2 replies to this topic

[Jio]

Of late I've read a lot about how we label some artiste wack and how some albums are said to contain only one good song? I can't help but wonder if we are not losing the plot here. We keep forgetting that these artistes are actually earning their livelihood and as such money should be their main consideration.

If you were in their shoes, would you release an album that can be compared to an international artiste's by critics the Net or u'll release an album people on the street of naija will buy??

Let's take a look at the much talked about Rugged and Eedris. I'm a big fan of Ruggedman but let's be sincere, he can never produce anything that will appeal to Nigerians as much as Eedris's "Oko Ashewo" or "Jaga Jaga".

If you av only 500 naira n you are asked to buy a naija artiste album, would u spend it on someone who wants to sound like the likes of 50 Cent, Jay Z and R-Kelly or would you spend it on someone who's giving you a truly naija flavour????

Being away, one way to remind me of Naija is to listen to my collection of the Maintains, the BlackFaces, the Eedris and the Jazzman Olofins.

I'm not an artiste but my advise to all wannabe artistes on this forum is to make sure what ever they've got is marketable in Nigeria and I know a lot of artiste with tighter rhymes who will gladly trade places with Eedris or 2Face.

It's all about the Benjamins.

[zero]

personally, i dont have issue wit people doing their ish (musically) they've all got to eat, i also dont mind ppl singin/rappin wateva dey feel like (except i'm payin for d studio session ) what i have issues wit is d funny stuff that gets labelled as hiphop and ppl tryin to suppress other ppls (who've gotta eat too) doin their thing cos they are greedy and dont want music to evolve so ppl keep believin that u must have a particular style to sell or u must be from a particular part of Nigeria to be accepted...that's rubish!
ok i like a lil 'jagajaga' now and then but whats d use of buyin a cd when only 1 song connects/makes sense? and what is exactly is "marketable" in naija? do u think tuface (which is arguably the most successful naija artist) has sold half as many copies as bootlegged 50cent,jay-z or eminem cds?...or take d trybesmen for instance, how come they didn't sell as many copies as even d weakest artist on kennis music? they were not nigerian enough?
what it takes to being 'marketable' in naija is bein heard (airplay) minus d fact that they've got shows on t.v and radio, do u know how much they still "invest" on air play per station?
personally i think u should sound like u...jus do ur thing e.g i prefer d 2shotz on 'oya' & 'carry am go' to d one on '2shotz from a 9' where he was tryin too hard to be gangsta,but also i prefare him on '2shotz from a 9' to him on 'which levels' where (in my opinion) he was tryin too hard to be 'marketable'....rougeman (impact records) sounds like common but i'ma buy his cd anytime! thoroughbreds (self appointed naija hiphop industry sanitizers) are meant to be grimey & street & everythin but frankly speakin (even tho their beats remind me of d days of grand master flash & rakim)there's no way i'm buyin their cd...i think they try to hard lyrically!
so i think there's far more to it than u think.

In d long run, its all just opinion sha.

[meddal]

Jio said:

Of late I've read a lot about how we label some artiste wack and how some albums are said to contain only one good song? I can't help but wonder if we are not losing the plot here. We keep forgetting that these artistes are actually earning their livelihood and as such money should be their main consideration.

I'm not an artiste but my advise to all wannabe artistes on this forum is to make sure what ever they've got is marketable in Nigeria and I know a lot of artiste with tighter rhymes who will gladly trade places with Eedris or 2Face.

It's all about the Benjamins.

Man i know what you are saying but money shoudnt really be the main consideration of any artist. Whatever you do, whatever it is, Money shoudnt be the "main consideration" especially music. come'on men, music is a form of expression, having fun.
I know a lot use money motivation but when you look at the bigger pic, money isnt everything.Yes they gotta eat but QUALITY IS RESPECT
If I was in d shoe i will make it marketable to the whole world.
I want the whole world to know me. I want to be on top. I dont wanna make an album with three songs (styl plus ) or an album with only one hot song. I wont only market Nigeria, Niger or Ghana. I will shoot it out there.
Make it so that the whole world listens and wonder,
" is this Nigerian Hip Hop?"
" He spits too tight to be African" etc

Eedris does have a good strategy, thats just his kind of music we know him for that. He's not good at the other Americanish hip hop. He is better with the Nigerian flavor. i like his style, bra bra. He wants to be #1 in Naija,and I am sure his market isnt only Nigeria and money isnt his main motivation.
So my advise to the bees out there is make it marketable for Nigeria and the whole world and do not make money "IT"

You look at the respected music men around d world. And i mean respect they dont do it for the money they do it for love. Just like i dey type this and I am not getting paid!!