₦airaland Forum

Davido who is studying music at Babcock University just finished writing his final paper.

Davido took to Instagram to share how excited he is. The HKN boss who will be releasing his sophomore album on his graduation day said he’s excited and his Bsc degree is his most cherished asset.

O.B.O wrote: “LAST PAPER DONE!!!! FINALLY ABOUT TO BE A GRADUATE !!! BEEN A LONG AND HARD JOURNEY I WONT LIE! I REMEMBER DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL IN AMERICA 2011 FOR MUSIC. AFTER A YEAR MY DAD DEMANDED THAT I FINISHED MY EDUCATION EVEN THOUGH SUCCESS HAD COME MY WAY ! IT DIDNT MAKE SENSE GOING BACK TO ME , I HAD IT ALL IN MY EYES , HOMES, CARS , MONEY NAME IT !! BUT AFTER ENCOURAGEMENT FROM MY PEERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS IM FINALLY DONE AND IM HAPPY TO SAY THIS DEGREE IS MY MOST CHERISHED ASSET!! WE DID IT!! #BADDESTNIGGAWITHABSC EAGLE GRADUATING CLASS BABCOCK UNIVERSITY!!! GRADUATION DAY 7th OF JUNE!!!”

http://nexthop.com.ng/davido-my-most-cherished-asset-is-my-bsc-degree/

We reported that Oritsefemi’s account was hacked by an unknown hacker, and his private messages were leaked to the public.

This morning, the ‘double wahala’ crooner shared a photo of a lady, and claimed she hacked his account.

According to sources, the lady in the photo he shared is his babymama, Blessing Rewa.

Friends of Ortisefemi’s babymama informed her about the viral news on the internet, she fired back at the singer saying he’s a liar and he’s only trying to drag her name in the mud.

Read what she wrote below:

“My attention was called to a post on instagram this morning by some friends. My fiancee of five years put me on the blast and accused me of hacking his IG page, this is really surprising to me as I wasn’t around him when his phone got hacked or in Lagos, neither do I have the password to his IG account. How I could have hacked a personal phone that I don’t own beats me.

“I will never betray you like this Femi, I have always resolved to settling our issues in private no matter how bad it is. I can understand if you want to end the relationship and move on with your life , I’d accept that as the will of God but you don’t need to disgrace me publicly and drag my name to the mud all because of fame. We suffered together and I was there before your claim to fame and still stood by you when God started blessing you because I know you truly deserve to be rewarded for all your years of hustling and hardwork.

“I am writing this openly and demand you delete that post and show some respect to me and the years we spent together which is now a bad memory for me. How can you be so heartless and cruel. When you called to say you googled to know who hacked your IG page and my name was mentioned I laughed thinking it’s one of your pranks. I deserve some respect, the same one have shown you all these years. You bring me down and make me look like the villain while you become the hero. You should be ashamed of yourself for betraying my trust and love but instead you turn this around and put me on the blast so the world can overlook your shortcomings and focus on me. God sees It all.”

http://nexthop.com.ng/oritsefemis-babymama-slams-the-singer-over-false-accusations/

Reports have it that ex MMMG queen, Emma Nyra who claimed that the record label name was suggested by her dumped the group and has moved on with her life.

Emma told Global Icons that she’s not dating the MMMG boss, Ubi Franklin and that she has never dated him. But Ubi denied that, he said he once dated Emma but the relationship didn’t go as planned and he advice people to stay away from dating their business colleague.

Emma who used to be under MMMG is not with the label anymore, she changed her bio on social media accounts and removed all links relating to the record label.

Emma have been promoting herself since March 2015. Sources revealed the reason why she left was because the record label have been putting more focus on Iyanya’s career, and Emma is yet to drop a hit track that will skyrocket her career.

In a recent interview with TheCable, Ubi revealed that he has spent much more money in Emma’s career than in Iyanya’s career, and he prayed God should give her the hit she deserves.

Emma’s business email; bookemmanyra@gmail.com has changed to her personal email, emmanyra@gmail.com. Emma who used to label herself as the ‘First Lady Triple MG’ has changed it to ‘International Recording Artiste, Nigerian Entertainment Award Winner’ and her business phone lines has been changed to an International phone number.

Recently, the Triple MG gang released a new video titled ‘Yudala‘ all members of the group were spotted in the video and each of them dropped their verse except for Emma who was nowhere to be found.

Emma has refused to promote any materials that belongs to Triple MG and didn’t bother to congratulate her former label boss and boyfriend, Ubi Franklin on his engagement to Lilian Esoro.

We reached out to Emma Nyra to get more info from her, but as at the time of publishing this report, she’s yet to respond.

http://nexthop.com.ng/emma-nyra-dumps-mmmg-affair-with-triple-mg-boss-costs-her-career/

Quite recently, news broke that K9 reportedly blamed his former label, Eldee’s Trybe Records imprint for the stalling of his musical career.

It is only right and ideal that we spare a thought on the tasks, responsibilities and dedication music labels are to embark on in ensuring the progress and success of artistes signed under them. The big question however, is, what length can these labels go without the actual effort of the said artistes in ensuring his own brand is unique and marketable?

Over the years, we have had massive label owners vs artistes face-off, most of which were in extreme unsavory circumstances, due to dissatisfaction of one part or another.

In saner climates, artistes grow and team up with other rival labels solely because of more teasing and tantalizing offers but it seems most of our artistes leave their parent label due to one grouse or the other.

What ever happened to an artiste being so good and having so much prospect that a giant label seek to lure/woo him/her away from his/her parent label?….that surely, will make for a healthy and welcomed competition as it’ll make the parent label know and appreciate the talent of the said artiste. Not the sad case of artistes seeing their labels as semi-gods as they feel they’re indebted to them in some way.

Not all artistes(thousands/millions we have) can be signed by giant, popular labels. Hell, even labels are biased as they sign, promote sub-par musical talents rather than embrace real prospects….’Leg’ also plays an important part too.Few are like Don Jazzy who scooped on Godwyn on instagram, and it’s left to be seen what the emerging talent makes of the little publicity he has got.

Tuface Idibia as a good case in point, had a pretty successful run on Kennis Music until rumours of the African Queen hit maker getting ripped off by his label bosses started making the rounds. Shortly after, the rancour was confirmed in some capacity as Tubaba launched his own imprint and pitched tent with Hypertek. In actual fact, Kennis Music is highly infamous for having the most disgruntled set of artistes under their roster.

The shocking end of Dbanj and Don Jazzy‘s Mohits glory days was well documented in terms of the drama and bitter tantrums that ensued.

There was also the Vector tha viper’s contract and legal issue with his former label, YSG, as V-E-C felt he wasn’t being promoted appropriately by the label.

Then in reference is also the Chocolate City vs Brymo uproar over contract brouhaha that went unexpectedly bitter and unsavoury to say the least.

Banky W’s EME was not left out and have also had their fair share as Skales became somewhat disgruntled about the extent of unfavourable label decisions he got, before there was a rumour of a rift between the power label’s former golden boy, Wizkid and the EME boss, which was quickly played down.

Wande Coal then had to square up to Don Jazzy in a bitter war of words to ensure he embarks on his journey as his own boss.

‘Based On Believe’ pioneer, Black Magic wasn’t satisfied with just being a minor on Lynxxx’s Syndic8 Records and had to severe ties with the fledgling label, while Burna Boy also had to part ways with Aristokrat.

Storm Records can be fairly blamed in the less than stellar promotional push GT The Guitarman‘s ‘The Truth’ album got, as the exceptional album could have been one of the most celebrated albums this country has produced.

In truth, we can’t possibly know all that is agreed and signed between these two parties, except where well documented, but the artistes feel their success is totally dependent on the label they’re signed to. The labels then feel the artistes are indebted to them in return.

