2 Kings is a collaborative studio album by Nigerian rappers Olamide and Phyno. It was released through Cloud 9 and the iTunes Store with little announcement on 1 April 2015, by Penthauze Music and YBNL Nation. The album features collaborations with producers and guest artists such as Wizkid, Lil Kesh, Storm Rex, Pheelz, Major Bangz, B.Banks and Young John.[1] Prior to recording the album, Olamide and Phyno frequently collaborated with each other on several songs, including "Ghost Mode" and "Dope Money". The album produced the singles "Une" and "Confam Ni".
Background
Olamide first announced plans for a collaborative project with Phyno in January 2014.[2]2 Kings was initially scheduled for release in 2014, but was pushed back. While speaking to Yaw of Wazobia FM in October 2014, Olamide said the album was still being worked on.[3]
Singles
On 5 February 2015, "Une" was released the album's lead single.[4] On 8 March 2015, Olamide released the album's second single "Confam Ni", which features vocals by Wizkid and was produced by Young John.[5]
Critical reception
2 Kings received generally positive reviews from music critics. Jim Donnett awarded the album 4 stars out of 5, characterizing it as "the battle axe, crafted and fashioned for the reawakening purpose" and commending Olamide and Phyno for "breaking the fetters and reigning supreme as kings."[6] Ayomide Tayo of Pulse Nigeria granted the album 3.5 stars out of 5, describing it as a "project that had more promise and potential than impact" and applauding both rappers for not taking the "let's play it safe" approach.[7] A writer for music blog Jaguda described the album as a "classic masterpiece" and commended its production and length.[8]
