The Green House, Where The Eastern Region’s Hiphop Began In Enugu, Nigeria.

Enugu, Nigeria popularly known as the Coal City State is aptly named after millions of tonnes of the priceless mineral resource laying deep beneath the surface of the Eastern Nigerian town which was once also the the Capital of the Eastern region.

Enugu is also known for having birth some of the finest Hiphop hence the popularly “borrowed” early 90s phrase “Coal City’s Finest”.

The Green House was home to The Akpas; siblings Chijioke Akpa, Uchenna Akpa, Chinedu Akpa and Nnamdi Akpa.

The year was 1993/1994, when I encountered the already Hiphop-engineered, rap museum popularly called the Green House. This is where a region’s Hiphop was already been cultivated, set in stone in readiness for history’s sake unbeknownst to all at the time.

The pioneering Hiphop 5-man crew, “Definition of Hiphop” (D.O.H.) was birth in this building (the first-floor apartment on the left) led by the late Chijioke “Mr. Kyddx” Akpa whom I lovingly called “Major Domo” who steered the crew to greatness as a leader loved by all who came across him. Other D.O.H. members comprised Da Bliqstarr (formerly known as “Bleak”), Smooth B (a.k.a. Klack-A-Doo), Def C (formerly known as Lil Def C) and my humbleous self, Bionic.

The Green House housed so much Hiphop history as many passed through is hugely accommodating doors; it was the den for Cyphers, boombox-to-boombox recording of ourselves, penning lyrics before hitting the studio, convergence point where we prepped before going for shows etc.

You could be driving through on a random day and spot “II Hype MCs” (Raw & Smart) crossing the road into the Green House to catch up with MC LOPH and Mr. Kyddx. Not too far, from across the Green House was & still is the popular “Ufuma” spot where The Green House Alumni would hang-out (which also doubled as an unofficial meeting place for entertain guest Hiphoppers/emcees from outside the borough/city. One dope visionary & revered crew that didn’t live too faraway at the time were the siblings, “One Brother Gang” (Minista Busta & REX).

Other rappers included N.R.S. (Nigeria Rap Syndicate; Lone MC & Mr. Effect), Easy Chi, Adim II,

The Green House was the take-off point to every show we were invited to; from there show organisers often had buses convey rappers; to UNN, to Polytechnic, Nekede, to UniPort, to Polytechnic, Oko etc.

Other genre artistes who were Green House Alumni as well and swung by the Green House often included The Plantashun Boiz (Eli & Pirates at the time) and two visionary Dancehall pioneers, Singles & Black Mamba.

The Green House held keen memories of a city’s Hiphop history that’s never been told or sold threatening to turn cold due to lack of unspoken truths and overlooked specials.

Welcome to the Green House; a museum of Coal City’s finest Hiphop pioneers.

I was there.