NIGERIAN MUSIC : AN INDUSTRY IN DECLINE
Back in the days, legends used their music as a medium of communication. Their music defined not just their lives but that of the society they lived in. We had the likes of Bob Marley leading a salient revolution through his music. Questioning the guts of the white supremacist and the cowardice of the black man.
Fela Kuti became notorious during the military era for his blunt lyrics and eratic behavior. While some might argue that Fela is not a perfect role model for a child, undoubtedly we must acknowledge that Fela is a real hero.
Let’s fast-forward a bit to early 2000. We had the likes of Tuface, Black Face, African China, Edris etc. Then our music still had some real juice in it. Music made some efforts then to lend voice to the sufferings of the masses e.g Edris’s jaga jaga, African China’s crisis, Tuface’s E be like say, black face’s hard life and many more .
I could remember the president then having an outburst over the “jaga jaga” song. And tgen abusing the crooner of the song in front of journalists. Now this would have been a very perfect way of keeping unruly politicians on their toes.

THE DECLINE AND CAUSE
But Sadly, that trend died with the rise of artists like dbanj who laid more emphasis on ladies and sex. In fact I walked out of a dbanj show in 2009 when he invited 8 girls on stage to help pull off his top. It didn’t end there, with the influx of teen celebrities like the wizkids and Davidos of today, following the trend of their predecessors, the Nigerian music industry completely degenerated into a cesspool. In fact mediocrity has taken the order of the day and what is most important is that at the end of the day, they buy up the influential djs and OAPs and the song trend for years.

The only problem here is that when placed side by side with their foreign counterparts, their weaknesses begin to manifest e.g Stefflon Don ft wizkid, Davido and Fuse_ODG In fact those two guys embarrassed Nigerian music in that job.

The major concepts revolving around every Nigerian song is partying, sex, exhibition of affluence and any other social vice you can think of. Even upcoming artistes are promising to buy Lamborghini for Caro in their songs.

However what I find quite difficult to comprehend is that most of these big musicians still live in rented houses. Most of them are broke most often than not due to the kind of lifestyle they are exposed to. Practically, it’s very impossible to sustain that kind of lifestyle they portray in their music. I have argued with some bloggers that these musicians flaunt most of these affluences on social media to divert attention away from the inadequacies of their music.

I can’t say that the current crop of Nigerian musicians are selling records, they are just selling their personality. A foreigner that listens to top 10 hottest songs in our airplay would definitely have the wrong picture of situation of things in Nigeria. These musicians portray us as sex freaks that just want to drink, do drugs, party and fuvk.

At the peak of our recession, a Nigerian superstar was telling us that he has 30 billion in his account. Another one was telling Jane Doe to come and follow him “manya”. One other one was singing about weed and tramadol and another one was singing about the bum bum of his girlfriend.

While all these were going on, Nigerians were dying from hunger, herdsmen attack, political instability and many more. Politicians were being awarded grass cutting contracts for 250 million naira and about 10000 Nigerians lost their job. As a music lover, I ll tell you that our music has lost touch of reality.



It’s expected that these self acclaimed superstars still have fans on ground simply because no matter how bad a music is, once it’s adequately promoted, it ll attract audience. That’s music!!! Which is why you are expected to use that power positively. The direct effect of these laziness on the part of our musicians is that Nigerian music is not really making the kind of impact expected of it globally.

Poor content and over concentration on the erotic aspect of music has made most Nigerian artistes boring. These days, wizkid can hardly compose a song without mentioning “sexy lady”!!! Tekno stole a street vibe like Jogodo and still found a way to bring in the sexiness of Jane Doe into the picture. When will these boys understand that there is more to music than sex and money. Singers are supposed to be some kind of funnels.

They should be an avenue for words of reason into the society. Their every single line should be a food for thought for their audience. At the rate this industry is going, we are going to bury creativity on the alter of commercial tunes.

As it is, our music industry has lost its golden responsibility of being the mouthpiece of the streets.

Instead of challenging the ruling class in their songs over there wrongs. They turned psychophants and hero worshippers always calling one politician or the other in their songs just to get some couple of millions.

If the dead can see, the likes of Fela will be weeping terribly in their graves.

SOURCE: https://vibesbank.com/2018/05/nigerian-music-an-industry-in-decline/

not only in Nigeria music industry, it's all over the world! you can compare 2pac with the contemporary rappers that we have these days.
if you have the mentality of asa, you won't be able to blow like idowest and if you ain't making money, you ain't making sense. that's showbiz for you

Exactly you said it
I have been saying this ... When I called out tuface for not at least writing a domg about the benue killings people attacked me.here

I can't remember the year I last listened to a Nigeria song I think it was Pana and that was in France even at a friend's house whom I was vacationing with from the states

Nigerian songs are wack , empty , vulgar lack inspiration

Music isn't about lyrics it's about the message ... I listen to groups like alt-j and I get lost in wonder .. I recommend all their albums

Nigerian musicians are black holes of talentless noise

mumureloaded:
not only in Nigeria music industry, it's all over the world! you can compare 2pac with the contemporary rappers that we have these days.
if you have the mentality of asa, you won't be able to blow like idowest and if you ain't making money, you ain't making sense. that's showbiz for you

Not all over the world

Talk about what you know

Listen to Kendrick lamar 's damn and 0adt albums he talks about real.stuff that's why he is so successful

Listen to Jayz 44:4 he talks real

Don't ever equate the garbage in Nigeria to what happening anywhere else nigerian.musicians lack talent hence over compensate with vulgarity

Lakeside79:


Not all over the world

Talk about what you know

Listen to Kendrick lamar 's damn and 0adt albums he talks about real.stuff that's why he is so successful

Listen to Jayz 44:4 he talks real

Don't ever equate the garbage in Nigeria to what happening anywhere else nigerian.musicians lack talent hence over compensate with vulgarity

what I'm saying is that those that are meaningless are more than those that are really talking about the reality. even if you should come to Nigeria the like of asa and some others are trying bro but I'd just the labalaba to take over

mumureloaded:


what I'm saying is that those that are meaningless are more than those that are really talking about the reality. even if you should come to Nigeria the like of asa and some others are trying bro but I'd just the labalaba to take over

It doesn't make sense looking for a white cloth in a garbage bin

You are still.wrong the percentage of meaningless music is far less when compared to the sensible.songs in a country like America again I implore you to talk about what you know

If you are being specific and say in American rap for instance then you may be right because blacks are known for their materialistic rap.songs but in the states you have lots of music genres you have pop, jazz, country , alternative , o
Punk rock , metal, blues , Rnb, rap , trap , etc

So you are wrong when you try to equate because most songs are mostly garbage n Nigeria to now assume it's like that else where

In Nigeria what you ha r is garbage music mostly with absolute Senseless lyrics

Like I said talk about only what you know