When most distinctive music fans heard Wizkid got no nomination at a Lagos music award show, it was seen as an obvious slight. It almost seems as if the organizers of the Headies are somehow beefing the talented young music superstar. But in that context, one might also ask what the award show represented and how reputable it was.
What matters is that everybody knows Wizkid (Ayo Balogun) makes some of the best music in the industry. With another album on the way shortly and a new lead single ‘Eledumare’ produced by Legendary Beat, this young man should have a BET award, Grammy or MTV awards.
The latest single Eledumare is a gem as Wizkid goes political in the first few lyrics “When me started from ghetto them no see/But na every city them dey feel me/From Falomo down to Badagry/Awon fans dem yapa dem no gree/Say my mother bein tell me Democracy/But my government dey show me supremacy/My people for Zanga dem no like/But my music dey make dem dey happy…”
The hook is a rhythmic Yoruba prayer asking God (Eledumare) to bring wealth, joy and success to the listener.
Ironically on the last verse, Wizkid raps “Monkey dey work baboon dey chop/E no go be your portion” a broken english proverb which means not receiving the fruits of your labour. Wizkid proceeds to pray against it for the listener. In a country where poverty and misery index are high, Wizkid lyrically assumes the role of the General Overseer for the masses.
If that alone isn’t reason enough to win any reputable music award in Nigeria in 2013/2014, then that is a big dent to the credibility of the award show. In any case, monkey dey work, baboon dey chop.
That seems like it was the portion of Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi at the CAF awards that took place in Lagos on Thursday night. Obi was favourite to win the award, however the judges at CAF thought Yaya Toure should be the winner and he received the award.
One fan @chxta tweeted, “It is like giving Yaya a woman to straf, nothing happens, then Mikel strafs the same woman, she come born twins, then u say Yaya na dem papa.”
Written by Ade Milford