Bla , Bla , Bla. The noise of this so called Nigerian hip hop music industry is something that i believed is generally over hyped by the Nigerian media and probably some big corporate organization players such as Telecoms & Brewies giants in Nigeria.

Take it or leave it our Nigeria Hip Hop scene in my own humble opinion is just over rated and hyped. Where you have a system that fails to have basic sales statistics audits of the sales figures of their artist in order to an authoritative chart rating yet we make noise we have arrived ?

Our albums or Cds sell for less than a dollar ? Goodness grief and you say its actually to checkmate the pirates. Please their is no value for money after buying a CD for N100 and i cant play it on my cd player more than 3 times before the cd gets scratched and its starts to jump.

Yes we may be making some good music videos now with the help of some music video directors such as Wudi Awa, Clarence peters, DJ T and more but abeg thats where it stops. A good music video that gets air play on channel O and probably on MTV Base. We all know that your video will b played a million times on the Nigerian Local TV stations. For What ? . They are played for free, did i hear you say. Of course they are played for free and infact we have to settle the TV stations to even play the videos so as to give us promotion.

I hear the songs so much on TV and radio that i may not even bother to buy the CD after all, how pathetic.

What about the Big Recording Labels and Companies ? There are none my friend. All the big players have left. Sony, EMI and may be Premier Music. All gone with the wind. Now we dont need music labels when we have Alaba Marketers. How interesting.

Simple logic pay me 2 or 3 million naira which equates to $13 - 16,000 and i will gladly sell you the rights of my album for you to produce and sell as many millions as you can.

Lastly, i can tolerate anything in music but i cant tolerate live shows and concerts that are just as poorly organized as Prom parties in Sudan. How many of your so called musicians can dare to day that they can really do a live show or performance that can be compared to an MTV Unplugged standard. Very little probably Asa,Nneka and a few others.

Naija music this, Naija music that

Ure a confused young man!
Are u sayn the naija hiphop singers are overhyped or the music entertainment scene is below par?

Hatch#:

bla bla bla

this is the only thing , that gave u out as a hater. arrant thrash.

ebi lon pa!

interesting. . . .

ofokaofoki:

this is the only thing , that gave u out as a hater. arrant thrash.

You mean he stated good points and since you find it hard to counter, you resulted to saying the above? Nice.

In my opinion, people like you are part of the problem.

Hmmmmm

@el razur
ur name sounds familiar , abi na bcuzzz i diss u ?lol see hater

ofokaofoki:

@el razur
your name sounds familiar , abi na bcuzzz i diss u ?lol see hater

I think we spoke via email once or twice as per VST for FL.

I have nothing against you.

By the way, it may be of interest to you to know that I bought a brand new Juno G today and have it in front of me. Oh an am picking up a Native Instrument maschine soon. You can check out both on youtube [Type in Juno G hip hop beat, Maschine Hip Hop beat etc] FL is so dated now. I use Ableton live 8 as my DAW.

good for u

Wow, interesting stuff. For those of us in Diaspora. All we here is how rapid the naija hihop scene is growing back home. Recently i blogged about investing in the naija hiphop industry based on all the what you call " hype" http://www.naijaroots.com

@OP
Good points raised.
However,it applies to the general music industry.You shouldn't single out HipHop Naija.
We'll soon get there as per live music.The system is evolvin,we gettin' good music and video producers by the day.

naijaroots:

Wow, interesting stuff. For those of us in Diaspora. All we here is how rapid  the naija hihop scene is growing back home. Recently i blogged about investing in the naija hiphop industry based on all the what you call " hype"  http://www.naijaroots.com

Why dont you just ask people to please read your blog?

No offence, average rappers. Commercial garbage and the very reason why the OP have a point.

Da Grin have my respect for what he is doing. But then it do not mean he isn't a hype.

