ONYEUTALI:
I embarked on discussing this topic after recently reading critics on Burna Boy’s latest album. Why is Burna Boy making wave on the international terrain yet he is not commanding similar admiration in Nigeria? Mind you, I didn’t claim Burna don’t command admiration in Nigeria, I affirmed he doesn’t command the same level of attention he has gotten outside of Nigeria.
Before going further, permit me to relate this story. I have this professor in my University (on Political philosophy). He's an author. He’s written many books so far. Majority of his books are directed towards the African politics. One day during a lecture, he somehow switched the topic and started criticizing the African mentality and taste of literature. Before then he had bragged twice or more times (in his lectures) that he has bigger audience in Europe than in Africa. That is to say his books are read more in Europe than in Africa. It was a brag because on those occasions he was trying to show us why Nigerian authors don’t earn as much as their European counterpart. So he was kind of thanking God that he earns more than his Nigerian counterparts because most of his books were sold in Europe. On the last occasion when he was criticizing the African taste of literature, he was kind of switching camp without knowing it. He sounded like he really wanted his books to be sold more in Africa than in Europe.
I raised a hand to make a suggestion. When he permitted me, I first asked him if he doesn’t think the problem (his books not being sold much in Africa) is tied to literature style. He thought for few seconds are declared coldly that he has a very high literature style and that I shouldn’t expect him to “stoop low” just to address some people. He said if people really want to read his books, they should “upgrade” to his literature style. I saved my suggestion for myself and sat myself down.
And before you criticize this professor, make sure you’re of the same level as Wole Soyinka. Because I assure, this man is on his own level when it comes to high reflection and literature style.
Through this post, I want to see if Burna’s music is more for the European audience or whether it is the Nigerian audience that doesn’t have a good taste for music.
Recently Burna Boy released his “Twice as Taller” album and the Nigerian music world has been divided on the topic of how good the album is. So far, I’ve realized majority thinks the album is overrated. They even claimed “African Giant” was way better than it. Well, I don’t know much about “African Giant”, I never took time to listen to it. I am very very very selective when it comes to Nigerian music. I hardly get songs that meet my taste from our artists.
I read a tread here recently on the “Twice as Taller” album. https://www.nairaland.com/6084006/what-artists-should-learn-burna The poster seemed to be for Burna but majority of the commentators were Burna’s critics. Someone mentioned two songs of Burna from the Album: “Monsters you made” and “Way too big”. I searched them up and listened to them. I was shocked. The songs were soooooo cooooool. What the devil is wrong with the Nigerian taste of music?
Now let’s do this reflection together. No one discuss hip hop and rap in general without mentioning Eminem. Eminem dropped an album this year. If the speculated king of rap drops an album in a year, the album logically becomes the year’s king for rap albums. In Eminem’s latest album “Music to murder”, the most loved and rated song on the album is “Darkness”. I propose to you this challenge. Listen to Eminem’s “Darkness”. While listening to it, put aside from your mind the fact that it’s an Eminem’s song. In fact, imagine a Nigerian artist in Oshodo sang it. If you can be sincere with yourself, you will admit an average Nigerian rapper can make that song. Now consider the fact that this song is possibly the number one rap song in 2020. Does that song meet up? I can firmly reply that, for an average African, “Darkness” is overrated. Now listen to Burna Boy’s “Monster you made” just after listening to “Darkness”. Oh là là. Can’t you see?
Eminem wrote “Darkness” by assuming the person of Stephen Paddock, the guy responsible for the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. Em was kind of speaking “positively” for Paddock, but in some way Em changed Paddock’s sense of murder to his own “murdering music”. In general, there was this thing about “reflection before action.” Paddock reflected on his “evil” act before executing it, even if emotion blurred his reason. Before murdering music on the stage before the fans, Eminem too has to reflect, and emotion blurs reason during his reflections too.
Now about Burna’s “Monster you made”. At least this is not something I should explain. Majority of Nigerians are living first-hand the situation addressed in the song. Just like the slight defense Eminem brought to Paddock by putting himself in Poddock’s shoes, Burna defended the third-world nations (Remember people has always believed that Black is the problem of Black). Blacks (used to represent the third-world), were presented as monsters created by Occidental civilization.
I’m not doing a comparison; I just want to show you what makes songs unique these days. It is called MESSAGE.
So listen eh, if you’re among these “average Africans” that are dragging the African entertainment industry behind, I give you my apology. Entertainment has evolved. In fact we’ve had enough of entertainment. In this age we don’t just play music: we LISTEN to music. These days, it’s hardly about noise and gyration: it’s about the message. And Burna doesn’t seem to be ready to “stoop so low” to your level just because he needed to rep his country. He said he’s “way too big… way too smart… way too cool… to be fvcking with you.”
You might claim I did a naïve conclusion if I end this write-up here by claiming Nigerians have a poor taste of contemporary entertainment. I want to point out one more proof before ending the discussion. It’s about Genevieve Nnaji’s “Lionheart”.
That film nearly won an award in the US but Nigerians were against it. I watched the movie and I was disappointed in Nigerians.
The film was released in September 2018 (common sense tells us that the movie must have been conceived months before it was released). Months before September 2018, there was problem in Nigeria when the North gave an ultimatum to Southerners to leave their region. Keep this in mind. Now back to the movie. What was LionHeart all about? Isn’t the message clear to you?
In Lionheart, Osuofia (Nkem Owoh) was a good uncle for probably the first time in his movie career. He gave up an Igbo brother (that was trying to dupe an Hausa man) to save the Hausa man from being scammed. In the movie, a powerful Igbo business man fused business with an Hausa man, not just for the sake of profit (yet we all know Igbos don’t joke with profit) but for the sake of the people working in his company. In that movie, Nneji was sending a clear message to the Igbos and the Hausas, and to Nigeria at large… "Let’s see beyond our ethnicity." But Nigerians didn’t get it. They look out for actions in movies. They seemed more occupied with Phyno’s unnecessary role.
Anyways, you have been showed the way. Check out for messages when you listen to music or when you watch movies.
wow I so love your write-up |
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