Africa is a Country

Posted in Music | Tagged Asa, CNN, Dbanj, hip hop, Lagos, Music, Nice, Nigeria, P-Square, rap, Two Face, video | 6 Comments

6 Responses

1. on May 6, 2009 at 8:31 am | Reply Jeremy

   Lots of air-brushing in this article. Not many musicians make much money in Nigeria, still less earn US$100,000 per concert! The music industry is not really an ‘industry’ at all – nothing is formalised, and musicians regularly get screwed by the few ‘labels’ there are (I guess nothing unusual with that though).

   Its a shame Nigerian pop music/hip-hop is so unoriginal/derivative and quite poorly produced. Just like Nollywood, why should something be celebrated just because its revenue-generating?

   
   
2. on May 6, 2009 at 10:16 am | Reply lucas green

   Jeremy, I don’t agree about the production values. Much better than Nollywood, that’s for sure. The videos are slick, the arrangements are brash, which is what the form demands.

   I can’t speak to the economics of the thing. I’m sure it’s horrible (and the $100 000 did strike me as pure fantasy). But since when is show business clean?

   I think your objection is mainly aesthetic though. You wouldn’t love hip-hop in Kenya, or in France, or in LA.

   But look at it this way: Nigerians focus on football, not a traditional sport like “ijakadi,” so is that derivative? Modernity is fluid, and if young Nigerians feel more connected to hip-hop and rap, it’s neither more nor less derivative than the Beatles taking 1950s rock and roll (a lot of it black) and making it theirs.

   Do correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you’ve taken an aesthetic objection and made it into a weak plea for “authenticity.”

   
   
3. on May 7, 2009 at 10:45 am | Reply Abas

   Hey Jeremy, I really do not agree with your last paragraph. I think you are ill-informed about the music industry in Nigeria.

   Most of the hip-hop/pop music from Nigeria is blend of western and local flavour which is appealing to the continent. With globalisation, there are spin off in music and fashion which is very normal.

   Trust me the music industry has come a long way in less than a decade and it should be celebrated. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

   
   
4. on June 18, 2009 at 1:11 pm | Reply ben

   I live in France. Asa is on bil boards here. I have african American friends that listen to only P Square, Nice etc and ask me to ship them Nigerian music whenever i visit Nigeria. they say they are tired of the American style. i am a believer in our music. Funny enough they like the ones tat sound authentic like timaya and hate the ones that sound american. So if you musicians read this, pleas note that you cant rap better than the americans but you can sing pigeon english better than them. That is what they like to hear. They love the yoruba in asa.
   SO I THINK NIGERIAN MUSIC HAS GROWN.

   
   
   • on June 18, 2009 at 3:45 pm | Reply Sean Jacobs

     Ben, thanks for the comment. Did you check out the videos for the show “100% Naija” about Nigerian musicians I posted earlier this week.– Sean

     
     
5. on August 12, 2009 at 6:43 pm | Reply AVALANCH aka PIKALOS

   Nigerian hip hop may have started out copying a lot from the western culture but, it has evolved and become a force to reckon with!
   http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108253466489