We think not, as we feel the artistes need to find a way to step out and take their future by the scruff of the neck. Confidence however, is key and so is the true capability of the artistes in making substantial music. Won’t be easy no doubt, but the success the likes of Tuface, Black Magic, Burna Boy, Vector and more recently, Skales have been able to attain or maintain after severing ties with their former labels has been proven to be mainly based on sheer believe and hard work. Although not much can be said of Dbanj’s relevance in the industry music-wise, and Wande’s progress is left to be seen, it is safe to say the artistes can actually make things work for themselves.

The late Dagrin had made a massive name of his Missofunyin Entertainment imprint after he had been turned down by many labels, thereby making them scamper for his signature before his untimely death.

Surely, the importance of label backing can’t be downplayed as a huge determining factor in the promotion and recognition an artiste gets, as there are countless artistes who have been pushed to enormous success by their labels, but it is also safe to say artistes can build their own brands with a good, dedicated team around them.

It can surely be achieved, Psquare did it!

http://nexthop.com.ng/the-role-record-labels-play-in-the-success-and-progress-of-an-artiste/

Ikechukwu ex-girlfriend and model, Sarah Ofili bought Olamide and Phyno‘s joint album ‘2kings’. After listening to the album, she didn’t like most of the songs on the album and claims only 1 track out of 10 is worth another listen.

Sarah didn’t waste time to inform the artistes who owns the album. She took to Instagram to call them out and ask for refund.

Ofili posted the image of the album and captioned it with “Bought dis album coz of track 6 #une #2kings #madeofblack cc @phynofino u owe me 200naira”

Have you listened to the album? If you don’t like it you can also ask for refund!

http://nexthop.com.ng/sarah-ofili-wants-her-money-back-after-listening-to-olamide-phyno-2kings-album/

Rapper and ‘Tesojue’ crooner, Reminisce showed off his 4 year old daughter, Hafusa.

Reminisce named his upcoming album ‘Baba Hafusa’ after his daughter.

The rapper is not yet married but has two kids from the same babymama.

http://nexthop.com.ng/reminisce-baba-hafusa-shows-off-his-daughter-hafusa/

Buzzing rapper and entertainer, Falz The Bahd Guy has bagged an endorsement deal with a powerhouse online shopping company, Webmall. The excited Marry Me rapper took to instagram to announce his excitement in striking the deal.

Here’s his post below:

“falzthebahdguy Okay! Eez offisha! brand ambassador ov @webmallng ! #EndorsementInTheBag #BringOnTheDeals #Heggzited“

http://nexthop.com.ng/falz-the-bahd-guy-bags-endorsement-deal-as-webmall-ambassador/

Late rapper DaGrin’s cousin, Tee Blaq has announced a tribute memorial in honour of the indigenous lyrical maestro, to hold exactly 5years after his passing at Spice Route, Victoria Island. The memorial concert will be in conjunction with Eldar Records.

The self proclaimed Akogun died in a fatal car accident on April 22, 2010.

http://nexthop.com.ng/memorial-to-hold-in-honour-of-dagrins-5th-year-of-passing/

The South African group, Uhuru just released a new joint titled ‘Duze’ which features ‘Starboy’ Wizkid.

The group are planning to take over and they are not slowing down at all.

Check out the music below:

Download here: http://nexthop.com.ng/listen-duze-uhuru-ft-wizkid/

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Rap in Nigeria these days have gone somewhat soft and without substance. Not much can be said of recently released rap albums in the country, even from the respected heavyweights.

We have been truly lucky and blessed to have quite a few rappers who well and truly understood how real rap should be done, as they made massive statement of intent and impact with their first releases.

These are albums that changed the face of rap for good in the country upon their release. They had positive, massive impact and they parade as good reference points to the testament that we can indeed release solid hip-hop projects.

We take you through some of the best debut rap albums we’ve had, even if the artistes in question haven’t gone on to replicate the creativity and awesomeness of their first….in no particular order.

1: Ruggedman – “Thy Album Come” -2005

The story of the face of rap in the country can’t be completely written without this controversial, in-your-face album. At a time Eedris Abdulkareem and his Remedies clique were making waves hip-hop wise, few cared to pay attention to Eedris’ lyrical content because the sound was good and fresh.

One keen listener though, Michael Ugochukwu Stephens a.k.a Ruggedman, out of sheer hatred/jealousy for the buzzing clique or of utmost concern about the quality of rap we were subjected to from Eedris, was having none of it. He went on wax to record the highly controversial Ehen, targeted at the people he perceived wack(mainly Eedris and Rasqie), and the whole industry went haywire and most had to sit tight or risk Rugged’s wrath on wax. He gained so many enemies(Kennis Music a major) in the industry in doing so, but he forever made a huge impact on the quality of rap we got henceforth….hell, even Eedris re-modelled his style and Rasqie, well…….

Not long after came Thy Album Come, released in 2004, it was a worthy debut with so many good songs and top notch productions…and Mr. Controversial was birthed!

Standout tracks: Peace or War, I am Ruggedman.

2: Mode 9 – E’ Pluribus Unum “One Amongst Many” -2006

Well, what can we say,another legend, another great debut rap album!..Modo came with what was already dying at the time – real hip-hop, the revolution towards more pop-oriented music had begun. Babatunde Olusegun Adewale, a.k.a Mode 9 was one that was groomed and schooled on real hip-hop and he sought to make it prominent in Nigeria. Not many were prepared for this and it quite deservedly brought down the roof.

Nneka had blessed Mode’s highly emotional, introspective song Cry with her highly indigenous, distinctive voice and the anticipation for the album was at an all-time high. Modo didn’t disappoint, as he released unarguably the hardest hip-hop album in Nigeria – bars upon bars, word plays upon word plays, punches upon punches, gritty, hard-hitting boom-bap beats were all present on the album from the rapper who would go on to dominate the HipHopWorld award’s highly heralded ‘lyricist on the roll’. He sadly isn’t as appreciated as his peers in the industry, mainly due to the ‘his kind of music can’t sell in naija‘ conundrum.

Standout tracks: Spectacular, Cry.

3: Gino – “Pain Plus Work” -2007

Many will ask, where the hell is this guy!?.. The head honcho of MO’BB Records, Gino was a true representation of street hustles, and a good story teller with his music. After the release of his classic hit, No Be God, a song that was actually included in Jay-Z‘s diary on MtvBase after his trip to Nigeria, Gino became a household name and the song, an anthem. He went on to release his debut album, Pain Plus Work in january 2007, which was filled with his tales and experiences with God, money and women on the mean streets of Lagos. His brother, Sossick, highly unknown at the time, handled the bulk of the album’s production and it was a masterpiece!

His laid-back style of rap, sometimes gritty and gangsta-like, complemented Sossick’s dexterity behind the boards. He hasn’t replicated the success of his debut, as he has had a somewhat failed attempt at a comeback in the industry….a legend regardless.

Standout track: No Be God, Farabale.

4: M.I – “Talk About It” -2008

It was in 2006 when the whole of the country were enchanted with the calmly delivered, deep voice of M.I on ‘Crowd Mentality’. It was truly a wow-moment as it was fresh and highly different from what we had been used to. Music fans hurriedly enquired and found out more about the diminutive rhyme spitter. He would go on to release another incredibly rhyme-schemed gem, ‘Safe’ with Djinee, and the entire music industry knew this boy ain’t playing!

Mr Incredible would go on to build on that buzz, and boy did he make a helluva debut rap album! ‘Talk About It’ was released to massive fanfare in 2008, as music lovers, radio and internet couldn’t get enough of it. Spectacular lyrical delivery from top to bottom, you can’t point to a filler on the album as all tracks were intelligently arranged with interesting skits to match.

