The MI Angle: In #JudasTheRat, Vector Started The Diss Track Well, But.

#JudasTheRat

"Vector started his M.I Diss track well then threw it all away like his career".

Shiiiitttt!!! This was exactly how I responded when I saw the sentence that has become the title of this post. Charles, a rap enthusiast who had been hoping Vector would bring fire when he finally replied M.I’s diss track was so disappointed that he made the above statement. I quickly decided to listen to the #JudasTheRat track so I could have an unbiased view before reading any more commentary. After my first listen, I went back to read this tweet by Yemi Hazan.

Vector released his reply to M.I’s #TheViper diss track on Friday October 11th, 2019 with #JudasTheRat. A lot of Vector fans claimed that Vector’s initial track ‘Tetracyclin’ was bait and that M.I with #TheViper had fallen into Vector’s trap. After listening to #JudasTheRat, I wonder if they still feel the same way?

Between M.I’s #TheViper and Vector’s reply, M.I took the conversation to the Big Brother Nigeria Finale stage with over 10 million people watching him stomp on a virtual viper, birthing a merchandising line #NoSnakes, a #NoSnakes global tour, a new EP release #TribeOfJudah and a resurgence in interest in MI’s music with all his albums entering the Apple top 100, the first African artist to have 5 albums on the Apple Music top 100 album charts at the same time. Could a faster Vector reply have stopped all this?

Let’s look at Vector’s #JudasTheRat reply

In the 4 minute track, Vector starts out with the lines “So I don’t know about you but I’m the only number 1 from the 234. Alaye jor jor jor. I’m Seun Kuti when I’m smoking rappers whether white or brown, I really do spit raw”. He uses '234' referencing Nigeria's call code responding to M.I's lines about Vector's position in rap in Yoruba land. He avoids directly mentioning any of the people M.I puts above him.

He then takes the only probable direction, attacking the career of M.I’s brother ‘Jesse Jagz’, another eagle who didn't really fly using the same words that I used to describe Vector in my first article on the rap battle ‘In Celebration of World Teachers’ Day, M.I Schools Vector In #TheViper’. Everyone admits Jesse is lyrically and poetically gifted with his unique style and flow but his career hasn’t been able to flourish. Vector makes a few references to Jagz talking about how he moved from Lagos to Ondo back to Jos. Jesse Jagz left Chocolate City in March 2012. In a post on his Facebook page, he called it a “Voluntary Exit”. Word in the industry was that Jagz was fed up with the way the label was handling his career. Before the announcement, Jagz’ last release had been in May 2010.

Has Vector’s career really been more successful than Jesse’s? What did Jesse do with his gift after leaving Chocolate city?

Like a few fans on twitter, I am hopeful Jesse replies Vector. That will truly be fun to watch.

DJ Lambo, AQ, Dice Ailes, and Chocolate City

Vector accuses M.I of doing ‘politics’ in music and that M.I claims to be helping people that are struggling to make it. He says M.I does not support anyone without making any gains for himself.

He refers to DJ Lambo, a female Disc Jockey who was initially on Loopy music before it merged with Chocolate City in 2015. Vector claims she has been ‘scratching on the surface’.

He says he has given more rappers more shine than M.I referring to his work on Hennessy Artistry and a diss track he made with AQ many years ago. He says M.I calls himself a teacher but his students failed in real life.

He drags in 23-year-old Dice Ailes saying “Dice could really rap, he had your CC crest”

He ends that arc saying the day will come when everyone M.I has ‘lifted’ will speak. He claims people will know M.I lifted them to step on them to his peak; asking why M.I is the only one surviving as an artist.

To be honest, there are a lot of artistes that by featuring in a song by M.I or featuring M.I on a track early in their career helped push them to the next level. Flavour, Wizkid, Phyno, Ice Prince, etc. cannot tell their success stories without M.I.

Political patronage

He accuses M.I of seeking political patronage from government referring to work M.I did on songs in ‘Abuja” and in “Lagos”. He attacks M.I’s focus on the commercial side of music which is something that has helped M.I continue to stay on top. Funding helps the growth of music. Funding helps the growth of everything.

On living in his bae’s BQ

Vector tries to take the conversation away from this by bringing in altruism. He says “I have stopped judging success by the kind of money I make or the house that I build, or the rents that I pay. I think a successful man is one who knows himself”. He quickly drops the quip with the line “That thinking is far from you because it's top of the shelf” continuing his running theme of referencing M.I’s height as a disability.

On winning in life

In reply to M.I about not just winning in diss tracks but winning in life, he says

“And what's my success in life? The answer is life”. He talks about his daughter “I look in the eyes of my daughter, and I'm thankful for life”. And “Now I'm a single father making mistakes learning in life’. He then refers to M.I’s failed relationship with “Your girl broke up with you, we thought she'd be your wife. You were the bitch in the relationship, the stories are right”.

On YSG, his former record label

Vector says he lost everything in his life but his pulse with “I had a fight with YSG, that shit is normal in life...You claim I treated YSG in a way that was false...I was the one who lost everything in my life but my pulse”

In summary, Vector’s reply was honestly disappointing and he may have managed to make more enemies than friends with this one. Beyond listening to #JudasTheRat to hear what Vector had to say about M.I, it doesn't have any value as a playback track. The beat wasn't impressive, the punchlines and coordination were weak. There is no tour coming from this. Hopefully, Vector will release another reply.

This is how fans are reacting to #JudasTheRat on Twitter.