Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan uses Entertainment yo run campaign

Even Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, recognizes and uses Music to win supporters for his upcoming election.

The songs used are in Igbo/Ikwere and Hausa, and we do believe their are more coming from Mr. President... Because He his a BIG Supporter of Nigerian Music Entertainment....

Below are the Music Videos which features Zakky Azzay & 2Shotz

Goodluck Jonathan Hausa.ts 

 

 

Goodluck Jonathan Igbo

 

 

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Usher - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love ft. Pitbull

This is a MAD TUNE... BIG UPS USHER!

The Music industry Report: Free Video Advertising for Independent Artist & Musicians

Hi Artists, Producers and Musicians,

Here is a Message from Amber. V. Newman, of The Music Industry Report,

"We decided to offer "free video advertising" for all indie - artists/musicians. If you would like to gain more recognition for your brand/ product. This is an opportunity you should not pass up."

We are accepting video submissions for

Artist
Bands
Producers
Artists, Band, Producers should have videos relating to their product, a featured interviews would also be a plus. Submissions will be added at our discretion. All videos "MUST" be  pro-quality,

All genres are accepted.  If you have any further questions, please fell free to email back,

info@musicindustryreport.org

Thanks,
Amber V. Newman
The Music Industry Report
http://musicindustryreport.org/
http://twitter.com/mirradio

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PH City Stand Up for Your Boy- Gentle Ray (Wonda Oweh)

Brand New Track from A2 BrothazZ Rapper currently based in Malaysia- Gentle Ray... titled Gentle Ray. produced by the one and only Ife-Ezy... the track is addictive...
Gentle Ray Reps the Ikwere Community of PH City, Nigeria ... No doubt he's good... to listen to more of his track long on to his myspace @ http://www.myspace.com/gentleray

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T.I. - Got Your Back ft. Keri Hilson [Official Video]

TI Got your back feat. Keri Hilson.

GENERAL S-REALLA Hits Back with "NIGERIA IS WAITING" this time feat. MICAH

Srealla is back with a New Hard Joint- Flows so sick, Beat so Mad... now feautring one of the Newest Baddest Producer in the Game- MICAH...  General S-Realla says its Time to Make a Change in Nigeria Music Game, but we say He will be making Change in the International Music as a whole... because Nigeria Entertainment is No.2 in the WORLD after its US Counter Part.


Word is that MICAH produced the BEAT- RESPECT...

With all Due respect, Please Press Play.





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AK48 Explains the 3 categories of Girls- Lepa-Medium-Orobo

AK48 was born Akin Akintunde in the late '80s in Lagos, NIGERIA, the eldest of three children and the only male child. He briefly attended High School in Surulere, Lagos before departing for the United States as a teen. 

AK48 started rapping in 2001 in secondary school where he would engage in freestyle battles with classmates and also compose songs off-head while others beat the desks to create a rhythm. He did not really take music seriously at that time even though he had a lot of people continually tell him that he had the potential to become relevant in the music industry. He started composing songs around 2004 and did some recording which never got released.

AK48 he has since returned to rapping as of 2008 and is currently working on a mixtape called Ground Zero: Tha Sequel which is slated for release later this year Tracks such as 'Emi', 'Gbono Feli freestyle' to mention a few have been released and featured on websites and have also garnered some positive reviews so far (http://www.notjustok.com/2009/07/18/ak48-light-up-naija/#comments) , 

(http://repnaijaartists.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/repping-the-revolution-light-up-nigeria/) , (http://www.notjustok.com/2009/06/22/ak48-emi/)

AK48 is currently located in Dallas, Texas where he attends school and records his music, AK48 is the phenomenon to watch out for... The Weapon of Rap Destruction Has Arrived!

Lepa Medium Orobo-

www.myspace.com/akthabomb

www.reverbnation.com/ak48

www.twitter.com/aykay48

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Ife-Ezy Drops Rap Track! All Eyes On Me ft. Just Plain Sash

Track Name- All Eyes On Me...  by Ife-Ezy of the A2 BrothazZ (Afro-Asian BrothazZ) feat Just Plain Sash (A Malaysian Rock Artist). This is Ife-Ezy's 1st Rap Track tho. But Word from him is that this is his only rap track... Ife-Ezy sings and produce... so his fans should just see this has a bonus...

The Track is also produced by Ife-Ezy and co-produced by Just Plain Sash in the area of the Rock Feeling in the Track.

Word from our snitches is that the track is as a result of a controversy btw him and another artist in M'sia. But the Source isnt confirmed yet, but we do know that he has some beefs with few artists... in the Game, although hey threw the first shots, and Ife-Ezy has said this is just the beginning, he plans to take them one by one... that's why the addressed the track to whom it may concern.

Ife-Ezy is one the Top Producers in the African Markets of Malaysia with the likes of Young Stunna, Rogers, Suprano, Micah and McCarthy. He is sure one of the Best with his versatility in different Music Genre...

He his also working on more collabo with other Malaysian Artists as well African Artists.

He has worked with the likes of Ray Zeem, Rogers, Half Eyes, Dat Yoruba-Boi to mention a few.

When asked when his crew's album is dropping, He replied and said, Soon, Y'all just watch out, for Best of Both Worlds before Year End Most Definitely.

Other Members of the Crew A2 BrothazZ (Afro-Asian BrothazZ)are also working on their own solos as well. What can we say? They are prooving to the world they are talented individually, people shouldn't limit their ability to just the crew, because there is more to what they see... on the outside- "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover" Our Album is woth the wait, because its the Best of Both WORLDS! said- Gentle Ray of the A2 BrothazZ (Afro-Asian BrothazZ).



With All DUE RESPECT, Please PRESS PLAY!!!








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Bringing your Memory BAck- to the Certified Ballers- A2 BrothazZ

A2 BrothazZ (Afro-Asian BrothazZ) is an interracial Band based in Malaysia, and one of the Top 3 Artist in Malaysia in the Category of African Acts!

And As we all know Nigeria is the Hub of Entertainment in Africa and No.2 in the World After its counterpart U.S.A. Well it's a good news to know the BrothazZ are Certified Nigerians from Osun state and Rivers State- PH. City. and the Sista in the Crew is from the Hub of Entertainment in Asia- Indonesia which produces lots of great Talent from South East Asia.

