Eldee the don dropped into the Jamjam Afrobeats Show where he talks about, why Eva is better than Sasha, which 2 ladies he would take onto a desert island and gives more detail about setting up Nigeria’s first major distribution label, Iman Entertainment.

He also gives us an exclusive listen to Trybe Records upcoming singles from K9 and Sojay, and fellow label mate, Rukus, delivers a crazy freestyle live in the studio.

Lively interview full of the jokes and banter we have come to expect from DJ Jamjam’s radio show!

Eldee the don dropped into the Jamjam Afrobeats Show where he talks about, why Eva is better than Sasha, which 2 ladies he would take onto a desert island and gives more detail about setting up Nigeria’s first major distribution label, Iman Entertainment.

He also gives us an exclusive listen to Trybe Records upcoming singles from K9 and Sojay, and fellow label mate, Rukus, delivers a crazy freestyle live in the studio.

Lively interview full of the jokes and banter we have come to expect from DJ Jamjam’s radio show!

eLDee the don

eLDee The Don founded Trybesmen that introduced rapper Fr3style, Sasha, Oladel, 2 Shotz, KB et al; a veteran hit producer;  singer;  rapper; video director and record label owner. He writes:

1. Record a good song, Sample opinions from a bunch of people (friends & strangers alike) and be sure at least 60% or more like the song.

- Most artists believe they have a great song just because they enjoyed making it or because one or two people have been nodding to the beat but that’s never enough to determine if your song will be commercially successful. You have to sample the ears of your target audience. Have your friends play the music for people who don’t know you and get feedback from them because those are the ones most likely to give you a candid opinion. Your sister won’t tell you your song is wack,..well, unless she’s really mean…lol. Make sure you sample the opinion of up to 100 different people within your target audience range. If the feedback you get is not positive from more than half of them, you may need to go back to the drawing board.

Some say “..ah its expensive to record, where will I get money?”, I say if you can’t stand the heat, get the #**# outta the kitchen. Music is not for everyone. If this is truly your passion, you will find a way. Get a job, do something to earn money, save the money until you have enough. If begging is your way, sheeee, beg your way through it. The “no money” excuse is old and boring. If Vocal slendercould work his way through the dumpsites of Lagos to get studio money, what are you whining about?

2. Prepare yourself as a product. Work on your image and be sure ure “attractive” to the average person that comes across you or your music.

- This is highly underrated and it is very important that you pay attention. Image is EVERYTHING in entertainment. Don’t be fooled by those who say otherwise. You must look the part, otherwise people wont take you as seriously as they should. As an artist, you are a brand, a product, especially in these parts, people will try to place value on how much they believe you are worth by the way you present yourself. You should make an extra effort to be of your best looks and composure, ALL the time. Spend a little extra time on simple details to ensure people see you as a brand they would love to be affiliated with, otherwise you have a much tougher time selling yourself to potential sponsors or employers down the line. Proper branding helps you stand out in the crowd.

3. Get ready to perform. Create performance routines; find an exciting way to deliver your song to any audience that will leave an impression.

- If you have access to a band, begin to learn to perform with one. If your act isn’t one that needs a band, figure out what you can do to get people excited when they see you live. Create a performance routine that is unique and fun to watch. Do whatever you need to, dance, swag it out, circus tricks, whatever works. With each performance your goal is to win more fans.

4. Create an EPK (Electronic press kit), which includes good photos, a bio and your music. Make sure it’s of a size that can be sent as an email

- Making your own EPK should be viewed as a necessity for any artist or band that is serious about becoming successful in presenting themselves professionally. An EPK is the best way to give anyone a quick glance at you, your music and your story. You can create one FOR FREE with the average desktop publishing software or with the numerous free services available on the Internet.

5. Once u are SURE your song is good to go, make as many copies of your CD as possible. I’d say at least 1,000 (Make sure your CD art has your info)

- There are many duplication options. I advice you raise money and pay for a professional replication plant to give you 1000 copies of your CD. The typical cost is between N40,000 and N100,000 for 1000 CDs and sleeves depending on who you chose to use. Always shop around for the best price before you decide.  1000 CDs seem like a lot until you start giving them out. Trust me, you’re better off with more than you need than less.

6. Create a myspace, twitter, facebook fan page, reverbnation and upload your EPK to each of them including your song, photos, bio etc.

- Make sure you have at least a facebook (artist fanpage, not a regular account) and twitter account, most of the fans you are trying to reach are already there. I suggest you get a reverbnation page as well; it helps you upload your music and has a nice integration with your facebook fanpage. When you are done creating these pages, these are the links you send to people to check out your music, and read about you.

7. Make a list of radio stations within your reach. I advice that u start with regional promo. It’s easier to manage. Nationwide can come later

- This is easy. Listen to your radio, write down the dials where music is being played, find out where the stations are all located and make note of the OAPs (On-air-personalities) that play on each radio station and at what time. This will help you build your “hit-list” when you begin distributing your CDs. If you know everyone that is on the air, you can ensure that they all have your music and all you have to work on is getting them to play it all the time.

