Music they say "it's food for the soul". Its origin dates as far back as the stone age!. The world of music has produced many Super stars who contributed one way or the other to the growth of music which has made music become a universal language that cut across racial, religious, ethnic and tribal barriers.

Many people have ventured into the world of music and those who possess uncanny talent in the art, entrenched their foot prints in the sands of time which has earned them a place in History, People like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Von Beethoven, Luciano Pavarotti, Rudy Carpenter, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, The Temptations, Michael Jackson et cetera.

Nigeria too has her own fair share of people who have left their footprints in the sands of time in regards to music, People like Bongus Ikwe, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Onyeka Onwenu, Oritz Wiliki, The Mandators, Mike Okri, Charly boy, Evelyn Edna Ogolie, Peter Side Otong, Tina Onwudiwe, Stella Monye, Funmi Adams, Blackky, Majeck Fasheck, et cetera.

One thing you'll have to admit is, apart from the fact that music serves as a source of lively hood for these people, they also use their God given talent to try and pass a 'Positive message' that will impact positive ideals to people all over the world!. Ideals that will make an individual become useful to his or her society.

In modern day Nigeria, you'll notice that, what music was in those days is not what is now! It has been polluted and subjected to all forms of moral degradation to the extent that the very essence of it has been flushed down the drain. You'll discover that most people who venture into music, see the art of music as a means of escaping poverty!. Because of the fact that many of our Nigerian artiste of today are from poor background and music paved a way for them to emerge as millionaires.

When you listen to the songs of today and compare them to those of old, you'll discover a Paradigm shift has occur, one so annoying glaring you shed tears of sorrow when you think about it. The artiste of old sang songs with many positive messages, that is, messages of hope, joy, love, peace, tolerance, forgiveness, et cetera. Little or nothing can be said of our musicians of today who have completely bastardize the very art of music.

The music of today have done nothing more than corrupt and pollute the minds of the youth! When you carefully listen to the songs being played today you'll only discover just three type of messages there, that is Alcohol/Marijuana, Women/Sex and Money. Apparently the videos of these songs of nowadays display all sorts of pervasiveness, such as blatant show of nudity, sex, alcohol, and an amazing show of opulence.

If music is "food for the soul" then one is not surprised that it has course all manner of untold backwardness and perversion to the mind of the Nigerian youth. You will observe a child barely four years of age who can't even recite A, B, C to Z but is able to sing 'go gaga going crazy' and 'first of all, go down low' from begining to end!. Small wonder the youth of today have adopted the 50 cent slogan of 'get rich or die trying' and all forms of sexual innuendos as their modus operandi.

I believe its time we go back to the drawing board and ask ourselves, what went wrong? How did we fall down the drain?. What is responsible?. It is only when we do this and try to correct the ways of musicians of today that our kids will grow up and be steadfast and become the leaders we so much want them to be!. Let us remember, "What is worth doing, is worth doing well".

Whenever i hear people say hip hop/nigerian music is dead,i feel very sorry for that person. It depends on the kind of music you hear,listen to the likes of Young Joe C,M I,Asa,dare art alade,etc arnt they nigerians? Is dere music dead? No! Hip Hop is alive,its the critics that are dead!

.[b]Dudes, please give it a rest..

MUSIC IS SUBJECTIVE..


- There is no such thing as good music and bad music.

- You are right, Music is indeed 'food for the soul'.. Whilst I will listen to an Asa's - Mr Jailer on a cool saturday evening drive over to the grocery store, for its calm cool meaningful melodies, Terry G's - Aye pon gan is definitely what I want to be hearing by 1.am at the club. Both are food for my soul, whilst Asa feeds my soul with calm melodies, Terry G feeds my sul with raw energy.

- Every generation would always have that genre of music that is considered as 'Bad Music' simply because it differes from what has become acceptable. There was a time when Rock music was considered bad Satan music, today, even the Gospel genre now has a rock sub-genre.

- You cant like every music that is out there. You can mention classics like Smokies, however, even Smokies had some controversial songs like 'Pass it Aroud' whic was simply talking about marijuana. You talked about Elvis, before elvis became what he became, he was first rejected for his sexually charged rock and roll performances.

- Point is simple, one mans garbage is another treasure. Even I who consider myself a well rounded musical enthusiast still often find it hard to grasp JAzz.. Like really WTF is that shiit about?!




If a certain music genre or movement does not appeal to you, that does not make it bad music.[/b]

Aberration...............

EAGLES WIF MEDICATED GLASSES........

Most nigerians prefer meaningless, useless songs 2 sensible songs.

