Meet Cidane.
Every year the Nigerian music industry becomes harder to breakthrough. Different acts litter the corridors of this beast we call our industry, but day by day it becomes harder to make it through its pearly gates. Each has his own tactics he plans to use in opening the gates of this house, but the keys differ from act to act.
Falz used comedy skits to ensnare his consumers but has used the music to keep them within his grasp. Slimcase makes music that appeals to the “streets”, riding the shaku shaku wave through its front door into this great house. This great industry houses royalties like 2baba, Olamide D’Banj, Wizkid, Davido ETC. while others like Teni, Peruzzi, Small Doctor feast as new guests.
Over the last year or so, they have had enough “hits” to be allowed in. The house is boundaryless but ever expanding and as more new acts enter, royalties are pushed further into obscurity. Make no mistakes, you will be eschewed and sent packing from this glorious abode if one does not have enough to keep one relevant. Just ask people like Faze, Olu Maintain, Ice Prince, African china who have dined on the highest of tables in this house but are nowhere to be seen around its vicinity. That’s why artistes like 2baba are a myth as it is almost superhuman for someone, hell anyone to have stayed this dominant and relevant for this long (almost 20 years if we begin counting from his Plantashun Boyz days).
The Alté artists have come with a force, barraging the front gates in a bid to wrestle their way into the illustrious house. Beyond the gates lie the many pitfalls that different acts from all around the country have fallen into – from industry demands of commerciality and radio friendly songs, to record label issues and financial constraint.
Making it in this business has become so difficult that even those with supreme writing and vocal abilities have had to wait at the gates, as the more sellable artistes who bring the chutzpah can go through. People with a passion for making music must contend with the harsh reality that they might not make it. Not that these many factors will deter them from putting out their art, they simply have a contingency plan if all falls through. I spoke with one of these artistes who dreams of making it into this building, he is constantly working on his craft, but with a 9-5 contingency that also serves to finance his push through the gates. Cidane is a Nigerian act that doesn’t bother using genres to define the music he makes and like many others, he is looking to break through the gates. I sat down with him for lunch to talk about his music, style, inspirations and so many more.
Me: Where did the idea of making music start from?
Cidane: It started from like my JSS1. I went to a school (Cayley College, Agidingbi) where everyone around me was a creative. I started off as a rapper, I was in a group called Green Nexus. I’m the only one left now still doing music, Andikan is a photographer, Doris is now a makeup artiste, Ife is an engineer but I don’t know Kamil’s whereabout. I think I sounded a lot like Ajebutter22 so I thought I needed to stop doing rap, figure out my own sound and stop sounding like someone. That was where Cidane came from, I was young something before. I think the first song I recorded was in Sss1 with DJ Tis. The title of the song was “Farabale”, I remember we recorded at a studio in Ayobo, that was where the real music kicked off from. The music slowed down a bit when I went to Covenant University, cos it wasn’t easy for me. I just wanted to finish up and know I have a degree. So, I took music very slow in CU. Almost everyone I started doing music with was ahead of me, but I knew what I wanted. I did a song with Famousbobson “You Know”, I did “Tender” with Profound and “Love Ya”, all in all, I did like 4 songs throughout my stay in CU.
Me: Tender was a hit in CU
C: Yeah, yeah, I did it after like a 2-year break from music. I had to do something, I had different songs, but they didn’t sound nice. I recorded it like 11 times cos I like to have different versions. I did the first version of “You Know” with STG while he was still in CU, but I didn’t like it. I did with IBK and Bobson came through, freestyled and it sounded mad. I’m sure my producer was tired of me, but it sounded not there. I did a listening party for it, it was pretty big. It was a welcome back.
Me: You were pursuing an ACA, why did you stop?
C: It was not my thing, well not like it was not my thing, I just didn’t want to get so caught up in the cooperate world that the music now becomes a past tense for me. Even with my work, I’m just using it to finance the music. There’s a point you get to in the corporate world where you know you can’t turn back. A lot of musicians don’t understand this but even if you try and balance it, it won’t be as much as you want. For example, I can’t say I’m not going to work today and start recording. Or someone will say yo Cidane, come through and I’ll just say I’m not going to work. So, I have to plan and know when to record. I don’t think I’m an accountant, I don’t like sitting with a tie and saying I’m an accountant. I’ll just do masters and that’s it.
Me: I’ve interviewed a lot of artistes and I’m finding out a lot of them have day jobs, why is that?