8. Make a list of the nightclubs and places where music is played publicly within your reach. Again, regional promo is easier to manage.

- Same as above, know all the clubs, bars and hangout spots in your city. Try to have them all written down so that you can ensure they all have your material when you begin your promo.

9. Make a list of DJs and Radio personalities within your reach.

- Self-explanatory. Same as above.

10. Every entertainment journalist that has a column in a magazines or newspaper has an email address. Make a list of all of them.

- Get all the newspapers, magazines and entertainment publications you can lay your hands on. Most of them have an entertainment column and the journalist’s emails are usually listed. These are the guys you want to send your EPK to first. If they like you and your music, you can get mention in an article or two. It’s also good that they know who you are when they see you at events or listen to you on the radio. If the print media journalists are not familiar with you, they’re unlikely to write about you.

11. Get all this lists you have compiled together and create a realistic timeline of how long it will take to contact everybody.

- Get a book and write everything down. Determine those you can email, those you should meet one on one, and those you should have your manager or friends talk to. Then draw up a timeline for the promo. You should never stop doing promo for a song even if the song is doing well so you will need to contact all those on your list regularly. Make sure you plan properly and ensure that you’re not spending all your time and resources with only a few of them. You must spread the love so as to get more coverage. I made an example of an artist whose song is on heavy rotation on a particular station but you barely even hear it on others. That is very ineffective promotion because everybody is not listening to just that one station.  There maybe more than 20 radio stations in Lagos alone. If your song is not playing on 15 of them, you have work to do.

12. Create an email address and in the signature section, include all your twitter, facebook, reverbnation info and link to your song.

- This is important because every time you send out an email, you have room to advertise yourself,…why not??!

13. Send your EPK to every contact on your list that you can reach via email and start booking appointments for the ones u cant reach.

- The work begins. Take your time, be patient as most OAPs and radio DJs are very busy individuals. You may not be able to see who you wish to when you wish to but you must be persistent with reaching out.

14. Get your CDs to all the Radio DJs, club DJs, bars, Night clubs, Radio stations, Radio personalities, and everyone on your list.

- You want to be sure every authority in music has a copy of your CD.

15. Start your online campaign; start building your fan base by sending your music to people. Do everything in your power for ppl to listen.

- Send messages to friends; get people to “like” your fan page. Follow and get followers on twitter so that you are able to reach all your followers with just one tweet. Paste links for people to listen to your music and encourage people to “retweet” on twitter or “share” on facebook. This part takes some time to build but if people are digging your song, your fan-base can grow quite rapidly.

16. The goal is to get as many fans as possible, do whatever it takes to get people to listen to your music. If people like it, ure good to go

- Being “good to go” means you have been able to cross the first hurdle which is getting people to listen to your music. The rest of it lies with whether they like it or not and how well you’re able to follow-up now that you’ve got their attention.

17. If you follow those steps, & people like your music, you’re sure to get the music across to millions of fans over time. It won’t happen overnight though.

- Once your CD is at the radio stations, start getting your fans, friends and family to call into the radio stations, requesting the song. If you are aggressive enough, even if your music is nonsense, they will have to satisfy their listeners and play your song. Please note that I am not asking you to spam people to death…lol. Most radio stations have a facebook page and they have request shows where they ask facebook fans to make requests, when its request time, get your friends and fans to go to their timelines and request the hell out of your song. Please be careful not to become a nuisance. One message per person is adequate.

Well,…I hope these tips help.

- By eLDee The Don.

eLDee gave back

eLDee recently announced an initiative created by Trybe Records called “Top Talent”. It is a platform for unsigned Nigerian artists of all genres that allows for them to showcase their talent and possibly get a record deal. The contest requires unsigned talent to enter an mp3 song for free by sending an email with their song attached. eLDee and his team of A&Rs will then listen to all entries and select the top 10. The top 10 entries will be posted on a website for free online voting by the general public. The Top Talent based on online votes will automatically get featured on eLDee’s upcoming “Is it your money Vol.2″ album including a possible music recording deal offer from Trybe Records.

OPPORTUNITY FOR UNSIGNED NIGERIAN ARTISTS:

To enter;

• Pls send ONE mp3 song (NO LINKS) to: Trybeproductions@gmail.com You MUST be the owner of the song or recording to enter the competition. Deadline for entries is April 22, 2011 at 2:00am EST.

• All songs will go thru a pre-screening process by internal team and the best 10 songs will be posted online. Links for listening and voting will be provided at (https://www.facebook.com/eLDeeMusic?sk=app_125898177458513) on April 25, 2011.

• General public will listen and vote online to narrow down to the best 3 artists.Top 3 get scrutinized further by internal team. Top 3 songs with the highest number of online votes selected on May 6, 2011 and Winner announced May 13, 2011.

Your entry will be disqualified if;

• You send more than ONE song

• You send in a collaboration song (It is difficult to tell who is who)

• You send in a song which you do not own the copyright to (It is ok to do a cover song, but you must be the artist who did the performance on the recording)

IMPORTANT:

• By sending your song to trybeproductions@gmail.com, you agree that your song may be published online for streaming and voting by the general public.