@savedbreak if 95% of your workers are bad what will you say they are all good?.k

and we are stil petronizin them by buying thier album....i tire 4 our upcuming 9ja musicians ooo....nw adays,if u b fine boy,na music u wan go into...eg..sina rambo,b.reds,etc

Op its same everywhere or what 'll u say about yankee musicians the Rihanna, lil wayne, Rick ross etc their lyrics & videos is also about drugs, money & nudity.

@ op, you have good points, but i also think it depends on the kind of music you listen to. Most of the musicians you mentioned also had music that weren't accepted during their time too. Fela for instance sang about women and smoked marijuana on stage, imagine that kind of role model in our time. No doubt it's worse than the old days but we have good musicians now too. Search and you'll see.

jimino: Most nigerians prefer meaningless, useless songs 2 sensible songs.

we all have a choice

How i wish our current set of muscian can give evergreen song. Kudos to Christy Igbokwe, KSA, Majek Fasek, Onyeka Onwenu, Barrister, Olisadebe, Oliver de Coup etc

Great write up I must confess but learn to keep it brief and simple.

It is disheartening that the comatose state of the nation has affected every facet, including the music industry. My heart bleeds when I listen to Naija's new generation songs. What do you get? NOISE! NOISE!! NOISE!!!

I have been constrained to listen to only 'far back/old school' because most of them talk sense; you've got something to learn from them. The most shameful aspect is how these our 'celebrated' artists go about STEALING and REMIXING (with impunity) songs of old. The likes of Flavour Nabania, Omawunmi etc should be tried in a law court for theft of intellectual property. For goodness sake, these guys should be advised to be original.

savedbreak: Whenever i hear people say hip hop/nigerian music is dead,i feel very sorry for that person. It depends on the kind of music you hear,listen to the likes of Young Joe C,M I,Asa,dare art alade,etc arnt they nigerians? Is dere music dead? No! Hip Hop is alive,its the critics that are dead!

This suggests to me that you know nothing about Nigeria music industry. ASA is the only person on that list whose songs appeal to all ages and generations. I mean, even old Papas and Mamas do enjoy it too. Sorry I don't rate others.

End time tins. And yes its not only in Nigeria. its the whole world.

One must not like everything, you should sometime have a dislike that why we are human If you Can make choice of cloth that you wear you can as well make choice on the music that you ll listen to too. For me I can't do without music

Everything is changing u can't fight it.now adays music is all about what u have in you & the money u can spend to follow it up.we're now in a digital age u don't expect things 2be like the jet,old or stone age.
The way things are in the world 2day, even ur soul also need 2eat something as rough as 2day's bad music 2get along.
So now adays music is a food for now adays soul.

Like I always say, music depends on moods. If I wanna sit and relax, I'll listen to nneka,2face, gt the guiter boy or even some naija gospels like sinach or cassia. If I wanna party I get down to any of wizkid's jams or olamide. Now if I'm tipsy which is not frequent, I'll listen to dbanj or terry G. It all depends on the mood.
Problem with nigerian upcoming artists is that they are myopic. they have this mindset that if ur songs dnt hit the clubs, then it won't become a hit. I can't remember dare's songs being played in the club but he still makes his money. The media aint even helping at all. They rather give air play to club songs than any other songs.

I think the op is wrong. The change in the messages in the music is global.
Even abroad, artists like rick ross, young geezy, nicky minaj and even R.kelly to sing about money, sex and drugs.
The musicians just reflect the state of the society at particular time.

I'm not a big fan of Nigerian music but I'm sure similar complaints like this were raised in the 80s and 70s when many of the artists listed by OP were still in their heydays. Right now I consider music from the 90s when I was a teenager to be classic - the melody and rhythm of hip hop tracks from that era seem golden to me now but at that time they drew sharp criticism from my elders. The same cycle is repeating itself today, older people will find contemporary music unpleasant.

Aside this observation there is no doubt that over the years there has a been a rapid decline in the moral value and content of music. This decline did not start with contemporary music, it has been there since the 60s and has just been increasingly coming to prominence. Even the music greats like Elvis, Barry White, Bob Marley etc, which many people admire had raunchy works too.

I still love Sunny Okosuns music.

Corrupt music is celebrated in Nigeria today. Am with the writer.

You guy should watch out for my song it's coming out soon straight out a ghetto. My science for pain and sorrows, the societal condition and more. It's what I call good music, not all that crayshit wey all these mumu artists dey sing.

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[quote author=Unknown Member].[b]Dudes, please give it a rest..

MUSIC IS SUBJECTIVE..


- There is no such thing as good music and bad music.

