Naija DJs and the Struggle to Stay Relevant

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Thursday, March 24, 2016

It was yesterday afternoon and I was in the studio at my office discussing with one of our contract sound engineers when Bunmi, one of our Account Management ladies walked in to sort out a couple of issues with the production unit.

Now Bunmi wasn’t just a corporate employee but also a part time disc jockey who goes by the name DJ Baldie. Her trademark look is her smooth clean shaven head which sits well with her stage name.

Bunmi is a heavily social person and always liked to groove so I wasn’t surprised when she walked up to Daniel the Sound Engineer/Producer and jokingly asked if he could produce a single for her. We all laughed wondering what on earth she was getting at until she decided to strut what she could do and told Daniel to play Asa’s ‘Jailer’ on the keyboards while she covered the song.

Daniel hit the keys and Bunmi started singing…and she wowed everybody!

Then it suddenly hit me – Bunmi is a DJ and she can sing.

Okay…where am I going with this?

It’s no longer a new thing to see so-called popular Naija DJs releasing videos of singles and crediting themselves as performers or artistes that own the track.

This trend apparently started eight years back with DJ Jimmy Jatt’s release of the track ‘Stylee’ which featured Tuface, Mode 9 and Elajoe. Watching the video or listening to the music you could feel Tuface dominate the song followed by Mode 9 and Elajoe. The element that showed that DJ Jimmy Jatt was relelvant was his ad-libbing call-outs, intermittent disc scratching and outro at the end of the song.

So if we ask the question, was DJ Jimmy Jatt relevant in the song? Maybe…if we at look at the call outs and most importantly the disc-scratching, then he did make himself relevant.

But how long will that be evident?

Years later Jatt would release more singles or videos where his elements of relevance are reduced to just calls-outs. No more disc-scratching. Other DJs would eventually spring up to do the same and today we have them all over the place in the likes of DJ Neptune, DJ Xclusive, DJ Spinall, DJ Shabsy, DJ Enimoney, DJ Humility to mention a few.

Above: DJ Jimmy Jatt & Wizkid
Below: DJ Neptune & Olamide

I’m still struggling to understand WHY DJs release these videos and singles…okay, it’s weird saying they ‘released’ when in actual fact they are not the real talent performing the songs being released. Just check out any video credited to any Naija DJ, you’ll discover that they end up being the ‘waka-pass’, 'background dancer’ or ‘background demonstrator’. Imagine if you had to perform the track before a live audience, then you would need the artistes you used to come on board making it look like they own the song and not you.

Above: DJ Spinall & Timaya
Below: DJ Shabsy with Kiss Daniel, Sugarboy and some dude

Okay, let’s raise the argument that our DJs’ relevance would be in contributing to the song’s beat (as some DJs happen to be creating beats as well – wow!).

So what about the ace producers who are not DJs but are the brains behind beats and instrumentation for songs that become a hit? Unless the producer himself also performs like you see in the case of Don Jazzy and Masterkraft (Yes! I said Masterkraft…check him out on Coke Studio and the video‘Indomie’), most of them don’t dabble into unnecessary showcasing like these DJs.

Above: DJ Xclusive & Wizkid
Below: DJ Enimoney & Olamide

Me thinks DJs dropping stuff and crediting themselves when they aren’t the artiste will never shine like artistes unless they train themselves to do something new that will require a performance. Take for example American DJ Quik who is not just a DJ but also a producer, actor and rap artiste – now that’s serious relevance. We’re in an age where if you don’t upgrade yourself, you’re gonna fade into obscurity. It’s not by appearing in a video that makes you relevant or by crediting your name to a work that shines on an artiste and not you.

DJ Quik

I once asked a colleague about a certain song I was trying to remember and she said ‘You mean the Kiss Daniel song?’ I nodded and she told me it was titled ‘Rabba’. Then I reminded her that it was credited to a DJ. She couldn’t remember. Maybe if DJ Shabsy could do something like sing or rap she might have remembered him.

So Naija DJs…upgrade yourselves and stop doing waka-pass in videos that give the glory to someone else but is credited to you….abeg!