Lami.

Female soulful singer, Lami Philips would be performing tracks off her debut album – Intuition and unreleased records from her forthcoming album with a live band on Friday, April 8, 2011 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Also, on the bill are colleagues and friends – OJB Jezreel, M.I, Eldee the Don, Ikon, Kel, Sound Sultan and a number of others who featured on some of the works in both the current album offer a glimpse into her forthcoming sophomore album.

Lami speaking on the event tagged Lami Unplugged – promising guest an experience of live music of a different brand- said: “I want to use the opportunity to appreciate my friends and fans who have stuck with me since I arrived on the scene. I haven’t been very much available to them because of so many commitments but they have enjoyed my music and made me feel loved and I just want to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to them.”

“All the songs would be delivered in a special way different from the way they appeared on the CD so that the guests can feel them in a different way while I introduce them to some of the songs on the forthcoming album,” she added.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois and educated at Queens’ College in Lagos, Roedan School, Brighton in the UK, Universities of Kent and Nottingham and also has an Executive MBA from Pennsylvania University in the USA. She returned to Nigeria in 2009 to make her mark on the music industry with the release of her debut single, “Know” with M.I. The album followed in February, 2010 and her stock has continued to rise since then.

Later the same year, in August, she was appointed an Advocate for the United Nations Millennium Campaign. This thrusts her into the forefront of raising awareness about the Millennium Development Goals and the General Elections in Nigeria. She also has her own NGO called Be the Change.

Video for ‘Know’ featuring M.I.:

Chidinma

Chidinma Ekile  emerged winner of the keenly contested season 3 of the MTN Project Fame. She was announced winner  at the competition’s finale which took place at the Optima Studios in Lagos, Nigeria.

With the win, Chidinma Ekile became the first female winner of the MTN Project Fame music reality show. The business promoter and student drove away with a Toyota Rav 4, 2.5 million naira and a record deal.

She released two new singles afterwards. The two singles, ‘Jankoliko’ featuring Sound Sultan and ‘Carry You Go’ are written and produced by Oscar Heman Ackah, same producer behind RETTA’s Kolo For You.

She’s been in the studio recording her debut album in line with her contract with MTN/Ultima Studios – producers of Project Fame West Africa.

Chidinma would also be working with producers and songwriters like Cobhams Asuquo, Tee Y Mix, Jay Martins, Tha Suspect, eLDee the Don and Omolara Ayodele.

She’s an artist to look out for.

Chris Ihidero.

The news if you missed it was a new association to represent the Nigerian musician. This association would take over from the present PMAN still headed by Admiral Dele Abiodun. Already a list of the new association has been released in a press release. Recording artiste Dampte had written against the very motive of this. Writing again to Thenetng, Renowned writer, MADE Magazine’s pioneer editor and film maker lashed at Tony Okoroji and the entire process. Chris Ihidero questioned  the change and the major proponent – Tony Okoroji, raising interesting facts and expressed his concern over the “new messianic exco is tilted too heavily in favour of the Hip hop, R&B and Rap sectors of new Nigerian music”

Read what really happened at the PMAN convention.

Read his opinion below:

As providence would have it, my first article for this column a couple of weeks ago was written in celebration of the phenomenal success of new Nigerian music. I refer to that article as being providential because, had I not written that article before this, some people may erroneously conclude that I am an enemy of new Nigerian music. Especially the hip-hop and rap brands.

About two weeks ago, news filtered in that some of the leading lights of new Nigerian music had stormed Oshogbo, Osun State, where the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) was holding its convention and demanded for change of personnel at the helm of affairs, with a new exco in tow. I immediately dismissed the news as one of the many rumours that circulate on Twitter daily. Some hours later, I read Banky W’s post on the Oshogbo trip on his blog and thought ‘Wow, this is interesting…’, but left it as that since I strongly believe that everyone has the right to say whatever he/she likes on his/her blog. A blog, in my view, is as personal as a pocket diary and should be filled with whatever information the owner deems fit.

It was when I read the official press release on the trip that I started getting worried. While I firmly believe that all Nigerian performing musicians have the right to seek to lead PMAN, I wondered out loud if the ‘representatives’ of new Nigerian music were registered, dues-paying members of PMAN. If they were, wasn’t it better (perhaps easier) to have bought forms, sought for support across ranks and stood for office? If that was impossible, could they not have severed their relationships with PMAN, insisted on not being represented by the body in any way? If enough Nigerian performing musicians dissociated themselves from PMAN due to age-long non-performance of the leadership, can PMAN stand?

As I thought through all of this, I felt that something was amiss. Surely, you can’t have too many brighter minds in new Nigerian music than the guys that made the trip. So, how come they didn’t see that this move had failure written all over it ab initio? So I made a few calls and happened upon a startling discovery: Tony Okoroji had a hand in this move. Ah ah! I knew it! Now, Tony Okoroji is an interesting character: he has released all of one album but has had a hand in all the pies of Nigerian music for decades. He is either forming, collapsing or re-forming one association or the other at all times. Give a man his due: he was fantastic as President of PMAN; brought a lot of visibility to the association and held what’s possibly still the best Nigerian Music Awards (the one Patrick Doyle hosted) show ever. He was so ‘good’ that presidents after him looked colourless and PMAN lost its lustre.

