Ayra Starr’s Gimme Dat is bursting the airwaves, coming hot at number 3 on the Naija top 100 this season. She brings in “bad man” loverboy, WizKid, making him commit his love to only her in this wonderfully written work of art.
Gimme Dat – Samples Of Nostalgia
The three minute, forty-five seconds masterpiece sample’s tunes from Wyclef Jean’s 911 featuring Mary J Blige which in itself is a love song, though coming from the side of a heartbreak. The sampling of the tunes also comes with nostalgia for the early 2000s, a time when hip pop was in its prime and Afrobeats was just taking its baby steps.
At this period, most of the Afrobeat greats like P Square and 2Baba would have tapped into Wyclef and his 911 track for inspiration that would shape their career as the genre developed.
But Ayra Starr and WizKid turn things around, making theirs one of longing. Longing for a love so potent it can cause a fatal heartbreak.
It also steals lyrics from Diallo using the name itself.
Ayra Starr’s Attention To Detail Pays Off
Ayra Starr gives herself to the song, showing passion for the love she craves, hitting high notes in the mid section of the track.
The song was well constructed lyrically, showing that this is not just a quickly put together freestyle (something WizKid is guilty of doing), but one that had its lyrics thought out and written for effect.
Ayra Starr shows how much she wants the love, asking for that kind of love that comes with no stress and plenty of freebies. She says:
“Gimme dat love, gimme peace of mind
No ṣhere cure me with your waistline (Don’t play cure me…)
I want that peace of mind wey dey come with awoof (wey dey come with awoof)
Baby na one-man race we dey run
So make you no come waste time
Uh nur, no pressure”
Awoof means “freebie”.
WizKid Goes Over ANd Beyond, Delivering A Masterpiece
It is also great that Ayra Star chose WizKid to feature as we all know that the Surulere-born Afrobeat superstar is one very dexterous artiste who excels well in the dancehall music genre.
Wizkid also brings his appeal to the song, ad libbing to the chorus song in just the right places.
This song isn’t going to be WizKid and Ayra Starr’s only work together, the pair also worked on Wizkid’s “2 Sugar” track which is slated to come under his upcoming “More Love, Less Ego,” album.
Wizkid matches her enthusiasm in his lines, praising her beauty, saying that she is the only one that makes him “stick to one girl”. He tells her to not worry, that he’d be faithful and responsive:
“…Ẹlẹyinju ẹgẹ (one with captivating eyes) God damn!
Picture-perfect
No dey mind dem
Keep it private
Fọkan balẹ (keep calm/don’t worry)
If you need me, baby, I’ll be right there
One more time for my lady o
Pump action you dey gbe mi o (like I’m shot by a pump action, you lift me)
Do me many things ti o le ye mi o (Do me many things that I don’t understand)
“I’m ready if you’re ready too”
Sexual Innuendos Hitting The Roof In Gimme Dat!
In her second stanza, Ayra Star teases WizKid with the things she’d do to him, painting a beautiful and smart sexual imagery hidden in her words:
So many people wan lick my stew
So baby chill, make I survey your tools
And if I handle your two by two
You fit to scream, you go lose your cool…
Though that falls on the raunchy side of things, one wonders if these lines will keep the song out from hitting the public airwaves as we all know how hard the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission are on sexual innuendos in the media. We also wonder if those of other “conservative” countries would be forgiving.
The Instrumentals Do Justice To The Song
The choice of guitar and a piano for the instrumentals comes forth as the perfect blend to carry the dancehall tune to the appropriate levels.
The piano gives the black churchy feel which never fails to connect with the highly spiritual side of the human psyche. The guitar and trumpets also brings forth the dancehall feel with just the right infusion of the reggae mix, coming forth with the simple but effective drum beats.
Ayra Starr: On A Steady Cruise To The Stars
Ayra Starr is also cruising in bliss as her career continues to go international, earning her international collaborations for her Woman commando song and the opportunity to share the stage with musical bigwigs like Tems and Tyla. Don Jazzy and the Mavin management would agree that investing in this model-turned singer was a very good decision.
Yes, Ayra Starr was a model before she broke into the musical scene with Mavin. She was famous then for her soulful covers she posted on Instagram, attracting the Mavin scouting team and a record deal.
Her modelling experience also helps with her sex appeal which is one ingredient every female artiste must possess in order to make it big in this highly sexualised world of show biz.
It is quite disturbing though that sometimes she takes it to the extreme with costumes that leave very little to the imagination.
Final Words
One cannot deny the fact that this track is hot to the ears and stirs the mind! We at Trickle Media are sure its going to be gaining the attention it needs, no wonder it is currently number three on the Naija top 100 charts. We look forward to its eventual rise to the top in the following weeks!