Cuzo sound just about every other "american wanna be" rapper I have heard. Please tell me am wrong. His first track "Naija girl" or something was the better of the two. The second one is just another garbage - claiming to be street smart, talk about guns and his niggers and his haters and how much he rolls in money and run the streets! Give me a flipping break. I have been listening to hiphop since the time of AfricanBambata. . . Please tell me something else.

Yet in your opinion, you think someone like this is the "best unsigned artist". Awesome.


Naija hiphop scene have the right idea, but just like our nollywood, poorly executed. Most of the sound used on most naija track are straight up stock sound from programs like Fruity loops etc. Tell me which producer in naija have a defined sound? You cant miss a Dr Dre Beat, you will know a Timbaland beat or something by produced by Kanye wont go unrecognised. I listen to naija hiphop and those supposedly produced in ghana with big bucks are nothing but pop sound.

Interesting topic, but extremely weak points to support it.
The points you listed don't hold any water.

1. Our albums sell for a dollar, so what?? [/b]Isn't that the value compared to the cost of living in Nigeria?? A bottle of coke sells for £1 in the UK, but sells for around N70 in Nigeria. We can't expect Nigerians to buy music at prices that are skyhigh compared to other commodities. . . that point is flawed.

The cd jumps?? I still have CDs I bought five years ago that work easily. Besides if you're really bothered, save your music on your laptop or buy music online.
Technology is your friend.

2. [b]Do we actually need these big record labels?? Haven't you seen what they did to music in America?? With artiste like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus selling millions while the Jill Scotts and Melanie Fionas sell fuckall??
Why should we let these guys monopolise the industry when we can easily make our industry the survival of the most talented. . . in Nigeria, Modenine and M.I are releasing an album and we all know they're both highly anticipated. American music scholars will beg for a commercial battle between Mos Def and Eminem.

3. I heard MTV play Forever Young and Drake's Forever twice every fifteen minutes for a whole day, I still went out and copped Blueprint 3 and So Far Gone . . . t[b]he best songs are the album songs[/b], you'll know that if you actually like hiphop.

4. The live shows are bad, yes, but does that take anything off Modenine'stalent?? You blame Nigerian hiphop for the problem of the organizers.
We saw what Naeto C and M.I did in Nairobi at the MAMAs when they had good organizers.

Nigerian Music is Crap!

ElRazur:

Cuzo sound just about every other "american wanna be" rapper I have heard. Please tell me am wrong. His first track "Naija girl" or something was the better of the two. The second one is just another garbage - claiming to be street smart, talk about guns and his niggers and his haters and how much he rolls in money and run the streets! Give me a flipping break. I have been listening to hiphop since the time of AfricanBambata. . . Please tell me something else.

If you think this is a problem with just Nigerian hiphop then f[i]u[/i]ck the AfricaBambata/Grandmaster Flash ish . . . you know nothing about hiphop. No offence intended.

ElRazur:

Naija hiphop scene have the right idea, but just like our nollywood, poorly executed. Most of the sound used on most naija track are straight up stock sound from programs like Fruity loops etc. Tell me which producer in naija have a defined sound? You cant miss a Dr Dre Beat, you will know a Timbaland beat or something by produced by Kanye wont go unrecognised. I listen to naija hiphop and those supposedly produced in ghana with big bucks are nothing but pop sound.  

I don't know about you but I know the difference between Don Jazzy and Timbaland.
Cry doesn't sound like Swizz Beats to me. . .

You used Timbaland and Kanye, aren't they the most insular producers in America??
Dre beats are becoming less and less identifiable everyday, how identifiable are Pharell's beats these days??
Would you be able to tell from listening that Diddy produced Roc Boys??

eldee:

If you think this is a problem with just Nigerian hiphop then f[i]u[/i]ck the AfricaBambata/Grandmaster Flash ish . . . you know nothing about hiphop. No offence intended.

How nice and very tactical. You did not argue or counter the point but then proceed to be dismissive. Oh wait, this is nairaland.

I don't know about you but I know the difference between Don Jazzy and Timbaland.
Cry doesn't sound like Swizz Beats to me. . .

