Deyemi Okanlawon displays versatility In Falz’s musical video, ‘Soldier’

Deyemi Okanlawon displays versatility In Falz’s musical video, ‘Soldier’

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Acting in Nigeria seems to finally have come of age with a new crop of exciting acts coming into the local and global film industry and taking up where the 1st generation Nigerian stars left off.

Prominent amongst these new faces is the fast rising actor, Deyemi Okanlawon who has in the past few years tantalize our screens with his refreshing and versatile acting skills.

In the recently released short film music video of Soldier by Falz The Bahd Guy directed by Clarence Peters and featuring Simi, Deyemi effortlessly takes on a rebel leader character similar to that of Idris Elba in Netflix's Beast Of No Nation and was, in those few minutes, able to take us from a sense of fear to laughter with the line “Sergeant, if you want the girl come and collect her” borrowed from the Headies 2016 fracas between Mavin boss Don Jazzy and Olamide - “Egbon Olamide, if you want the car come and collect it”.

Fondly called "Deyemi The Actor" by his colleagues and fans, he started out by featuring in some of the best short films and web series produced in Nigeria till date, including Gidi Up, Blink, In-Iredu, Knock Knock and Common Man, as well as music videos with Waje (No Be You) and Aramide (Feeling this Feeling) and has since starred in several award-winning feature-length movies such as If Tomorrow Never Comes, Falling and Beyond Blood as well as the CNN and BBC reviewed international TV series, An African City.

More photos below

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Saeon: The Emergence Of The Trap n B Genre

Saeon: The Emergence Of The Trap n B Genre

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The music industry is a tough one for female artiste, no need to sugar coat, and it’s even tougher when the genre you’re pushing is way off mainstream. Saeon Moruda is one of those few artistes who have dared to be different from the norm-with her invented Trap ‘n’ B sound — a mixture of Rap, Hiphop and R’n’B — her overall demeanour defined by her various BackPacks, outfits and foot wear from the male section; and her Natural Hair or Morudan Braids,

Now, is that sojourn paying off, we should probably leave that to the all powering time to tell, but that’s not to say we would not tell you what we can, which is Saeon’s sound is one worth listening to.

There is really not an easy explanation for why Saeon should be on your radar, other than the fact that she is a breath of fresh air in a music industry which has been oversaturated by much of the same sound- jollof music popularized by those who must not be named.

Her style is unique, and you can tell she put a lot of time and thought into what she churns out.

The #BoyChick with the #87Swags as she’s fondly called, found her calling way back in S.S.1 with a phone call to her mum who advised and we suspect insisted that she bring the much coveted master’s degree home before pursuing Plan A. Armed with her master’s degree and blessings from her parents Miss. Moruda went after her first love a move which was rewarded by her emerging as the winner of ‘The Underground’ competition amongst 9 guys.

The emcee proceeded to release demos like Fever and the IBK SpaceshipBoi and Cobhams co-produced Let it Go a few other mildly successful tracks later, a cover of Brymo’s critically acclaimed Ara which earned her recognition from the singer himself and then poooffff!!! She became a tough act to follow as her style had become a little too versatile which made her sound somewhat confusing not to mention hard to keep up with. She had fallen into the ‘People Pleasing’ rookie trap and as Saeon would re-affirm herself,

“I was listening too much to people’s opinion on how and what kinda music I should make that my opinion became mute and nonexistent to me, causing my efforts to drown in the listener’s confusion as to what the SAEON Sound or Brand was”.

And then there was the small matter of her infamous twitter feud with Wizkid which seemed like the kamikaze of her own career. This was quite unfortunate as it spelt doom for their promising collaboration ‘Boogie Down’ which drowned in all the controversy. Perhaps her career would have gone just how Keri Hilson’s went after her attack on Beyonce if she were a weaker artiste.

Thankfully she isn’t and Saeon, like proverbial Pheonix rose from the ashes, made her way back into the industry with De Be and to our greatest joy she ditched the dresses and weaves for some jeans and locks. Her style completely reinvented- a brilliant blend of r n b, hip hop and trap music, a genre which she calls “TrapnB”.

Her newest efforts, Ninu Clubi, De Be and the cypher which featured a bunch of talented rappers, Fuh shit up all of which shows off a comfortable blend of rapping and singing maybe even reminding us a little of Canadian super star Drake.

While the finer points of her career seems to tilt towards her mainstream – boogie down, awada erekere days….. This #boyChick is at her most brilliant when she’s slaying the heck out of those punchlines and it doesn’t hurt at all that she can sing. While we are tempted to leave all the sooth saying to the T.B Joshua’s of this world, we predict that Saeon’s career is up for a rocket launching and we can’t wait to see what she makes of her new Trap n b movement.

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Nigeria’s last hope of dying Reggae

Nigeria’s last hope of dying Reggae

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The seed of Reggae music was planted in Jamaica and made popular by the Legendary Bob Marley. Since then, Reggae music has left the shores of Jamaica and practically has a life of its own without diluting its core message.

In the words of Wyclef Jean: 

“A lot of my music is very Reggae-driven. Half of my life, Bob Marley was all I listened to”.

 Reggae music captures the pressures of everyday life fusing it into irresistible melodies. In Nigeria, the genre used to be on the front row but now has taken a backseat, even when giving birth to an offshoot known as dancehall. However, there are some Nigerian artistes who would not allow the genre to go into extinction and are thus fanning the ember in their own music, which has pretty much deviated from the hard core Reggae. 

2BABA

Though 2face Idibia is known more as an Afropop and RnB artiste, his love for Reggae music is palpable. Songs like Rain drops, One love reminds you of Bob Marley’s brand of Reggae. The award-winning music icon croons like a bird let off its nest whenever he sings songs with Reggae influences. Reggae lovers are always captivated when the likes of 2face sing songs that capture the emotion of Reggae.