It was indeed a grand-standing statement and one that might as well go down as the best rap album ever in the country….and it even managed to rile our able Mr Kelly Hansome up with a harmlessly delivered “Kelly Hansome is handsome/I’ll tell him when i see him/but if I need a man it would be Keke or D-one” on ‘Fast Money, Fast Cars’.

It is such a standard even the self proclaimed Chairman would later struggle to match with subsequent releases.

Standout tracks: The Whole Album!

5: DaGrin – C.E.O -2009

Oladapo Olaitan Olaonipekun (R.I.P), a.k.a Akogun, Barack O’Grin, Emi-lomo-naa truly can’t be celebrated enough as an indigenous rap legend in the country. Lord of Ajasa had been the major representative of yoruba-rap in Nigeria till this lyrical maestro came aboard, and all he did was shut the whole music industry down!

DaGrin spared no beat as he went in hard with his tale-telling, life situation relation, street repping deliveries. He is unarguably the most in-dept street-tale telling rapper we have had. Oba-Ogun spoke the mind and struggles of every average Nigerian, mixed with his wittiness and humour, in depicting his desire for fame and fortune. He truly made us proud to be Nigerians indeed!

When C.E.O dropped, all you gotta do was listen, it was that captivating. From track to track, DaGrin kept the excitement at an all-time high with effortless and at the same time emphatic delivery. The producers, most notably Sossick, also all brought their A-game to the project.

It’s a project that can never get old, as everything Akogun rapped about is still experienced. It makes us extremely nostalgic and wishing he was still here, and it makes us sad that we can’t get another masterpiece from the exceptional talent.

Standout tracks: Whole album.

Honourable Mention:

Freestyle – Free At Last

http://nexthop.com.ng/top-5-groundbreaking-debut-rap-albums-in-nigeria/

radiokilla:
Still available, bargaining is allowed, we can strike a deal

15k last! You agree?

Hello guys,

Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how much it will cost to get 100,000 likes on facebook through Facebook Page Likes ads?

There is indeed a myth or believe, that quality music never sells in this part of the world. Artistes, both established or up-and-comers, strongly hold on to this mythology, thereby making it an excuse to release what can best be regarded to as ‘junk music’.

So many times, you hear Nigerians say things like “MC Akatugba’s kind of music can’t sell in this country, he has to water his musical contents down”.

This ideology might have been proven right as majority of them; Kaycee,Timaya, Iyanya, Dbanj and many more, have gone on to amass stupendous wealth and popularity. They have, and are still touring the world, performing these music we call ‘junks’ at sold out shows/concerts.

In comparism however, how badly are their alternative numbers, those who favour and wouldn’t trade their quality and substantive type of records, doing commercially and financially?

It is fair to say none of these artistes come close to Tuface Idibia, be it in catalog of timeless music he’s given or his enormously respected status in the industry as a whole. It is also safe to say he built this reputation simply based on the substantive materials he put out, year in year out. Tubaba hasn’t needed to toe the path of mediocrity to be relevant, and he sure is one of the wealthiest, and most celebrated artistes in the industry today.

Enter Bukola Elemide, popularly known as Asa, words really can’t describe how talented this queen of soul is. She is truly an enigma behind the mic with her soulful, conscious, afrocentric renditions. It is pretty hard to put other Nigerian female artistes next to her, catalog for catalog. She’s one who definitely hasn’t traded substance for popularity or wealth, yet she has found a way to stay ahead of her peers in terms of popularity and affluence….simple answer- her music is truly appreciated in and around the country.

Banky W is also one to put into consideration. From his days of coming into the industry on the back of his version of Rihanna’s Umbrella, the smooth Mr W has doled out albums that music lovers can truly be proud of. Three projects in, Mr Capable hasn’t disappointed in delivering well thought-out, well written and impressively arranged albums. He has even added some sort of dynamism to his repertoire, as he has shown he can hold his own in the rap genre. Of course, he now has a high-flying, respectable record label to show for it, with which also comes respectable wealth and recognition.

However, as much as we can point at the above mentioned top artistes and a few more(Timi Dakolo, Bez) whom their in-depth and substantive music materials have been true testaments to the fact that good music sells, it is quite sad that a few others, GT the guitarman as a case in point, haven’t been able to achieve the same level of stardom and recognition. After his criminally underrated masterpiece debut album, The Truth, much can’t be said of the guitarman’s progress in the industry. We hope he gets the reward he deserves, as he truly is an undeniable talent.

It isn’t a coincidence that most corporate events are put in the mouths hands of artistes with impressive catalog, as the substance in their music puts them ahead of their peers when a list of potential event performers are drawn out. The Nigeria Centenary celebration was duly handled by Timi Dakolo and Waje and definitely not a token would have been paid to them in employing their services…. Substantive music got them there.

In the past month, the release of Dictator Rap by the quartet of Tec, Mojeed, Lex, Kid Konnect was met with such uproar that it has been revealed to be the most downloaded rap song on Notjustok for the month of March. This isn’t because the song has a catchy beat, hook or baseless raunchy lyrics, it is simply because it was quality from start to finish. A true testament to the fact that good music is still truly appreciated in this shores.

We can only imagine if DaGrin(Lord rest his soul) was still here, he’d truly be one of the industry heavyweights financially, who is highly respected and it’s simply because his music lyrics were relative and deep enough in quality.

If anything, the above referenced industry heavyweights have indeed proven that you don’t have to be shallow with your music composition before fame and success come calling, just be confident and associate with a good team, and wide recognition it is almost guaranteed.

Lack of longevity, highly forgettable music catalog and gross irrelevance is what trails most of these bubble gum artistes after a few years and it is quite disappointing that they are satisfied with that as they only live for the moment.

We advocate for a change in the norm and adverse mentality, and look forward to seeing our artistes give a better account of themselves musically.

http://nexthop.com.ng/myth-or-reality-artistes-and-their-excuses-for-mediocrity/

Controversial actress and upcoming singer, Tonto Dikeh slammed men indirectly by comparing them to dogs.

Tontolet said dogs are faithful than men and no one should ever compare dogs to men!

Poko Queen shared a pic of herself with her dog on her laps and captioned the pic with “Who ever says MEN are DOGS, NEVER KNEW A DOG..#100% faithful creatures #LOYAL #extremely Loving”

Well, Tontolet might be trying to hit back at Chris Brown for his ‘Loyal’ track!

http://nexthop.com.ng/you-are-not-dogs-tonto-dikeh-slams-men-says-they-are-not-loyal/

The price of fame they say, is very expensive. This fact has been bitterly found out by virtually all celebrities.

This discussion is really one that instigates a whole lot of divided opinions. Events that have occurred over the years and still happening, and in fact doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop, is the highly intriguing microscopic view of celebrities or public figures as the case may be, by fans and observers.

It must be killing and draining for these public figures having to deal with all sorts of unsavoury tirades directed at them, at times for no just reason, on a daily basis.They’re human, they deserve the right to freedom as the next man on the street.

Their superstar status/fame brings them under much scrutiny though,as they are role models in some capacity.

Celebrities as role models can’t be denied, so it’s only natural that a specific act, utterance can go a long way in how they’re perceived by the public.

The fans in a way feel they enrich these celebs by spending their hard earned money to embrace their works, while the celebs in return feel they don’t owe any fan/stranger any explanation as to what they do with their lives.

Many’s the time these celebrities show and voice their displeasure at the way they are viewed, scrutinized or judged by the public. In fact, they get so obsessed with any negativity directed in their way that it becomes some sort of paranoia as they label these observers as the so-much-thrown-around word, “hater”.

Which brings about the question, do these celebrities actually know what they’re getting themselves into by craving fame and by putting themselves in public glare?….Let’s try and weigh in from different perspectives.

