By Efe Iyare
On Friday, April 26, 2013, I was privileged to witness the first ever Nigerian Entertainment Conference.
A symposium spear-headed by a man I revere in the entertainment and media circle; Ayeni Adekunle alias ‘Ayeni the Great’. As an aside, he was one of the first celebs to follow me on twitter when I was but a novice to the social media platform and didn’t even know the meaning of the word ‘trend’. I extol this man following his sojourn and growth in the entertainment industry as a journalist and PR agent. His articles and features as Editor at Hip-hop world Magazine centered on the music industry and artistes. I was always awedby his dexterity and insightful knowledge of the industry which often reflected in his write-ups.
Back to the subject-matter, I decided to express my thoughts, predicated upon a statement made at the maiden conference. The statement was made by multi-award winning rapper, Jude Abaga (M.I) one of the panelists at the conference.
He categorically stated that ‘Britney Spears music is garbage’ and I was alarmed at the quick lash out and undertone of this statement. I do hope M.I gets to read this piece as I vehemently object his stance on the matter.
I beg to question the rapper – on what premise do you judge good music and vocals? Before I commence, it should be clear that I have nothing but respect and admiration for Mr. Abaga and his accomplishments. Hence this article is not to spite or scorn the rapper, as it is only apparent that some myopic readers will be quick to point out ‘bad belle’ or ‘beef’ for the rapper.
There is a generic assumption that good music and talent is subjective. Britney Spears is a pop icon in her own right, coming a long way from her juvenile days as teen heartthrob at Disney’s ‘Mickey Mouse club’. She became a renowned figure in mainstream pop music and culture following her unprecedented success with hits like ‘One more time’ (1999) and ‘Oops! I did it again’ (2000) both songs breaking international sales records; quite remarkable for a teenage solo artiste. At 16 she got signed to Jive Records, a remarkable fit for her age. She is credited with reviving pop music of the late 90s and bestowed with the honour of ‘best teenaged artiste’ of all times before she turned 20. I ask Mr. Abaga; what other yardstick do you need to judge such talent? That’s not all; her work has earned her accolades which include a Grammy Award, 6 MTV Video Music Awards including a lifetime achievement award, 9 Billboard Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Need I say more? In 2009, Billboard ranked her as the 8th overall Artist of the Decade, and also recognized her as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) named Spears as the eighth top-selling female artiste in the United States, with 34 million certified albums. Rolling Stone recognized her instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time, while VH1 ranked her eleventh on their ‘100 Greatest Women in Music’ list in 2012.
Apparently these are not my facts and Mr. Abaga is welcome to do his research on the artiste to clear every iota of doubt.
Her controversial lifestyle sent her career into a hiatus, but she has since bounced back, remaining relevant in the global music scene. ‘Piece of me’ and ‘Womanizer’ topped every chart worth topping. She is currently a judge in the second season of the X-factor in America. Scorned by the paparazzi, but loved and admired by millions both young and old across the globe. With such accomplishments, I can’t help but ponder as to why Jude Abaga perceives Spears’ music as ‘garbage’ or is it as a result of her POP genre?
My view of music is synonymous with a product; it must sell. If a particular kind of music is appealing to a large audience, who am I to judge? What if M.I didn’t churn out hits upon hits- if ‘Talk About it’ an album responsible for elevating the rapper’s career to great heights fell short of multi-platinum, would he be considered a successful rapper? I have ardently patronized the ‘choc boys’ from their underground days in Abuja and J-town and it is safe to say, they do good music. However, some quarters are of the view that M.I and the Choc boys respectively have deviated from the type of hip-hop that gave them a distinction in the market and have now embraced the genre I would love to term ‘commercial hip-hop’ which entails more of singing and pop than rapping.
If Britney does ‘garbage’ wouldn’t it be fair to consider yours ‘garbage’ too? Like I said in the beginning, I am not trying to spite Mr. Incredible; I am only airing my unbiased view in a bid to correct the impression made a rapper i respect and whose views could influence millions.
The Hip-hop genre in Nigeria is respected as a genre today due to the significant contributions of Ruggedman, Modenine, Naeto C, eLDee the Don, Eedris Abdulkareem, M.I and the Choc Boys as well as countless other artistes who have been instrumental in giving the genre a facelift.
In summation, I don’t belong to the fan club of Britney, but I strongly oppose her music or anyone’s being termed ‘garbage’. In America, the stakes are high and only those with incredible vocal skills and remarkable talent will stand the test of time.
I am yet to see which pop/soul diva in Nigeria comes close to Britney. Music is relative so let’s respect the success and milestones of every artiste on the planet.
About the Writer: Efe Iyare is a budding PR agent, media practitioner and Writer. He has written/contributed for Guardian Newspaper and countless blogs. (efeiyare@gmail.com)
1 comment
Well written bro.Pride goes before a fall.