TIMAYA

 Enetimi Alfred Odon a.k.a Timaya is one of the few Nigerian musicians who are still fanning the embers of Reggae music and keeping it alive. Though the message of his songs may not resonate with the message of Reggae, but he makes up for it with his Reggae driven melodies. When you listen to songs like Bow Down, Bum Bum, and Plantain Boy, you may think you are listening to Peter Tosh. He has been able to create his own style without losing the Reggae flavour. 

PATORANKING

Patoranking broke into the Nigerian music industry with his hit song Alubarika in 2013.The song speedily spread like wildfire and gained massive airplays. At a time when Reggae music is losing relevance and Afropop taking center stage, Alubarika became a song that reveals the everyday struggle of the man on the street. The song starts off with a bouncy Reggae beat and hints at the importance of God’s blessings. “I want to touch lives and give hope to the hopeless with my music” Patoranking once said. 

CYNTHIA MORGAN

 Have you listened to Cynthia Morgan’s German Juice, Baby mama and Popori? You will definitely feel the vibes of Reggae in the songs. Though she has been criticized for the usage of Jamaican patois in her music, the voluptuous singer continues to infuse it in her song fervently. The red hair-wearing artiste has said that her patois comes natural to her, even before her manager got her a patois dictionary. 

BURNA BOY

Burna Boy is the poster child for Nigerian dancehall music. The Rivers State-born singer has a baritone voice that appeals to his fans who are enamoured by his brand of dancehall. From Yawa Dey, Soke, and Dor Gongon the talented performer said his early reggae influence came from his dad. “My dad used to play Reggae and Afrobeats. The first Reggae song I heard was in his car. The first CD we had was a mix of all different types of dancehall. I am pretty much a product of my environment”

 GENERAL PYPE  

General Pype is one of the most underrated, yet talented Nigerian artistes. These days it’s difficult to detect the influences of Reggae in contemporary Nigerian music, but the likes of General Pype have constantly showed off this genre in their music. From Victorious man, Champion and Lovers Rock, the seven-star General shows off his pleasant-sounding dancehall vocals in the songs. General Pype is known for the depth of his lyrics and unique delivery.

Written by Kehinde Ajose

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[VIEWPOINT]: MI ABAGA AND GLOSS PHYSICAL SIMILARITY.

[VIEWPOINT]: MI ABAGA AND GLOSS PHYSICAL SIMILARITY.

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Fast rising act "GLOSS" who is said to have physical similarity with MI is set to released a new single titled “MODINA” .

New photos have been released from his photo-shoot session with Tsoule Media as the new single will be out on the soon.

Check out photos from the set below.

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[VIEWPOINT]: Top Nigerian Male artistes that are still unmarried.

[VIEWPOINT]: Top Nigerian Male artistes that are still unmarried.

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THEY are upwardly mobile, young, handsome and rich and have been romantically linked to dozens of beautiful women but despite their success, these hot Nigerian artistes show no sign they intend to get married and settle down any time soon. Today, Entertainer brings you the Nigerian music industry’s hottest bachelors.

D’BANJ

Call him a play boy and you wouldn’t be far from the truth. And whether it’s by chance or design, D’banj only associates with rich and wealthy women. Ever since the 35 year-old hit the Nigerian music space with his debut single, Tongolo, he has continued to enthral members of the opposite sex. Today, listed among his conquests are Genevieve Nnaji, Ini Edo, Bonanag Matheba, Adama Indimi and Jenifer Obayuwana, all filthy rich women. And going by his antics, it’s obvious that marriage is obviously not a priority for him as he is showing no sign of settling down soon.

WIZKID

A couple of years ago when Wizkid hit the limelight with the release of his debut single, Holla @ ur Boi, it was obvious that the kid was headed for the top. Today with a string of hits to his credit, 25 year-old Wizkid has come of age. Though he has been linked to a couple of beauties and has two baby mamas, there seem to be no plans of settling down any time soon. Wizkid has a son with Oluwanishola Ogudugu and another lady, a Guinean and video vixen by name of Binta Diamond Dialo, re­cently posted pictures of her child she claims was fathered by Wizkid and named the child Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, after the starboy. Even Tania Omotayo, his girlfriend of many years seems to have fallen out with the singer judg­ing by their posts on social media.

DAVIDO

At just 19, OBO singer and HKN Gang CEO, Davido, hit his first millions after he was signed up by MTN as its brand ambassador and ever since, the act has never looked back bombarding the Nigerian music scene with a string of hits. And if there is one thing he is known for, it’s his escapades with members of the faire sex. Recently he made headlines again after his stormy battle with his baby mama, Sophia, over custody of their daughter, Imade. At the climax of the drama which lasted a couple of weeks, Davido had declared that he could never marry Sophia Momodu no matter what happened because she was older than him. He also accused her of taking advantage of his innocence.

RUGEDMAN

With almost two decades in entertainment and hav­ing thousands of adouring female fans, Ruggedman is yet to tie the knot. The rapper who hit the limelight after he dropped his controversial hit track, ‘Ehen’, which featured late singer, Nomoreloss, in an interview with a popular magazine a while ago revealed the reasons why he was yet to tie the knot.

Hear him: “There are a lot of girls out there but I don’t need a girl, I need a woman, a woman who know what responsibility is all about. It’s not just about facebook, instagram, and twitter. I need somebody who is real, who is responsible, and I really don’t want to date anybody in entertainment; it won’t work. You go out, she goes out, and we all know that we humans are jealous creatures. If you go out and your wife sees so many girls clamouring around or over you, you’ll say ‘it’s just work honey.’ But if you see a guy around her and she says ‘it’s just work honey,’ I can imagine how you would react.”

