1. Art Needs Patrons
The Italian renaissance became a roaring, all-time landmark not only because of the phenomenal contributions from a set of generational talents, but funding from affluent families and financially buoyant organizations like the Catholic Church played an integral role in helping these thinkers give life to daring ideas. Without these sponsors, these important and impactful achievements in art (and science) would’ve remained inanimate a little longer.
Like a bulb, many artists have the potential to light up their immediate environs and the world, by extension, all they need is a constant powering source. An all too important fact is that: in order for an artistic endeavor to flourish, it needs to be sufficiently supported.
As a form of art, contemporary pop music relies mostly on crowdfunding. Record labels might cut a figure of the modern day Medicis, but with altruism being the last thing on their minds, initial funding is always regarded as investment – it won’t be called the music “business” otherwise. Ultimately, breaking even and making profits – which hinges on the amount of people buying in – is what largely determines an artist’s career arc in the label system. Even with the backing of an organized entity, though, commercial success is still not guaranteed.
Modeled on an old system that is similar to a wealthy donor commissioning an artistic endeavor, the label system is an archaic structure that will never be phased out, since it offers the type of initial assistance many creatives would lunge at. These days, though, the internet has democratized the playing field by helping artists wiggle their way in independently. While this slightly amplifies the chances for artists to succeed on their own terms, it has created a gateway for an influx, such that anyone with a dream, a laptop and a mic can take a shot at becoming an artist.
“So for upcoming artists, a deal remains a great idea but even without a major record label, the path to stardom may not be easy but is very attainable.” – Ehis Combs, Nigerian Music Industry: Major Record Deals Fading Away?
Indie or label-backed, passion to make great music should be the ideal fuel for for artists. But there has to some form of gratification on the other side to continually refill the urge for creativity. Depending on what each individual values more, monetary gains and/or acclaim are the usual incentives, both are important in spurring the enthusiasm of the artist to continue to create more, and sometimes, better music.
Metrics for measuring and comparing skill levels and grading musical outputs are quite indefinite, unlike the major metric for defining impact: Numbers. Although inanely used a lot of the time, “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t” and its various iterations is a point frequently used during conversations about music, but it’s foolhardy to not accept numbers as facts when correct, though. That’s why a true have-it-all style is eminent with many artists, looking out to ensure that their music affects and is supported by as many people as possible.
2. An Umbrella With Different Colors
Focusing on the entertainment value of their music by crafting songs that are catchy and colorful in order to pop is normal, a tactic many artists who are vying to become prominent usually adopt. Breaking out while making innovative music that is catchy is definitely possible – a recent example is Hurricane Eazi, but many upcoming artists find themselves chasing current trends, so they can fit right into the zeitgeist and make doe off whatever style of confectionery pop is ruling the dancefloors and airwaves.
For a fact, entertainment sells in Nigeria, and “giving people what they want” is the general reason a lot of artists adopt the strategy to chase pop trends, unimaginative as it is. But the idea that music is only a tool for pleasure and fun events is an illusion, one that is obvious but largely ignored because making rhythmic, danceable music aimed at making people giddy is a Nigerian music norm. Even with a significant amount of experimentation going on in Nigerian pop music at the moment, the scene still feels like it’s recycling the same ideas – a sort of stasis, if you will, since a significant amount of music in the mainstream is a bland grab at taking a slice of the pie.
A byproduct of this situation is the conversation around why there was no true breakout artist that impacted Nigerian music on a grand scale in 2017, especially as with regards to bringing a sonically fresh identity to the table. It does seem like there’s a hurt for talent on the scene, but anyone who’s looking past the surface knows that’s far from the case.
Currently on the other side of radio spins and big promo budgets, there’s a bubbling movement of young creatives, using SoundCloud as the primary turf for pushing out swaths of great music. While they are not unaware of the entertaining power of music, there’s a devotion to making music that bears a mark of difference, innovation and personal edge, a slightly stark contrast to what’s permeating the mainstream airwaves. This group of artists are charting their own course through an industry with its reputation for being cutthroat, trying their best to make up their own rules as they go, projecting rebelliousness in both image and sound.
With this bold attitude being the major commonality tying them together, different collective titles have been ascribed to these group of artists: “New Age/Wave/School,” “Altè Movement,” and (the slur inducing) “SoundCloud Artists.” In as much as they connote a unified front, these terms foster an untrue perception of a uniform musical identity.
“The term “New Age Sounds” is now being normalized as one single tune, a genre. Instead of a statement that represents an era when we can be free of labels.” Adedayo Laketu, No Bars Can Cage Your Voice.
With different artists covering genres across Dancehall, Soul, R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, (Afro-)Pop and more – most of them bending and blending styles to create unique and sometimes chameleonic musical identities, it seems important to give more shine to these fresh breaths of sonic innovations. But as much as this writer believes that the diversity and mainstream contrast the musical outputs of these set of artists deserve more attention, controlling a significant share of the tides of pop music is not always down to the quality of music.