Convicted Felon sings Adele-inspired “sorry” to Seek Judge's Favour

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, March 18, 2016

I came across this amusing bit of odd news in which an American convicted felon attempted to serenade the judge of the court hearing his case by rendering his own version of Adele's 'Hello'.

Below is the excerpt of the report from Sky News:

A Michigan felon tried to sing his way out of trouble at his sentencing on a weapons charge, offering a musical apology inspired by singer Adele's Hello.

Brian Earl Taylor, 21, adapted the hit ballad to express his contrition to the judge at Washtenaw County Trial Court, reports the Ann Arbor News.

"Hello there, your honour," Taylor sang in the 10 March exchange, which was recorded on courtroom video.

Taylor was sentenced to up to 17 years in prison

He continued: "I want to say I'm sorry for the things I've done and I'll try and be stronger in this life I chose, but I want you to know - that door, I closed.

"And your honour I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry."

Reacting to Taylor's soulful plea, Judge Darlene O'Brien said he was "obviously a talented young man".

But she sentenced him to up to 17 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment and carrying a concealed weapon. 

I can't say the Judge was harsh...afterall she had a job to do and she had to do it without obstructing justice. I just hope her eventual sentencing was not because he is black...with all the racial tension sprouting about the place in the US.

That Dirty Nigerian Vagina Song By Princess Vitarah

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Tuesday, March 01, 2016

I used to say it all the time that the internet or rather social media is where you can easily amp up yourself to become popular provided you do something very different from the usual bandwagon of activity you see every day.

The only problem with something different is that it goes both the ways of good and bad. Unfortunately according to modern day tenets of public relations in entertainment, there’s no such thing as bad publicity which means that anything controversial or fresh thing you do that creates a buzz, be it good or bad will always boost your popularity.

Rebecca Black

We have numerous case studies that have proven this - like Rebecca Black who launched her debut song and video, Friday on Youtube in 2011 and got negative feedback as the song was reputed to have stupid lyrics, autotuned, recorded and arranged on a well-orchestrated beat. But not even the beat could save the stupid lyrics. She got so much negative publicity that made her popular and turned her into an overnight celebrity.

Vic O

Okay let me even move closer to home and reference someone from Nigeria – Vic O. He is that so-called artiste who everybody knows by now and his popularity is gathered from the negative publicity he has received due to the nature of his vocal delivery and his music. If you don’t know Vic O, you need to check out his videos and songs to know what I’m talking about.

Now moving on to the reason for this post – American based rapper, Princess Vitarah recently released a music video on Youtube titled Nigerian P*ssy.  She even included the lyrics to the song in the video description area. The song, as the title already precludes, is explicit and talks about nothing but the vagina, particularly the Nigerian Vagina (Hian! I feel weird talking about this). It equally berates its Ghanaian counterpart.

Princess Vitarah in the video

I must confess that I was caught off-balance by this video. In a world where we are still trying to live with controversial figures like Maheeda and Afrocandy who are fond of shocking us unexpectedly with risqué material, Princess Vitarah springs up with this lewd presentation of rap music that’s reminiscent of the likes of Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda.

Thank God the video did not show nudity or suggest it in anyway as that would have exploded to another level. Some people have started placing her in competition with Maheeda which I don’t think is necessary as Maheeda ‘shows the lewdness’ while Princess Vitarah ‘Speaks the lewdness’. Those are two different things.

Going through her Instagram/Youtube page, I could see that she had dropped two other videos before but probably never gotten all that popular until this controversial one that is catching attention like wildfire. The reactions to her video are mixed; many are condemning her on social media for doing such, others are commending her and somewhat feeling the song.

I wouldn’t commend this because I see it as an attempt to just blow by any means irrespective of whether it’s good or bad. I see this as what desperate artistes do when they’ve run out of options – like the way they do with music videos today when there’s no tangible concept; just have women twerking while the main act sings and cavorts about.