So, my question is: do these guys not know of Okoroji and his penchant for power? If you set yourself up as the new generation that is bringing change, what are you doing in bed with a controversial veteran player like Okoroji? Beyond that, do they know that at the moment, Okoroji is tackling Cool FM (yeah, easy target, foreigner, blah blah blah…) and is asking that radio stations in Lagos should pay COSON, his new baby, N15million each for their use of Nigerian music. Cool. But at what point did he consult with new Nigerian artistes on this? When and where did they agree on that figure? What was the sharing formula agreed? How many Nigerian artistes gave COSON the mandate to collect royalties on their behalf?

Let us move beyond the Okoroji distraction and pay a little more attention to the composition and content of the press release, which was signed by my good friend, Bayo Omisore. After initial back-grounding, the 3rd paragraph hits the bull’s eye: “A new, younger and more vibrant exco had been put forward in an attempt to steer PMAN away from its image of perpetual in-fighting and endless legal wrangling which had kept the association in state of rapid decline. The proposed new PMAN leadership was to be headed by eLDee the Don. Ex-officio members included but were not limited to Sound Sultan, MI and Efe Omorogbe.” So, let us all agree that PMAN has been ineffective for too long (truly it has been) and the time has come for a change of direction in its leadership; is this how to go about it? These are the same artistes who have been in the vanguard of advocacy concerning the coming April elections. If you cannot practice democracy in your own constituency, what moral justification do you have to ask same of others?! Beyond this, should it not be worrisome that the composition of this messianic exco is tilted too heavily in favour of the Hip hop, R&B and Rap sectors of new Nigerian music. Is this truly representative of the younger generation? I suspect that there are younger fuji musicians in Mushin, highlife artistes in Enugu and someone who fancies himself as the next Dan Maraya Jos in Kano; is this saviour self-elect exco representative of their realities? Even with the best intentions, this just reeks of a messianic complex.

For me, the most interesting (and possibly most telling) part of the press release is the 5th paragraph: “The presence of the new generation acts was not lost on the delegates to the convention who had the opportunity to rub shoulders and minds with their more popular counterparts. They were also able to exchange contact details so as to record collaborations.” I actually laughed out loud on reading this paragraph. Doesn’t this just smack of infantile arrogance? I mean, really? So, let’s pick the PMAN president, Admiral Dele Abiodun for instance. He must have something like 30 albums to his name. However inadequate his leadership qualities are, he is a legend where Juju music is concerned. So, he must be glad then to be rubbing shoulders with, let’s say, M.I right? Riiiiighhhttt!

Lest my true intentions be lost in whatever may follow, let me state clearly here that I have nothing but love and utmost respect for many of the guys that are involved in this. Like them, I want to see a change in how things are done in PMAN. I have followed the careers of eLDee and Soundsultan for over a decade, sometimes at pretty close quarters. A couple of years ago, towards the end of my time as pioneer editor of MADE Magazine, I interviewed Banky W and M.I; those two interviews were prophetic and are amongst my favourites of all time. I will publish them on this page someday soon. I hold Efe Omorogbe in very high esteem for the work he has done in artiste management; 2face is a shining example. However, in spite of my admiration for them as individuals, I strongly believe that the Oshogbo episode was a wrong move and they should have known better. I believe that their intentions are noble but the process is wrong.

By the way, I hear a new musicians body has been formed to run counter to PMAN…like the Chinese say, may we live in interesting times!

[Courtesy

Banky W, eLDee and Others Talk Tough – Keep The Change (A PMAN TALE)

January 29, 2011 Leave a comment

Banky W.

It started on Tuesday, 25th January, when several musicians took to Twitter to announce that they were on a road trip en- route Osogbo. The details didn’t surface until the following morning when R n B crooner Banky W released an article via his blog about their trip. The musician renowned for his famous reply to Dr Reuben Abati’s article about the new generation of Nigerian artistes, in like fashion had something to say about the P-man Honchos. Below is his revealing/issue addressing blog written by Banky W…

“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished” – Benjamin Franklin

PMAN (The Performing Musicians’ Employers Association of Nigeria) had their Annual Delegates Conference to Elect New Leadership for the next two years on Wednesday the 26th of January. The Conference was held in Osogbo, Osun State and hosted Delegates, Members and Representatives of PMAN from all over Nigeria who were present to decide the future of the Union. The conference also saw the brief attendance of PMAN’s founding President, the Legendary King Sunny Ade, current Governor of Osun State Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, as well as Former President Chief Tony Okoroji.