Here are 3 of their songs from their forth coming album- Best of Both WORLDS- (Africa "Nigeria" & Asia "Indonesia"). They for sure will rep both continent well. Because their style of Music ranges from different Genre- Hip-Hop, R&B, Dancehall, World Music, House Music.

They have worked with likes of Rogers, Half Eyez, Ray Zeem, Natty' Darlin', Britella, Dat Yoruba-Boi and Many more... in the African Malaysia Music industry and as a matter of fact they are also one of the pioneers of urban music in Malaysia after ANON.

Four Souljaz, One 1st Lady- Viz- Ife-Ezy, AU BABAY, Gentle Ray, ICEZ & ReNni-Reign.

One point of attraction in this wonderful people is that, their 1st Lady also sings in Pidgin English, Ikwere, Yoruba and Igbo of course with the help and cooperation of her BrothazZ.

She Loves African and Hearts Nigeria, but She is Proudly Asia (Indonesia).

Track Listed Below are-

Show Off, Partynizer feat. Half Eyez & Rogers and Don't Worry; Be Happy feat. Ray Ze'em. All Tracks in forth coming album are produced by Ife-Ezy

With all Due Respect, Please Press Play-







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Colo Bondz

 

Colo Bondz is a Nigerian native from the East, currently residing in the great city of Washington DC, originally living in New York City. Colo has elevated from being just a street team worker for New York's radio station WBLS at the age of 16 to now being noticed as an international artist. The evidence is in his music. With 10 underground CD releases, Mr. Bondz has spanned his craft to range from being recognized as a fierce mix tape artist to an actual original performer with unlimited style and creativity and ability to catch ears and bop heads in different parts of the world. Beyond unfair life circumstances that crossed his path like his best friend's drive by shooting death in the state of California, the death of his God-Sister from sickle cell complications, death of his very first DJ and friend, dear mother having diagnosed with cancer and survival of a life threatening car accident, he has overcome a lot of situations that could have made anyone give up on their passion. Colo fought through and even successfully began walking again after being told he would never walk after the car accident. He never stepped away from the music. With an unbelievable delivery, superb and creative song structure, powerful lyric content and melodic cho­ruses, Mr. Bondz can capture the hearts and minds of all who listen. This artist plans to bring great music and storytelling in the best lyrical delivery possible to anyone that listens. He has been bred in 2 great continents and has a goal of using both styles to alert every listener to the realities of both worlds but not forgetting to make you dance or feel the music the way you should. His mission, to make great music, educate many of the harsh realities of both worlds he has lived in, and assist many less fortunate that have gone through similar experiences he has gone through. An artist not yet signed with the majors, but planning to make great music and have his own charity? One word, remarkable!

Comments by ARs and Some Atists Managements-

"COLO BONDz is a talented and very creative artist who's music will touch several genres of listeners and won't stay in one lane" -- Chris Celestine, D2 Management for Trey Songz

“COLO BONDz is a really cool artist. I like the pop direction he is taking with his music.” Touch, A & R Def Jam 

And to US (HOMA) We think He's Wonderful and Awesome, He sure makes Beautiful Music. ;)

To Listen to his music and interview on 88.1 FM in the US please press play->
WARNING- The Song Baby is very Addicted hehehehe, Good Tune!  

To Play Please scroll up to the Timmynaija Online Streaming Radio and Press Pause/ Mute, then Proceed back here to Play



Check out his other Materials @ http://www.myspace.com/niccolobondz & http://www.reverbnation.com/colobondz

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Young Stunna Holds it DOWN! For His CITY PH CITY Nigeria.

Young Stunna Holds it Down for PH City Nigeria... Its no doubt that Malaysia is the habour of African Talents...

Young Stunna is a PH artiste currently based in Malaysia and a student of Mechanical Engineering..  and is usually described by people as being the premier unsigned hiphop act in the region.

The VIMA Award, AVIMA Award Winner and AEA Award nominee has done a lot of collaborated with different artists in the game, currently did a  collabo with Universal Republic recording artiste, Black Dada.

This spawned 2 remixes of Black Dada’s “Imma Zoe” and “Rags to Riches” featuring Rick Ross.

He’s currently being managed in Malaysia by Hot Noise MGMT and Internationally by One

Mind Entertainment.

Young Stunna Holds it down with this new HOT Single produced by Rimz- HOLD IT DOWN. 

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Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan Pays Tribute To Late Artiste, Da Grin

Even the President Acknowledge HIM- Great Barrack O'Grin-

  

The new president, Goodluck Jonathan in a speech at the University of Port’s convocation paid a tribute to the Late rap artiste, Da Grin. Goodluck Janothan, who is an alumni of the University was present at the event where Ex- Governor Donald Duke was given a honorary doctorate. In his speech, Goodluck Jonathan referring to lost talent in Nigeria mentioned the rapper’s names – Olanipekun Olaitan and he also informed of rap artistes he met in the UK who let him know they can’t wait to come back to motherland.

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KAS breaks the Shell of East African Artists in Malaysia!

Kas is a Tanzanian New Kid on the Block, though from a Tanzanian Rap Group- Now He's in Malaysia to bring changes to the Game alongide other dedicated African Acts...

He seem to be the 1st East African Acts who decided to come outta their shell. And We expect more from Him as time goes by.

His Influence in the Music Industry is Akon, and other similar acts.

Click the Music Player Below to listen to his Banging Track- Baby Don't go.




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Better Life Video Preview

A2 BrothazZ (Afro-Asian BrothazZ) just release their 1st official video preview- Better Life- from the Album- Best of Both WORLDS yet to be released.

Stay tuned and watch out for more videos from A2 BrothazZ (Afro-Asian BrothazZ), You know they make Beautiful Music.



Below is the Video Preview from their FaceBook Page..... Its Thrilling...

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Rogers Y.Jacobs a.k.a Rogers a.k.a Gwariboy was born in croc city(Kaduna) Nigeria..A Gospel singer,Rapper and Producer,one amongst few without the knowledge of playing any live instrument.While growing up he was a member of various Gospel singing groups like The Joyful Singers,Sweet Miracle Singers,aBBa,an active
tenor and can as well sing soprano and alto.

