We know Peter and Paul of the defunct Psquare group are a talented duo. We can’t help but wonder who is the most talented between these two sighting the fact that both artistes had something they brought to the table while they were still together. But thanks to their various singles we might just know who is.
P-Square’s 2017 breakup was explosive but it wasn’t unexpected. In the three years leading up to it, the high walls surrounding Squareville had come tumbling down. It seemed like every few months, there was a new story about subliminal attacks on social media or group in-fighting. The notoriously reclusive Okoye brothers began to wash so much of their dirty linen in public that everything started to feel like one continuous publicity stunt — but it wasn’t.
After the final breakup, both Peter and Paul had to go back to square one, or at least very close to it. The duo’s reign at the top of African pop music had spanned over a decade, but the world was going to have to get to know Paul “Rudeboy” Okoye and Peter “Mr. P” Okoye as comfortable but unpopular solo artists. Perhaps understanding the enormity of the task in front of them, Paul likened his new challenge to starting a “new year,” and Peter began referring to himself as an upcoming artist.
Weeks prior their breakup, the duo had traded subtle shots at each leading to rumours and hints at an imminent breakup.
But neither of them nor their management had confirmed or denied. But with the leaking of a video showing the brothers violently trading blows and insults the truth of their split was finally brought to light and made it to blogs and news worldwide.
Peter Okoye now known as Mr. P after the video oust them reportedly sent a demand for the termination of the group’s agreement to their lawyer, Festus Keyamo.
He allegedly leveled allegations against his twin brother, Paul “Rudeboy” Okoye, and his elder brother, Jude “Engees” Okoye. Stating Paul has refused to work with him, despite all of his attempts to make their relationship work.
The two have since gone their separate ways and nothing seem to show any sign of them reuniting anytime soon. They have each signed to different record labels and have released singles.
And Psquare like many music groups, it’s usually hard to tell who that person is until they inevitably split. But as they each have songs out it is easier to judge the talent based on these songs.
Mr P however, was first to release his single titled ‘Cool It Down’ and mixed reactions trailed the release with fans urging the twin brothers to reunite and operate as Psquare.
The he followed with ‘For My Head’
But Paul rude boy followed with two songs of his own titled ‘Nkenji Keke’ and ‘Fire Fire’. But what is evident is the presence of the unique Psquare sound in the songs.
With such impressive songs, it’s almost impossible to pick which of them stands out. Hence we leave you to be the judge.
Meanwhile, Mr. P has nearly twice as many followers across all major social networks as his twin brother, although, to be honest, that bigger following hasn’t translated yet into bigger songs.
While both artist have struggled to score a smash hit, Rudeboy’s current single “Reason with me” has so far racked up a respectable 2.7 million YouTube views in two weeks, while Peter’s ‘One More Night’ featuring Niniola is still somewhere between 900k views in one of its release.
That being said, Peter remains a significantly more marketable star than his twin brother. Deals with Glo, Empire Records and Olympic Milk underline just how much of a magnet he still is to the corporate world.
After the breakup, Peter’s positive image was further enhanced by a series of tell-all interviews. While Paul took the high road, Peter followed up his leaked letter and fight video with real-life testimony. As a result, Peter has emerged as the good guy in the breakup, while Paul and Jude continue to look like arch-villains.
But in the words of the urban philosopher JAY-Z, “nobody wins when the family feuds”.
This past year has shown that regardless of which brother ends up looking like an angel or which brother comes out on top, Peter and Paul’s strengths and shortcomings balance out in a way that P-Square will probably always be greater than the sum of its parts.
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With that said, what is your opinion on the former duo? Who would you say is doing better as a solo artiste?
Kindly share your thought in the comment box below.