You used Timbaland and Kanye, aren't they the most insular producers in America??
Dre beats are becoming less and less identifiable everyday, how identifiable are Pharell's beats these days??
Would you be able to tell from listening that Diddy produced Roc Boys??

Did you just say someone argued in a flawed manner, and yet the best you came out with is this? Right, allow me to state further that some of us know the different between producers sound. You just gotta have an ear for it. While some individual track may sound like others, over all, people are able to and can tell the difference between a Dre beat and a that of timba for example. In dre beat, you have plenty of Keyboards and Pianos, while that of timbo have many different parts that sometimes act as fillers, but overall works as "one" in the beat. That is just some of these characteristic signature that have made these producer their defined sound.

Insular? Timbo insular? Right and I do not know about Hiphop right? Way to show your knowledge. This is a guy who is a super producer and have worked from Your pop album to your indie records and along side music considered as "white music". He paid his dues, but yeah you will have something to say. Before we lose the point. The point is that No producer in Nigeria have a defined sound. No?

As for Kanye, oh please. He's work with plenty of people before he become this known kanye.

Not to sound like I am showing off, I have a Juno G workstation and one of the things I did is learn how to make my own sound from the synth. I.e tweak existing sound on board to make my own, etc than just using stock sounds. If you really know about hiphop, you will realise my point as per Nigeria's producers and stock sound.

Bla , Bla , Bla. The noise of this so called Nigerian hip hop music industry is something that i believed is generally over hyped by the Nigerian media and probably some big corporate organization players such as Telecoms & Brewies giants in Nigeria.

They have not even started yet. . .Its not even rated yet. .  They've  been conquering africa. . . .untill they start coping international award. . .You'll know then

Take it or leave it our Nigeria Hip Hop scene in my own humble opinion is just over rated and hyped. Where you have a system that fails to have basic sales statistics audits of the sales figures of their artist in order to an authoritative chart rating yet we make noise we have arrived ?  

Good point. . . But what has this got to do with the quality of the music. Last time i checked, Naija is a developing country. . .If you wanna compare them to the US and Uk then you prolly out of your mind. .  

Our albums or Cds sell for less than a dollar ?   Goodness grief and you say its actually to checkmate the pirates. Please their is no value for money after buying a CD for N100 and i cant

Wrong!. . .Blame yourself for buying a pirated version!. . Ahan. . . You nor dey think?

Yes we may be making some good music videos now with the help of some music video directors such as Wudi Awa, Clarence peters, DJ T and more but abeg thats where it stops. A good music video that gets air play on channel O and probably on MTV Base. We all know that your video will b played a million times on the Nigerian Local TV stations. For What  ?   . They are played for free, did i hear you say. Of course they are played for free and infact we have to settle the TV stations to even play the videos so as to give us promotion.

True say about Radio ish. . . There was a thread about nigerian Dj's collecting bribe to play upcoming artistes songs. . .its sickening! As per rubbish songs and good videos. . .You prolly live abroad and you are maybe one of those who think anything done over there is the best! And then u start comparing it to your country. . . Those guyz are waaayyyy older than you! It took them years to get to where they are!. . Naija hiphop in the 90's has nun on naija hiphop now. . .It has evolved. . .Its worth mentioning. . Its worth the hype(if it is being hyped which i dont think).  .If someone like wyclef can come from us to do a collabo with 10 or more nigerian hiphop artistes involved. . . Speaks volume!. . .and then did you see him introduce M.I at the MAMAs?
Dude if you cant be proud of what ya country men do . . .Dont expect the outside world to feel em for you!

I hear the songs so much on TV and radio that i may not even bother to buy the CD after all, how pathetic.

So, airplay is now a problem?

What about the Big Recording Labels and Companies ? There are none my friend. All the big players have left. Sony, EMI and may be Premier Music. All gone with the wind. Now we dont need music labels when we have Alaba Marketers.   How interesting.

Kennis music monopolised the industry for years! It had no impact whatsoever!. . . .Now, we got several labels with big name artistes. . . . And the popularity is getting bigger . . .Like i said. . We just gettn started!

