to the new anthem, ashee, Make I reach them, make I pass them, Amin ashee, yeah". It's more of a prayer with the chorus as Oladips comes through with the well-seasoned indigenous verses and Harrysongs contribution on the intro verse as he sings about his confidence in God to answer his prayers.

On the Hezebeatz-produced track titled "One Day", there's a message of hope. It's a moment of clarity for him as he tells the story of the time he hustled hard to make it out of the ghetto, and the naysayers who never believed him. He's optimistic and sounds more grateful for those moments "Shebi na one day, man go blow (one day, man go blow), One day, boy go show (one day, boy go show), One day, boy go get raba (one day, boy go get raba), And the money sef go choke (money sef go choke), Awon ton bi'nu yen, won nbe ni (won beh oh), I say, won nbe ni (won beh oh), E fi won le, won nbe ni (won beh oh) I say, won nbe ni." It is an optimistic message that's on a seamless flow.



The EP's pre-released major hit and EP closer "Rise" inarguably remains the best song on the EP. It works on the same theme throughout the project - "The hustler's anthem" The production of the song starts with an eerie instrumental before the tempo switches to a more fast-paced beat by the fifteen seconds, coupled with the infectious hook: "Make money enter (amen), Make e better (amen), Ori'bu, back to sender (amen), Emi o fe suffer (amen), K'owo wo'le l'otun l'osi (amen), Make e plenty (amen), Every Sunday k'ashey spendin' (amen), Say, one time make e plenty, oh-ah-"

Beneath the heavenly swirl of piano picks and slow, racing drums, you hear T Dollar's held-up emotions, he talks about endurance and tenacity and asks God to bless him even though he knows he has erred. It's a reminder to always chase dreams no matter the adversity.

Ultimately, it's hard to agree that T Dollar is a dynamic artist with this EP. Most of the time, you hear the same melody direction on the songs, and you start to wonder if they ever employ the hands of an A&R to oversee the EP. The production templates are similar, and the song theme lyrics thrive on one topic. It's a restrictive project that failed to display the dynamism & versatility of T Dollar. His relatable lyrics and occasionally clear-cut production remain the hallmark of the "Rise" EP.

Do you think T Dollar is just a one-hit-wonder type of artist? What can you deduce from the EP's repetition on the sonic template? Can we still call it a solid EP? Let's know your thoughts.