- You are right, Music is indeed 'food for the soul'.. Whilst I will listen to an Asa's - Mr Jailer on a cool saturday evening drive over to the grocery store, for its calm cool meaningful melodies, Terry G's - Aye pon gan is definitely what I want to be hearing by 1.am at the club. Both are food for my soul, whilst Asa feeds my soul with calm melodies, Terry G feeds my sul with raw energy.

- Every generation would always have that genre of music that is considered as 'Bad Music' simply because it differes from what has become acceptable. There was a time when Rock music was considered bad Satan music, today, even the Gospel genre now has a rock sub-genre.

- You cant like every music that is out there. You can mention classics like Smokies, however, even Smokies had some controversial songs like 'Pass it Aroud' whic was simply talking about marijuana. You talked about Elvis, before elvis became what he became, he was first rejected for his sexually charged rock and roll performances.

- Point is simple, one mans garbage is another treasure. Even I who consider myself a well rounded musical enthusiast still often find it hard to grasp JAzz.. Like really WTF is that shiit about?!

Like really WTF is that shiit about?!
YOUR MIDDLE NAME OF COURSE!




[s]If a certain music genre or movement does not appeal to you, that does not make it bad music.[/s]

JUST THE SAME WAY,OTHER PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR OPINION AND AS SUCH YOU SHOULD NOT FORCE YOURS ON THEM.
NOW YOU ARE LEARNING AND FIRST SENSIBLE POST FROM YOU PADWAAR.FINALLY YOUR PULP IS BEGINNING TO FUNCTION LIKE A BRAIN.

GOOD DOG,HAVE A TREAT.*(PUTS DOG BISCUIT IN HIS STINKY MOUTH)*

Nigerian music has really descended to the lowest depth, but I must add that this raging phenomenom is not restricted Nigerian music. Listen to most of the music coming out of the USA today, it's the same crock of crap?! The media, spearheaded by MTV, has shown that constant broadcast of rubbish to viewers can brainwash them into appreciating garbage, and that is what they are selling to wannabe pop stars today, in conjunction with music and video producers, who add glitz and glamour to senseless rants by financially gifted but artistically talentless individuals.

You must have heard Gangnam Style by PSY. It is a quite recent song, void of meaning, even in the Korean dialect, yet has become one of the most popular songs in the world today. Blame it on the media. Blame it on a record label with a gargantuan budget but not the patience to train and groom artistes...no love for the craft they claim to be out to propagate.

In the past few weeks, we also witnessed the misadventure of a mediocre actress who tried to further infect the music industry with the shallowness of Nollywood, however, she went overboard by a long shot. Tonto Dikeh is the perfect example of where the Nigerian music industry is headed in the next decade if we do not sanitize it. I personally believe the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) or the Nigerian Institute of Standards (NIS) has to come into the entertainment industry and start getting rid of these substandard pieces of art.

Some have pointed to the need to make a living, but art is not a commodity made for the love of money; It is made for the love of the art! Others strive to give the fans what the fans want, but they forget they are professionals. Would a doctor prescribe anti-biotics to a diabetic rather than insulin simply because that's what the patient wants?

Finally, PMAN itself is not helping. They are supposed to be the guild which accredits performers, musicians, and singers, yet the process of admission of members remains unclear. As an apprentice musician, or upcoming artist, one must create a piece of work which masters in the industry will examine, and if they pass it as a MASTERPIECE, then will such an apprentice be admitted as a master of their craft, and granted membership of the guild. Whether PMAN scrutinizes works by upcoming artistes in order to make them members, I really doubt. They simply grant membership to anyone the media has made popular. Imagine if such yardstick were used in other fields such as Accounting, Law, Medicine, Piloting, and Engineering. We'd all be dead by now.

As every Nigerian who is buoyant enough to pay the top music producers, video producers, radio and television stations keeps popping up as music artists, the industry itself is veering out of control toward that very same iceberg which sank the Titanic, and I'm afraid there will be no survivors.

Media and you buying-cònsumers are tò be held respònsible.

Everything is sòunding weird and too carefreely desperate.

Artists pay so much money for videos with little or no relevance and in less than a few weeks,such works do no not see the light of the day.

Music has made very bright students quit medicine to going gaga singing crazily to what has no importance to our human spiritual life.

Thanks to promiscous professiOnals,parents and dignitaries in high places whó epitomises these acts to luring gifted lads into all these emptiness and vague.

I still and will ever still stick to listening to pôetry,Rap Hip Hop and Spoken Wòrds than letting my life extinct slowly by gòing gaga crazy.

I remembered way back in high school,when my aunt would by me LYRICS magazine so that she could mime her sweet lôve songs while I also wöuld read lyrics tó Tupac's Dear mama frOm head to tòe without going low,chopping banana Or showing my back side.