The truth of the matter is that, over the years, there has been a major disconnect between PMAN and the very professionals it is supposed to represent and/or protect. At its inception, this is a snapshot of who the founding members were: Chief (Mrs.) Christy Essien Igbokwe, King Sunny Ade (KSA), Evang. Sunny Okosuns (late), Chief Ebenezer Obey, Lemmy Jackson, Tee-Mac Omatshola Iseli, Emma Ogosi, Laolu Akins, Funmi Adams, Oby Onyioha, Maliki Showman, Harry Mosco, King Pago, Bobby Benson etc. Anyone remotely familiar with Nigerian Music History will agree that this was in the very least, an excellent representation of who were the significant PERFORMING MUSICIANS of that era. Part of the Union’s Constitution that these great artistes put together can be found online at http://pmanonline.net/about.html.

Fast forward to today; PMAN is now a shadow of what it used to be, and essentially a disgrace to the legacy those that came before us put forth. Nigerian Musicians are achieving worldwide success in leaps and bounds, yet a snapshot of today’s union shows that absolutely NONE of the significant musicians representing Nigeria are involved in the runnings of PMAN. Nigerian Musicians have accomplished great things in spite of a Union that no longer cares or caters to their needs; in spite of a Union that has been run down by greed, poor leadership and an archaic mentality; in spite of a Union that has alienated the very Professionals it is supposed to care for.

They say you should “be the change you want to see in the world”. It was with this in mind, that today’s crop of Nigerian Musicians attempted to rejoin PMAN en masse, and get involved in its leadership. We heard through the grapevine that the current administration’s leadership term had come to end, and that the Organization was as frustrated as we the artistes were about the state of things. There were tales of offices shutting down, of staff salaries being unpaid, of rundown or nonexistent studios around the country and a total lack of organization; and so the artistes held a series of meetings. We all came up with a team of executives amongst ourselves, that we felt represented a cross section of Nigerian Music today. A team that did not necessarily comprise of the most popular musicians, but a team that on the one hand represented a solid cross section of Nigerian Music, as well as one that would be willing and able to put in the work necessary to right a sinking ship. The team included names like: eLDee The Don, Mr Cool, KSB, M.I., Sound Sultan, Ed Jatto, Efe Omoruegbe of Now Music etc.

The team made the journey to Osogbo along with other people including D’banj, Don Jazzy, Jesse Jagz, Wande Coal, 2Shotz, Dr Sid, D’Prince, Ice Prince, Baba Dee, and yours truly Banky W. Other artistes who were part of the meetings but did not make the trip included P’Square, 9ice, Tuface Idibia, WizKid and Skales. That we were able to assemble such an incredible cast of people under such short notice was a miracle in and of itself, but it also goes to show the frustration with the way things are and the willingness to work to bring about change. The purpose of our making the trip was to appeal to the powers that be at PMAN to vote for and put in the new team of leaders, and give them (us) a chance at resuscitating a failed Union; a chance at restoring PMAN to its glory days; a chance at restoring it to a place of relevance and a chance at Uniting the Body with the very members its supposed to comprise of. Safe to say I believe even the founders would have been proud at the Contingent of Artistes behind this movement, as I’m sure that’s what they envisioned when they started this years ago.

What we found when we arrived in Osogbo was heart breaking. A system that is in rot and decay; a mindset that is so stuck in the ways of the past and an unwillingness to accept the realities of the present, much less step into the future. One would think that PMAN officials and delegates would accept the appeals coming from its Musicians; if they had accepted us, PMAN would automatically become a force to be reckoned with overnight as it would now TRULY represent all Nigerian Musicians, young and old; those in the limelight and those in the twilight of their careers.

Sadly, this was not to be. We came with respect on our minds, appealing to those that had been in the rundown system for years, to let us help rebuild it. We came “dobale-ing”; we pleaded, begged, offered all kinds of opportunities and the resources at our disposal. We offered to lead but to do so by serving. We offered to help restore relevance; to empower PMAN Nationally and at the State levels and so much more.

We were met with resistance, bitterness, slander and ignorance. People so afraid of any kind of change that they would rather cling on to a sinking ship than reach out and get on to a helicopter. And those that were apparently willing to accept the change, expected us to play the same old ignorant tactics that our corrupt Politicians play to get there. Ironically, what we saw yesterday was reflective of what is wrong with Nigeria as a whole.

We have one message to PMAN, and to Nigeria as a whole. Change will come. It will. They say the only thing that remains constant in Life is Change. The fact that Change will come is inevitable; we can choose to embrace it or evade it, but it will be to our progress or peril.. our development or demise. History is rife with instances where people were given an opportunity to choose either of these options, and the consequences that followed. PMAN was given an opportunity to choose to make History and to choose to change the failed ways of the past, and it declined, because we refused to stoop to reducing our standards. Dear PMAN Delegates (and Nigerian Politicians), please understand that we will NOT buy (or sell) Votes. What we are working for is so much more long term and the payout is infinitely greater than the here and now.
What they refused to realize is this: the ACTUAL Performing Musicians and Recording Artistes in Nigeria are determined to right the wrongs of our industry, with or without PMAN. That they declined is inconsequential to us. Our journey continues, but we strongly believe that they will remember and regret this day.

Our message to PMAN is as Benjamin Franklin once said “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished”.

- Banky W.