Fame and wealth automatically breeds envy, as some low-life tries to make him/herself feel better by demeaning the achievements or accomplishments of others. We also all know how negativity thrives in our society and generate uproar as opposed to positivity, so it is of little surprise the length some can go. But then, the aspiring celebrities should have been prepared for the toughest of times, as every step or action taken is seen, interpreted and judged by the keen public, even if it is inaccurate and unfair at times.

Just recently, superstar songstress Waje had to snap back at a ‘fan’ on her instagram page who made demeaning comment to her picture post of 16years old daughter, Emerald. Timi Dakolo also got a bitter taste of the cookie as he got clowned on supposedly having ‘brown’ teeth in the comment section of his picture post on instagram. Mavin Records songstress, Di’ja had also in the past week had to deal with an abusive fan who accused her of being proud and arrogant as he alleged she ignores her fans on social media. Popular nollywood actress Omotola Jalade also had to defend and put fans in their place after spiteful comments was directed at her young daughter….and several other attacks on celebs that are too many to mention.

You then have to think, do these celebrities deserve some of the outrageous abuse they get on a daily basis?

I mean, it’s their instagram page, it’s their facebook page, and it’s also their twitter TL, where they can share their thoughts and opinions just as any other user, if you have nothing positive or pleasant to say to them why not just jog on…They are bound to make mistakes like every regular creature of God and they’ll never be perfect.

It’s even more hilarious when these celebs get followed by ‘fans’ who don’t actually like them. It’s like these ‘fans’ follow these popular figures just to troll them with abuses….that to me is ‘hating’.

Then again, should these celebrities not ignore unruly or disrespectful fans?

Interestingly though, some of these celebrities know how to dish it right back, the no-nonsense ones put erring fans in their places e.g Omotola, Waje. Some go about it in more mature, subtle, knock-yourself-out type of way e.g Di’Ja, Don Jazzy, Banky W, while some ignore totally as they have developed a thick skin and are already immune to these detractors.

Some or majority of these celebrities on the other hand, enjoy the attention, as they attract these spiteful comments by trying to be as controversial as possible, sometimes mainly on purpose, as it serves as a means to being relevant.

Take the likes of immensely talented Asa, Tuface, Sound Sultan, Banky W, extremely gifted producer Cobhams Asuquo and a couple of respectable others, it can be observed that the despise towards these group of celebrities is on a minimal level compared to others. We can only think it is highly due to the quality of materials they put out, and their high moral standards in doing so.

Whereas on the other side of the fence are the likes of Davido, Wizkid, Skales who sometimes act out of control mainly due to youthful exuberance.

Conversely though, most of these artistes/celebrities take offence in an appalling and overly sensitive way to any constructive criticism directed at their works or projects. They release materials and expect every Tom, Dick and Harry to lap it up irrespective of perceived flaws…just because. Yes it’s your work, you have put in a lot of effort, you feel it’s the best you can offer and you probably feel if some set of fans are not satisfied, then they should ignore.

Well, what then happens when almost the whole of your fanbase are dissatisfied with the quality of your project and they choose to ignore, this would automatically translate to some sort of irrelevancy or disregard on your part in a highly competitive entertainment industry.

Everyone can almost make his/her own list in two different categories of celebrities with highly respectable values and those who parade as simply industry puppets.

We implore our celebrities to be the best possible they can, and represent the values their ardent fans can truly be proud of, while we encourage fans to be more accommodating and appreciative of these public figures as they are also prone to mistakes. They also deserve their right to varying opinions.

Finally, for artistes who refer to critics as ‘haters’, well deal with it or STOP putting out horrendous materials….GO HARD OR GO HOME!

http://nexthop.com.ng/my-life-your-entertainment-celebrities-vs-fans/

Following the euphoria and the No-They-Didn’t-Do-That moment Phyno and Olamide created with the release of the massive banger, award-winning ‘Ghost Mode’ in 2012, it was only right that music lovers yearned for more from the dynamic indigenous rappers. They then went on another stellar collaboration with ‘Dope Money’ off Olamide’s critically acclaimed YBNL album, and a couple of other tracks have been laced with the dynamic duo’s energetic rhyme scheme.

It’s 2015 and the artistes who are undoubtedly two of the biggest acts in the country have taken their synergy to an album level…It has birthed the aptly titled “2 Kings“.

The 10-track long offering is hip-hop enough with a couple of tracks, ratchet and commercial enough with the others as they employed the behind-the-board services of Pheelz, Young John, Major Bangz and B-Banks. The album maintained an impressive rhythm as Pheelz handled the bulk of the production.

The ‘Cypher‘ opening is straight hip-hop with boom-bap beat from the boards of Pheelz and the duo brought their A-game freestyle ability as they traded bars with heavy punches, hard enough to make for an intriguing listen, as badoo makes us know he still keeps it real despite his enviable superstar status as he still “je bread ati akara”.

Pheelz delivered a masterpiece with the production on ‘Nobody’s Fault’ and the duo of Olamide and Phyno adequately did justice as they reflect on the struggles, pressure and expectations of being in the highly competitive music industry. Phyno quite owned the track with the impressive “long as the music comes with rewards/I don’t care about the awards/I broke all your records I don’t need to be applaud/mind in the music I can never be ignored/u wan see me finish get ready to explore”.

‘Ladi’ featuring Olamide’s protege Lil Kesh is just……ratchet and playful.

They’re always all about their money as Phyno declares “I only pay attention if you pay me” on ‘God be with

The album drifted from the real hip-hop start into the more commercial appeal through the middle, ‘Real Nigga’ has a raggae feel to it as the duo sought to cater to the club appeal and their lyrics ended up being disappointingly forgettable. ‘Confam Ni’ by Olamide featuring Wizkid sadly didn’t fare any better lyrically.

‘Carry Me Go’ produced by Pheelz(he was truly a champion behind the boards on the entire album), is a highlife-like rendition but also with shabbily delivered verses.

Olamide was in his element of repping the streets on ‘For My City’, as he is as impressive and poignant as he always is on joints like this with his delivery.

This project showcases highly successful artistes who are just enjoying having a good time, basking in the euphoria of being successful, though still yearning for more.

It is a pretty decent offering, a good addition to our music catalog and one that should be in our rotations for some time. However, the real Champ/King on this album has to be Pheelz for his dexterity in the productions.

http://nexthop.com.ng/album-review-2-kings-olamide-and-phyno/

This is the concluding part of our list as we reminisce on the importance and influence of music groups on the progress of the entertainment industry….

6. Kush

These three beautiful ladies, TY Bello, Lara George and Emem Ema, with Dapo Torimiro pulling strings at the background, were voices of inspiration. They tackled societal issues head-on with their music. KUSH, (Kinetically Ushering Salvation into Hearts and Homes) came into the entertainment industry at a time the industry was just finding it’s shape and direction. They blessed our ears with societal and inspirational gems like Let’s Live Together and Angels which were included in their debut and only album, The Experience in 2002, before financial strain(according to Lara) took a toll on their progress, then they dissolved. Lara and TY Bello have since gone on to have decent success in their respective careers, while much has not been heard of Emem.

7. P-Square

Indeed, you can as well say they had bonded from heaven. The insanely identical twins came on the entertainment scene as dancers in their early years as they entertained fellow school mates in far away city of Jos. From “Double P”, “P&P”, and “Da Pees”, the dynamic duo of Peter and Paul Okoye arrived at P-Square. They eventually won the Grab the Mic competition which made Benson & Hedges sponsor their debut album, Last Nite in 2001 and the rest they say, is history. They have since gone on to release six widely accepted and successful studio albums, of which Game Over is a standout and fan favorite. They aren’t showing any signs of slowing down soon as they continue to tour the world to entertain their core following…They are indeed living legends.

