Ice Prince signed a record deal with Chocolate City in 2009. He spent the next year featuring on the tracks of other artists, including Naeto C and Banky W.[1] Moreover, he started working on the album with label mates Brymo, M.I and Jesse Jagz. In writing the album, Ice Prince wanted to create a work that would not let his fans down after all they had done for him.[2] Days before its release, the album was known simply as E.L.I., with the full title being kept under wraps.[3] Prior to Chocolate City disclosing that E.L.I is an acronym for Everybody Loves Ice Prince, there were numerous speculations about its meaning.[4][5] While speaking to the Nigerian Tribune about the album, Ice Prince said, "At first, I wanted to name the album after the street I used to live in Jos but when I lost my mother, the mad love I got from everybody around the world made me change it to Everybody Loves Ice Prince".[6]
E.L.I is predominantly hip hop, but incorporates elements of R&B, dancehall, raga, Afrobeats, reggae, highlife and soul.[7] Ice Prince deliberately explores these genres to avoid being seen as "just another rapper". In an interview with Naija Entertainment, he described the album as a "fusion of many genres".[2] According to Chocolate City, E.L.I is an album centered around and influenced by love and music.[5] Ice Prince said the album draws a lot of influence and motivation from his mother’s death, as well as from the outpouring of love and encouragement he received as consolation from his fans.[8] All songs on the album were written by Panshak Zamani, except where the track features another artist.[9]
The album's lead single "Oleku" was released on June 8, 2011.[13] It was well-received and created anticipation behind the album.[14] The song is one of the most remixed Nigerian songs of 2010.[15] The album's second single "Superstar" was released on April 22, 2011. It received radio airplay, but was not as successful as "Oleku".[16][17][18] "Juju" was released as the album's third single. The accompanying music video for "Juju" was directed by Godfather Productions; it leaked on February 18, 2012.[19]
Critical reception
Everybody Loves Ice Prince received mixed reviews from music critics. It was generally a good album, but did not live up to the hype surrounding it. Some critics found that in an attempt to appeal to a majority of the public by mixing in a lot of genres, Ice Prince lost the direction and unifying sound of a pure hip hop record.[20] Others have commended Ice Prince on adding other genres because they feel that it creates a new sound and adds variety to the listening experience. The variety of styles reflects on the full scope of the music Ice Prince writes, rather than just one section of it.[21][22]
Another criticism of the album was that it varies greatly in the quality of the music. Some critics found that the album was made up of several excellent songs, strung together by a fleet of bad ones. A common complaint was that the lyrics were full of cheesy lines, which do not help his (Ice Prince’s) credibility.[23] The album was commended on its catchy singable tunes and public appeal.
Generally, Everybody Loves Ice Prince was praised for being a great shot at a debut album, if not slightly over hyped.[24]