Went to a missionary high school and that was where he got the chance to explore rapping.His early influences included Bonethugs & Harmony,Common,Talib Kweli,Eric Sermon,2pac,Joe(Joe Thomas),Jagged Edge,Boys II Men,Keith Sweat.Rogers was more into freestyling until 2003 when he wrote his first song titled "Geemoney" nonetheless he never got the chance to do a record but was active on street-hops,shows and concerts, while in college and back home(croc city).

Late 2005 was the year he got to record his first singles titled "Jah Partey"(God's Party),"More than enough" and You're the one"...The single"Jah Partey" got radio airplay and immediately moved to no.1 on the local hiphop/r&b charts,that made Rogers a household name in Croc city and performed in many school and church concerts.He went into musical production later that same year(2005) and his sounds went even further than his songs coz he became the pioneer of what is known as "The mobile studio" in croc city..

Rogers's production gained him recognition both home and abroad and has worked on thousands of sounds and a lot of known and upcoming artistes both in croc city,Abuja,Lagos,Minna,Jos, Adamawa and lots more....Rogers recorded a lot of rap songs,r&b and gospel,when asked when his album was gonna drop he always replied "i'm still doing audios for practice"..He moved to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia in 2008 to further his studies..he hadn't the chance to do a record of his own coz of academic demands and all but just like before his sounds went further.Nevertheless he's done collaborations with artistes in Malaysia such as A2B(Afro Asian Brothazz), YoungStunna,Aklo,Freewill a.k.a Geerules,Namoh and lots more...

He is currently working on a mixtape and a whole lot of projects thus he has 3 nominations in the African Entertainments Awards Malaysia 2010 for best R&B artiste,Best Inspirational/composer song,and best collab feat the A2B and Halfeyez....In his own words "I Just wanna be able to create the type of music that is both original and marketable coz one cant get personal with this Music"
WATCH OUT FOR HIM.....





http://www.myspace.com/gwariboy
http://www.reverbnation.com/gwariboy
http://www.twitter.com/gwariboy

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African Entertainment Awards (Malaysia) 2010 Award Winners

MUSIC AWARDS

Malaysian Based


1. Best Male (Artist) - King Lhota

2. Best Hip-Hop (Artist) - Half Eyez (Swaggamaniac)

3. Best R&B (Artist) - Rogers (Real Love)

4. Best Rap (Artist) - Deuce (Shooting Star)

5. Best Pop (Artist) - Nonee (Hail)

6. Best Reggae/Dancehall (Artist) - King Lhota (Rise Up)

7. Best Group - A2 BrothazZ (Afro-Asian BrothazZ)

8. Best Collabo - Britella ft Young Stunna & Alloi (Leave Am Oh)

9. Best Dance Performance (Solo or Group) - Sound Circus (Jamalo)

10. West African/Central African Act of the Year - Da Benja (Telele)

11. East African Act of the Year - N/A

12. South African Act of the Year - Amayzing


Mainstream (Home Based)


1. Best Media - N/A

2. Best Deejay International - Deejay Neptune (Nigeria)

3. Best Mainstream Act - N/A

4. Artist of the Year - M.I.

5. Song of the Year - Free Madness (Terry G)


SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS


1. Best Fashionista Male - Mohammed Abore Baba

2. Best Fashionista Female - Whitney Kane

3. Couple of the Year - Ladyboss Alyssa Haris And Elvis Skido

4. Finest Man of the Year - Princewill Austin

5. Finest Lady of the Year - Unyime Essien-Ibok

6. Famous Person of the Year - Bruno Roy

7.Best Rock-hard School of the Year - Limkokowing Univeristy of Creative Technology, Cyberjaya

8. Best Deejay of the Year - Deejay Flava

9. Best Club / Venue of the Year - Titanium

10. Best Party / Event of the Year - Duncan Mighty Live (Strong Hold Entertainment)

11. Best Organizer / Host of the Year - Top Notch Party


SPECIAL AWARDS


Recognition Award


1. Best Favorite Malaysian Artist - N/A

2. Pioneer of African Parties in Malaysia - Ladyboss Alyssa

3. Special Achievement Award - N/A

4. Best Inspirational Song / Music writer / Composer - Justin Kingland (The World)


Congrats to all the Winners once again!

The list is still being updated and formalised with pictures too. Stay tuned.


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Lil Wayne reportedly undergoes 8 root canals

Lil Wayne’s jail sentence was delayed for dental surgery — and the rapper made sure he used it to have everything taken care of all at once.

According to TMZ, the Tuesday dental surgery provided the MC with a whopping eight root canals. The procedure lasted eight hours and also included several redone tooth implants, additional implants and work on his grill and remaining teeth.

A rep for the rapper did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Access Hollywood.

Lil Wayne will head to jail on March 2 to serve out his year-long sentence at Riker’s Island.

His latest album, the rock effort “Rebirth,” was released earlier this month, and there will be no shortage of the rapper while he’s behind bars — according to MTV News, he shot footage for nine videos over a marathon weekend earlier this month.

Source: NBC

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Gotchaaaaaaaaa.... JAY Z CAUGHT UP IN NEW YORK CORRUPTION SCANDAL . . . MAY FACE FEDERAL INVESTIGATION!!!!

2010 is starting off pretty badly for rapper Jay Z. As MediaTakeOut.com told you a few weeks ago, Jay Z is SUING on of his business partners because the multi-million dollar hotel he was creating is getting FORECLOSED.

And now, the NY Post is saying that Jigga may have done some CORRUPT dealings with the Governor of New York. They say that Jay and the Governor and the Wall Street bankers over at AIG decided to pull some kind of scam, where they would secretly grant themselves the exclusive rights to a new casino in New York.

Here’s some excerpts from the paper

In early September, AEG Chairman Richard Mays approached Jay-Z through his business partners and asked whether he would be interested in joining the consortium -- which at the time ranked last among six bidders seeking the lucrative project. . .

"[NY Governor] Paterson directly told [Las Vegas businessman Steve] Wynn he needed to have a minority partner, so he went and got Jay-Z. But when Wynn pulled out, Jay-Z was without a home," a source told The Post.