Who did this to this kid? He's everywhere in this rotten song

Watching the video, I noticed a white kid wearing a T-shirt with something like ‘Nigerian’ written on it was dancing all about . What the hell is a little kid doing in this video that’s glorifying the lucrativeness of the female genitalia? This boy who was barely into his teens (probably 5 or 6 years old) was in most of the scenes, especially the opening scene as though he was some kind of special eye-candy. I was forced to scream out on the Youtube comment page in the fashion of the popular Vine/Instagram meme ‘WHERE’S YOUR MOTHER??

That white guy who\s happy about Nigerian Vagina...

There's also this white dude that was doing a background dancer (or is it a waka-pass?) in dark shades and danshiki who ecstactically choruses the part that says 'Naija P**y is the tightest' as though he was a part of some insane occultic orgy experience. Why was the focus on him more than those other black dudes goofing around?  Me suspects that kid is his son - can someone say PARENTING FAIL?

There’s no way this is getting played on Naija airwaves,  I can bet my life on it! It’s gonna remain on the internet only. It’s just too raw and dirty for the general public. One thing for sure is that its going to end up on Worldstarhiphop for sure. That's where explicitly amusing stuff like this end up.

The video is not spectacular anyway and was obviously low budget - if there was any budget at all. If I muted it and just watched the visuals, I wouldn’t be ‘wowed’ and would never have imagined that it’s talking about the female private part. In terms of her ability to deliver lyrics, Princess Vitarah sounds way better than Vic O. She has potential but she obviously doesn’t have lyrics. Too bad she went this route because once you start like this, you have to keep doing it to stay where it’s getting you. And believe you me, the juice eventually runs out.

If you want to see the video you can go watch it on Youtube. There’s no way I’m embedding that risque song on my page.

Hollywood's Whitewashing & Blackballing

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Saturday, February 27, 2016

I recently saw this funny commentary done on the Last Week Tonight Show with John Oliver. Smart way of questioning controversies in a comical manner, if you ask me.

A white dude playing a blackman - Uugh!

If you never saw it watch the video below, its very expository and eye-opening!

Wow...I guess there's really a lot more than meets the eye. Even the news didn't seem to say it this much!

The 11 CopyCat Scenarios of Burna Boy's 'Rockstar' Video

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Thursday, March 26, 2015

I was in my office some days back discussing with one of my music producers, Timothy, about opportunities in the industry and ideas that could make real impact when the TV on the editing suit table broadcasting a music program on Silverbird Television, suddenly lit up with Burna Boy's video for the song, 'Rockstar'. Timothy as usual always kept tabs on things like this being a part of the industry. He always had some deep first hand information on the going-ons behind the scenes.

And boy did he have a sharp memory at picking things

One look at the Burna Boy video and Timothy scoffed at it and said it was a rip off of P.Diidy's 2010 Video for the song 'Bad Boys For Life'.

Really?

And so I went a searching for the facts because you know me on this blog...I x-ray every fact and make sure its valid before I blurt it out on my pages. On my search, analysis and comaprism, i had to agree with Timothy; yep it was a glaring rip off...just like the ones I blogged about way back.

Check out the visual expose of 11 sceanrios that prove Burna Boy's video was a total copycat:

The Opening scene from the Bad Boys video (above) shows us a fictional town
while the Burna Boy opening scene opens on a fictional avenue named after the artiste.
Not convinced? Continue... 

The first picture above is from the Bad Boy's video and shows this dude
cutting his garden who later removes his shades to view the visitors.
The second and third pictures from the Burna Boy video show a woman instead
cutting her garden while another guy mowing his lawn removes his glasses to view the visitors 

Bad Boy's Video above shows P.Diddy's crew getting off the bus.
Burna Boy's video below shows his crew getting off the bus too.

P.Diddy raps his lines on the rooftop of his home.
Burna Boy sings on the rooftop of his own home

Bad Boy's crew ride around town on scooters.
Burna Boy's crew ride around on more modern scooters

P.Diddy performs in a whitescreen studio with band
Burna Boy does the same.

And the neon lights speak for themselves who's who.
This is so glaring that its a copycat.