Simple logic pay me 2 or 3 million naira which equates to  $13 - 16,000 and i will gladly sell you the rights of my album for you to produce and sell as many millions as you can.  

This is your most valuable point!. . .  Its being worked on! . . .Artistes now know its not worth it. . .

Lastly, i can tolerate anything in music but i cant tolerate live shows and concerts that are just as poorly organized as Prom parties in Sudan. How many of your so called musicians can dare to day that they can really do a live show or performance that can be compared to an MTV Unplugged standard. Very little probably Asa,Nneka and a few others.  

Blame it on the show producers. . .if they dont provide the facilities, the artistes have to make do with what they've got. . .(DJ)

Naija music this, Naija music that  

IMO. . . Naija hiphop isnt over hyped nor isnt over rated!. . . Its just getting started. . . E never even move!. . .But peeps like the poster are not helping matters when they start comparing it to succesfull markets abroad. . .
Naija music has evolved from guyz coppying beats and  flow of a song and just changing the lyrics. . . To peeps actually doing mixtapes, Producing beats from scratch. . . .Writing their own 16s. . .
Haba!!! how can someone say naija dont have producers!!. . .Its an insult to Cobhams,Donjazzy,Kid-konnect,Chopsticks,OJB, Eldee, Suspekt and the others. . . Nor vex peeps mah. . .thunder fit faya ya mouth!


Naija hiphop is here to stay mahn. . . If you dont like that fact! Disown ya country

@ Elrazur
She made a blanket statement that Nigerian music is crap and I'm entitled to express my opinion and call her a F.O.O.L for saying such. . . .EOD! It's funny this is coming from someone who watches Nollywood movies like sey her life depends on it. (Just take a stroll to the TV/Movies section and click on the thread 'What was the last movie you'  watched and you'll see what she's about). . .'fake @$$ wanna post on every thread' & 'popular by force' idiot of NLand. . . . .Mama-gee, keep it up, so gbo?. . . .you no win any NLand award for 2009, you'll definitely win one this year. . .Idiot oshi!

semid4lyfe:

@ Elrazur
She made a blanket statement that Nigerian music is crap and I'm entitled to express my opinion and call her a F.O.O.L for saying such. . . .EOD! It's funny this is coming from someone who watches Nollywood movies like sey her life depends on it. (Just take a stroll to the TV/Movies section and click on the thread 'What was the last movie you'  watched and you'll see what she's about). . .'fake @$$ wanna post on every thread' & 'popular by force' idiot of NLand. . . . .Mama-gee, keep it up, so gbo?. . . .you no win any NLand award for 2009, you'll definitely win one this year. . .Idiot oshi! 

o boy cool na abi you be their malager or na manager dem dey call una?

i have to admit i only touch some naija gospel but it isnt it a common knowledge that most of the thing we call music and films in naija are pure crap?

instead of developing a proper production industry we are busy creating and promoting half baked talents as celebrities as if nigeria depends on glorified tarts passing for actors.

we will live to regret the day we allowed these nonsence in our midst. we are being entertained or robbed to death.

@semid4lyfe
Shey na mama-gee calls you bin wan monitor?
She chop your money run on val's day ni

All these Yankee people that know little about the evolution of the Nigerian music industry, very few of them understand. Una never halla. Naija Hip-Hop will eventually take over the world!!

Genuflect:

All these Yankee people that know little about the evolution of the Nigerian music industry, very few of them understand. Una never halla. Naija Hip-Hop will eventually take over the world!!