"AEG went and grabbed Jay-Z after his deal with Steve Wynn fell through." AEG jumped at the chance to recruit Jay-Z, who has become increasingly close to Paterson, sources said. The two dined together in June and hung out in the Hamptons.

And it gets even WORSE. According to the paper, the FEDS are investigating this whole thing, and if they find out somebody did something wrong – they throwing people IN JAIL!!!!

Source: Mediatakeout.com

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WEEZY CROWNED THE RICHEST RAPPER IN THE GAME . . . RAPPER LIL WAYNE SIGNS A REPORTED $200 MILLION DEAL . . .

If you thought 50 Cent’s Vitamin Water deal was big, well hold your horses. We just learned from a VERY CREDIBLE source that rapper Lil Wayne is about to become one of the wealthiest rappers in music history.

The business insider told us that Weezy just signed a deal which will be announced in the next few days - for a new Young Money clothing line.

But we're not talking about just ANY clothing line. The line will be inspired by Lil Wayne and his Young Money artists.

The general line will be Weezy's domain, but there will also be a preppy line of clothes that will be inspired and modeled by rapper Drake. And there will even be a ladies line, fashioned in the style of Young Money's first lady Nicki Minaj.

But get this, the deal will be worth a reported $200 million to Lil Wayne.

Weezy F BABAY! Young Money, Cash Money!!!

Source: MediaTakeOut.com

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BANKY W APOLOGISES TO REUBEN ABATI!

Sometime last year the chairman of the editorial board of Guardian Newspapers,Reuben Abati wrote an article called A Nation’s Identity Crisis, the title is quite self explanatory.In this article he mentioned a few things about how Nigerians and artistes embrace foreign identity’s and so on and he particularly mentioned Banky W’s name amongst others but Banky W being Mr Capable couldnt take the insult just like that and decided to write back and you know how our culture is,there are certain things you do not say to elders but oh well,Banky gave Mr Reuben a piece of his mind.

Well a few months down the line, at the Future Awards which held on last Sunday(07-02-10) ,Banky W apologised so yh Banky good boy..lol

A Nation’s Identity Crisis by Reuben Abati
You may not have noticed it: Nigeria is suffering from an identity crisis imposed on it in part by an emergent generation of irreverent and creative young Nigerians who are revising old norms and patterns. And for me nothing demonstrates this more frontally than the gradual change of the name of the country. When Flora Shaw, Lord Lugard’s consort came up with the name, Nigeria in 1914, she meant to define the new country by the strategic importance of the Niger River. And indeed, River Niger used to be as important to this country as the Nile was/is to Egypt. We grew up as school children imagining stories about how Lugard in one special romantic moment, asked his mistress to have the honour of naming a new country in Africa. Something like: “Hello, sweetheart, what name would you rather give the new country that I am creating?”

“Let me give it a thought? ….Awright, how about Ni-ge-ria darling?”

“That would do. That would do. How thoughtful, my fair lady? You are forever so dependable”

And the name stuck and it has become our history and identity. But these days, the name Nigeria is gradually being replaced by so many variants, that I am afraid a new set of Nigerians may in the immediate future not even know the correct spelling of the name of their country. For these Nigerians whose lives revolve mostly around the internet and the blogosphere, the name Nigeria has been thrown out of the window. Our dear country is now “naija” or “nija”. What happened to the “-eria” that Ms Shaw must have thoughtfully included? The new referents for Nigeria are now creeping into writings, conversations, and internet discourse. I am beaten flat by the increasing re-writing of the country’s name not only as naija or nija, but consider this: “9ja”. Or this other name for Nigeria: “gidi”. There is even a television programme that is titled “Nigerzie”. In addiiton, Etisalat, a telecom company has since adopted a marketing platform that is titled: “0809ja.” Such mainstreaming of these new labels is alarming.

This obviously is the age of abbreviations. The emerging young generation lacks the discipline or the patience to write complete sentences or think through a subject to its logical end. It is a generation in a hurry, it feels the constraints of space so much, it has to reduce everything to manageable, cryptic forms. This is what the e-mail and text message culture has done to the popular consciousness. Older generations of Nigerians brought up on a culture of correctness and compeleteness may never get used to the re-writing of Nigeria as “9ja”. Language is mutatory, but referring to the motherland or the fatherland in slang terms may point to a certain meaninglessness or alienation. What’s in a name? In Africa, names are utilitarian constructs not merely labels. Even among the Ijaw where people bear such unique names as University, Conference, FEDECO, Manager, Heineken, Education, Polo, Boyloaf, Bread, College, Summit, Aeroplane, Bicycle, Internet – there is a much deeper sense to the names. But the name Nigeria means nothing to many young Nigerians. They have no reason to respect the sanctity of the name. They don’t know Flora Shaw or Lord Lugard, and even if they do, they are likely to say as Ogaga Ifowodo does in an unforgettable poem: “God Punish you, Lord Lugard.” Eedris Abdulakarim summarises the concern of young Nigerians in one of his songs when he declared: “Nigeria jagajaga, everything scata, scata”

The post-modernist, deconstructive temper of emergent youth culture is even more manifest in the cynical stripping to the bones character of today’s Nigerian hip-hop. It is marked by a Grunge character that shouts: non-meaning and alienation. On my way to Rutam House the other day, I listened at mid-day to a continuous stream of old musical numbers from 93.7 Radio FM. Soulful, meaningful tunes of Felix Lebarty, Chris Okotie (as he then was), Mandy Ojugbana, Christy Essien-Igbokwe, Onyeka Onwenu, Sony Okosun, Alex O, Ras Kimono, Majek Fashek, Evi Edna-Ogoli, Bongos Ikwue, Veno Marioghae, Uche Ibeto, Dora Ifudu, Mike Okri, Dizzy K. Falola, and Tina Onwudiwe. Onyeka Onwenu sang; “One love, keep us together”. Veno Marioghae sang: “Nigeria Go Survive”. Even in the romantic offerings like Chris Okotie’s “I need someone, give me your love”, or Felix Lebarty’s “Ifeoma, Ifeoma, I want to marry you, give me your love” and Stella Monye’s “Oko mi ye, duro ti mi o”, or Tina Onwudiwe’s award-winning “Asiko lo laye”. there was so much meaning and polish.