C: There are two things, its either you get signed, or you push yourself. And most of these guys that want to sign you, it’s not like they bring something significant. For someone like me, I’m not from a poor background, so its not like you’ll bring something to my table and I’ll just jump at it. In the past, I’ve had contracts brought to me that will be 80-20, 70-30 and I’m on the 30 side. What am I gaining? Yeah you are putting the finances but I’m putting the actual work with my talent. For me, that’s why I work, if you don’t have any sponsors, you won’t be able to push yourself as much as you want to and when you do, it hampers your personal life. Money you are meant to use to do other things, you are using it to push music. That’s why Waje had issues. It’s hard, that’s why we work and use it as a means to an end. Imagine using 1 million or 2 million to shoot a video, on the streets, it’s not easy. That’s why when these artistes see deals 80-20, they jump at it. It’s not easy. That was my thinking, that was why I had to finish school because if I didn’t have a degree, I wouldn’t have this job to push the music.
Me: Will you be shooting a video anytime soon?
C: Yeah. Like 3. I have like 3 different songs that I want to shoot videos for. I have submitted a list of 3 songs I want to shoot videos for, minus an EP. 3, 4 or 5 songs from a list of like 15 to do before the end of this year.
Me: Do you have a creative process that guides your making music?
C: Let’s say I’m in the studio, it depends on my mood. Like last week I recorded a song about bumbum (laughs), I’m a bumbum guy. It honestly depends on my mood. When I recorded tender, I was going through a lot, I just came off an accident, so it depends on my mood. That was my reason for tender, so anything that flows from me, anyhow.
Me: You mentioned an EP?
C: Yeah late this year, like 5 or 6 songs. Something like Runtown’s Tradition. Not much.
Me: What genre would you classify your music as?
C: That’s my problem, I’m a jack of all trades, master of none. Every song I’ve done so far is always different, from pop to Afropop, to hip-hop, rnb and dancehall. It’s all different vibes. But I think I’ve done more Afropop. Yeah.
Me: Who do you look up to?
C: 2baba. That guy has been around for a long time, its not even about getting there but staying there. Like he is a myth in the Nigerian industry. This year, he already has like 2 songs. I would say Wizkid too, even though he is not the loudest person. He works hard. Then Davido, he has shown that he can compete with these people that their eyes are red. Those 3, I think are at the centre of everything to me.
Me: Is there any theme to your music?
C: I like to talk about love and life. I like to talk about what’s going on in my life. I dropped two singles in December with 2 different stories, so most times, my music is about what’s happening in my life. I say what’s going on in my love life, if you can catch it, then you catch it. It all depends on what I feel at that point in time. There’s no real guideline, except it’s someone’s song and the person says this is what I want and I try to write towards that.
Me: Anyone you’d like to collaborate with?
C: 2baba, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido. I know out of these guys, one of them is going to be on my EP. Guaranteed. One of them will be on my EP.
Me: When will you be dropping an album?
C: I don’t know men, it’s not even in my plans. I feel before you say you want to drop an album, the world has to be ready for you. Maybe in 2 or 3 years when I have figured out my sound and I know I’m just going to fuck you guys up. For now, I’m still trying to get people to know who Cidane is. If I’m dropping an album, it’s not for my Twitter or for my street.
Me: How do you deal with the pressure?
C: Omo I’ve learnt that its your business. When I want to drop music, I’ll drop music, you can’t stress me. At the end of the day, if I don’t have the money to push the music, then no dey stress me. If I need 2 million to push a song and I don’t have it, I can’t stress, when I know it’s my money. And another thing is that the friends around you are probably your worst supporters. People who don’t fuck with you will push your music more than your friends. Man, I cut off like 95% of the people I knew, I stopped replying messages and I only picked calls if its business related. Like I know a lot of people and I used to think if they put in quarter of the effort they put into other artistes that don’t fuck with them, I’d have gone very far. I see people I don’t even fuck with, try and push my music or try to get my attention. Your guys won’t do that for you, so I don’t stress man. You will drop a song and you’ll receive 100 notifications on twitter and 99% of them are from people you don’t fuck with but your guys that you probably told ahead of time will just be silent.
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The industry is hard to crack, and the Nigerian economy is hell bent on making matters worse for upcoming artistes. As Cidane and I cruise through Allen avenue, we discuss the lengths artistes will go through to make it in these harsh economic climates. Artistes have had to sign “sufferhead contracts” just to get their music to move forward but Cidane is adamant and set in his own way. There is a clear vision for him and as long as that vision is in sight, he’ll keep pushing. A B.Sc. and an M.sc to get a job which in turn finances the music he is trying to push out. He has lofty ambitions but with such a well thought out plan that gives him a back up option, we can only wish him the very best of his dreams.