A pretty noisy lounge with some 15 or more of my friends had just been brought to dead silence with a loud shhhhhhhhhhhhh! sound by my girlfriend who was visibly dying to read a joke aloud, off her black berry. 30seconds later, the joke on “how the current presidential aspirants were the same ones who told us over 20 years ago that we were the leaders of tomorrow” was done. And as the joke signed off with a sarcastic projection of when our tomorrow was likely to commence, a roaring laughter descended on the silence from every corner of the room.

Sure, I had my share of the laughter but with a little difficulty. Why? Well, have you ever let out a hearty laugh with mixed emotions? You know when what tickles you is irresistibly funny but with the outburst comes the after-thought that sets you on think mode? That home truth that leaves a bitter after-taste with the potential to make laughter your last reaction upon a re-think about the import of what you have just heard or seen? If you can relate, then you have saved me the trouble of explaining my difficulty.

So, while the rowdiness of the lounge was being slowly restored, I was battling with the sour taste of the truth hidden in the joke. The truth in this case being the sad reality of the near non-existent opportunities reserved for the Nigerian youth to make any impact on a massive scale in his society. It donned on me that while America had embraced an age where the white house could be governed by not only a young man but one with traceable African roots, Nigeria tenaciously holds on to a drama plot where the curtains are never drawn on the old and tired players who have every plan to die on that stage. Little wonder why every time recognition is bestowed for remarkable contribution, the recipient would approach the podium an old man.

At the forefront of hosting the guilt of this ill is clearly the sphere of politics where only a few daring young ones have swum against the tide with amazing success as is clear with the Lagos story.

Interestingly the entertainment arena tells a slightly different story. Here the elders in the game have been forced to play by the rules of the young and restless. Without a choice, they have made way for the raw hunger of the youngsters which has practically given them control over most aspects of show business. Ranging from Movies to Music, Photography to Comedy, Dance to Fashion, Broadcasting, etc.

Yes, the young ones pay the piper, dictate the tune and do the dam dancing all by themselves in this industry. The level of success registered with the industry in their control is equally phenomenal. Cashing fat pay cheques, Creating job opportunities, Gaining global recognition, Sealing corporate endorsement deals and building the generally intimidating stature of the industry is an off shoot of the sweat and tears put in by young people. Some of the stories behind these efforts are nothing short of capable of activating your tear glands and permanently reserving an iconic status for a good number these young heroes.

But the reward system is still operated by the papa’s so a federal honor for most of the young is currently a laughable concept. At the most Austin Jay Jay Okocha (Ronaldo’s Idol) may just have to meet up with Samuel Sochukwuma Okwaraji before he becomes deserving of an OON or even a simple clay statue in the national stadium or Pretty has to be able to shake Junior before we can publicly shake his own hand.

Did I just hear you say “TUFIAKWA! Not our Jay Jay or Pretty” Ah! Amen o! “long life” ….is what we wish them and all our young stars but please, my people, they have lived long enough to have been honored for being living legends. They do not have to be history before they can be made happy for making history. Can we please give that pat on the back now? Now, that they can share in the joy and not by a grave side. Now that the closing statement to the citation can be “a standing ovation please” and not “may his soul rest in peace”. Now that THEY ARE STILL BREATHING.

Me, I will not wait for them government people o! Neither for award organizers who make such recognition an exclusive reserve for friends of the house. I would say my thank you now. I, on that note give to you 8 of the most deserving young people who have been outstanding with their contribution to the industry of entertainment against amazing odds. The RARE feat accomplished by these few guarantees that in generations unborn they shall have their praises sung because if it wasn’t for them, the blessings of serving as channels for a revolution would have been lost on us all.

AND THE RECIPIENTS ARE:

Wyclef and Sound Sultan.

SOUND SULTAN (Lanre Fassasi) Music as a tool for social change. That is the essence of Fela’s entire legacy. It is why I remember quick May 11, 1981 for Bob Marley and may need a rain check to be sure of the exact date when my own grand dad passed. Consciousness and the power of lyrical content is the reason why some elite white kid is going to stay up tonight studying 2pacs lyrics so he can pass his exams. With the loads of vain and cliché topics emphasized by artiste over the years, Sultan is clearly the nearest to Fela with lyrics that would likely form part of a school syllabus tomorrow. Our children would xray his 1st Album tagged KPSHEW… with classics such as Mathematics, Gengen, Koleyewon etc. You know that it was a tradition for him when you follow the consistency as the message is served fresh in all 5 of his albums. A few examples include Motherland from the album Text Book, Animal Farm from the 007 album, King of my country from the SS4 album and the current wave making 2010 from the just released back to the future album. Sultan has kept the light shining from the very 1st verse he delivered in 1995 on Baba Dee’s Governors daughter track till this very day.

Other act trailing closely in this category include Black face, Eldee the Don, Mode 9 and Tuface but it is Sound Sultan who is already a living legend on this basis.

Cobhams Asuquo.