This was in the 80s. That generation which sang music under its real names, not abbreviations or slangs, was continuing, after the fashion of T.S. Eliot’s description of “Tradition and the Individual Talent”, a pattern of meaning that dates back to traditional African musicians and all the musicians that succeeded them: S. B. Bakare, Victor Olaiya, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Dan Maraya of Jos, Osita Osadebey, Ayinla Omowura, Victor Uwaifo, Geraldo Pino, Rex Lawson, I. K. Dairo, Haruna Ishola, Yusuf Olatunji, Inyang Henshaw, Tunji Oyelana, Bobby Benson, Tunde Nightingale, and even the later ones: Shina Peters, Dele Abiodun, Y.K. Ajao, Ayinde Barrister, Kollington Ayinla, Batile Alake, Sir Warrior, Moroccco Nwa Maduko, Orlando Owoh, Salawa Abeni, KWAM I (Arabambi 1 and please include his disciples- Wasiu Alabi Pasuma et al), Oliver de Coque (Importer and Exporter…), Ayefele, Atorise …. But there has been a terrible crisis in the construction of music. The children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of these ancestors have changed the face and identity of Nigerian music. As a rule, gospel musicians, given the nature of their form, sing meaningful lyrics, but the airwaves these days have been taken over by the children of “gidi”,”naija”, “nija”, “nigerzie” and “9ja”. I listen to them too, but everyday, I struggle to make meaning out of their lyrics.

Music is about sense, sound, shape and skills. But there is an on-going deficit in all other aspects except sound. So much sound is being produced in Nigeria, but there is very little sense, shape and skills. They call it hip-hop. They try to imitate Western hip pop stars. They even dress like them. The boys don’t wear trousers on their waists: the new thing is called “sagging”, somewhere below the waist it looks as if the trouser is about to fall off. The women are struggling to expose strategic flesh as Janet Jackson once did. The boys and the girls are cloaked in outlandish jewellery and their prime heroes are Ja-Rule, Lil’Wayne, Fat Joe, P. Diddy, 50 Cents, Ronz Brown, Chris Brown, Sean Kingston, Nas, Juelz Santana, Akon, Young Jeezy, Mike Jones, T-Pain, F.L.O-RIDA, Will.I.am, Beyonce, Rihanna, Ciara, Keri Hilson, Jay-Z, Ace hood, Rick Ross, Birdman, Busta Rhymes, Cassidy, Chamillionaire, Soulja Boy, Young Joc, Kanye West, R. Kelly, Kevin Rudolph, T.I.P-king of the South, Ludacris, Plies-The real goon, The Game, Young Rox, Flow killa, Osmosis (2 sick), Flow-ssik, Raprince, Bionic, Fabulous, Jadakiss, Nas, Swiss Beatz, Dj Khaled, Maze, Yung Buck, Maino, MoBB Deep, Lloyd Banks, Olivia, Lady Gaga… Well, God Almighty, we are in your hands.

And so the most impactful musicians in Nigeria today, the ones who rule the party include the following: D’Banj, MI, Mode Nine, Sauce kid, Naeto C, Sasha, Ikechukwu, 9ice, Bouqui, Mo’cheddah, Teeto, P-square, Don-jazzy, Wande Coal, 2-face, Faze, Black Face, Dr. Sid, D’prince, K-Switch, Timaya, Dj-Zeez, Dj Neptune, Banky w., Big bamo, Art quake, Bigiano, Durella, Eldee, Kelly Hansome, Lord of Ajasa, M.P., Terry tha rapman, Weird MC, Y.Q., Da grin, kel, Roof-top Mcs, Pype, Niga Raw, Ghetto p., Kaka, Kaha, Terry G, Ill Bliss, Zulezoo, Pipe, Dj Jimmy jatt, X-project, Konga, Gino, Morachi… Well, the Lord is God. These are Nigerian children who were given proper names by their parents. Ikechukwu bears his real name. But who are these other ones who have since abandoned their proper names? For example, 9ice’s real name is Abolore Akande, (what a fine name!), Tu face (Innocent Idibia), Sauce Kid (Babalola Falemi), D’Banj (Dapo Oyebanjo), Banky w. (Bankole Willington), P-Square (Peter and Paul), MI (Jude Abaga), Timaya (Enetimi Alfred Odom), Sasha (Yetunde Alabi), Weird MC (Adesola Idowu). But why such strange names? They don’t sing. They rap. Most of them don’t play instruments, they use synthetic piano.

At public functions, they mime. They are not artists, they perform. They are not necessarily composers, they dance. The more terrible ones can’t even sing a correct musical note. They talk. And they are all businessmen and women. They are more interested in commerce and self-advertisement, name recognition, brand extension and memory recall! They want a name that sells, not some culturally conditioned name that is tied down to culture and geography. But the strange thing is that they are so successful. Nollywood has projected Nigeria, the next big revelations are in hip hop.

Despite the identity crisis and the moral turpitude that we find in Nigeria’s contemporary hip-hop, the truth is that it is a brand of music that sells. Nigeria’s hip hop is bringing the country so much international recognition. All those strange names are household names across the African continent, so real is this that the phrase “collabo” is now part of the vocabulary of the new art. It speaks to an extension of frontiers. In Nigeria, it is now possible to hold a party without playing a single foreign musical track, the great grand children of Nigerian music are belting out purely danceable sounds which excites the young at heart. But the output belongs majorly to the age of meaningless and prurience. The lyrics says it all.

Rooftop MC sings for example: “Ori mi wu o, e lagi mo”. This is a very popular song. But all it says is: “my head is swollen, please hit it with a log of wood.” X-Project sings: “Lori le o di gonbe (2x), e so fun sisi ologe ko ya faya gbe, ko ya faya gbe, file, gbabe, se be, bobo o ti e le, wo bo nse fe sa hale hale niwaju omoge, ha, lori le odi gonbe, …..sisi ologe ki lo di saya o, so fun mi ki lofe, o wa on fire o….” Now, what does this mean in real terms? But let’s go to Naeto C: “kini big deal, kini big deal, sebi sebi we’re on fire”, or D’Banj: ” my sweet potato, I wanna make you wife, I wanna make you my wife o, see I no understand o, cause I dey see well well, but dey say love is blind, see I never thought I will find someone like you that will capture my heart and there will be nothing I can do….”. Yes, we are in the age of sweet potato. And so Art quake sings: “E be like fire dey burn my body, e je ki n fera, oru lo n mu mi. Open your hand like say you wan fly away. Ju pa, ju se, ka jo ma sere, alanta, alanta.”