Its not even a yankee thing, I have no idea wot the guy is talking about. Meanwhile is he talking about the music industry or the music itself cos if it the industry then maybe he has a point but if its the music, he's so wrong. Naija music gets more popular over here by the day and for no other reason than its good. I had an American friend come tell me one time "Nigerian music is taking over men". . . lol. I know that was a lil bit of an exaggeration but at least it just goes to show how far we've come. Then for the person that said some producers' sounds are recognizable. . . who cares? I like the fact Don Jazzy can go from doing a hip hop beat to R&B to a yoruba track to an Igbo sound. Nothing wrong with being versatile

Genuflect:

All these Yankee people that know little about the evolution of the Nigerian music industry, very few of them understand. Una never halla. Naija Hip-Hop will eventually take over the world!!

good talk man. I cant understand why a Naija American dat doesnt know anything about d nigerian music scene will come here n talk trash. I know d industry isnt perfect but d artistes are good. I hav been around and i know dat naija music has taken over Africa. @poster, do u know dat BRACKET has taken over East Africa n the rest of Africa wit their hit single YORI YORI. Their shows in East Africa is always sold out. So dont try to diss Naija music or else ur own go kpome!!

@el razur i reeally like ur idea of hip hop. pls i need info on the maschine and juno stuff. complete info dear.

@el razur my email is queencherylstan@gmail.com.

aieromon:

@semid4lyfe
Shey na mama-gee calls you bin wan monitor?
She chop your money run on val's day ni

Aieromon, some water passed under the bridge between me & mama-gee on this thread. . . .as in, we dissed each other badly. . . .I think the posts were deleted by lalaboi. Anyway my point is how person wey like Nollywood films die go dey call Naija music crap?. . . .Isn't the music been churned in Naija today better than the movies? Pathetic!

mr_me_too:

Its not even a yankee thing, I have no idea wot the guy is talking about. Meanwhile is he talking about the music industry or the music itself cos if it the industry then maybe he has a point but if its the music, he's so wrong. Naija music gets more popular over here by the day and for no other reason than its good. I had an American friend come tell me one time "Nigerian music is taking over men". . . lol. I know that was a lil bit of an exaggeration but at least it just goes to show how far we've come. Then for the person that said some producers' sounds are recognizable. . . who cares? I like the fact Don Jazzy can go from doing a hip hop beat to R&B to a yoruba track to an Igbo sound. Nothing wrong with being versatile

He is talking about many things. The industry, the "artist" etc.

You claim he is wrong, but yet haven't showed how he is wrong.

Been popular do not mean it is good. For example, the sex industry in our higher institution is poplar, does that mean it is good?

Just because you have an American friend telling you it is taking over do not mean it is. The same way you have people telling you it is taking over, is the same way some of us think it is nothing but poorly executed ideas.

I am the one who made the point about defined sound. Clearly you have no idea about hip hop. In America [since those are the people our artist are copying] The South have a gritty sound that have become know as "Dirty South" - Pulsating drums, compressed drum rolls and snare with a long going melody on top. The California side have their "West coast" flavour - Deep bass synth, laid back beats etc.

If all these places have been using stock sounds straight from Fruityloops or DMX [dmx is a classic drum machine] I guess there won't be so much definition between them. And one crucial mistake you made is that a producer with a defined sound can produce any kind of music genre.

Genuflect:

All these Yankee people that know little about the evolution of the Nigerian music industry, very few of them understand. Una never halla. Naija Hip-Hop will eventually take over the world!!

Have you travelled beyond your shores? Beyond the shores of Africa and actually spend time and live for a while in other places? Here, I grew up in naija listening to artist that you probably don't even know. Dele Abiodun, Prince Segun Adewale, Haruna Ishola, Victor Uwaifo, Bobby Benson, Dan Maraya, Victor Olaya etc. I am in my late 20s but I had the chance to listen to all of these great and proper artist. My point? I know a thing or two when it comes to the Nigeria music scene and have always listen to the evolution of these music lyrically and production wise. Did you know that Sunny ade made loads of changes in bringing Guitar to the music scene?