DON JAZZY

Since he hit limelight after the release of D’banj’s Tongolo in 2004, the career of music producer and Mavin boss, Don Jazzy, has been on a trajectory to the top of the industry where he remains one of the most dynamic music producers in Nigeria. However, mention romance and you run into a brick wall!

Don jazzy who has been instrumental in the making of a dozen stars and still counting, despite being Ambas­sador to a number of platforms and earning millions of naira and even getting mentioned among Forbes list for Africa’s most influential musicians for 2015 has remained elusive as far as his relationship with the opposite sex is concerned. Media shy Don Jazzy has not been romanti­cally linked with any woman yet. However, Tonto Dikeh is reported to have once sensationally declared in an interview that she was disvirgined by Don Jazzy.

BANKY W.

Though 34 year-old Banky W had been around for a while, it was the remix of Rihanna’s Umbrella entitled Ebute Metta, which transformed his career forever. The CEO of Empire Mates Entertainment (EME) despite his success and his sex appeal has consistently denied being in a relationship or having an affair. A while ago during a show in Mauritius, Banky W had announced to his fans that he was not in a relationship and did not have any plans of getting married soon. However, one woman who has always been spotted with him is Andrea Giaccaglia, a Ghanaian-Italian model and the pair have been sighted together in public on a lot of occasions.

IYANYA

The CEO of Triple MG, Iyanya Mbuk is one of those few artistes who can beat his chest and boast that doesn’t have a baby mama, at least going by what we know. Obviously a lady’s man, Iyanya hit fame and fortune with the release of tracks like Kukere and Your Waist. His stage performance is dominated by gyration and a lot of wriggling of his waist to the delight of his female fans. In an interview with Hip TV a while ago, he had advised his colleagues to ‘Never let your baby mama go… she should be your wife.’ However, a while ago it was reported that the Kukere crooner and winner of MTN Project competition in 2008 was dating Freda Francis.

However, an ex-girlfriend of Iyanya’s has taken to so­cial media to claim that he sleeps around without protec­tion. The ex-girlfriend, Nkechi, despite Iyanaya unveil­ing Freda Francis as his new girl friend still claims that she is dating Iyanya. Meanwhile, he has been romanti­cally linked to Yvonne Nelson and Tonto Dikeh.

FLAVOUR

32year old Flavour hit the limelight after the release of his debut single, Ashawo, a remix of Osita Osadebe’s classic in the late 2000s. Among others, this hunk has a habit of uploading sexy pictures of himself on instagram and this has won him numerous female fans. And one thing you cant take from him is his attraction for beauty queens. Currently the exhibitionist has two children from two different beauty queens (Sandra Okagbue and Anna Banner). Meanwhile, there are rumours he is dat­ing Chidinma aka Miss Kedike after she featured in his song Ife, where they shared kiss in the video. However, Flavour, going by his antiques is obviously not ready to tie the knot anytime soon even as he heats up social media with his semi nudes.

M.I

Jude Abaga aka M.I is one of the most eligible bachelors in Nigeria’s music industry no doubt. The president of Chocolate City popularly known as Mr. Incredible a couple of years back was rumoured to be on the verge of tying the knot with his girlfriend, 2010 Miss Nigeria runner up, Erica Okundaye. Word even had it that he had travelled all the way to Edo State to see Erica’s parents

However, beyond that, little is known of his relation­ship with members of the opposite sex but rumours hint at a relationship with fellow Glo Ambassador and singer, Waje.

WANDE COAL

From Mushin to Mo Hits was the title of his debut album under the now defunct Mo Hits record label. From humble beginnings in one of Africa’s biggest ghettoes, Mushin, Wande Coal has risen to the top of his career. His delivery on Patoranking’s My Woman has only consolidated his hold on the industry and today, Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe aka Wande Coal is the CEO of Black Diamond Entertainment. In a recent interview with a popular magazine, Wande Coal declared that he had no immediate plans of marrying his baby mama who has a seven-year old son for him. And if you’re a female fan hoping to hook up with him for good any time soon, forget it. The rapper has declared that marriage is not on his front burner!

Hear him: “The time for marriage is not ripe yet be­cause I need to really focus on my career now which is the major thing in my life. My career is my drive basically so marriage is totally out of it for now.”

ORITSE FEMI

Until the release of his monster hit, Double Wahala, self styled musical Taliban, Oritsefemi, was a barely known Ajegunle artiste who was living from hand to mouth. However, Double Wahala changed all that. But was it responsible for the subsequent break up with his lover, of many years, Blessing Bawa?

With fame come women and with wom­en come temptation. Could that be what precipitated their break up? Shortly after their break up, Oritsefemi was romantically linked to sexy singer, Adasounds, though Adasounds later declared that she could never date a guy like Oritsefemi. Mean­while, Oritsefemi has two daughters from two different women.

TIMAYA

The Egberi Papa 1 (Enetimi Alfred Odom) has a daughter, Emmanuella, with his long time girlfriend, Barbara but he obviously has no plans to settle down any time soon. In 2015, in an interview he had declared: “Marriage comes with a lot of responsibilities which are beyond financial or material things. God has blessed me with everything a man needs to have a success­ful married life and you can bet that Em­manuella and Barbara will get the best of everything money can buy, but personally, I don’t feel ready for it.”

However, in 2015, and Barbra welcomed their second daughter named Grace into the world. Timaya and his girlfriend, Barbra already have a four-year-old daughter, Emma. Meanwhile, a woman named Shella B accused Timaya of rape in the U.S but he later came out to deny that whatever hap­pened between them was consensual.

Meanwhile, he’s biggest conquest to date remains actress, Empress Njamah.

TERRY G.

If you’re a female fan of Terry G’s and you’ve been dreaming of hooking up with him for good then forget it! Rea­son, Terry G and his baby mama, Mimi Omoregbe welcomed their first child, Rex, on November 1, 2012, and since mid last year, the Free Madness singer has been talking about marriage and set­tling down.