And here is Zulezoo, another popular Nigerian musical team: “Daddy o, daddy, daddy wen you go for journey, somebody enter for mummy’s house, person sit down for mummy bed, person push mummy, mummy push person, mummy fall for bed yakata, daddy, o daddy, the man jus dey do kerewa kerewa…kerewa ke” And Dj-Zeez: “ori e o 4 ka sibe, ori e o 4 ka sibe, 4 ka sibe, 4 ka sibe”. And MI: “Anoti, anoti, anoti ti, anoti titi.” And Konga: “Baby konga so konga, di konga, ileke konga, ju pa pa, ju pa, konga, ju pa pa, ju pa, sibe”.. And 9ice: “gongo a so, kutupu a wu, eni a de ee, aji se bi oyo laari; oyo o se bi baba enikan, kan, i be double now, aye n lo, a mi to o, gongo a so, oti so o, e wo le e wo enu oko…” Or Tony Tetuila: “U don hit my car, oyinbo repete, u don hit my car o”. Or Weird MC: “Sola lo ni jo, lyrics lori gangan, awa lo ni jo”. Sheer drivel. So much sound, little sense. Is this the future? Maybe not.

Most of the music being produced now will not be listenable in another five years and this perhaps is the certain fate of commercial art that is driven by branding, show and cash. But we should be grateful all the same for the music, coming out of Nigeria also at this time in the soul, gospel, hip, hop genre: the music that is of Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, Lagbaja, Asa (there is fire on the mountain/and no one seems to be on the run/ there is fire on the mountain now…”), Ara, Sam Okposo, Dare, Sunny Neji, Infinity (now a broken up team), African China, Alariwo of Afrika…. We suffer nonetheless in music as in the national nomenclature, an identity crisis. A country’s character is indexed into its arts and culture, eternal purveyors of tones and modes. Nigerian youths now sing of broken heads, raw sex, uselessness and raw, aspirational emotionalism. A sign of the times? Yes, I guess.

I find further justification in the national anthem, many versions of which now exist. I grew up in this same country knowing only one way of singing the national anthem: from “Nigeria we hail thee” to “Arise o Compatriots”. The singing of the national anthem is supposed to be a solemn moment. Arms clasped by the side, a straight posture, and the mind strictly focussed on the ideals of patriotism and nationalism. Stillness. Nobody moves. And the national song is rendered in an unchanging format. But not so any longer. There are so many versions of the Nigerian national anthem these days. Same lyrics but different musical rhythms. I have heard the national anthem sung in juju, in fuji, in hip hop, in Ishan’s igbagbolemini, in acapella mode, even reggae. I attended an ocassion once, the rendition of the national music was so enthralling, people started dancing. Even the photographers and cameramen danced with their cameras. For me that was the ultimate expression of the people’s cynicism. The prevalent mood is as expressed by Dj-Zeez: “ori e 4 ka sibe, 4 ka sibe”: an epigrammatic, onomatopoeic, market-driven diminution of language as vehicle and sign. What kind of people are we? A dancing nation? Dancing and writing away our frustrations and caring little about sense, in this country that is now known as “naija”, “nija”, “9ja”, “nigerzie,” “gidi”?

Dear Sir,

In the immortal words attributed to P.T. Barnum, “I don’t care what the newspapers say about me, at least spell my name right.” My name IS Banky W, full name being Olubankole Wellington. Not Willington, as you stated in your article entitled “A Nation’s Identity Crisis”. I read the piece repeatedly, and found that misspelling my name wasn’t the only error. At it’s worst, the article seemed like an attempt to discredit and slander an entire generation of artistes and consumers, and at best it came across as having some valid points but being grossly misinformed, prejudiced, and hypocritical; definitely not what we would expect of a highly regarded publication as The Guardian, or from a person in Mr Abati’s position.

In the very least, the article warrants a well-informed response. I have little doubt in my mind that it will generate a slew of responses, positive and negative, and as one of the many subjects that was mentioned in the write-up, I feel compelled to voice my opinion (with all due respect) on some of the issues that were raised in your piece. What I’m going to attempt to do is to directly address issues that stood out and resonated most with me.

The writer asked “What’s in a name?” and went on to honor a “…generation which sang music under its real names, not abbreviations or slangs”; this would have been a valid point if he had not himself mentioned Greats like King Sunny Ade (real name: Sunday Adeniyi), I.K. Dairo (Isaiah Kehinde Dairo), and Ebenezer Obey (Real name: Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Fabiyi- Wow!!!). We could also point out other legends like Ras Kimono and Majek Fashek as others who, for creative or other reasons, saw it fit to have stage names that happen to differ from what’s on their passports. Shortening of full names and/or the crafting of stage names is not something new from our generation of artistes that “lack the discipline or the patience to write complete sentences” as you said; rather, it’s the creative right of an artiste to go by whatever moniker he sees fit. And if we want to talk about the names of today, we can highlight a few: Eldee – actually L.D. which stands for Lanre Dabiri, similar to Isaiah Kehinde Dairo’s transition to I.K. Dairo. Naeto C and Banky W are simply short forms of their full names. In my case, my father’s nickname among his friends is actually Banky as well.

Furthermore, on the topic of Names and abbreviations let’s set a few things straight. Nigerzie is actually spelt Nigezie and is not an abbreviation for Nigeria. It’s a TV Show, much like Soundcity or Hip TV, except they choose to incorporate “representing Nigeria” in their name. It’s like the “United Colors of Bennetton”, or DKNY, both companies that choose to represent their locations or origins in their name. Also, for the record, Gidi doesn’t mean Nigeria either. It’s a term for Lagos… coined from “Las Gidi”. And as far as the popular term “Naija” goes, who remembers Shina Peters singing “♫ Naija lo wa yi o o o, wa jo, afro juju lo gb’ode ♫” I hate to point out that our generation did not come up with that term… the “golden age” that you long for did.