When Ice Prince single 'Oleku' dropped we all thought,the industry would change for the better,but hail no,everything went on gaga crazy and sometimes I just worried at hôw they gôt their inspiratiOn fröm.

Even in the past,have never been a fan ôf Nigerian kind of music because it has always being lewd except some very ones I emulate.

The likes of Sunny Ade,Ebenezer Obey,Onyeka Onwenu,Fela Kuti and a little Others,I listen tò SWV,Aretha Franklin,Aaliyah,Bôyz 2 men and a few òthers.

But if it starts getting tOo lewd I switch to Yo Raps to keep me back in focus !

Nigerians are the greatest problems because of what they listen to and this keeps making the game uninteresting.

Watch proogrammes like Craz.e.,shizznizz on Mitv and you'll see a that Nigerian sô called Music front Runners are nothing but a bandwagon of wrong representatives of the Nigerian Music industry.

They are all wrong Wannabes because you all have made them so !

Lale ojo yen ni bó ló wa ! Terena sòunds goòd but shouldn't have tô be ón the mainstream.

Seriously there are ôther gôòd stuffs from thOose guys but nôt for that presently and the whole so called music is already invading my psyche !

It is obviously the poor expetise of the people behind the music,the media,the hypemen they shouldn't be the ones in those positOins.

If I have my way,I would make amends,but I don't,so the story will remain the same.

Please always listen to good music,bad music dóes nò good.

I find it difficult to watch some music channels on cable with my kids because wat you see is naked girls, romance, drinking etc. As a gospel artist myself, i cherish moral song. Dats wat we hav to embrace.

[quote author=ESULAALU][/quote]

yep its subjective... if you really read what i posted... i am mainly concern about the messages the music of today pass to the younger generation....

Unknown Member:


You are still a f@ggot..

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.......GETTING YOU EXACTLY WHERE I WANTED YOU TO BE.
YOUR FATHER IS A F@GGOT. BUM LICKER.


REPLY ME AND LETS START AGAIN. I WILL SO FINGER YOUR BRAIN ON THIS FORUM,YOU WILL GO EXTINCT IN NO TIME.EXCEPT YOU STOP INSULTING PEOPLE ON THIS NAIRALAND UNTIL THEN I REMAIN YOUR NIGHTMARE.

joseph1832:

yep its subjective... if you really read what i posted... i am mainly concern about the messages the music of today pass to the younger generation....

Sorry jare Joseph, I understand your point. I was referrring to that asswipe called unknown member.You are so on point.

joseph1832:

yep its subjective... if you really read what i posted... i am mainly concern about the messages the music of today pass to the younger generation....

[b]Not all genres of music must carry a message;

- Classical music; Ludwig Van Beethoven, Wolfgang Mozart, Johann Bach e.t.c. All they did was compose music that had no lyrical content. If you can tell me the message in Frederik Chopins Sonata in B-flat minor, then I will call you a witch, because all I hear are instruments.

- Rock Music: Still considered Devil music by some. This I also love. However, not all rock music is meant to carry a 'Love thy neighbour as you love yourself' message. Punk Rock, heavy Metal, alternative all appeal to those who have the ear for it.

- Gospel Music: To someone like me, its just noise, to a born again christian, its the best thing since sliced bread.

- Nigerian Music: 9ice sold a shitload of copies of his first album. I personally have purchased over 5 of those albums. I dont hear a word of Yoruba, but when I bump his CD, I enjoy it like I am an indegene of Oshogbo. Same thing with the Late Dagrins Album.


Some music are informative, some educative, some to lighten your mood, some to whip you into an energetic frenzy, some just for entertainment and so on..


One mans bad music is another man's classic music.[/b]

The rot and decadence isn't only in Nigerian music, its more of a global trend. Still, that doesn't make it acceptable in any way. In fact, its more worrisome. If it's this bad now, what will happen in the next 50 years I see some music videos and I begin to feel embarrassed for womanhood. See as women shamelessly expose themselves as objects of sexuall pervasion and immorality, proudly dressed as minimally as possible while the men they're 'rocking' are fully dressed and even overdressed (wearing trousers, shirts, jackets, cap, boots and mufflers or whateva dat stuff is they hang on their necks). Listen to some songs and they're not telling you anything edifying or reasonable, only about getting high, getting laid, how big a girl's buttocks are, how rich they or their parents are, how better than you they are... It will take an epistle to say everything out. Sometimes I feel its only core gospel music that I can enjoy. Apart from these, there are those golden oldies that never seem to lose meaning and inspiration, and long after trash has reigned and is forgotten (as is always the case with mediocrity), those classics still remind you what a blessing music is, and should be, to us.