In a recent chat with a popular news platform, Terry G had said: “It will happen very soon but it takes planning and much more. Ironically, I am facing a lot of pressure regarding marriage but it is not from either of our families. The pressure is from outsiders. I want to work hard and be stable. I want to work to the extent that I would not rely on music because I do music for fun. Everybody knows that she lives with me and I am already living like a married man.”

Written by JOY UMUKORO

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[VIEWPOINT]:YOUR TALENT,NOT YOUR POCKET

[VIEWPOINT]:YOUR TALENT,NOT YOUR POCKET

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After seeing the same trick over and over again, we stop falling for it. And that's why upcoming artists need to stop paying artists millions to feature on their songs. It's just not working anymore.

We've seen many unknown artists feature a Timaya, Terry G, Davido or whoever in order to help their records do well. It's a great gimmick that's used all over the world, and it helps to get people to pay attention to an artist who is trying to make a name for himself/herself.

Unfortunately, the fans have come to understand that the big artists are not getting on those tracks because they believe in the undiscovered artist (that's what it should be). More often they are jumping on the track simply because they have been paid good money for a feature. So it's not an honest endorsement by the bigger artist.

A higher level of this practice is when established Nigerian artists pay American artists to feature on their tracks, so they can get that  international appeal or status, bragging rights or whatever you want to call it. It was becoming a trend, until Drake and R.Kelly came and embarrassed a lot of Nigerian artists.

What R.Kelly and Drake did with Wizkid was remind people that a high profile feature wasn't supposed to be inspired by a paycheck, but by a belief in a song or an artist. Drake heard Ojuelegba and  jumped on it because he loved it. And then came the biggest endorsement of an artist; R.Kelly featured Wizkid on his own album. This wasn't Wizkid featuring him. We all know artists are courting and paying international acts these days for a feature, but that was not the case for the Drake/Wiz, R.Kelly/Wiz collaborations.

 To the Naija artists who have been trying to hasten their rise to international status, good luck. Good luck trying to pay an R.Kelly to feature you on his own album. Or paying an international rapper to sign you to his label...hold on...I heard that has been done before. I was not privy to the Dbanj/Kanye deal but there were rumors of Dbanj having a contract that made him the equivalent of an adopted child who was paying his own school fees and buying his own meals, just so he can bear the family name. Yuck.

Branding is everything in business, but music is still an art form. Hopefully we will see more features that are inspired by creativity, and not driven by money. A certain artist pointed out to me that he felt honored that he was featured on a Timaya song, as opposed to having Timaya feature on his own song. Working with a big shot should be a compliment to your talent, not your pocket. To quote Kanye West, "Don't rush to get grown." 

Culled from Howfana

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[VIEWPOINT]: Is It Proper For ‘BIG’ Artistes To Jump On Songs By Fast-Rising Artistes?

[VIEWPOINT]: Is It Proper For ‘BIG’ Artistes To Jump On Songs By Fast-Rising Artistes?

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I’m sure many of you have thought about this but contrary to perception by the general public, budding artistes already at that successful brink in their careers are often targets for the industry’s so-called big weights. Up until very recently, it never crossed my mind that a ‘big’ artiste will request to be featured on the remix to the song of a next-to-blow artiste.

Just chill, and let me give some direction on this.

We woke up one morning to find that Wizkid had done a cover to Kiss Daniel’s latest recording, Good Time. Oh wow, you must have thought. But just as I expected, it was trash! This was obviously a prelude to their soon-to-be-released collaborative track as already announced by both parties. Now, the general notion is that once an a-lister gets on a song then it must blow… both the artiste and the song. And so like our commanders at NYSC camp would say, ‘if you think like that, YOU ARE WRONG!’

No doubt, there’s been instances where exactly was the case. I’m actually referring to the time of Solidstar and Bracket featuring 2face, Davido featuring Naeto C, Yemi Alade featuring Eldee, these were clear examples where the weight of the featured artiste did much to advance the social stand of the upcoming act in the industry. But what can be said of now? The hierarchical order is all that matters. Even up-comers no longer give a damn about advancing their creative art form. They just wanna be waaaaayyy up and by whatever cost it comes at.

So when somebody called Kiss Daniel causes an uproar in the industry with a debut single that turned out to be a massive break out track, why won’t we question Davido for wanting to be on the remix? Before you’re quick to adjudge that as a relation based on the result of two hugely successful stories, it’ll interest you to know that he’s done the same thing again on Humblesmith’s Osinachi where he littered it with his never-ending dramatic filth. I mean, how does your baby mama and Dele Momodu apply? Perhaps the close save here is the fact that Davido doesn’t fall under the category of the brightest in the pac, and this is a feat that never puts him in the appropriate knowledge of things.

Next up, my favourite person to talk about – D’Banj!

Before the shocking revelation Olamide made in his emotional tweet outrage where he declared D’Banj ruined, I think even himself already knew he was pretty much a goner. Time was only the deciding factor. And that gave rise to his affiliation with the sparsely talented entity that is Tonto Dike. As long as she buzzed the headlines, it made good for his business image. But that wasn’t enough, he unleashed his harmless self on newbies Davido and Olamide, even Iyanya who just made a comeback from an odyssey in obscurity. His relationship with the latter only earned him collaborations that further questioned his relevance as an artiste.

And it didn’t even end there. Oritsefemi too somehow found his way into the mix.

What about Olamide? He is not as innocent as he presents himself you know. Mans gats live and knowing him to be the smart-ass business man, he blacklisted dear Ycee moments after Jagaban became another brag-worthy household hit. Baba Miliano cashed in on Ycee’s becoming factor by fixing himself on a needless remix. I can recall sometime ago, someone who commented on a dated post saying we started to know Ycee only after Olamide featured on the remix. Well, it’s too bad that someone was still sleeping in limbo on a trip to vehicular abyss for him to not have known that the Patoranking-featured track ‘Condo’, was the jagaban‘s official announcement to the industry.

