Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person.

At least there is 1 musician in every 3 families in Nigeria. Most of them are encouraged and motivated by super stars in Nigeria music industry. And they take there music career in Nigeria very seriously.
The music industry is growing and expanding on a yearly basis. The huge amount of money involve to get in is astronomical.
Hobbies has turn into career. Faith has turn into fear, courage into embarrassment.

No one is joking any longer. Like Timaya, no body came to Lagos to count the number of bridges there are in the city.
Original rappers like me were disappointed and complaining. Because we felt like the game has been commercialized. As things got worst and nothing is changing we stopped complaining.
We joined the band wagon.

But we still managed to produce good music.
However good music is not the only thing you should look out for as a musician in Nigeria. You should also watch out for those that are ready and that can terminate you music career in Nigeria.
These sets of people has got the power to do exactly just that, don’t “f” with them I beg you. If you are rude, pocket your rudeness anytime you hear their name or see them coming.
In today’s Lamocle, we are going to go through some of these dangerous and powerful influential people that can kill your music career in Nigeria.

we might also take a brief dive into their history concerning this subject matter also.

1- Olusegun Obanboss

Eedris AbdulKareem was a well recognized and a successful musician in the Nigerian Music Industry signed under Kennis Music where he released his debut album–P.A.S.S. (“Pains And Stress = Success”) in 2002. He rocked all the shows he attended and people in those days couldn’t get enough of him. (including me)

We regularly listened to his music on radio stations and watch his music on TVs. Sometimes we bought his CDs. We showed him love, we gave him awards until one day he did that song “Nigeria Jaga jaga” meaning the country Nigeria is rough and nothing is working.

When he did that Obsanjo was then the President of Nigeria. And he was a very attentive and a social person. Due to his down to earth persona he got the news that a pop musician is crying about the poor state of the country, since music goes far and wide he immediately replied Eedris.
He said “nah you papa jaja jaga”

And he also said other things, jokingly though, but it didn’t turn our well for Eedris whose subsequent singles after Java java start to rake a toll. Until the last single he drop failed to reach our ears.

That was when we know that you don’t mess with OBJ.
Because in 2004 when Eedris third album jaga jaga came out and cause that massive outcry the album was banned from radio airplay by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in a televised address, although it continued to be played in nightclubs.

Not only OBJ, some president are not to be mess with they have got ultimate power to affect your music career and if you make them remember you, then you will be surely remembered.
Some artist say they love to emulate the late Fela. Well there is nothing bad about that. But 3 questions you should asked yourself are;

Why was Fela mother killed?
What did Fela actually died from
Why are Fela children especially his two sons not 100% emulating their father?

2- Ben Bruce.

Ben Bruce has been the king of the entertainment media from day one, I learned that he was working at NTA before one of his sugar mama raised him his first capital to start the Flamboyant Silverbird brand.

I love Ben Bruce for his support for Nigerian music and movies. Not only me, all Nigerian performing acts has great respect for this impresario or entertainment entrepreneur.

He has got some power from TV to radio. If you offend him, without giving any order there is no guarantee that your music will be aired, regardless of, if you paid officially for the airplay.
This is Nigeria, they can simply say that someone didn’t do is duty very well.
Please just excuse Ben Bruce from your next planned beef.

3- Tajudeen Adepetu

Sound city invited P Square to their event in 2015 and they didn’t show up. It caused a serious beef between the two parties. Sound city refused to play their music and they act like it won’t affect them.

If the boss of Sound city got angry over their attitude and cut them off his roaster, it won’t affect his bank account because Nigerian is now filed with famous talented musicians with die hard fans like holly wood.

Nowadays it is not wise at all to mess with the media thinking that you are the most talented musician out there, after three months and you didn’t here from your fans because they too didn’t have any interaction with you, then you will come to realized that you have been foolishly lying to your self.

4- Audu Maikori

At a time chocolate city was the talk of the town when Oleku became a hit and Mi was trending alongside Jessy jagz.
Audu Maikori was responsible for all that.

Ice prince success was running too fast, maybe that was why Brymo, the talented singer that sang the Oleku chorus for Ice Prince was benched. He was signed though, but he literally sat on bench like what once happened to Mikel Obi in Chelsea Football Club.

In 2014 when Brymo noticed that he was benched indirectly he cried out and tried to seek the support of the general public, maybe Audu might look on his side. But instead he got his greatest shock.
Audu showed him the power of contract and being on top.

Audu sent out a public letter stating that Brymo is still under contract which will expire in 2016. He further added that anyone endeavoring to work with Brymo is doing that at their own peril because they will surely meet in court.
After that letter got circulated online the Nigerian music fans blasted Brymo both on Facebook and on Twitter.

So he stopped crying and his career took a dip after that incident. I personally like Brymo, he has got some content and message, i love his music, but if he keeps messing with the wrong person then I might not be able to here even his intro again.

5-Don jazzy

I didn’t know that jazzy is that powerful in the Nigerian music industry too. Olamide made us all know that, after he prostrated for him in Dangote’s house.

After Olamide got angry over the headies giving Reekado Banks the award instead of Lil kesh, Nigerians went berserk! They complained bitterly, why did Olamide have to act like that, even dropping the mic on the stage, what kind of attitude is that.

It was so serious. Don jazzy got pissed off, he have to ask Olamide to come and have the car if that’s what is making him angry.

Later Dangote invited the both of them and baddo himself prostrated for Don jazzy. Case close!

If Dangote can ask baddo to prostrate for jazzy then he can ask any media outlet to stop playing your song because you refuse to respect an elderly mam like don baba j.

6-Olamide

I don’t think Olamide can kill your music career. No he can’t, but if you are not alive to sing the song you are supposed to sing who will sing it for you. Who are we going to award? is it your dead body or your twin brother?
Remember that on Twitter Olamide warned Don jazzy not to pass any street on mainland?

Yes, that’s the power of influence. And baddo has influenced some very bad guys that don’t need to be paid or to be told to do any thing that pleases their hero.
So remember that if you are not alive then you don’t have a music career to even talk of.