CHRONICLES OF THE NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

Right from time, Nigeria has always been foremost in entertainment across Africa, especially when it comes to music, where, despite the interesting competition in the industry, there is still enough room and love to go round. It is also remarkable that despite the nation's terrible economy, which can be summed up as being comatose, the music sector has continued to flourish and the growth experienced in the industry within the past few years has been monumental, to say the least. Now, In Nigeria, unlike before, when it was regarded as a lazy man's hustle, music now serves in different interesting capacities, most popularly as the quickest springboard to fame and a goldmine, amongst many others.

Our music culture, which recently began to gain international recognition, had been evolving at a very fast pace and tragically, without proper documentation. The advent of the internet and social media, which revolutionised the global scene, is also credited for bringing entertainers closer to their audience and is proving to be much more useful in Nigeria; as a digital library in the cause of documentation and viral marketing/promotion.

Unlike the days of CDs and USBs, when hundreds of promo copies had to be made to launch an effective promo, or when you had to buy TV time to reach out, music promotion has been made easy now that the internet and social media has revolutionised the music industry, practically controlling every aspect of the media, including TV.

Now, armed with an array of talents (artistes, sound engineers, writers and instrumentalists), wealthy sponsors, professional managers, top-notch PR teams and reputable showcase platforms such as awards and music festivals, the Nigerian music industry appears to be fully geared for global conquest, but without the proper documentation of the progress we are currently making, we are bound to lose touch with our genesis, for It is just a matter of time before we forget the roadmap that led us to our music El Dorado. It is a popular fact that only a handful from the current horde of trending entertainers actually pioneered the different movements that has brought about the music privileges and benefits currently being enjoyed. Now, Nigeria has gotten so big that, other than being the #1 entertainment destination in Africa, its celebrities are also being compared to internationally renowned superstars. And with the exploits of our artistes continuing to trend globally, it is just a matter of time before the subject of our music origins falls under global scrutiny, a situation where music pundits all over the world will begin to dissect and give varying verdicts (most will definitely be biased), maybe then we would wake up and realize the importance of this phase.

A short walk down memory lane of the major turning points in mainstream music within the last 10 years include the entry of late indigenous rapper, DaGrin, who made indigenous rap fit into mainstream music and most notably, the defunct Mo’ hits crew, who featured Snoop Dogg in the billboard hit "Mr. Endowed", a collaboration that improved international relations and perspective of our music industry. Ever since, others who have dared to veer into international scene have always set the bar way ahead. Asa stormed the industry with her unique out-of-this-world sounds, while Banky W went on to popularise the concept of "cover" with his Ebute Metta rendition of Rihanna's ‘Umbrella’. Terry G made crazy look cooler than Charly Boy did, Mode 9 gave rap a footing in Nigeria and left MI with the burden of keeping it undiluted. Wizkid's entry is definitely a major turning point in music from Africa. The unseen rivalry between himself and fellow entrants, Olamide and Skales, kept Wizkid on his toes. And with Olamide moving on to build his own empire and movement, the appearance of Davido seemed to be the deal-breaker for everyone, initially in the Nigerian music scene, but later on across Africa too. With his status show-off and extravagant spending, Davido rattled and became the new driving force in the industry. The industry has since changed from being a mediocre affair to a war zone, with record labels locked in stiff competition, established artistes scrambling for endorsements, while new acts keep going under before they even get heard, just because they don't understand the game.
A closer look at the current entertainment industry gives the illusion of an unscripted movie, with roles available for every Nigerian entertainer.

Unknown to most, especially the fast-rising and next-rated acts, in order to stay relevant, everybody plays a role. The goal is to find a role, build it and work with it or the tougher option, find a way to expunge the character you'd like to play.

Currently, 2face is the widely accepted evergreen king, Wizkid is the widely accepted crowd's favorite, Olamide is the king of the streets, Runtown has claimed the title of sound god, Don Jazzy is the industry mentor/ OG. Tekno is gaining pace on D Banj as the stylish OG/business man. Tiwa Savage is the queen of pop, while Simi is the Queen of vocals. Patoranking is the reggae king and Davido is by far the generally recognised money man, Falz, by channelling his reservoir of knowledge and I.Q. into music ultimately became the king of wordplay… and the list goes on

With the current "trending" family constantly dropping tracks and remaining relevant, it would seem they are sending a "buckle-up" message to the next generation of artistes and, courtesy of all the artistes pushing the country into the global spotlight, Nigerians have earned the bragging rights as music champions, with only The Grammy and Soul Train Awards yet to be won by a Nigerian