Kaycee Ichie Oguejiofor has a concise message for Nigerian artistes.
Some time this year I had the opportunity of working with one young artiste who just turned 19 and he just signed a record deal, he could dance, rap and sing. In short he was a package the kind any meaningful label would want.
Typical of Nigerian label owners, the C.E.O wants a quick return on investment, without wanting to really groom, develop and guide his talent.
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But let me put it this way, I was trying to operate the old school way; get a talent, groom, identify its strength, weakness and how to get him to fulfill his full potential. But boy what did I get, the boot!
The artiste was in a hurry to start doing private jets like Wizkid, he was in a hurry start making bread for his family, forgetting that its in the interest of his family if he is fully prepared for war.
Talent is in born, putting it to use is what you learn. Ever wondered why footballers have coaches? Ever wondered why despite the kind of talent Lakers had, Phil Jackson still gets the credit for bringing out the best in his players and Lakers dominated the NBA at some point.
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Being an artiste is way beyond going to the studio to make music. How you carry yourself matters, little details down to how to answer questions when you are being interviewed matters. Your mode of dressing, the image you are selling, where you go and who you relate with, what kind of music will suit your personality, rehearsals and more (P-Sqaure combined dancing and singing when no one else was doing it). It’s a whole lot of work.
If you want to build a lasting career, if you want to dominate and fulfill your potential, then you need to be patient, study the game, get mentors/role models, study them find out what makes them thick and what their weaknesses are.
That is the only way you can leave a lasting impression. If not, you’ll be a flash in the pan like Chuddy K and a whole lot of others.