Another glaring proof...Bad boy crew wheel in a barrow with Alcohol
Burna crew does exactly the same!

The detail in copycatting is so amazing...P.Diddy above plays golf on his roof which send his ball into another compound.
Burna Boy plays a soccer ball which flies into a neighboring compound. Maybe he can't play golf...abi? 

Two runners appear in Bad Boy's video.
One runner appears in Burna's video.
Budget cuts that couldn't afford an additional runner?

Did I mention a guy mowing the lawn earlier in Burna's video?
Well, apparently, he's also a copycat of a guy mowing the lawn in the Bad Boy video above.

And those are my 11 copycat scenarios I picked out of the Burna Boy video. I may have missed some parts but here are the videos for you to take a look yourself and see what I'm talking about.

Big ups to my guy Timothy for putting me on notice about this!

Have a nice week!

White Washed [Funny Video]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, March 04, 2015

Stan And Toheeb, the two goofballs at my office are it again with another funny video which features curvy clown Lolade. Its actually another vine but I just had to share it because the idea was hilarious. Oh wait...I did say I'd be sharing more these vids didn't I?

Yep, I did...and so here are Stan and Toheeb again getting caught 'white - handed'....lol, watch it and you'll understand what I mean. 

Guys in the office laughed their asses off watching this. Good way to lighten up a day that's bullied with work.
I'm having ideas again for another...

Monday Vs Friday [Funny Video]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Monday, March 02, 2015

Its Monday morning again and what's on most people's mind is OGIM - 'Oh God It's Monday' and they just can't wait till the end of the week to start smiling as its TGIF - 'Thank God Its Friday'. And so a couple of funny guys in my office decided to play out the truth in a very short and funny video. 

Its a good way to make ourselves smile amidst the bleakness of work.

Its actually meant to be a vine (Come to think of it, Naija folks instagram like crazy but hardly do vines). It got about 600 view on Facebook in one day I think...We should do more of these often...after all, all work and no play fit kill pesin.

LOL...did the camera lie? I think not...Don't we all feel like this a lot of times?

Yeeesssss we do!

The 8 'Wow' momments of Waje's 'Onye' Video

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Thursday, September 11, 2014

Watching the video for Waje's 'Onye' which featured Tiwa Savage along with Bryan Okwara and Omawumi, offered me a bunch of 'wow' moments.

If the song managed to garner enough appreciation, the video definitely will reinforce it the more, and that's definitely because of the 'wow' moments presented before my viewing.

The video showcases the hilarious battle between two rivals, Tiwa and Waje for the love of one man who happens to Mr Nigeria - Bryan Okwara. Bryan is presented as a player cum gold-digger who two-times between the two women. The ladies try their best to impress him by buying him stuff until the eventual face off where they end up fighting each other while the playboy Bryan sneaks off with a third woman who turns out to be Omawumi.

Okay, let's check out the 'Wow' moments:

Wow moment 1: Waje's look.

Waje is probably one of the most simple artistes on the Naija music scene today, she's not one to flash her looks all over the place with indescretion. In fact I've seen her in some shows and interviews where she looks so simple but in the 'Onye' video, Waje suddenly looks classy, beautiful and sexy. Though its not the first time she's looked this good in a video (she also looked good in her 'I wish' and 'For a minute' videos) but the way she's made to look elegant and sexy without being indecent.

Wow moment 2: Tiwa's Yam Pounding

Tiwa Savage pounding yam? Hahahaha! Okay, maybe I've been exaggerating with the laughter but this moment would have had more intensity to its 'Wowness' if Tiwa had been pounding that yam seriously and not turning it into a naughty sexy caressing display and romancing of the pestle with the wide-apart legs.Well, she's become uninhibited these days and bares it all sha. Oh...yes, and she coquettishly cleans off the sweat in her body and shakes it into the yam she's pounding...nna...that one na 'Ewo!'.

