In Lil Kesh’s hit single titled “Gbese” he claims that Aunty Sidi “just dey fire; she no dey tire.” The reason why Aunty Sidi “no dey tire”, according to Lil Kesh, is because of his riches. However, in the just concluded 2015 Lagos Headies Awards, one can say Kesh’s boss, Olamide, took Aunty Sidi’s firing skills.
As scandals go, the gbèsé at the award was a juicy one. Lil kesh was picked to be the “Next Rated Award” winner but in a twist of faith the award went to Mavin artist Reekado Banks. Later, Olamide, CEO of YBNL, in a drunken state of stupor, stated that the award should have gone to Lil Kesh.
Don Jazzy, the CEO of Mavin records, and Reekado Banks’ producer, calmly fired back by saying, “Egbon Olamide, if you want the car come and collect it”. That is the car, which would have gone to the winner of the said category. Indeed, “doro is a cheerful giver.”
But, Olamide was not through on that night. He took to Twitter and used all kind of foul languages to express his anger. His emissions were backed with threats, “don’t come to the mainland” he twitted.
The essence of awards is to appreciate artists’ creativity in their field. There are no losers or winners. In this case, however, some peeps took losing personally.
After Kanye West pulled his stunt on Taylor swift in the 2009 VMA awards, one thought that would be the end of such folly in the entertainment industry. As always, in Nigeria, we like to replicate American madness and take it to the extreme.
Yet Olamide’s public outrage over the lack of award is a larger issue. What music should the artists be awarded for? The fact that Banks and Kesh are considered as the “next rated” is a real gbésé(one wonders what “next rated” is?). Awarding garbage is problematic and the organisers need to really explain why the artists are getting awards.
Don Jazzy played a leading role in convincing people that he’s been in the game and can’t be caught in a boiling stew of beef. Apart from his treatise on the said day, he’s been quiet. But, the Don is also a contributor to gbèsè in Nigerian music, in that, most songs created by Mavin records make no meaning.
Recently, Nigerian musicians sell a carnivalesque dream world to segregated youths in Nigeria, often leading them to the pursuit of pipe dreams. The youths want to have so many girls, fine cars and big houses without working for it.
The relevance of the gbèsè unleashed in the awards is worth a close study especially with regards to awarding inanities cloaked in the name of music.
It is hard to find a contemporary Nigerian music that deals with the reality on ground—Dasuki saga, Nnamdi Kanu’s case, Boko Haram—which is not surprising. An average Nigerian wants to dance away and forget the surrounding negative issues.
One is not saying every musician or music should be politically charged but the words should, at least, make sense. Or, what’s the meaning of “skibo”, “shoki”, “doro” etc?
The main gbèsè is that Nigerian artists, who act as ambassadors for various brands, don’t know how to conduct themselves in public. I mean what can we deduce from Aunty Olamide and Doro Don? Gbèsè!
I tweet @moshoke
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