Now, do you mind thinking again? Have these music remixes changed your perception of these artistes? Or has it in anyway altered their talents in prospect? If we’re not being myopic then we should know that these remixes haven’t done any tangible much for them. Ycee is still Ycee, Jagaban remix or not. Kiss Daniel remains the same whether Woju remix or not. The definite constant is that these remixes are the resulting effect of an idea concept that misfired ignoring the fact that we only applaud them because the industry’s ‘supermodels’ have laced themselves on these tracks using the unsuspecting up-comers as bait. However, the truth still remains that we never like these remixes hardly as much as we would do the original and they’re more like an irreparable damage to the beauty of work done, and effort put in by the upcoming act.

I don’t care who or what you are, but unless you plan on making actual sense on my record then I shan’t entertain your drunken vocal rant or wheeze ramblings on my track

…and that’s exactly how Jim Donnett sees it!

Article written by @jimancipation

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[VIEWPOINT]: MARSHAL BERNARD - ''FIVE (5) NIGERIAN ARTISTES WHO SHOULD RETIRE IN 2016''

[VIEWPOINT]: MARSHAL BERNARD - ''FIVE (5) NIGERIAN ARTISTES WHO SHOULD RETIRE IN 2016''

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Our Nigerian musicians should know when the show is over. As that saying goes, a good entertainer bows out when the ovation is loudest. When a famous artiste insists on producing 'hits' forever, then we have a major problem. In this regard, I've made a list of five Nigerian artistes who should do themselves a favor and stop singing this very minute.

1. D BANJ: Our brother here has served us very well, no doubt. Dbanj made a lot of hits in his days as an artiste (exactly). His 'Fall in Love' will probably never fade but, in my opinion, if you have two albums that can't match a preceding album, uncle, go into Real Estate. If Dbanj's garri business is going well and that hot South African Journalist is still interested in him, he'll have a good retirement.

2. P-Square: these guys are awesome entertainers, my personal favorite. But what can we do when you've exhausted your star limit? After 'Do Me', everything else they've done has had less impact. Great songs but their reputation is currently going anywhere but up.

3. 2Face Idibia: 2Face still does good music, but should stop in his own interest. After making consecutive hits, his albums no longer enjoys massive airplay. We're sure he has a lot of money to spend while not doing music. The million dollar question is: why did he release that ascension album? Descension would be more like it.

 4. Sound Sultan: Honestly, I'm not really sure Sound Sultan is even a celebrity. Like, does he want to blow or he already has? His tooth-gap may have been aesthetic for music videos when 'Jagbajantis' was played on repeat. But now? Not so much. 

5. Wande Coal: Regardless of his contribution to Patoranking's hit, 'My Woman, My Everything', we've had enough of him. He's been around long enough to get tired himself. Let Adekunle Gold start doing the choruses.   

As I've mentioned, these artistes still do good music (except for Dbanj of course), but should bow out when they're still appreciated. Thus, this list is mainly hinged on the fact that their ovations aren't as loud any longer. 

Culled from Howfana

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[VIEWPOINT]: 7 Untold Truths About The Nigerian Music Industry

[VIEWPOINT]: 7 Untold Truths About The Nigerian Music Industry

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ICE PRINCE

  

If anybody can mention 5 popularly hot songs on which Ice Prince laced his rapper prowess, I’m talking bars only, no singing, then I might consider retracting this thought. I mean, how can a rapper’s popular songs be the ones where he’s busy making cacophonious melodies? Honestly, Ice Prince trips me the way and manner which he runs his shxt but he seriously needs to have a handle on it. 

OLAMIDE

 

I understand that my musical choices can sometimes be far above the obtainable standard in the Nigerian music industry but regardless, there’s a global culture for music be it hip-hop or rap, R&B, alternative, classical and bla bla bla. Thank the stars that Nigerians have found a means to best suit everything they now do under the ‘afro’ context, it still doesn’t suffice… in my opinion though, especially when I think of where Olamide can be classified. Do we really want to call that thing he does, rapping? I rest my case 

LIL' KESH

 

I honestly thought talent (skill + hardwork) and presence were the major factors for one to succeed, or better still, gain due recognition. But dramatic turn out of events at the Headies awards stage on new year’s made me start to entertain thoughts otherwise. The obvious question is not whether Lil Kesh is talented, yet it seems the powers that be kept hitting a road block of ‘buts’ every time his izzue was set on cruise control. It may have much to do with the fact that this talent that we so speak of, cannot be in relation to an actual music art, i.e rapping. I may not be one to speculate but personally, I’ve had enough of this near funny yet phonic foolishness that their pac have become admirably famed for.

TIWA SAVAGE

 

There’s this popular adage that says when the breeze blows, the fowl’s behind will be exposed. The interpretation is quite lucid and suffice to say it’s an expression of best fit for what has now become Tiwa Savage’s music career. I was one of the #SavageSoldiers who stayed rooting for her comeback with a big bang so you can imagine my joy when she announced the surprise album. I am not so ecstatic for her anymore as her album was a mirror to how badly she has given in to pressures from the industry. Afterall it is not by force to be on top.

Unless Mr Billz likes it that way :-p 

M.I

 

It’s impressive that M.I (still) has a legion of fans who are ready to stake their lives over a stained glory that is now fast blotted out. So if I go ahead to say M.I is not (or rather, no longer) Nigeria’s king of rap, you’ll agree with me right? Even if you don’t, shall I remind you that Jesus Christ hasn’t ever stopped being Lord? So why then should we make an excuse for M.I when his case afterall isn’t any different? I’m shamed by how kids he inspired have risen far above the ranks where he now settles for less average. M.I has gotta stop being a lazy bastid! 

