Album Review: Vector’s Teslim: A Lover Boy PTSD Seeks Life’s Charms & Lessons
The Nigerian act demonstrates mastery of his craft.
With over a decade in the music industry, Vector has cemented his status as a rap elder statesman, balancing witty punchlines, memorable tunes, and thought-provoking lyricism. He has maintained a balance between radio-friendly hits like “Early Momo” with GoodGirl LA and “Mama Maradona” with Wande Coal, and pure rap showcases like the LADIPOE-assisted “Clowns” and Hennessy-sponsored cyphers. A highly-publicised beef with fellow rapper M.I Abaga resulted in a slew of diss tracks and reinvigorated Nigeria’s often dormant rap scene. In 2021, they finally ended their dispute, culminating in the Pheelz-assisted “Crown of Clay,” and left their legacies unscathed.
Since then, Vector has continued to evolve, exploring new pockets of expression with 2022’s Teslim: The Energy Still Lives in Me. His latest effort, Teslim: A Lover Boy PTSD, spans ten tracks. As the title suggests, the album reflects Vector’s introspections on love and life, delivering inward-looking and outward-reaching musings. Tracks like last year’s “Why Me”—a poignant exploration of life’s challenges—would seamlessly fit into this body of work. The lead single “Can’t Come Close,” featuring Majeed, sets the reflective mood as Vector contemplates his feelings, singing, “Omo, I dey see you from afar/ But e get why I can’t come close.”
There’s an easy bounce to most of the songs on Teslim: A Lover Boy PTSD, borrowing from Afrobeats to Highlife to Amapiano, with production credits spanning Vector, Rexxie, Mystro, Maxx, Sally Smokes, Nosepiz, SELF, and more. While the album features several singers, Vector takes charge of most hooks and choruses, showcasing his versatility and enhancing the album’s cohesive vibe. On “Repay Your Part” with Tiwa Savage, Vector floats through the song, reassuring his lover of his loyalty. Tiwa Savage is no pushover on the song but it feels like she’s swallowed whole in Vector’s world.
However, other performances refuse to bow to Vector’s. Ninola holds her own on the Rexxie-produced “Iya Nla Iya,” with her vocals meshing effortlessly with Vector’s delivery and the song’s Amapiano-inflected beat. Vector expands his diasporic reach on “My Dada,” teaming up with Nigeria’s Emmsong, Haiti’s Top Adlerman and Colombia’s Jossman, with Adlerman and Jossman’s performances bringing vibrant international textures to the track. On the intriguingly titled “Bum Bum of My Heart,” Falz feels at home on the Highlife-inspired number, rapping, “I’m wearing your best cologne/Still I wait for my queen to ascend her throne/If dis loving go kill me, God rest my soul.”
The album also revisits previously released tracks like 2023’s “Gbedu” and 2024’s “If They Are Real” with Bella Shmurda. On “Gbedu,” Vector combines soul-searching lyrics with an upbeat groove, singing, “I’ve been waiting for some time/Lord give me a sign/If I can see the shine/Then my worries are behind.” Meanwhile, “If They Are Real” is a heartfelt prayer for discernment, as Vector and Shmurda seek divine guidance to distinguish genuine people from the deceptive. “Fefe (Remix)”—originally featured on Vector’s 2022 album—receives a refreshing update with French rapper Scridge joining Vector and Ivorian artist Shado Chris in envisioning a life of abundance.
Romance and sensuality meet on the SELF-produced “It’s a Chill,” a trap-infused track that provides the perfect backdrop for intimate declarations “I just want you to be my baby o/Baby o, baby o/Please help me raise my baby oh oh,” Vector sings, blending flirtation with earnest emotion. Throughout Teslim: A Lover Boy PTSD, Vector sidesteps the harsher facets of life’s traumas to focus on its lessons and joys. Whether rapping, singing, or producing, Vector demonstrates mastery of his craft.
Go HERE to stream Teslim: A Lover Boy PTSD.
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