Wow moment 3: Waje is a good actress

Before I saw this video, I had actually seen Waje in a funny skit on the Video Hits Show on youtube which is hosted by Yomi Black. Her acting there was hilarious and natural; I just had to conclude that it was about time some good nollywood flick snatched her up for a production. So I was not surprised neither was I disappointed when I saw Waje display those antics in the ‘Onye’ video. Truth be told, Waje can really act; she even outshines Tiwa Savage. My favourite part of Waje’s acting is the part where she discovers her gift car to Bryan parked in Tiwa’s garage and the basket she’s carrying drops, then she does this hilarious pissed waka up to where the car is parked.

Wow moment 4: Bryan Okwara is getting Stereotyped  

There’s always that danger for an artiste or actor to become stereotyped after playing a certain role so well. Sometimes I wonder whether it’s a recognition of the flair and talent or it’s just a curse. Just on the same Video Hits Show channel, we have two videos that featured Bryan and guess what? In both videos he plays the role of the playboy. In one, he even plays a very similar role of the playboy that secretly runs away from his chick simply because he’s afraid of commitment. Bryan plays just the same role in the ‘Onye’ video. Is it that his looks are cursed to play such role forever? I think maybe…

Wow moment 5: Omawumi playing an older woman

The first time I saw the video, I never knew the woman Bryan eventually absconds with was Omawumi. She behaved so much like an older woman – a sugar mummy to put it succinctly. She incorporated a waka and attitude that was void of youthfulness and it worked.

Wow moment 6: Tiwa Savage’s Priceless Expressions

While Waje seemed to outshine Tiwa Savage in acting (which is not to say Tiwa did not put up a good performance, she actually did), Tiwa Savage made some serious moments of impact with a couple of priceless face expressions. These may seem like unimportant parts of the video but I tell you, if you took those parts out, the video would lose some of its beauty and humour. Tiwa’s act of dropping her jaw when Bryan makes a heavy purchase on her debit card and when she and Waje see Bryan pecking Omawumi before driving off together were just hilarious to watch; maybe it has to do with Tiwa’s facial look, I have never seen Tiwa wear such a dumbfounded mouth-ajar look in any video and it definitely added sweet spice to this one.

Wow moment 7: Omawumi’s plate number

At first I didn’t notice the hilarious finality of the last scene which shows the plate number on Omawumi’s car in the first few times I watched the video. But on watching it again I noticed it: when Omawumi’s SUV arrives, we see on the front plate number - ‘My Baby Ko’ - and when it departs we see on the back plate number – ‘My Baby Ni’ – which is a popular way of responding with sarcasm and rubbishing to someone else’s interest or remarks. This was just a brilliant way to end the video; by making a statement that ridicules the two women brawling over one man who’s no good to them. It all wraps up the video with an unspoken lesson, that ‘no be fineness be husband material’.

Wow moment 8: Kemi Adetiba - the Director    

Kemi is one prolific director who you don’t see everywhere, because she doesn’t just direct music videos anyhow. Watching the ‘Onye’ video, you get to see directorial detailing and creativity (though there were some aspects I question – like Waje and Tiwa having the same sitting background while awaiting their ‘fine boy’ gold digger). Adetiba’s treatment of the video is elegant and classy; I must say this places her in the unique category of music video directors. I was expecting this to have probably been a Sesan or Clarence Peters montage but was ‘wowed’ when I discovered it was this lady director that did it.   

Okay…that’s about it; this post is getting too long, about time I stop it here. Sebi na ‘8 Wows’ I talk?

The Surprise of Banky W's 'Jaiye Ori Mi'

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, September 03, 2014

On my way driving to work one morning, I overheard some OAPs on radio giving kudos to Banky W's recently released single titled 'Jaiye Ori Mi'.

There were many reasons for the kudos one of the prominent being that it was not another 'jollof' music. Over the years, the Naija music scene has been dominated by a lot of music that just seemed like bunches of juveniles making noise about their fake wealth, sexual exploits and in many cases nothing substantial in particular. I remember raising a concern about such and one dim-witted gave me the excuse that they were just 'club bangers'.

