Versus (9ice album)

Versus, also known by the longer title Versus: The Battle Line Is Drawn, is the fourth studio album by Nigerian indigenous artist 9ice. It was released on 7 December 2011 by Alapomeji Ancestral Records, alongside Bashorun Gaa. The album features a blend of Afrobeat and hip hop. The album was titled Versus because many artists are featured on the album, in which, 9ice is "versing" them, when, really, he's featuring them on his songs. Notable artists were featured on the album, including 2Baba, Banky W., Duncan Mighty, Seriki, Mode 9, V.I.P, Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Dagrin, M.I, Ajayi Brovas, Kwaw Kese, Timaya, Kwam 1, and Wizboyy. The producers that worked on the album include ID Cabasa, Puffy Tee, Tee-Y Mix, Cheepho, Spellz, Duncan Mighty, E.L, and D'Tunes. The fifth track off the album, Iya Alariya, was supposed to feature veteran musician King Sunny Adé, but the label failed to make time to get Adé and 9ice in the studio.

Background and recording
Versus was conceived as a collaborative project to showcase 9ice's versatility and his ability to work with a wide range of artists. In the years leading up to the album, 9ice had established himself as a prominent figure in the Nigerian music scene, with albums like Tradition and Gongo Aso propelling him to fame.

The recording of "Versus" spanned several months and took place in different studios across Nigeria. 9ice collaborated with a wide array of artists, including Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, 2Baba, among others, each adding their unique touch to the project. Nigerian producers such as ID Cabasa, D'Tunes, and Spellz played key roles in shaping the album's sound. 9ice's new (at the time) producer, Cheepho, also primarily produced songs on the album.

During the sessions, 9ice focused on crafting tracks that not only showcased his lyrical abilities but also allowed his collaborators to shine. The album is a rich tapestry of sounds and styles, reflecting the diversity of Nigerian music.

Singles
The album's initial singles, "Loni Ni", "Safarawe", and "Atamatase", were all released on 12 February 2010, with "Loni Ni" featuring Dagrin, "Safarawe" featuring M.I, and "Atamatase" featuring Mode 9. Following those four singles, "All The Way" featuring P-Square dropped on 10 November 2010. The final single, "Insanity" arrived on 30 October 2011, featuring Kwaw Kese. Notably, the music video for "Loni Ni" premiered on 14 November 2011, and was directed by GINI. The music video for the opening track, "Life Is Beautiful" featuring 2Baba, was released on 5 April 2015 and was directed by HG2 Filmworks.

Composition
In the opening track, "Life Is Beautiful", 9ice and 2Baba talk about the wonders of the world and how great their lives are. In "Good Day", VIP and 9ice talk about a girl that they cherish. In "All The Way", 9ice and P-Square talk about the rise of their careers and how they won't stop arising. "Everything" is a heartfelt breakup song with vocal assistance from Tiwa Savage. "Tempo" features Banky W and talks about taking a relationship to the next level. "GbonGilaGila" is a comedy song about sex and features former label mate Seriki. "This Life" features Duncan Mighty and is a political track about struggles they face in Nigeria. "Health Is Wealth" is a song about maintaining good health and well-being. It features Kwam 1. In "Safarawe", M.I and 9ice talk about how they are legends in the Nigerian music industry, since M.I started in 2006 and 9ice started in 2007. "Loni Ni" features the late rapper Dagrin and is a song about partying and having a good time.

Critical reception
Ayomide Tayo from Nigerian Entertainment Today rated the album a 3.5 out of 5, saying that Versus "sometimes sounds like a collection of songs and not an album." He then stated that "9ice can go toe to toe with some the best names in the land even though he isn't ready to beat some of them yet." The duo from Should You Bump This, Sho and Tunde, rated the album a 2 out of 5, the reason from Sho being "he should just get back to making music with ID Cabasa.", and the reason from Tunde being "9ice fails to deliver any standout hit on this album." Wilfred Okiche of YNaija said the album "can be described as a boxing arena where he books some of the biggest names in the music industry to battle with them.

Accolades
Versus was nominated for Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies 2012.

Personnel

 * 9ice – primary artist
 * Wizboyy – featured artist
 * Dagrin – featured artist
 * KWAM 1 – featured artist
 * Duncan Mighty – featured artist
 * Ajayi Brovas – featured artist
 * 2Baba – featured artist
 * Mode 9 – featured artist
 * 2Baba – featured artist
 * P-Square – featured artist
 * Wizkid – featured artist
 * Timaya – featured artist
 * Seriki – featured artist
 * V.I.P – featured artist
 * Kwaw Kese – featured artist
 * M.I Abaga – featured artist
 * Tiwa Savage – featured artist
 * Banky W. – featured artist
 * Kayefi – featured artist
 * Puffy Tee – producer
 * E.L – producer
 * D'Tunes – producer
 * Tee-Y Mix – producer
 * ID Cabasa – producer
 * Cheepho – producer
 * Spellz – producer
 * Red Eye – producer
 * Duncan Mighty – producer
 * Cheepho – mixing engineer
 * Cheepho – mastering engineer
 * HG2 Filmworks – video director
 * GINI – video director