8. Show Dem Camp(S.D.C)

The extremely talented Show Dem Camp duo of Tec and Ghost, both born in Nigeria, have spent most of their formative years abroad, mainly in the UK. They might not have amassed or reached a success level of your average Nigerian artiste, but their immense talent is never in doubt. SDC, with the genius on the board Kid Konnect, have been steadfast in their philosophy of real music with astute socio-political content and this non-conformity to the watery music industry rules is what makes them tick. Mixtapes after mixtapes, and eventually The Dreamer Project, they’ve shown they are a force to reckon with. With the release of their radio-friendly Feel Alright and Happy Weekend Sir, they have shown lyrical dexterity do not have to be left out of club records. They’re starting to get their deserved attention in the industry, and that can only be a plus to our already declining music values.

9. Artquake

The inclusion of this group might raise eyebrows with regards to how forgettable most of their their releases are. They came quite a long way in the industry with their eccentric style, but not much can be said of the overall content of their music. The duo of ADX and ICE-K credibly though, ignited the influx of dance-oriented style of music which had been propelled by the ghetto-ish Galala dance made popular by Daddy Showkey and the likes. They can be credited with making popular the energetic Alanta dance and fast forward 2015, there can’t be enough of these dance renditions as music. If not for anything, they’ll surely be remembered as the Alanta dance pioneers.

10. JJC and 419 Squad

One of the main reasons this group is making this list is solely because of the wide range of industry heavyweights it has birthed. Prominent in the UK, Abdul Rasheed Bello, popularly known a s JJC formed a group that was dynamic enough to showcase various talents. The 419 Squad mainly comprised of S.O. Simple, M.P. and Smokey as the lead acts, but it associated with would-be superstars, Don Jazzy, Dbanj and Dr Sid, who all went on to form the now defunct Mo’ Hits. They released their hit song Atide before most of the acts found their way back home. JJC has since embarked on a solo journey and he has had decent success in the industry. There would later be accusations and counter-allegations between Dbanj and JJC, but it is on record that they were once a formidable group.

We now have several other groups who are already writing their own history, we hope the trend continues for the betterment of the industry as a whole.

http://nexthop.com.ng/10-of-the-finest-musical-groups-weve-had-part-2/

Just listening through all these bullsh*t noise we now regard as music in this part of the world, I found myself reminiscing on when the times were great and competition among artistes was rife in a very good way. Part of the reminiscing brought me to the realization of how many great musical groups that have blessed our ears with timeless great tunes.

The exhilarating observation made is that these groups push themselves or one-another to greatness, it’s a group but you really can’t afford not to bring your A-game as you’ll be outshined. No one wants that, everybody wants to be the best. This friendly competition was so intense, it’d be fans that would create some sort of unintentional enmity between or amongst the M-I-C competitors in the course of having a preference of who’s better musically….or sometimes who has better looks or dresses better.

We’ve taken the time to reflect on 10 of the best groups we’ve had(in no particular order), existing or defunct. Peep as there are quite enough nostalgic moments to savour….

1. Plantashun Boiz

Any doubt about how groundbreaking this group was?…i think not. Three young men got together in school at Enugu and formed a group that truly broke barriers in the R&B genre with the infusion of Afro-hiphop. Tuface Idibia, Faze and Blackface were on another level, they got the whole of Nigeria’s attention with their unique style of music rendition. They went on to release the highly successful Body N Soul in the year 2000 with all songs being radio hits, released Sold Out in 2003, then had the splitting up moment due to internal disagreements in 2004. The whole of the country was disappointed and shocked at the split, but they got back for another solid album, Plan B in 2007 due to contract obligations. They’ve gone on to release several highly acclaimed solo albums since, with Blackface being the quieter of the trio. Not enough can be said of this group, one thing is sure though, they will never be forgotten when the books of Nigerian music is opened.

2. Remedies

You just can’t help but credit this group as the pioneers of the propagation of hiphop in this part of the world. At a time when hiphop music lovers were paying utmost attention to the foreign acts; Biggie, Puffy, Nas and the likes, the trio of Eedris AbdulKareem, Eddy Montana and Tony Tetuila decided to write history in 1997. They released the massive Shakomo and it became an anthem of some sort…some actually knew the lyrics of the song A-Z, than the stanzas of the national anthem. They had a massive following afterwards with Kennis Music, and had several other hits like Sade and Omoge. Then the break-up happened due to the allegations that Tony did little(only danced) as a member of the group, back and forth disses towards one another, Eedris and Eddy held the group down as a duo for a while before finally going their separate ways to pursue solo careers. A historic group regardless.

3. Styl Plus

The trio of Tunde, Shifi and Zeal cannot be forgotten in a hurry, they were the definition of smooth. After the groups early formation and re-formation between 1999 and 2002, they stunned the entire country with the release of Olufunmi in 2003, a R&B love ballad. The group became massive, a go-to unit for lovers who identified with their tunes about love. They released an EP filled with four massive hits including Call My Name and Runaway, then released their impressive debut album, Expressions in 2006. Then rumours of a crack within the group started going round, they went on a hiatus of some sort before reuniting to release Back and Better in 2008 to less fanfare.

4. Trybesmen/Da Trybe

Do we still have a unit in the country that spit fire like this group did back in 1999?…hell naw!. Eldee the Don, KaBoom and Freestyle were beasts on the mic, and they even added humour to their releases. It is a testament to how big and successful they were that they produced the likes of Dr Sid(now at Mavin Records), had Sasha, Timi, OlaDELe, 2shotz, and Blaise under the guise of Trybe Records. The trio released classic singles like Shake Body and Plenty Nonsense, but the single that raised all the dust and raised the bar was Oya that included the other soldiers of Trybe Records. It was such a statement of intent and they got the attention they deserved. They have all since gone on to pursue solo careers, with Freestyle releasing a masterpiece in Free At Last before going into obscurity and Eldee releasing several projects, KB on the other hand has disappeared from the music scene.

5. Maintain

Theirs was a story of the expression of humour in music and they did so explicably. The trio of Olu Maintain, Tolu and Big Bamo brought societal issues to fore with their deep sense of humour. They came to limelight with the release of the yoruba rendered ‘Ibo Lawa N Gbe Lo‘ and subsequently released gems like Alo and Catch Cold, with funny videos to match. It all ended when Tolu decided to go further with his studies and Olu turned into an industry big boy of some sort. Olu still releases music while Tolu and Big Bamo haven’t been heard from in a long while. It’s an iconic group notwithstanding.

Stay with us as we take you through more groups who have had a positive impact on our entertainment industry.

http://nexthop.com.ng/10-of-the-finest-musical-groups-weve-had-part-1/

Finally, the much awaited election is already upon us. We’re not trying to be politically correct, but it is of concern to us as well how the country move forward from tomorrow onward.

Not to bore you with what you probably already know, we strive to take you through a thorough reflection on how much of a dire situation we are in Nigeria presently.

Those that are supposed to be our voices haven’t said much(other than campaign vigorously for the party they received money from), but here are a few gentlemen who have been bold enough to speak up on our struggles under the country’s government.

1: ‘Dictator Rap‘ by Tec of SDC, Mojeed, Lex and Kid Konnect.

Not enough can be said of this brilliant song by these group of talents. The highest reviewed song on NextHop so far, they broke all barriers by delivering so much thought-provoking, politically motivated masterpiece.

“my fellow Nigerians/when can we live in some peace/have trust in the government/and faith in police?” asks Lex.

Take a listen, ponder on the message and take that with you to the polling booth.

2: ‘Democrazy‘ by Lord Of Ajasa.

Not a few people wondered where one of the yoruba-rap pioneers, Lord Of Ajasa had been all these while. So much that music lovers assumed that the emergence and reign of Olamide as the current king of the language-rap genre dealt the ‘Fenu So’ rapper’s fame and relevance a huge blow.

Well, it seems the humorous rapper got tired of the political going-ons in the country and decided to put it on wax.