WIZKID

 

Wizkid’s music has experienced a terrible downward slope from the boy who made it right off the ghetto streets of Ojuelegba and crossed onto the paved walkways of Wall Street to becoming the certified face of the Nigerian music industry who now sings absolute rubbish. And even without any regrets whatsoever, Wizkid has failed consistently in delivering songs whose lyrics border on simple common sense. Yet it appears that the potency in his magic potion is ever so strong that we never see him past the galaxy where his star shines the most. How long more before the effect finally wanes though? I suggest boy Wizzy gets a firm lid on his shxt. 

D'PRINCE

 

D’Prince really is not that bad a guy. Very less than often, he shows flash signs of genius and his ovation can sometimes be the loudest when we applaud. But there’s also that satisfactory feeling you get when you use a switch button to turn off the sound of something that no longer gives comfort – this equally represent the very one and same D’Prince. Pathetic, right?

Bless God for the incredible person that is Don Jazzy, he’s brought and kept his kid brother in the music spotlight using savoury tunes that have infectiously stuck in our brains like soft gum on a very bad hair day. Thus, save for those rare moments of brilliance, I can’t categorically state whether D’Prince needs to stop, or be stopped! And so based on this inconclusive premise, I’ve decided to label him a white lie in the mix

Article compiled by Jim Donnett

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[VIEWPOINT]: Nigeria is the Land of Afrobea

[VIEWPOINT]: Nigeria is the Land of Afrobea

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Music is the language of the soul. It provides comfort to people in distress along with providing some form of entertainment. Over the years, music has evolved with the current trends of the time. This is even more true for Nigeria music. A dynamic force to reckon with, the music of Nigeria encapsulates within itself, the history of struggle along with the presence of cultural development. Indeed, the dynamism present in the music of Nigeria makes it well-known worldwide. The world of music is incomplete without mentioning Nigerian music and this is a major reason for artists to show interest in performing and signing labels with the Nigerian music industry. The music of Nigeria has roots in both, the various kinds of folk songs of the various ethnic groups in the country as well as the foreign cultures especially the West. Each kind of song has a distinctive flavor to it in terms of having a distinct technique, instrument and language.

The new generation of Nigerian producers and musicians are redefining the sound of Africa in very innovative and artistic way. The beat that is making its way into the mainstream music genre is the new and funky Afrobeat and Nigerian pop. There is an energy to this beat like no other. This buzzing beat which is making people all over the world groove to its movements was originally invented by Nigerian artist Fela Anikulapo Kuti in the 60s. Indeed, when he first got this music playing, never could he have imagined that this West African beat would be this famous.

The term Afrobeat, originally termed in UK for its African inspiration, can be defined as high energy and rhythmic drum patterns that make you groove. A very popular song which became a major hit in France as a popular party track was “Premier Gaou” by Magic System of Cote D’Ivoire. Similarly, “African Queen” by 2Face Idibia from Nigeria has gone out to become a song which was used in a lot of movies as a background song. With its reggae feel and sweet melody, it became an instant hit in Africa, only to be played almost like an anthem.

As the modern Nigerian sound starts to gain widespread acceptance at the world level, one can only guess the heights that Nigerian music is out to achieve in the world stage. The new implementations that the modern music vibe gives to the traditional Nigerian songs, is the reason for its uniqueness and popularity. The modern Nigerian sound is represented by its many facets.

One of the singers that is making inroads into the Nigerian music scene is rapper Ice Prince. Panshak Zamani, better known by his stage name Ice Prince, is one of the young budding singer-rapper of the Nigerian music industry. He rose to fame after releasing the hit single “Oleku”, which became one of the Nigeria’s most remixed songs. Listen to Ice Prince’s feet tapping music today and download his songs to update your play-list.

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[VIEWPOINT]: Korede Bello, Falz, Burna Boy & Others – Nigeria’s Most Influential Artistes Under 25!

[VIEWPOINT]: Korede Bello, Falz, Burna Boy & Others – Nigeria’s Most Influential Artistes Under 25!

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The Nigerian entertainment industry has been making it’s buzz locally and internationally, and the influential Nigerian artists under 25 are pulling their weight despite their age. Finally,on a very long creative journey our artists have been finding their unique voices, and have created a niche for themselves, individually and have influenced the youths of the moment.

This is based on the past year and the time of writing this article, ladies and gentlemen, here are Nigeria’s most influential artists under 25.

Wizkid

Born 16 July 1990

You know this list won’t have started if Wizkid isn’t at the top, undoubtedly one of Africa’s most promising acts for the future. Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, better known as Wizkid, would be turning 26 mid year. He is a recording artist, songwriter and performer. He has won a BET Award, a MOBO Award, three Headies Awards, two Channel O Music Video Awards, four Nigeria Entertainment Awards, a Ghana Music Award, two Dynamix All Youth Awards, two City People Entertainment Awards, and a Future Award. He has been nominated three times at the MTV Europe Music Awards as well as four times at the World Music Awards. He was ranked 5th on Forbes and Channel O’s 2013 list of the Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artists. In February 2014, Wizkid became the first ever Nigerian musician to have over 1 million followers on Twitter. Last year, international acts Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys showed his music love and he featured Drake and Skepta in his popular hit ‘Ojuelegba‘.

Davido

Born November 21, 1992

David Adedeji Adeleke, better known by his stage name Davido, is an American-born Nigerian recording artist, performer and record producer.  He stole our hearts with hit single ‘Dami Duro‘. Davido has won a BET Award, a Kora Award, a Channel O Music Video Award, a Ghana Music Award, a Nigeria Music Video Award, two MTV Africa Music Awards, two African Muzik Magazine Awards, five Headies Awards, seven Nigeria Entertainment Awards and two Dynamix All Youth Awards, among others. Hit song of 2015 was The Money featuring Olamide.