Cobhams Asuquo: This man can make u say ‘God is great 10 times in 5mins from an encounter with his voice. Then they mess you up by telling you that he produced and wrote the song you are listening to. But before you lose your mind totally please take note that he played the instruments as well. Oh yes! The guitar, keyboard, you just name it. But please now know that he was born blind. Ok now you can go bunkers. Do u hate to read? This blind guy went into Unilag to study law. Are you scared of marriage? This young man said ‘I do’ to beautiful Veronica on Dec 2nd 2010. Are you trying to score an African hit as a producer? This man has awards for record sales in France. What kind of versatility do you need to have to via your production, satisfy the fans of DJINEE and that of Mode 9. Fans of Faze and fans of Street Monks, Fans of Asa and fans of Rooftop MC’s. He’s got that. Do you want to own your own business someday? Well meet ex head of Audio production for question mark studios and current CEO CAMP (Cobhams Asuquo Music Production ltd). Business with CAMP is done on that international scale as he is signed to SONY ATV (London) for publishing. There’s so much more but I guess the powers that be want to stay blind to the presence of this rare gem.

Tuface.

TU Face (Innocent Idibia) The singular reason why Tu Baba is on this list is because he is the only one who as a music act does not have fans but disciples. Tu face is the nearest you can get to the idea of a Nigerian Michael Jackson. I know a girl who while exchanging pleasantries with any stranger and introducing herself would not fail to add to her profession and name, the sentence ” .…and yes, I am a crazed Tuface fan” (No Joking). From the Senator to his wife and their daughter Rita in Unilag and their son John in Texas to Gabriel the family driver, everyone has Tuface as their favorite act. This love triples every time there is damaging news about him ranging from- you know what to- you know what. He can’t go wrong in many a quarters. He can start a riot without being physically present. 2 face is a mini god with a spiritual following. The followership is distinct and unusual and makes him a clear living legend. Let’s not fail to mention his intimidating humility.

eLDee

Eldee The DON(Lanre Dabiri): Watching CNN refer to Genevieve Nnaji as Nigerias own Sharon Stone, I got fascinated by that and tried to find a Naija match in Hollywood stars. After an unopposed lecture, my friends agreed with me that there was only one P Diddy replica in Nigeria. The similarities went beyond the sharp carve of the hair and the shades. The components of my lecture exposed that only EL as a young star in his first year (Unilag 1996) had began what came to be the raps biggest family and a launching pad for carriers that still stare us in the face. Did u ask “like who?” OYA now. Row call: Sasha P, Freestyle, 2SHOTS, SID, Blaize, Lekushay. Sultan says Eldees business sense was frightening that early. While he (Sultan) was excited about going to the studio to record, Eldee was laying emphasis on having Sultan register a company so he could do business in the near future. El discovered the use of the Alaba machinery for distribution of CD’s. El designed and introduced the very first paper casing used for CD’s today as against the plastic cases obtainable then. His mothers faith in him was evident in the shock on T Joe’s face when El showed up with her support in the form of N250k for the project in 1999. He, like Puffy, has outlived all his protégés. Is the only married one from the entire crew with the most collection of consistent hits. What else should he please do to get some respect here. Fight a bull?

Asa: The venue was the French cultural centre in Ikoyi, Lagos and a popular comic act had just gotten on the stage after a bare footed dred- lock wearing tom boy had struggled to extract a weak round of applause from a scanty crowd with a performance alongside her guitar. The comedians opening remarks: “na hunger go beat this one commot for this music business”. That was some 6years ago and boy was he right. For indeed her hunger to explode would not stop beating her and it sent her out of the business that was confined to Nigeria and sent her out to the world of international music business. Becoming the official captain of the relay team running with Nigeria’s hope to someday come home with a grammy. The doom looming predictions of the comedian was shared by more than a handful as Asa’s genre of music stood out as not commercial but it was good music to all who had music trained ears.

She battled with that rejection, battled with an unfavorable record deal, battled with limited funds, battled with a system with little faith in her but she didn’t give in. She kept pushing WITHOUT WATERING DOWN her style just to eat for the moment at the sacrifice of quality (a very familiar story) . Today, Asa is an INTERNATIONAL STAR. Please take that to the bank because when you hear that Asa is on tour, she is NOT playing before 25 Nigerians in a small bar in Ukraine (another familiar story). She is actually before thousands who bought tickets in advance to go see a CONCERT PROPER.

The only female on our list. Asa is a living legend.

Uzodinma Okpechi: The leading, most developed and most professional sector of the entertainment industry today is the music video industry. It is ironically the youngest sector in terms of the new age rebirth that placed it at par with music videos from across the globe. Before Uzodinmamania invaded the industry, our music videos were huge jokes that were far from funny. The Lagos bar beach was officially the only location if you did not have flowers growing at your back yard. At great cost and with lots of suffered losses, Uzodinma changed all that. Pioneering the new age music video package as the new statement made by the artist and his record label. For months, material profit trailed behind passion, perfection and creativity on his scale of preference. When international music cable stations turned their attention to what Nigeria could offer, Uzo was the reason why we could proudly lay our cards down on the table. Quite instrumental to this development were directors like Shina Adedeji, DXF, Baba Dee, and a few others but Uzo led the pack as the first recipient of the award for best music video as a director at the Award for Musical Excellence in Nigeria (AMEN). While his recognition had broken his business interest into the corporate world and kept him a little out of circulation in the industry for which he jettisoned a career in medicine, we would not forget the moves with which he redefined the music video making business. Uzodinma Okpechi, a true Living Legend.

