More than 60 percent of us have been (un)fortunate to have at
least one person close to us, wake up one morning and
declare his allegiance with the music business, professing their
undying and laughable love for the business and claiming they
have always had this in-explainable need to hold a mic and
sing to thousands, having that sickly illusions that at the need
of their ‘Mind’ blowing performance, they get a standing
ovation, a ‘come see me later at ,y studio’ or an epiphany to
launch a music career.
The modern day music business in Nigeria,ably aided by
some of the young ones in the country, has successfully
imbibed a few lies into the lives of some upcoming acts who
feel these lies are actually the truth, judging by the lifestyle of
whosoever they decide to look up to in the industry.
Today, we will be discussing 6 blatant lies told about the
Nigerian music industry that needs to be corrected ASAP.
1. Gospel Music Does Not Sell
I have heard a thousand and one times that gospel music does
But, before I address this ridiculously blatant lie, let me first
explain what gospel music is. It is a genre under inspirational
music and it simple means ‘Good news.’
Good news gets us all excited and happy, same feeling we get
when our favorite song comes on, now, no one is saying
gospel music has to be like you are at a CAC, Celestial,
Redeemed or Catholic convention, gospel music can be
unleashed on the consumers in any genre the spirit might be
needing the message passed on.
There is a reason why the likes of Mike Abdul of Midnight
Crew, Sinach, Lara George, Frank Edwards, keep standing out
and making a name/money for themselves, and a reason
some secular artistes end up going the gospel music route
sometimes, its simple, there is a market for gospel music in
Nigeria, it now depends on how you want to drive your
music/message home.
2. Your songs must be ‘Kpangolo’ music
Am sure from the name itself, you can already depict that
such music is basically noise. This kind of music is now so
popular in Nigeria that even the ones who call themselves
veterans in the game, end up going the way of this kind of
sound, and still expecting to be called masters of the game. My
definition of this kind of music; poorly written lyrics being
voiced on an equally devastating poo of a beat.
So many artistes, who originally had a plan for their kind of
music, have been found wanting in this area. You see brilliants
acts, who at the beginning of their career did some good
songs, but due to the fact that the song did not get the
attention they expected, they switch, making a fool of their
beat-up selves.
Stay true to your sound, need be, spice it up any beat you
might be working on, but don’t entirely go off track, who does
that help at the end of the day? The consumers, who only get
frustrated and vexed for wasting their MB’s to download the
joke you call music, or you who lost money to an equally
hungry producer who if he ever gains name in the industry,
will look back on that beat and ask himself, if he was high
when he worked on it.
There is a reason why the likes of Asa, Dare Art Alade, Timi
Dakolo, Waje, Mode 9, Jesse Jagz, are still relevant till date.
3. You Don’t Have To Market Your Song Because Its
Good
Lies. Just like the old days when good music wallow in bitter
and deep obscurity due to the lack of substantial backings very
song needs to attain the popularity level, so will your music be
forgotten should you rely on this fact.
You want your sound to remain atop charts and celebrated,
yes, you need financial backings to push it to the consumers
as many times and far as you can. Money does come in
handy in the music business. Most of the biggest songs in the
industry today [Even if it does fade away with time] got to that
position because of the massive marketing it received.
4. You Must Feature A Know Artiste For Your Song To
Sell/Be A Hit
ahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahaaha, I could
continue for ever, need I say much though. Let’s get serious
now, ladies and gentle men of the music industry, this is like
the biggest lie, I have ever heard.
I doubt this needs to be expatiate…but again, D’banj, Kiss
Daniel, M.I, need I continue?
5. Can’t Afford To Feature An Established Artiste, Diss
One
This right here, is like the go-to source for most underground
artistes, who have been told for years by their family
members that they are so good after maybe ridiculing
themselves on a freestyle session and going one step ahead to
fully establish the fact they indeed should be somewhere
selling spare parts by recording a studio, where sentences like,
‘That jam is madt!!!!!” guy you go sha blow ni sha…huh going
off point. Okay so guys, dissing a known name is in no way
going to propel your career to the next level , its even worse
when you are bad, you just ‘Skibied’ yourself. Wait didn’t Kelly
Handsome, make an attempt at…..oh, why do I even try.
6. Your Producer Must Be The Hottest/ One Of The
Most Talked About Before Your Music Can Be A Hit/Sell
This actually gets me every time I hear and have to listen to
others talk about it. So you are just starting out, and you
happen to be highly talented, but in that talented mind of
yours, you feel its best to shenk the underground producers,
who would give the known names a run for their money, the
chance to make your work magical.
Some years back, I was opportuned to be in the midst of
some known artistes in the Festac area of Lagos, who kept
saying for your track to be a hit it must be a particular
producer that must produce the beat, lie child! Lies!!!!!
I agree there are some big names in this field who are highly
talented and just know what to do on a beat but I doubt
whatever track they produced was a hit because they made
the beat.
Lets take for instance, the Legend himself, OJB. Am sure we all
will agree that he is a legend. [Rest on Jigga} Now, back then,
you wanted a talked about track? OJB, MUST be a part of the
production process. He was not only into producing, he
nurtured and directed both the upcoming and established acts.
Jigga, was way too experienced in the game to just produce a
beat and let the artiste go.
There are a few producers out there, who are yet to be
household names but at the same are wizards when it comes
to beat production.
7. You Must Be Signed To A Major Record Label
In as much as I still believe every upcoming artistes should b
under a label, should the opportunity present itself, does not
mean, I do not believe there are some other acts who can
make it on their own.
There are a few artistes, who made it to the top without as
much as the support from a big label…the likes of Poe…. Bug
labels are not always the answer to stardom.
Don Jazzy, Wizkid, Davido, and the likes will notice/sign me if I
keep tagging, famzing and pestering them on social media:
Child, don’t bother yourself…I doubt there is one artiste in
Nigeria today that was discovered via a YouTube, twitter or
any other social media platform unlike their US counterpart, or
any who for a while now has been famzing top acts, but yet
to actually make a name for themselves. So ehn bros, no
stress…..put your songs out there, if they it is good, one
knuckle head like myself might see, share and things could just
pick up from there, you never know.