Burna Boy

Born 2 July 1991

Probably the most underrated musician in the Nigerian music industry,  Damini Ogulu popularly known as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian reggae-dancehall singer and songwriter.  He won Nigeria Entertainment Awards Best New Act of the Year in 2013. He has various international collaborations to his name. He has given way to acceptance of different genres and remains the ever budding performer.

Chidinma Ekile 

Born 2 May 1991

Ms Kedike rose to stardom after winning the third season of MTN Project Fame West Africa. In 2012, Chidinma won the Best Female West African Act category at the 2012 Kora Awards. You would mostly find Chidinma as a feature artist on other songs, but her musical prowess and her petite physique has earned her a spot on our list.

Lil Kesh

Born March 14, 1995

YBNL soldier Keshinro Ololade, is a singer, rapper and songwriter. He rose to fame after his chart-topping song titled “Shoki” rose to critical acclaim from music critics. He has been releasing hit singles like Efejoku, Lyrically, Gbesere, Is It Because I Love You, the youngster doesn’t have an album yet but this year holds promises for Lil Kesh.

Patoranking

Born 27 May 1990

Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie is a Nigerian reggae-dancehall singer and songwriter who came into our lives with ‘Alubarika’ and has been keeping the dance hall alive. He has won 3 Headies Awards, 1 2014 Channel O Music Video Awards and Nigeria Entertainment Awards. “My Woman My Everything” featuring Wande Coal was his hit track for 2015.

Falz

Born October 27, 1990

Folarin Falana didn’t just get into the scene in 2015, his unique sense of rap and his skits on social media only complemented his hit track “Marry Me” (featuring Poe and Yemi Alade). He currently owns an independent record label called Bahd Guys Records.

Cynthia Morgan

Born 23 September 1991

Cynthia Ikponmwenosa Morgan, popularly known by her stage name Cynthia Morgan, her music is a fusion of pop, hip hop, dancehall and rap. The unique vibe of the German Juice musician, has made her highly influential for her music genre. Cynthia Morgan has won 1 Headies Award.

Korede Bello

Born 29 February 1996

Currently signed to Mavin Records. He is best known for his hit single “Godwin”, a semi-gospel and pop song which topped many music charts in Nigeria. Korede Bello had a good year in 2015, he won 1 Headies Award in a category nobody expected him to. Hope this year only gets better. 

What do you think of this article? Drop your comments ASAP for rating.

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[VIEWPOINT]: Falz vs. HarrySong Who “Owned The Stage” Better?

[VIEWPOINT]: Falz vs. HarrySong Who “Owned The Stage” Better?

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You would agree with us that Tecno own the stage has some of the most talented and diverse crop of contestants. As much as the contestants never fail to bring down the house with their impressive performances each week. The celebrities which Tecno has brought on so far completely give us life!!! which is no surprise since owning the stage is what they do for a living. Lets take a moment and cast the spotlight on Harrysong and Falz, now in the spirit of competition we could not help but pitch the two against each other

Falz came on the show the previous week and completely blew the audience off their feet and even the judges could not help but flow with Falz the badh Guy!! 

 

Last episode had the five star General himself leave his mark on the Tecno stage with another terrific performance, he certainly left the audience yearning for more even after the raggae and the blues.

Falz came gunz blazing witty punchlines and heavy metaphors. Harrysong stayed true to his label name and delivered a five star performance who with the crowd pleasing Raggae blues.

 

Falz got a ten over ten from the judges already, however we noticed during Harrsongz performance the judges were missing. Could they have been to busy dancing raggae blues back stage. Who knows with this our judges!

So tell us who do you think owned the stage more Harrysong or Falz the badh guy.

Watch Falz’ performance below

Watch Harrysong’s Performance below

Join the conversation and stay updated on social media!

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 Be sure to like & share content with your friends using the #TECNOOwnTheStage hashtag. Tell your friends to tell their friends to support favorite contestant, voting polls would be open soon on the website. Win a TECNO gift pack by sharing!

TECNO’s Own The Stage shows on:

Sundays – Africa Magic Showcase at 19:00 CAT

Sundays – Africa Magic Urban at 21:00 CAT

You can watch the repeat broadcast on:

Tuesdays – Maisha Magic East and Maisha Magic Bongo at 18:30 CAT

Wednesdays – Africa Magic Family at 19:00 CAT

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[VIEWPOINT]: NOT COOL, ICE PRINCE (BY MARSHAL BERNARD)

[VIEWPOINT]: NOT COOL, ICE PRINCE (BY MARSHAL BERNARD)

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Okay, let's put this Ice Prince issue to rest, shall we? First of all, let’s establish that Panshak Henri Zamani (whom we know as Ice Prince) is a great rapper in Africa (that's when I can’t find either of Sakordie and Olamide's CD though). Dude is like our very own Kanye West. You get my drift?

Long story short, our boy got himself involved with this pretty lady, Miami. Everything is rosy between them. I mean, they had probably already started picking baby names and all when an IG user bought herself three days of fame with news that Miami may have been cheating on Panshak with some married guy named Akin. The IG user even posted pictures to corroborate. Man, that poured a bucket of chills on some of our skins: if a celebrity rapper is being cheated on, what is the hope of the common man?

Panshak immediately went online to defend her, saying she was innocent. Boy, what?! Before you go on, like MI, to celebrate Panshak's move to defend his woman, know that it's not in line with the guy code. If your girl is accused of cheating, you let her do the explanation, man. Don't go acting like she has you nailed to a tree somewhere in Benin. Chances are she's guilty of something that would hurt you.