Opa Williams: Jokes apart, If you could count, and do arrive at the number 1,000 as the number of times that you have laughed to a joke told by a Nigerian comedian, then here’s the man to thank for the 1,000 laughs. His aim was to get you to have all one thousand laughs in one night. The first attempt to do that was greeted with a world record disaster. The auditorium in Unilag was filled to the brim with empty chairs. That wasn’t enough to stop Opa from creating an industry currently at the nucleus of Nigerian entertainment. Opa had with one project began to do the following.

* Discover Nigerias funniest talents
* Wear Comedy a corporate face
* Institutionalize comedy shows as annual festive events
* Create Jobs
* Enrich himself and more than a few others

Opa Williams was a lone ranger in a business where as far as we are concerned has till date only had passengers come on board a bus that ran on Opa’s drive as the only source of fuel for a long long time. It is painfully fallacious to dare talk about a King of Comedy and not let that name ‘Opa” come behind the title. Like all of our heroes, the tradition that made the man has been sustained over the years and is still flourishing. Today, with tens of industry children to his credit and over 15years of building the hypertension arresting aspect of Nigerian entertainment, this movie producer who we remember for giving us the movie ”Deadly Affair” is a Living Legend.

Jimmy Jatt: ’when people think say we dey mental, back then, na Jimmy Jatt na him dey give us instrumental’ … Tu face from the song stylee. Under those words lie the true picture of the man Jimmy. When rendering help was uncommon and tasking, Jimmy was the sure and last busstop. Show me an artist who was around when the youngsters began to invade this industry and did not get one form of assistance or the other from Jimmy and like Bongos I’ll show u a virgin in a maternity ward. All you needed to be given a chance with Jimmy was say you think you can do it. Infact I dare say that the era of collabos and artiest meeting each other was born with the first of Jimmys annual 2pac remembrance show held at “Water Parks” in 1996. All Jimmy was busy doing that day was making introductions. That evening he actually remembers saying “Plantation boys meet Trybesmen, Mode 9 meet Eldee, OXYGEN (Comprising of Slam, Paul Play Dairo, etc) meet Def O CLAN. Everybody built lots of friendships that would subsequently build the new world era of Naija music. Thanks to the one man who was there for everybody for roughly 2decades and still running strong not just behind but on top wheels of steel. Jimmy Jatt. Our Living Legend.

Kind regards,
Emmanuel Ugolee

This message is brought to you courtesy of NEPA (Nigerian Entertainment Police Authority). You may check out some of our activities with here

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Reactions have followed the President’s loan to the entertainment sector.

Don’t cause inflation —eLDee, musician

I don’t really know how they intend to release money to an industry that doesn’t have a structure. How did they even come by the figure? Some statements are just ambiguous. But if it’s true, it’s a good thing. The problem will be how to share the money. If they can work out a way that a few greedy people will not sit on the money, that will work. You don’t just give stimulus to people without a structure. They should put a structure in place and then tell us what you want to be done with the money. Don’t just cause inflation.

List out modalities– Bond Emerewu, CONGA president

We are yet to understand the modalities for accessing the fund. Therefore I cannot make any official statement in connection with the pronouncement by Mr. President at the moment.

Actually, I’m aware of the announcement but we want to keep our fingers crossed as we watch development before coming out with a statement.

Soft loans is the way to go — Cally Ikpe

The president has good intentions no doubt but I can’t trust the implementation. They’ve not shown me any sign of seriousness.

They need to work hard and convince us this is not a fluke. I know he means well. The mechanics that will be employed so that this doesn’t turn into a national cake is what we await. I’ll suggest that the money should be deposited in the financial institutions and disbursed in terms of soft loans without stringent conditions. Integrity is also key. We should work on ourselves.

Only elected excos should appropriate the fund — Emeka Ike,

It’s a welcome development but only a democratically elected exectives can appropriate the fund. The said fund can only be useful to Nollywood when the crisis rocking the industry is resolved.

Actually, we welcome the gesture but the industry must be refocused and made to be crisis-free to enable us benefit from the fund.

It’s a blessing — Weird MC, artiste

I think for once that we should be positive. I think it’s a good thing for the industry. It’s a blessing. I just hope the money gets into the right hands especially the upcoming acts.

Hope it’s not a political statement— Alex Eyengho

It’s no doubt a boost to the entire Nigerian entertainment industry. However, As members of the Association of Core Nollywood Producers(ANCOP) we hope this is not a mere policy or political statement.

In terms of utilization, the Nigerian entertainment industry must first be properly defined. Nollywood’s share of the gesture should be put on hold and kept in an escrow yielding account until MOPICON is put in place.

For now, the fund should not be handed over to any individual or group of self-serving individuals in whatever names, masquerading as representative of the entire Nollywood practitioners.

What’s your take? We really want to know.

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