The Mob's Take ...Women, Weed and Wine

Party songs everywhere… I guess We all love to dance and have a good time, all the time, right? Although, in a country like ours, where there isn’t much infrastructure put in place by the government to cater to the well being of the people, it is only expected that we try to make ourselves happy. After all, aren’t we Nigerians? (happiest people on the planet). However, nobody parties all day, every day; unlike most of our artistes will have us believe. And the only use for money isn’t popping bottles in the club na! Respite please.

I don’t even have a problem with weed, women, and wine. Those are actually very deep topics to talk about. Fun topics too. What I’m not down with is the lack of thought and finesse in the manner our artistes “rape” those topics. The lack of a fresh perspective and effort. I think the truth is, the average Nigerian artiste apparently doesn’t think Nigerians are smart enough and as such doesn’t spare a lot of thought for his/her music; they just get an over-the-counter beat and cram the requisite 3 or 4 minutes with over-flogged clichés and half-mumbled slangs they picked up from dreamland and bam! We have a hit!



It is now very acceptable to make absolutely no sense on a track. Through the music, the average Nigerian artiste makes me think this is what his everyday schedule is: HOME – CLUB – HOME – CLUB – HOME – CLUB – 2 hours studio session to “freestyle” the bullshit (as most people don’t really write around here) – CLUB – HOME. I mean, If folks seriously made their music, Yvonne nelson wouldn’t be this popular. Gosh!

Acts just seem to spring up with their music from nowhere; like there’s no background, no come-up story, no grievances, no political view or strong religious beliefs, nothing to be proud about, no weird secrets or habits, no creepy groupie story, no family or good old friends, no love-child, no emotions. Artistically dead!

That bio put together by your brilliant publicist and bandied around is not enough. YOUR FANS NEED TO KNOW YOU. In fact, they want to! For a recording artiste, the music is(should be) your ultimate bio. So, can we meet you please?

It beats me hollow when i watch some great artistes come into the business with such originality and conviction, only to lose it after a few years because they have allowed themselves to be sucked up into that abyss of mediocrity and conformity. Even some of the A-list acts are not showing enough artistic confidence or direction; doing very little to up the ante and step out from the norm, musically, save few. Too few.

Haven’t we all noticed how we are losing the culture of having genres in Nigerian Music? Instead we make all sorts of silly music and slap all manner of ludicrous coinages on them during interviews; like Afro-beats, afro-hiphop, afro-pop, makossa-pop, lolli-pop, pop-corn, jollof music, fanta-chapman whew! Is this a joke? Most of the beats are the same. Everyone is rapping and singing on the same shit. More painfully, they are saying the same shit…. Women, Weed, and Wine (whine. Lol). Leaving us shitty awards and disgruntled artistes because there’s a problem from the point the award organizers have to break down the large entry of songs into genres for appropriate nomination. Nigerian artistes really need to define their sound and try to stick to a genre. I will definitely return to this awards issue at a more auspicious time.

Meanwhile, when anybody dares broach such issues, i.e mediocrity in Nigerian music, with some of our stars; they and their fleeting mass of groupies, are up in arms, hauling the “hater” tag with vehemence. They conveniently forget, too quickly, that the annals of Nigerian music is strewn with once popular, thrash singing, long-forgotten “hit” makers. *grunts*. Even as I feel like a lot still went unsaid, I must stop now.
Well… This is just an idle rant. User discretion advised.
 God bless.
MOB

The Angry Mob is a 100% Risk taker, Dream weaver, Human capital investor, Principal consultant with PUSH, a revered A &R in the Nigerian Music biz and he’s stuck in the business of MAKING stars…

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