Let's assume Ice Prince is aware of her relationship with this Akin guy and approves (something I seriously doubt), why attack the innocent man on Twitter? One thing is certain: judging from his numerous tweets, Panshak lost it for a while there. It got to him which means he believed the story to a large extent. We're guys. If it's not true, we don’t panic. That's not rocket science. Panshak broke too many guy codes in this one, including attacking another man whom your girl is 'allegedly' involved with. That's unprecedented. We forgive you, man, but you need to take a break from Twitter.

Culled from HOWFANA

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[VIEWPOINT]: Top 10 Artistes To Watch Out for In 2016

[VIEWPOINT]: Top 10 Artistes To Watch Out for In 2016

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A vivid look at 2015 will reveal the fair share of surprises, flops (huge and mild), and break-out stars of the year. As a fresh music calendar commences; music enthusiast and digital P.R expert Ogaga Sakapide [ @Ogagus ] has compiled a list of talented, fast rising and buzzing artistes, that music followers and the general public at large should watch out closely for;

ADEKUNLE GOLD 

 

If the story of Adekunle Gold thus far does not inspire you, well…….let us not get into what else will. He is one part of the singing duo The Bridge, and also a celebrated graphic designer (did you ever see that ‘’Empire’’ poster he featured himself in?) who has released countless material before his take of One Direction’s “Story of my Life” titled “Sade” which providentially caught the attention of the music industry and landed him a deal with YBNL.

Thankfully the label refused to flip the script on the artistry of Mr. Gold, rather they find tuned it to create a solid contemporary afro-pop/highlife artiste; that ended up bagging numerous awards, rocking high profile concerts and dishing praised singles. At this rate Adekunle Gold is just getting ready for take-off. He is gunning for the upper echelon of the music food chain as his debut album is expected to impact stores in 2016.

KOKER

 

Argued to be the Chocolate City’s freshest cash cow by critics, Koker must to rise to the occasion and we totally visualize the manifestation. After delivering the hook on Pryse’s “Eleto”, the young and versatile performer inked a deal with raved record label Chocolate City and proved to be a good deal as his major debut single “Do Something” became an instant hit coupled with his emotive vocal contribution to M.I’s “Rich”. Koker has shown that he has got the talent and zeal to leave his footprints in the sands of time and 2016 will see him take great strides to achieving this feat. Word on the street is that his next single “Kole Werk”, is fated to cause an unforgettable frenzy.

KOREDE BELLO 

 

Mister Bello shook the pop scene which his monster smash “Godwin” which was arguably 2015’s very first hit single. Attacking with an army of social media fans christened the Bellovers, Korede Bello’s star power is unmatched compared to most of his peers. When Mavin Records finally decides to give Korede Bello the undivided attention required, he will be unstoppable.

LIL KESH 

 

If possible watch out for only Lil Kesh in 2016, the YBNL artiste has made himself a household with his numerous hit servings. Although the “Gbese” performer failed the with highly coveted “Next Rated” prize at the 2015 Headies Awards, Kesh is expected to keep breaking boundaries and churning out fiery records, possibly his debut LP in 2016.

  

DREMO 

 

Very little is known about the Ibadan bred rapper Dremo but his flows and delivery is to die for (relax we mean a rap loving kind of death). Dremo first surfaced last year with his single “OluwaBabaNla Turn-Up”, and followed up with the radio hit “Normal Levelz”. Dremo without any major backing has gained the attention of the industry based on his raw undeniable talent, as might just rise to unexpected heights. 

YCEE 

 

Tinny Entertainment’s Ycee was the biggest shocker of 2015 and he has all eyes locked on his back as he charges 2016 in full throttle and smelling like Paco Rabanne. The young hip-hop artist is not a stranger in the music scene, but the 2015 repackage and release of his fury came with the Patoranking assisted “Condo” and a few months later he unleashed the street anthem “Jagaban”. Ycee is already branded as 2016’s “Next Rated” act, as he won the “Rookie of the Year” award at the 2015’s Headies Awards fending off competition from Koker, Young GreyC etc. Ycee’s latest single “Omo Ahlaji” is currently holding a fine buzz on radio and social media. 

SUGAR BOY 

 

G-Worldwide’s sugary pop artiste Sugarboy demanded for attention on his contribution to the smash hit “Raba” led by DJ Shabsy and Kiss Daniel. Despite the fact that Sugar has a long way to go to prove he can be one of the major players in the musical era, he shows gigantic promise. He just might bring it on!

LK KUDDY 

 

Abuja’s new golden boy LK Kuddy signed to KKTBM and managed by Flux Factory is here for trophies and not prisoners.  This afro-pop sensation is displaying pop sensibilities that suggest a show-stealing 2016. He has been praised by his mentors, peers and critics alike. LK  debuted with his Iyanya assisted “Vanilla” but has proven himself worthy with a couple of collaborations like the spirited “Ireke Baby” with GospelOnDeBeatz. Reportedly, Wizkid loved and jumped on the remix of his buzzing single “With You” which features Yung6ix, and Kuddy’s camp is set to unleash the track with a world-class music video.

NINIOLA

 

Dubbed to be Nigeria’s supreme ruler of afro-house music, Niniola is one diva we can never get enough of. Nini finished third on Project Fame but rose to heights most winners of the shows only dream of; just with her romantic ballad “Akara Oyibo” and her Sarz produced house anthems “Ibadi” and “Soke”. Armed with multi-octave vocals, electric stage-craft and performance antics, Niniola is most certainly playing her cards to be the next big female artiste from the jaws of West Africa. 

TEKNO 

 

Although Tekno rarely gets the praise and attention he deserves (which we are tired of being annoyed by) the Triple MG artiste has been consistent and it has paid off as 2015 saw him deliver the monster hit “Duro”. The light skinned producer is also credited for producing and lacing vocals on Victoria Kimani’s “Show”, Ice Prince’s “Boss” amongst others. You never know what to expect from Tekno but his easy-to-digest pop candies are complexly irresistible and he never ceases to supply.

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