On Democrazy, the rapper spoke on several of our government’s flaws without mincing words.

Take a listen and be motivated to stand for our country’s progress.

3: ‘Bleep Em All‘ by Beazy feat. Boogey and Cyrus Tha Virus.

How bold and daring can one be in telling the government of his country in its entirety Bleep Em All?….Yep, believe it, Beazy did so with the assistance of his equally frustrated colleagues, Boogie and Cyrus Tha Virus.

It’s a straight hip-hop offering(our rappers seem to be the only ones turning up with societal issues in their songs so far) that has thought-provoking lyrics from top to bottom.

It has the self reflective line, “I know it seems like I’m some kind of ungrateful ass/but the government keep treating me like some kind of ass”

In fact, part of the lyrics alluded to the now infamous stomach infrastructure ploy by our men in agbada with the humorously delivered line “who wants to have a right?/pshtew nobody stands up/who wants a bag of rice?/oh i see a couple hands up”….bravo!

Take a listen to the impressive song….it’s a must have in your playlist!

Honourable Mention: ‘Jaga Jaga’ by Eedris AbdulKareem.

We all know the feathers this song ruffled…lol let’s leave it at that.

http://nexthop.com.ng/top-3-tracks-you-should-listen-to-as-you-go-to-vote/

Music download links:
http://nexthop.com.ng/listen-dictator-rap-kid-konnect-ft-lex-mojeed-and-tec/
http://nexthop.com.ng/listen-democrazy-lord-of-ajasa/
http://nexthop.com.ng/listen-Bleep-em-all-by-beazy-ft-boogey-cyrus-tha-virus/

As I pondered, searched, and tried to figure out how much records some of my favorite Nigerian albums sold and also their chart perfomances, I realised we have no basic data reference whatsoever. No, I don’t just want to own the albums without knowing I am not the only one who has them, and I also want to be able to make reference to how well the albums performed should I have the course to.

It is always refreshing and educative for a keen follower of music like me to search up my favorite international acts, Jay-Z, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar et al, and be able to give facts as to their respective released projects…Yes I know this is Nigeria.

Just as more music drops daily and consistently in the country, we wonder how we can get our own tracking record of how well these releases perform in numbers.

We’ve seen lots of publications on “Top albums in Nigeria in 2014″, “Top selling Naija albums”, “MC akatugba sells a million copies”, amongst a lot of other interesting title categorizations. Now, how do we measure and rate these releases as the best selling?

It is quite appalling that a country of almost or over 180 million population can not boast of a solid charting system, all we see reported are mere opinions and assumptions on the compiler’s part.

We’ve had many great Naija albums, but can we reference their total number of sales for subsequent record keeping?

In this age of internet downloads and what-not, music releases reaches the consumers in a snap.

Sadly, the appreciation of owning physical copies of these releases has totally dwindled. It’s the internet age, we know. Still, it’ll be quite significant and important to be able to attach numbers to sales made in and around the country.

Some of our more established acts, like MI and Praiz, have been able to see their works gain attention on online digital chart platforms and it is quite some feat. Same can’t be said for the not-so-established artistes who have at one time or the other put out marvelous projects, for them it has been a story of non-recognition.

Bringing to fore chart performances and sales will undoubtedly raise the bar amongst artistes, as it’ll be a testament to how much the listeners or fans as the case may be, appreciate and love the projects put out.

Our artistes on the other hand, are mostly satisfied with making club hits that’ll get airplay on the radio, which therefore reduces the effort and content level, as well as other musical arrangements in their albums. Some don’t even see the need to release albums at all, so far one or two hits give them the attention and recognition they crave.

Our artistes don’t promote their albums as well as they do singles, and not having a charting system is a major part of the nonchalant approach. All they care about is to go from ‘hit singles–radio—popularity—show performances—endorsements—retirement’.

Which brings to mind how you can’t even get a detailed update from these artistes, except for a few, on impending releases of albums(dates, album art cover, track list) through their PR, social media or whatever…It drops when it drops.

Where then lies the hype about the giant we have become in the global music scene?…We have come a long way no doubt but we have also still got some length to go.

This is where the scourge of piracy haunting our entertainment industry sets in. The release of any musical project is always met with total monopolization by the Alaba giants which therefore nullifies any effort of tracking of sales.

With deep observation and careful analyses however, strategic structuring of a solid medium to attach credible numbers to these musical releases can go a decent way in reducing or curbing this menace, and can give credibility to projects released….Just ask Tuface Idibia how he did it with the re-release of his ‘Unstoppable’ album.

We can no doubt create our rules and watch as the international bodies pay more attention by acknowledging our music through our charting system.

We don’t have to wait until the international bodies, Billboard et al, acknowledge our works on their charts before we make a huge statement of how big we have become. Hell, even then would they take us more seriously if they have a point of solid reference to our music.

It will also go a long way in enlightening, educating listeners and fans as to the day, year a particular project dropped and how well it charted regarding to sales.

The change could start with us, we could bring more relevance to the Nigerian entertainment scene by creating a charting system of worth and credibility. It is definitely going to take a lot of work if this is to be achieved, but it is of no doubt that it is achievable.

Let’s write our own rules, let’s bring credibility to sales.

Source: http://nexthop.com.ng/album-sales-stop-the-hype-no-data-to-back-up-sales-in-nigeria/

The much talked about, extremely hyped song “Allelu” has finally dropped. Has this lived up to the hype?…well, let’s weigh in with our two cents on the offering by the quintet of Maleek Berry, Wale, Olamide, Don Jazzy and Reekado Banks.

From the moment the array of superstars had been revealed to have collaborated on a track, the anticipation had been through the roof.

Maleek Berry controlled the boards on this one, with an afro-pop style beat with jazzy strings.

If Wale has issues with critics digesting or reviewing his lyrics, it is because they find it hard to decipher his at times complex rhymes. He gave little or no room for them on this one, as he rode the beat quite smoothly with a simple, plain verse filled with braggadocio, reppin’ Naija and taking shots at…well, his ‘haters’.

That’s the summary of his verse.

He declares quite rightly though, that “only God can judge me/no, not you”, while also daring his detractors to “say it to my face/,cos you cannot relate”.

He closes with quite an interesting muster of yoruba-spoken delivery saying “mo yege/halleluyah mo yege/I’ll dobale to my mama o/I know that she gon’ pray for me”….lol

Yours truly, Olamide badoo takes the baton, and given his playful, extremely ratchet attitude he’s shown on tracks he has released recently, making the statement “I feel like jigga backing biggie on stage” is a very bold verse opening.

He goes playful as usual on this one, but it passes for an interesting listen.

Only daddymiliano can be crazy enough to say “you know the feeling/I feel like next to blow/I feel I should let you know/and I’ve been thinking badoo iya e ti blow/oluwa wizzy collect igbo” and also “shorty’s a ceiling fan, she wanna blow me”.

Don-doro-Jazzy well, was his usual ‘screw my haters’ self. It was a cameo good enough to make us know “na baba God just dey win for my matter/and that’s all that matters”…..fair enough.

The melody in Maleek Berry’s verse afterwards is so good, so catchy, he just rode his own production effortlessly.

It was an excellent chorus delivery by Headies’ Rookie Of The Year, Reekado Banks. He’s quickly turning out to be a specially sought-after talent.

This joint is a brilliant, feel-good, God-appreciating, club smash we’re sure the shoki dance lovers are already busting their moves to.

We’re impressed….lives up to the hype.

Source: http://nexthop.com.ng/review-has-allelu-by-maleek-berrywale-lived-up-to-the-hype/

Top indigenous rapper, Lord Of Ajasa just dropped a new song titled "Democrazy". The song talked about some pertinent issues and the forthcoming elections.