Club Bangers? Like that's an excuse for mediocrity. It’s no wonder most Naija mainstream music never stand the test of time.

In a time when 70% percent of what you hear on radio airwaves is a mixture of meaningless repetitions, pointless slang creations, weakly fabricated dance steps and forced effort to create rhythm and melody with filthy language, Banky W's new single was a refreshing thing to hear on the airwaves. This is not to say Banky is not guilty of the atrocity of producing 'jollof' music. In fact when he released songs of such nature, I was wondering if he had flung he vocal virtuoso into the gutter and joined the bandwagon. But then he would reinforce the fact that he had not abandoned the true art by releasing sweet ballads that serenaded every sound system.

The height of it all is 'Jaiye Ori Mi'.

Now while the idea behind the song is similar to what many artistes have done before (which is to present a song that talks about their achievements irrespective of enemies or 'bad belles' and also attribute it to God), Banky presents his own appreciative song in a humbling, inspiring and almost tear-jerking way. The difference between this song and that done by other artistes is that while the others boast with effrontery and show-off of success, Banky simply presents with undeterred humility, his imperfectness, flaws, challenges and vivid truth and facts that are inspiring and thought provoking.

In his rap sequence, Banky spit touching words that will conjure empathy for what he has gone through in his lifetime as an artiste who has been ridiculed, criticized and made a success of his struggles. In fact this is a song that shouldn't just be enjoyed for its rhythm but also for its strong message. Listening to Banky’s rap you can’t help but feel his pains and what he’s gone through. And boy he sure does do rap very well, even better than some so called Naija rap MCs…

I know say people just love to dey hate me

I see the comments on Linda Ikeji

I know say people love to dey underate me

There's no mistaking, I'm elevating

If they could kill Jesus and He was perfect

Say what they want about me 'cause I am worthless

So when they put you to the test, just do your best

And let God do the rest, and enemies stress

I'm a living witness, I'm the proof

Nothing is impossible and that's the truth

You can achieve if you plan to

If I can make it man, you can too

They say my skin no fresh, it gots to be bleached

They say I really no fine, omo na film trick

I don dey puff up, I'm getting too much kick

And I got a big head, I'm blessed with too much brain...

In the song’s bridge before the chorus which also appears at the beginning, Banky’s says thought-provoking things that touch the heart:

‘Cause if I die today, nobody go die with me

Oloun ma je oh (God forbid)

If I go broke today, I won’t ever hear my phone ring

Oloun ma je oh (God forbid)

I no send nobody, Imma keep doing my thing

And if you’re feeling me now, let me hear you sing

Ma jaiye Ori mi x3 (I will enjoy my life)

Mi o dehin ola Oh (I won’t miss out on wealth)

O dola ki ile to mo (It will all dawn tomorrow)

While the song itself showcases these strong elements, the video further empowers it with interesting visuals and humour.

The setting is religious in nature; the main scenario being a church auditorium. Banky takes the position of the minister/preacher and it works well in visually interpreting the song.

The congregation is made up of a cross section of celebrities who do a good job of hilariously playing the different kind of vain characters you find in church.

The popular act of dozing in church in well represented hilariously.

You have the pervert who’s only in church to check out a babe's and exposed legs until an usher covers them and moves him to another seating position.

Then there are the self-absorbed chicks taking ‘selfies’ in church, distracting others who are taught a lesson by another member who seizes the phone. 

We also have the show-off dude who’s bent off showing off his blings but can’t drop anything in the offering basket and is eventually forced to hesitantly drop his blings.

Even the testimony giver who feels she must tell a long epistle or sing a ‘special number’ is also featured.

The video was a splendid Clarence Peters montage with beautiful aerial shots of the dancing choristers and a passionate Banky in performance.           

 

Jaiye Ori Mi is a good song with a good video, no doubt about it. Perhaps one of the things that make it outstanding is the fact that it actually has lyrics (unlike ‘jollof’ music) – and sensible one at that.

It’s definitely a tune that will play for a long time on my stereo. Thumbs up for Banky W, he’s done it again and shown us what being exceptional really means.