I listen to Naija music now, and it reminds me of the commercial and there are just areas that I feel needs improvement. And when I say improvement, I am talking about getting the basics right. I watch a video last night of Sasha, sauce-kid and another guy. One of the comments posted on youtube was bang on target it says "I think the vocal delivery can be tighter". Simply put, their flows with back tracks is weak.

jiggaz:

good talk man. I cant understand why a Naija American dat doesnt know anything about d nigerian music scene will come here n talk trash. I know d industry isnt perfect but d artistes are good. I hav been around and i know dat naija music has taken over Africa. @poster, do u know dat BRACKET has taken over East Africa n the rest of Africa wit their hit single YORI YORI. Their shows in East Africa is always sold out. So dont try to diss Naija music or else your own go kpome!!

Really? Do you have to know anything about Hollywood movie before you can say a movie is good or bad? Having said that, Naija music is not hollywood and most who posted here will know a thing or two about naija movie. It is people like you that are adding to the problem - can't take criticism and think those who dare point out the flaws are "haters" or "haterz" isnt?

Our artists at best are average. Especially, our top 10 rappers. It is this sort of mentality that is killing us. I remember when I used to think Super Eagles play the best football in the whole wide world. Imagine how that myth was shattered when I moved back to London and started watching the EPL from 96 or so.

A poplar song, do not mean our artist are taking over. This is the common mistakes you guys keep making. An artist enjoying 15mins of fame, do not mean they are here to stay. I can give you names of Artist who have had world wide success for a limited time and after that gone downhill.

MOST OF U HERE ARE JUST TALKING THRASH , I GUESS U PEOPLE WERENT BORN WHEN BLACK MASQUERADAZ, MC SMOKE AND CO STARTED NAIJA HIPHOP. MOST OF U WERE BORN IN THE ERA OF MODENINE AND TRYBESMEN,
SEE THIS ONE (ABOUT 9 -10POSTS ABOVE ME ) TALKING AS IF HE IS AN AUTHORITY IN NAIJA MUSIC,
ITS A PITY WE ALL KNOW YOU ARE JUST TURNING 18 YEARS . BLOODY MISYARNERS .

jiggaz:

good talk man. @poster, do u know dat BRACKET has taken over East Africa n the rest of Africa wit their hit single YORI YORI. Their shows in East Africa is always sold out. So dont try to diss Naija music or else your own go kpome!!

True talk!. . . . .I saw a 30 minutes behind the scene tape/recording of what went down in the stadium in Nairobi just before kick-off of the WCQ match between Nigeria & Kenya. . . . .believe it or not the jamz been played in the stadium were Naija jamz. . .heard ada owerri, yori yori (from the way the spectators danced it was obviously a hit song) and songs by P-square & 2-face.

saharachic:

@el razur i reeally like your idea of hip hop. pls i need info on the maschine and juno stuff. complete info dear.

The Juno G is a workstation. I.e a complete studio in a box so to speak. You can make a whole song on it if necessary. Check out more info here:

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=756


Here is track made with "stock sound" on the Juno G

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqVA8nfOdgE

Here is video showing how quick one can make a beat on it [I posted comments on that on]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv5SWftlXcU


The NI Maschine is what is called a "Groove box" i.e something for making beats - but more suited for drums imo. It is like an Akai mpc drum machine but only better. It works with your computer and makes your work flow very fast. You can finish a whole track on it etc. Check out more info here:

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/maschine/


And here are videos showing what can be done with it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSKndbitZDU

You can just forward to 4mins onwards to hear the beat.



And this is my favourite video showing how you can sample music with it and make something brand new:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3m8W75C9zw



The maschine sells for about £500 and the Juno G for around £800.  Both can do each others "job" but the Juno G have very good sound on board and the whole idea is for me make the beats on the Maschine and then add sounds from the Juno G etc.

PS if you are a student, you can pick up the maschine for £379 or so, but you are not allowed to use it for commercial purposes. [Whether they will find out or not, I do not know] but I am picking up the student version in some few weeks. I just pray I have the time to do it all.

Oh you can pick up the Juno G for around £400 - £500 as a second hand - Personally, I won't as I prefer to have it new as it comes with 3 year warranty that way, if anything happens to it within that 3 year period, it will be fixed for free.