Download: http://nexthop.com.ng/listen-democrazy-lord-of-ajasa/

Someone had to do it, someone had to speak up in the face of all these election politicking going on. Who else to leave it to other than these SDC affiliates.….and this they did so impeccably, with a highly impressive song of almost 5 minutes of lyrical assault!

We have been served some of the best and hardest hitting, politically charged, hip-hop bars in Nigeria this year by the trio of Lex, Mojeed and Tec of the Show Dem Camp Clique, with Kid Konnect manning the boards.

Not too much surprise though, given it comes from the stable of the SDC affiliates, a pool of talents who have never failed to deliver ill rhymes since they made their name as a group. They always hold it down, they’ve always held hip-hop down.

They have shown they ain’t afraid to be politically conscious with their messages on this one. They have indeed pushed the boundary in an industry filled with most of our artistes now serving as political pawns, and what a statement they have made!

So many bars, you can lose focus while trying to digest the punches as they come, on a beat filled with trumpet-like brass and strings.

The first verse was taken by Lex and he opened the song with a barrage of bars, so much you can hardly breathe while trying to catch the bars. Lex implores us to “Arise O’compatriots” in his verse opening, and we can only hope his colleagues listen to him. After he has implored us to exercise patience with our revolution process in the country with the line; “when we are trying to build this nation/please have some patience”, he goes on to tell us “a word is enough for the wise/but I didn’t come here to preach/ I’m just a messenger/here to give some strength to the weak”.

He goes on to deliver the politically motivated gem: “I’ve been through the struggle/I pray/my pain deep in this beat/we live in the jungle/these harsh conditions leave me in piece/R.I.P Ken Saro-wiwa/this my freedom of speech/elections approaching/dead bodies litter the streets”………whooooooop!

He then goes on to ask a truly mind-boggling question, albeit rhetorically: “my fellow Nigerians/when can we live in some peace/have trust in the government/and faith in police?”, before ending his incredibly outstanding verse with “Ojukwu state of mind with no ‘days in the east’/Awolowo reborn/with a passion of Zik”.

Just three solid ‘Gbosas’ for Lex……total annihilation!!!

Second verse by Mojeed was as authoritative as real rap can get, with yoruba-lines dropped in-between, boy did he chew the beat!

His verse, after several impressive lines, has the ironic, semi-rapid flow rhyme lines( while actually saying he doesn’t rap to rhyme): “I’m tryin’ to be the kinda rapper y’all wanna analyse/far as mastermind/’cos I’m a raptor/I don’t rap to rhyme”

He rounds off by saying “I’m droppin’ songs that’ll make your label drop you off”…if only our labels appreciate real talents.

Tec takes the last verse, his offering was both inspirational and with subtle shots aimed at the industry sell-outs. He wonders if he would do same if he were in their shoes, as he doubts his leadership qualities with the line: “so maybe I’m a saviour too/guy when i hit the podium/will i say the truth?/maybe I’m a prophet or just doin’ it for profit/as I’m headed to the top/I need a change of view/’cos everyone around me is a ho’ now”.

He goes on to say: “if you focus on your future/you’ll attract status/powerful thoughts/move forward guy/no back-tracking/then the world is yours/the world is yours” , before he ends his excellent verse with “king Davies/watch me shine in all my splendour/babylon’s got a stronger gender/but there’s nothin’ they can do to the chosen/except to po-poke him/and hope he sells out too”….we definitely don’t want to see him sell out!

It is indeed a grand closing, so much we thirsted for more.

It is grand, it is raw, it is deep, and we look forward to more materials from this group of undeniable talents…Song cover is brilliant too!

We then imagine what could have been if Ghost(another monster in SDC) had a minute to drop his deep voiced, god-rap flow over the insane head-bobbing beat.

It is quite hard to pick the ‘best’ verse of the song, but after much listening and deliberations, we give it to Tec. Don’t worry about choosing a best verse though, just enjoy this hip-hop masterpiece!

We are never gonna forget this joint in a hurry….if at all we do!

Source: http://nexthop.com.ng/review-its-hard-its-political-its-hip-hop-its-dictator-rap/

So how about we weigh in on the importance of music and how powerful it can be in influencing our activities…or being an incitement. Therein lies our subconsciousness, as a true reflection of how we perceive and digest the ‘lyrics’ being dished out by our favorite artistes.

Many’s the time I’ve had the bizarre experience of seeing fans react action-wise to the songs being played, be it at clubs, gatherings, or at a random ‘beside the road’ spot by wanting to put these so-called songs’ lyrics to practice….Just cause the artiste ‘said so’ or ‘did so’….. you hear these fans say.

It is indeed a great deal of concern as to how much our music glorifies promiscuity, recklessness, irresponsibility, and so many other vices. Degrading lyrics tend to objectify both genders and portray men as sex-driven and women as sexual objects.
Substance abuse(thankfully hasn’t been too extreme in our case) is also often glorified in lyrics, so much now that kids(youths) consider it as ‘living the life’. Thankfully again, not much(if any at all) has been sung or rapped about on killing or maiming of others, a la Eminem(albeit without seriously meaning to).

The tendency for these youths to put to practice what they hear or see can be proven by the actions they carry out in public glare with no care in the world like, “it’s nothing, I’m the man”. The sad truth being that most listeners see nothing wrong, with a casual shrug to the inciting lyrical contents of their favorite tunes, tagging them as “just a song”.

Truthfully, not all listeners get too engrossed in what they hear to actually consider making the lyrics a reference point for irresponsible actions, they just don’t get too carried away. Studies have however shown that quite a number of listeners fall prey to the ‘imma do it cause my favorite artiste said it’ school of thought.
I, at one time or the other, have also felt the power of these songs as I have shown actions(don’t ask me) to portray what I was listening to at that particular time.

One time at an extremely rowdy gathering that involved the attendance of our ‘street boys(omo-itas)’, thugs and touts, it was all sweaty dances, show of craze or madness, with lots of marijuana puffs in the air, ’till Terry G’s “God guide me” song came on. Then with an utmost sense of sobriety, it looked like the world stopped for a minute as these touts and what-nots actually put away(at least for the few minutes the song was on for) their marijuana, hemps, then looked right up to the heavens to respect and ask for mercy from God. That was some statement and amazing scene to witness!

We are allowed to have fun and oftentimes the fun involves ‘wildin’ out’ by being or talking ‘ratchet’. These artistes know that, we know that, so where can the boundary be drawn….

In fact, these artistes want their statements to have such a great resonance with the fans, so much that they feel proud if a particular coinage by them is glorified by their followers.

Most song’s lyrics don’t discuss dangers of irresponsible or careless sexual activity, in actual fact, they glorify and promote it and I think about 90%, or more, of our established and popular artistes are guilty of this. Then again, it makes them more massively popular and accepted…and a lot of bucks. The global brands don’t even care what an artiste represents before they shower millions of naira endorsements on him/her.

Oftentimes though, these artistes narrate ‘how they are living their lives’ and want listeners to be inspired by it, so at those times they try to be as honest(not all) and as expressive as they can. So it’s only fair that the part where they have fun is also brought to light. Therefore knowingly or unknowingly, harmfully or harmlessly, intentionally or unintentionally, they influence their fans’ view as to how life is to be lived.
We have several artistes(Olamide, Tuface, Banky W, e.t.c) though, who find a massive way to balance their messages in an entire album, they go from ratchet lyrics to inspirational, degrading to uplifting and it’s a formula that works perfectly well for them. Then the ones who couldn’t give a rat’s arse, as it’s all profanity in their music(D’banj we’re looking at you), a sexual bravado that plays out a little too much.

It’s more than just lyrical statements when big artistes like P-square tell their fans to ‘do as i do’, Reminisce endears his core followers to ‘tesojue lale yii’, Iyanya declares ‘all i want is your waist’ and Sean Tizzle asks ‘ki lo gbe yii’.

