Friday, 23 March 2012

Like Toy Soldiers


Hello, how was your week, hope you guys are good! Yh I guess I should say TGIF :) okay I want to say thank you to all of you that tweeted my blog’s link, thanks for the support! Ok to this week’s post, it’s basically a post on music! First is a very interesting write up by Tolu (@iamnotjuke) and a short interview of Olamide (@miidae)! Hope u guys love it! ENJOY. TILL NEXT WEEK, enjoy your weekend, BYE :*



Like Toy Soldiers @iamnotjuke



If I were you, the first thing on my mind would be "Why is this titled 'Like Toy Soldiers'?" Well, I didn't want to write anything corny and so I thought of something random (well not so random) and I decided to use that. You will understand in a bit. 

My friend, Harry (@BaldBlackBoy) and I went to see "Man On A Ledge" on Wednesday. It was supposed to start at 2:15pm but we got there at 2:30pm and I bluntly refused to enter 15minutes after it had started. (I feel like adding here that he wasn't exactly pleased because he had somewhere else to go but I didn't give a rat's behind. Don't judge me.) I decided we should wait to see the one showing at 4:25pm which he reluctantly agreed and so in between, we started talking and it was all......music. 

Anyone who knows me in person knows how crazy about music I am. But I can't ignore the few ones who aren't so.....err.....creative. So I gave Harry the example of "Like Toy Soldiers". Before you hear that song, I'm not sure you can possibly guess what Eminem was talking about. (Well, except there's some popular saying or there was some popular event about toy soldiers in which case, I didn't get the memo.) I don't think the title gives you any idea whatsoever to the contents of the song. Even if you've been sleeping on a bicycle (shout out to Wizkid) then you should’ve heard that song. Imagine a Nigerian artiste was doing a song and talking about beef and walking away from beef before it gets out of hand like Em was doing. What would he/she call it? The Apology? The Beef Song? I No Do Again? Why We Dey Quarrel? Not that I'm saying no artistes can think up something as creative as "Like Toy Soldiers" but there's a lot of artistes that can't......or should I say "can" but "won't" all in the name of "connecting with the masses". I don't know about you but I know I'm tired of listening to artistes give that same lame excuse over and over again. So now you get the title.

Then we talked about Gospel music.

I think the state of gospel music in Nigeria is not impressive. A lot of gospel artistes in Nigeria are really working hard. But there still is a group of them that are really not. I've come to the conclusion that if you do a very good song, even if its gospel, the world will listen e.g. "Lagimo" by Rooftop MCs and Cobhams.

 The average secular artiste is ready to spend a whole lot of money on promo, or marketing or production or shooting a music video. They pay good money to good directors and in turn, they get good videos. Some gospel artistes don't do that. Most of them don't know what they are up against. They just do small work, shoot not-so-good videos and tell themselves "its God we are worshipping. He will bless us". REALLY? 

Then there's the story of D'banj and Mohits. This is a very sensitive matter as Mohits is arguably one of the biggest labels in Africa. But it does look like Dbanj is losing fans in Africa as most people on Twitter don't seem to like him anymore after the Sahara TV interview. Correct me if I'm wrong but Dbanj hasn't been in the country all year. Yes? No?

Also, this is not the Dbanj we fell in love with. Seen the Oliver Twist video? Dbanj was a little too "composed". This isn't d Dbanj we fell in love with a few years ago. We fell in love with a crazy, wild and fun Dbanj. What we have now is an "American" Dbanj. I've heard people say he is progressing and exploring other markets well. Yes. It is commendable but I still believe he will sell his craft better overseas if he remains the crazy NIGERIAN Dbanj we used to love.

I really wish Dbanj and DonJazzy will bury the hatchet and get back together because the way I look at it. DonJazzy needs Dbanj, Dbanj needs DonJazzy. Period. 

And then there was the Adele gist. Call me crazy but I think Adele's decision to take a break from music for 5 years is very silly. (FYI, "silly" is the most politically correct word I can find").

Five years???? I spent less than that throughout my undergraduate life. I know music can stay in our hearts forever. I mean we still listen to Tupac, Marvin Gaye, Biggie, Lauryn Hill, Spice Girls, Destiny's Child, Boyz II Men, 112, Jagged Edge, Backstreet Boys, Westlife and a lot of other acts that did good music a while ago. Right now, I just think the entertainment industry (whether you're a singer, actor, songwriter, producer or otherwise) is too competitive for you to wake up one day and decide to take a break, however short. But I think Adele taking a break for five years is like ADELE TAKING A BREAK FOR FIVE YEARS. There is simply no comparison that will capture exactly how I feel about her decision. I love Adele (most people do) and I wish her well but people, I am afraid for her. 

Trust me, by the time Harry and I were done talking about this, (if we can say we were really done) we were already sitted in the theatre and the movie had started.

Can I just say one more time that I think "Man On A Ledge" was a pretty good movie (I didn't say it’s the best movie ever or anything like that so you can calm down now) and if you haven't seen it, yesterday will be a good time to get to the movies. 
I wish I typed all these on a proper PC keyboard because both my thumbs are hurting at the moment. 

See you guys the next time @mz_dayniike thinks it’s okay for me to disturb you with my long story.

Till then..............err........*looking for some really cool way to end this tho...........*can’t seem to find*.........*scratching my head*.........err, well, Use A Condom!.


---Juke @iamnotJUKE


Olamide (@miidae)

My real name is Olamide and my stage name is miidae. My stage name is from my real name Olamide. I was born on the 31st of august 1993 and I'm a student of history and international relations at the Redeemers University. I love dancing, though I'm not really good at it. However like wizkid said " I have been singing since.. I no be small boy". My first official single is titled "midede" which was produced by one of the best producers in Nigeria named Puffy Tee.



@NAIJACONTROL download here http://bit.ly/AffSHJ




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