IN HONOUR OF RUGGEDMAN...NIGERIAN MUSIC: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

Ruggedman

Yesterday was the birthday of Ruggedman, which also explains why he named his clothing line SEPTEMBER 20. A lot of surprises here and there for the veteran, vibrant and controversial rapper. Well from my own end, while about to register my birthday wish on his wall, I remembered I once wrote a muse on Ruggedman's debut track, Ehen. I thus went through some of my old write-ups then found this unedited piece I wrote in 2004. Well, I was still a curb writer then...though a bit shallow, you would enjoy it.

NIGERIAN MUSIC: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

"If music is the food of love, play it on", writes Shakespeare in his book, the Twelfth Night. In the present (2004) Nigerian music industry, music is not only the food of love but as a tool of correction and a source of making cool money than what Shakespear said it is.

For Ruggedman, music is rather a means of correcting the impropers in the Nigerian music industry. Before time, Nigerians have been complaining about the lack of creativity of the in-coming Nigerian music artistes. One would definitely reason along with in his debut track, Ehen, for castigating Maintain whose beats and styles then were often adaptations of foreign music. As Ruggedman had said in Ehen, it is certain that if Maintain had been abroad, they would have been possibly sued for copyright infringement.

Apart from Maintain who were criticized by Ruggedman, Rasqie was however not left out. Rasqie, whose hit track Soji, made a great hit in the market, received one of his greatest disappointment while singing Ati Ready at the 2005 Kennis Music Easter Fiesta held at a Lagos beach. The audience present at the Fiesta booed Rasqie and his dancers to indicate their disapproval of his music. Critically listening to the music, Ati Ready, if not for the sonorous sound used, the whole music would have been rendered useless. From all indications, it seems people have begun to recognise good music.

As part of the correction measures, Eedris Abdulkareem and Black Reverendz were not set aside in Ruggedman's "correction note", Ehen. Abdulkareem was criticised of not doing an audible rap by Ruggedman. This almost made him turn a reggae artiste, thereby making him sing the song, Jagajaga, which was however banned from broadcast by President Olusegun Obasanjo for alleged slandering of the nation's image. Pertaining to the Black Reverendz, Ruggedman's criticism is basically justified considering the fact that these guys showed their shortage of creativity and lackadaisical nature. Following the Reverendz's hit track, Ayangba, in their debut album, they are yet to make wave in the music industry.

On the other side of the Nigerian music, some of the big guns artiste in the Nigerian movie industry have now seen the music sector as a source of making their money since little or no money is anymore derived from the movie industry. Popular movie artistes like Stella Damasus Aboderin, Genevieve Nnaji, Ramsey Nouah Jnr., Saheed Balogun and Bose Olubo are already battling it out in the music industry. If all feelers were right, there are possibilities that more artistes from the movie industry would find their way into the music industry.

For Styl-Plus, they wouldn't have made a lot of sales with their debut CD if not for their hit tracks Olufunmi, which was loved by Nigerians. People would have castigated these artistes for having just two tracks, Olufunmi and Runaway, in their debut CD album; no thanks to Olufunmi Remix, Olufunmi Instrumentals, Olufunmi Instrumentals Remix, Runaway Remix and Runaway Instrumentals, which were included in the debut album to make the tracks amount to seven. However, some Nigerians complained of being meticulously ripped of their money.

Subsequently, TuFace Idibia distinguished himself among the lots by serving Nigerians and 2004 Kora Music Award Attendees; African Queen, which became a 'national anthem' in the mouths of Nigerians. This track helped Kennis Music in a lot of ways to sell over 200,000 CD copies.

As time goes on, one hopes that the Nigerian music industry will eventually become one of the tools to salvage the Nigerian deteriorating entertainment industry, like the movie industry (Nollywood) did, thereby becoming the acclaimed third most movie-producing country after Hollywood and Bollywood.