As an editorial head of a National Newspaper, you owe it to your public to at least do proper and accurate research before printing an article. The risk in not doing so, is you might unknowingly mislead your readers, and you might actually come across as being ignorant or out of touch. A quick look at all the reference names of artistes and songs mentioned in the article goes to show that the author was sadly way off base in his accusations and examples. For instance, to make a point on how today’s Nigerian artistes lyrics are meaningless and prurient, he referenced the Rooftop MC’s song “La Gi Mo”. What he failed to realize or crosscheck, is that the said song is probably one of the most meaningful and important songs that have been released in the last few years on the Nigerian Music Scene. The Rooftop MC’s are actually a Rap Group that leans to the Gospel or at least Socially Conscious side of music, and their songs always have a positive message. That song itself talks about the errors we make by trying to take God’s glory for our success… getting caught up in the limelight and asking God to bring you back to reality to know that HE deserves the praise for where you are.

The author mentioned other songs like D’banj’s “Fall in Love”, and doesn’t realize how hypocritical he sounds by attempting to ridicule some of our most popular love songs. Felix Liberty sang “Ifeoma, ifeoma, I want to marry you”, D’banj sang “Omo U don make me fall in love” and Banky W sang “Till my dying day, I’ll love you”. Barring a difference in musical styling, are these songs not cut from the same cloth? Why can’t someone in Mr Abati’s position be proud of the fact that at Nigerian and African Weddings nowadays, couples are choosing these songs to mark their first dances instead of previous choices like “Endless Love”? Why can’t we appreciate that the days of going to Nigerian Parties and clubs and celebrating to foreign music “all night long” are long gone? Despite these facts, you still see International festivals and concerts being held in Nigeria where the foreign acts are paid 30 to 40 times what some of our biggest stars are allowed to charge.

I have to disagree with the author’s views. We are not all one and the same, but we ARE artistes. We may sing, rap, dance, mime, perform, play instruments or whatever else; but we are artistes. And Composers. And musicians. We may not all play the piano or the guitar, but neither does Michael Jackson, arguably the world’s greatest artiste/entertainer. That’s why he teamed up with producer Quincy Jones to create some of the best music anyone had ever heard. We have our own producers that have shaped Nigerian sound…people like Cobhams Asuquo, Don Jazzy, I.D. Cabasa, Dr Frabz, Tee-Y mix, Eldee, Terry G etc. That list goes on. These music minds are no less credible than those of Mr Abati’s time, like the great Laolu Akins.

Far be it from us to claim that we are perfect and flawless in our art… we know that we are still growing and have lots of areas to improve, but the truth of the matter is we have worked very hard to create the industry we have now, and some people choose to criticize and lambaste most of us, instead of helping and teaching us. That is unfair. Yes, some artistes sag their jeans… however, a glance at the pages of THISDAY style or the recently concluded awards shows will show you very clearly that others wear three-piece suits and traditional attires just as proudly, myself included. This music industry that you have very clearly disapproved of has partnered with and given rise to the fashion industry in Nigeria as well. Just ask Designers like Mai, Babs Familusi (Exclamations Couture), the Okunorens, Muyiwa Osindero and countless others. Everything from the t-shirts and jeans rappers wear, to the shoes and suits are made by young Nigerians, where in previous years people preferred to shop in London. The youth-driven industries in Entertainment and Fashion have teamed up to thrust Nigeria into the world’s positive spotlight, when for many years our dear country was mostly known for corruption, lack of infrastructure, and security issues.

Our country has not yet given us steady electricity, adequate education, safety from armed robbers or standard healthcare, yet artistes have risen like the Roses that grow from Concrete… and these very artistes love and represent their country proudly on a global stage. This music industry has given hope, jobs and income to countless youth of today. We are Rappers, Singers, Producers, Sound Engineers, Managers, Promoters, Marketing Consultants, Record Label Owners and we will not apologize for making the best of our circumstances; and all this in spite of the fact that we have Marketers that exploit but refuse to pay for our Musical pieces, Royalties and Publishing income that hitherto has been non-existent, a Government that is just now very slowly starting to enforce anti-piracy laws, and Event Organizers that would rather pay 50 Cent One Million US Dollars than give D’banj or P-Square 5 Million Naira.

You were right on some counts. We ARE businessmen and women, and we ARE interested in extending name recognition and brand extension. You were also right in that we look up to people like Jay-Z, who took their music and created multimillion-dollar empires. Since when did ambition and desire to succeed against all odds count against a person’s moral character? Shouldn’t we be encouraged to pay more attention to the business side of “Show Business”? Shouldn’t we want this music industry to provide for our future and the futures of our children?

We know we have a moral responsibility when it comes to our Creative works. Some of us pay more attention to it than others, and there is lots of ground to cover up. But how about a little appreciation and help, instead of trying to tear us down and discredit us? Time will tell whose music will last and become evergreen, but it is not in anyone’s place to judge; and for the record, can we just accept that fact that hip hop music is an artform that is probably here to stay… I mean for goodness sake the Grammy’s has!! Instead of fighting the change, we should learn to embrace it. I thank God for people like the great Adewale Ayuba that have reached across to our generation to collaborate with, bridge the gap, and help us improve.

We want to learn but your generation has to teach. We want to read but the Government must provide libraries. We want to go to school but the lecturers keep going on strike. We want to travel but previous generations messed up so they won’t give out visas. Most of prefer having our own live bands but the income needed to support that is not forthcoming.

You speak of meaninglessness and prurience, identity crisis and moral turpitude. You praise Legends like Fela Anikulakpo-Kuti and you ridicule us. 9ice does not drink or smoke. eLDee is married to one wife. Olu Maintain does not drink. Naeto C is currently obtaining his Masters’ degree in England. The ironic thing is, we look up to and praise your generation too. You seem to forget that Baba Fela had 27 wives, smoked marijuana in public, was himself half naked at shows (as well as the women around him) and allegedly died of HIV. However we look past what some may consider shortcomings and respect and emulate the immense contributions he made to our history. We are in awe of him despite personal choices that some may or may not agree with. All we are asking for is to be appreciated and afforded similar tolerances.