3. It’s Hard Outchea For A…
Personally, I object to the various communal tags that have been ascribed these creatives, since they contain glaring shades of inbuilt classism, which is in itself a form of inhibition. But since these artists – who share a lot of their fans – still operate in niche mode, it presents a form of justification and also adds impetus to an already evident divide. Obviously, catering to an already loyal fanbase is an ideal foundation upon which a monumental career can be built, but extending that base into the type of numbers that the mainstream will be forced to reckon with is the great challenge.
At the painful risk of undermining their achievements – nurturing a culture that’s far from being totally reliant on the mainstream, it takes only a handful of conversations with people not staying in or acquainted with Lagos (and even those on the mainland) to realize how limited and slightly invisible this movement is at the moment. While the Island area of Lagos is home and/or workplace to tastemakers and supporters deemed affluent enough to support, appreciate and relate with their brand of music, crossing over is integral to capturing attention on a bigger scale.
In a recent feature piece by Okayafrica enunciating the struggle for new artists to breakout in Nigeria, indie artist Dwin, The Stoic is quoted as saying: “Nigeria might not be ready for [his] music. Unless you’re making music that is for the club, you’re not seen as making music for the Nigerian market.” In the Nigerian sense of it, the pop-adjacent music Dwin and his colleagues are turning out is not usually regarded as mainstream material, so the idea is to be selective with their initial target audience. At its core, Dwin’s comment highlights the imaginary ceiling of impact that’s in place to condition artists who are making “alternative” music in Nigeria.
Planting a figurative, inaugural flag on Lagos Island – the part of the music capital largely associated with the glitz, glamour and money moves of contemporary Nigerian music – makes plenty of sense, but it needs to translate into an authentic, inclusive proliferation that reaches out to other areas of Lagos and by extension, other cities and states in Nigeria. Continuing with the same routine without trying other locations is like working out the upper body without regards for the lower parts, and the movement ends up being Johnny Bravo-esque in nature.
4. Reach Across The Aisle
Known as complaint first people, it can be disheartening that Nigerians are very much averse to searching out the type of well thought-out music they say is in short supply. But this terrible phenomenon of sycophancy is what many young artists not making straightforward pop music are going to have to deal with, especially with it being hard to cut through all the clutter of sameness and mediocrity. Time has shown that artists who capture the mainstream with their own unique style of music are able to build long careers as artists like Asa, Bez, BrymO, M.I Abaga etc., as opposed to those wyling for “hits” and chasing trends to stay relevant.
There will be murmurs that the above named examples had label help, so a closer case is the rise of South African superstar Cassper Nyovest. The rapper has achieved the audacious feats of filling up stadium sized arenas in recent years, while being an independent artist, of which personally leading face-to-face sales drives is an important part. While Cassper’s social media is definitely popping, with a shit tonne of followers, it’s only a part of what constitutes an impressive following.
Without the help of a machine to plant an artist inside the minds of Nigerians, seizing attention on a national level requires tenacity, a certain type of spoon-feeding that goes beyond gathering niche buzz and social media clout. At its best, social media is an identifier for what reality is, and though the virtual home for this movement – apt as it is for this generation – is the internet, organic growth involves plenty of physical contact with potential fans. Churches might have social media and online presence, but traditional modes of worship and physical evangelism will never be forsaken.
The internet is an important hub for pushing music today, but it can create an illusion of how much impact an artist or in this case, group of artists are having on society at the moment. There’s a difference between massive online followers and a devoted following, and in all honesty, Nigeria is still some ways off having a true digital breakout artist. Equally teetering at the edge of eventual obscurity and widespread success, going the extra mile beyond virtual and limited outreach is an important step in reaching the latter scenario.
Although there’s an engrained perception of what a mainstream ready song and artist are, it’s worth noting that every type of music has the capability for seismic impact, often depending on how many people connect with the music. The skepticism that their music is not mainstream ready, which partly feeds into the myth that supports limited reach needs to be challenged and upended, considering that these are young artists are making music that can affect their own peers – probably the most important demographic in securing mainstream success.
Taking events and performances – usually exclusive to the Island and other select high brow parts of some “big cities” – to folks in uncharted territory, promoting the music and connecting with various audiences in different climates should help improve the odds of taking over pop culture. The musical diversity and dynamism that this group of interesting artists offer needs to be extended to the uninitiated. Allowing their music simply stick with “the” perceived audience would be a disappointing limitation, instead of being pigeonholed, going on the offensive and breaking out of the mold should be of more interest.
Other challenges will still abound, most especially the shambolic system of the music business in Nigeria, but increasing visibility and popularity definitely offers a great assist in moving music forward and definitively rewriting the rules.
The new wave of Nigerian music needs to accumulate and form a revolutionary tsunami, the type of roaring landmark that reverberates through time.