As good as it is to have massive fun in this lifetime, as we’ve got just one life to live(depending on your belief), so also it is as credible to leave a positive impact. Taking cognizance of our musical content should be paramount if we really are to play our part in curbing some of the societal ills…..let’s accept responsibility and stand for something!

Source: http://nexthop.com.ng/editorial-the-music-made-me-do-it-more-than-just-lyrics/

“Elelelelelele......omode yii gbondi”........*coughs

This is basically sadly the sound we’re now accustomed to as music lovers listeners in the country, so much that an ardent listener can predict the next ‘lyric’ from a so-called artiste. Do we or these artistes really care about what we hear?

Entertainment is now so wide it touches all people from all walks of life, so much so that we now have our artistes bag series of endorsements from global brands. Is it laziness on our artistes’ parts? You hear a good/decent beat now, a solid/decent chorus and the total content and delivery of the song leaves little to be desired. Why can’t there be an extra effort for a few minutes of creativeness in the form of coining better and more meaningful thoughts into solid lyrics? It can’t really be that hard, can it?

We now have kids, youths who fawn over these songs and learn all the dance moves (which really isn’t a bad thing, provided it adds value to their scope of life). Hell, even the few kids we’ve heard one or two music material from have toed the path of their ‘role models’. I listen to Tuface, Asa, Timi Dakolo and a couple of respectable others and I think it is no excuse for any of our artistes to churn out the kind of baseless music they do on a daily basis. And No, not all can be like the above named artistes and it is good to carve your own niche, BUT you can carve a solid niche by just paying more attention to your lyrical content.

Our industry has now been polarized so much that anybody can pick up the mic and ‘spit’ albeit with no substance. It is now widely proven that our artistes follow trends rather than do something different and of positive impact. Yes, it’s all about the money they have to make, ‘cos at the end of the day that’s the sole aim of being in the lucrative industry. On the other hand, what has also been proven is that creative and innovative artistes are also not doing badly in terms of the return they get from making good music.

No one is kicking against the club/party anthems, but these club records can actually have in-depth lyricism while still maintaining the club/party appeal. I find it so hard to spend my money on a physical copy of a major Nigerian album these days, albeit a few, just because I can easily predict the theme and content of the entire album.

So who’s really to blame, we the consumers, or the artistes? It’s really a million dollar question as it has been proven that consumers/listeners appreciate good music, while they haven’t rejected or ignored the terrible ones. All they wanna do is dance, I figured. The artistes pride themselves on any little work they have been able to put out, so much so, that any form of criticism, be it constructive or malicious, is termed as ‘hating’...... so who are we to have critical opinions...

In subsequent columns, the unsung heroes of good/great albums in Nigeria would be compiled and given kudos to, which brings to mind how criminally underrated and overlooked GT the guitarman’s "The truth" album was. One of the very talented prospects we’ve ever had who’s suffering from the 'club record' conundrum.

Hell, even I am guilty for I have series of mediocre Naija songs on my playlist. And when these songs gets randomly picked by my player, I either dance(even as I don’t know how to make moves) wildly to them, shake my head at the appalling content, or laugh hysterically at how terrible some of our ‘superstars’ actually are.

In all, we clamour for better outputs from our ‘role models’, abeg, there’s little to how much we can 'whine' our waists (some of us have got serious ‘jedi jedi’ issue), spray the money (some of us are actually very broke), pop the champagne or ask Caro to follow us home(we’re still under our parents). Yes, we all also have our preferences as regards music, we all can't like/love same artistes or genre but at the end of the day, we ALL appreciate/want good music.

Same beats, same subject matter(girls,club,lavishing money), same composition. No one can tell me we don’t have countless of subject matters that can be touched on. Be dynamic, not stereotyped!

At the end of the day, I’ll still try to ‘dance’ to these mediocre songs at parties to celebrate the foolishness of us listeners in providing these baseless artistes the fame they don’t deserve........Yes, that’s how hypocritical I am.

Source: http://nexthop.com.ng/editorial-whos-really-listening/

Popular comedian Bright Okpocha better known as Basketmouth took to his Instagram page to share the good news with his fans.

Basketmouth said his new album will be titled “I don’t Eat Beans but I love Moi Moi”

BM shared a pic of himself putting on blingz and posing in front of a camera. He captioned the pic with “About to release my new album titled (I dont eat beans but i love moi moi) and my new rap name is: Mc Anybody wey do anyhow go see anyhow a.k.a The Doperhymwzslayer”

Basket must be kidding!

http://nexthop.com.ng/joker-basketmouth-set-to-release-new-album-gives-himself-a-rap-name/

Few listens in, as it is necessary or required before weighing considerably and fairly in on new releases, be it albums or music singles, we’re taking time out to dissect the coming together again of Choc Boiz‘s finests; MI, Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz and Loose Kaynon on “Summer Time”.

Whoever thought their glory days as a unit is over should have a re-think, as the heavyweights have released(leaked) a solid hip-hop offering.

Loose opens up( after lil’ pep talk) with a bold “the thing about the grind is/you treat it like these girls treat love/my nigga/you don’t stop until you find it”, and going by how far they’ve come in the industry, it’s a testament to the fact that they’ve not gotten enough….they want more!

He(Loose) goes on to deliver a solid verse full of quite a number of punches, in which he drops the impressive “you know where to find us/movement’s so presidential/they put their phones out and try to vine us”.

Our dear Ice Prince then takes the baton with a lot of braggadocio in his verse. He did his thing and didn’t fail to make references or take shots at their ‘haters’ and detractors. It’s becoming too much of a recurrent theme in his music lately,and who can blame him considering the amount of flak he gets from rap fans and critics alike, but he managed to pull it off considerably well.

Then comes the impressive Chairman. Well,what can we say….he’s indeed excellent(when he cares to be). A verse full of punches, humorously even, he delivered unarguably the best 16s on the joint. Quite rightly, he declares on his verse’s opening “thank God for blessing mo’ me and my brothers”, which yeah,is a gracious statement given their meteoric rise to fame in the industry.

If this release is anything to go by, then we’ll be leading the line to get the collaborative effort they’ll put out.

We wish the impeccable Jesse Jagz spit on this too though, other than the chorus he handled.

A great effort regardless.

http://nexthop.com.ng/review-how-we-digested-cbns-summer-time/

Taking a close look at the Nigerian music industry and its artistes today,one can’t help but notice the body language of these artistes as that of neglect or plain laziness.It now seem as though our artistes can’t compose and perform a decent and meaningful joint anymore.

The diminutive movement of the music industry in terms of quality lyrics in recent time has been/is quite saddening.Ironically,it now seem glaring that making it in the Nigerian music industry,one needs to dumb down his/her lyrics to the lowest possible level – right next to gibberish,just as long as you can get a banging beat from Del B,Tspize,shizzi or Don jazzy and all the leading producers.What matters is people enjoy the beat and the vibe,whatever happened to music as a tool for passing strong messages,like with the music legends of the past generation.

Hits songs in Nigeria nowadays carries negative meaning or no meaning at all.When are we going to say “No! this madness must stop”.When are we going to stop suffering from these artistes and their irrelevant materials they force down our throats biko? Save for a few artiste doing it as it should be done,good music in nigeria would have been almost impossible to find.

I enjoin us all to join hands and fight against garbage music,it seems our inability to criticize and stand-up to these half-talented musicians has giving them the green to churn out more music we don’t deserve.Please lets say NO to crappy music and i’ll also like our artistes to restore sanity in their music for a better representation of the music industry,Nigeria and the world at large.

NP:Brymo’s Tabula rasa.

http://nexthop.com.ng/nigerian-musicians-taking-us-for-granted/

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P:S You must have a laptop and access to the internet. This is a paid gig

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