You danced to Shina Peters. Let us dance to our music. And for the record: for every “Anoti” by MI, he has a “Crowd Mentality” or a “Talk about it”. For a Naeto C’s “Ki Ni Big Deal”, he has a “The Devil is a Liar”. Just because an artiste uses a particular song to promote his album for commercial reasons, doesn’t mean they should be judged on that alone. Anyone that is familiar with the cost of promoting an album (videos, press, etc) would know that you end up making hard decisions in terms of what you have to push and promote, for your best chance at success. I suggest that you buy whole albums and look at the body of work. Listen to the entire CD’s. I think you’ll find that more often than not, Nigerian artistes are doing a pretty good job of representing this great Country of Nigeria. Naija Till We Die. Yes Boss.

Sincerely,
~ Banky W.


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HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL COMES TO NIGERIA; GET READY TO SEE FIRST EVER BLACK TROY AND GABRIELLE

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL COMES TO NIGERIA

For lovers of Disney’s record-breaking 2006 movie High School Musical, here’s some piece of good news!

The American televised musical movie is coming to Nigeria for the first time ever, and already the licensees at Kidztrust (headed by international Entertainment tycoon Sheila Okonji Ashinze) are setting plans in motion to make this a reality.

‘We are doing all we can to make this work” Ashinze told journalists last week. She continues, “We are in the process of activation, right now, we have a team going round universities to enlighten the students about high school musical and you need to see the excitement on their faces’.

Sheila has over time led KiDZ TRUST into pioneering realms by obtaining the license for popular children characters such as the loveable dinosaur "Barney", "Bob the Builder" and “Scooby Do". She is also the founder of Zons tours and PR with a long list of first class clients (Akon, JayZ, Kanye West, Nas, Sean Paul, Usher, 50 cent, Joe and Busta Rhymes)

Shedding more light on High School Musical, Sheila Okonji Ashinze says ‘We got the rights by Disney to bring High School Musical to Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, and what we intend to do is after series of auditions and call backs and final selections in Lagos and Abuja, there will a be a series of rehearsals after which the show will be premiered on May 27, 2010”.

The high octane Nigerian debut which is scheduled to hold between March and May 2010 has already been penciled by industry pundits as one of the events to watch out for this year as it happens to be one of the most exceptional ideas of 2010.

Watch the twists and turns of the lovable schoolmates – Troy, super-popular captain of the basketball team, and Gabriella, super-smart transfer student and genius in science class – as they surf the tricky tides of peer pressure and canteen cliques to follow their dreams and score the leads in the big school show, and a place in each other hearts

Sponsored by First Bank, at the end of the search the lucky candidates that are crowned Nigeria’s Troy and Gabriella would be taken to the United Kingdom, where they would embark on a life changing theatre arts programme to embark on a career journey in Music, dance, Theatre and the Entertainment Industry

High School Musical is an American televised contemporary musical comedy about Troy, a popular high school basketball star, and Gabriella, a shy, academically gifted newcomer who discover they share a passion for singing. When they sign up together to audition for the lead roles in the school musical it threatens East High’s rigid social order and sends their peers into uproar.

The show scheduled to hold between March and May 2010 will run through Auditions (in Lagos and Abuja), callbacks, final selections, Rehearsals, training all the way to the show premier where the 32-member cast and 11-piece band will be unveiled (scheduled for May 27).

20 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL NIGERIA

1. High school Musical Nigeria on stage is an adaptation of the 2006 movie that has become the most successful Disney Channel movie
2. High school musical Nigeria is Disney’s latest and most recent teen property with exclusive license granted to KIDZ trust spearheaded by entertainment entrepreneur Sheila Okonji Ashinze.
3. The high octane music and dance contest is looking out to produce Nigeria’s Gabriella and Troy.
4. Auditions will be staged in Lagos and Abuja and is open to anyone between the ages of 15-25 and successful contestants will be chosen by a team of celebrity judges.
5. The cast of high school musical Nigeria includes industry professionals in the art of singing, dancing and acting.
6. The original High school musical is a contemporary musical comedy about Troy and Gabriella.
7. The show will be sponsored by First Bank of Nigeria PLC.
8. The lucky contestants that are crowned Nigeria Troy and Gabriella would have a chance to further their career in the UK.
9. The shortlisted contestants will enter the training booth camp where they will undergo further training and elimination until the HSM cast is complete.
10. The High School Musical booth camp will be televised and broadcasted across Nigeria.
11. The team at High School Musical on stage includes Kaffy, Stella Damasus, Tarilla Thompson and Emmanuel Ayalogu.
12. Authors and critics have described High School Musical as a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.
13. High School Musical was originally filmed at East High School located in Salt Lake City Utah
14. High School Musical when released in May 2006 recorded a total sales of 1.2 million copies
15. Till date, High School Musical is in three parts.
16. Throughout the project in Nigeria, there would be a number of giveaways and prizes for all participants
17. The High School Musical soundtrack was number one on billboard 200 twice.
18. Peculiar to High School Musical are terms like Auditions and Call backs.
19. It is speculated that since its release in 2006 till date, High School Musical has been seen by 225 million viewers.
20. Kidz Trust is Nigeria’s licensee for High School Musical on stage.

WHO IS DOING WHAT

• Owners Disney
• Licence Kidz trust LTD
• Territory Nigeria
• Sponsors First Bank of Nigeria Plc
• Director Tarilla Thompson (Nollywood director)
• Choreographer Kaffy
• Vocal Coach – Stella Damasus
• Acting Coach – Emma Ayalogu
• Executive Director Sheila Okonji-Ashinze

WPENT

The Rave of the Moment- A2 BrothazZ- Partynizer feat. Half Eyez & Rogers

1st n foremost, Happy New Year! Hope Ur Cross over was Great! We hope your New Year resolution is a good, achievable and better than former?

Anyways, we are gonna kick off this New Year! With a New and Haute Track from A2 BrothazZ (Afro-Asian BrothazZ) feat. Half Eyez & Rogers....



Trust me, this Track is the rave of the moment! receiving massive airplays rite now!

"It's a new year bonus for all our fans," they say!

Lads n Gent, I present to y'all! Partynizer, by A2 BrothazZ.... feat. Half Eyez & Rogers~!~

Happy New Year!

WPENT