The Wait is Over: Chike's Album, The Brothers Keeper is out!

 

Nigerian sonorous singer and songwriter Chike-Ezekpeazu Osebuka popularly called Chike, who is known for his soulful and smooth lyrics released his much anticipated album titled The Brother’s Keeper on Thursday, August 25th 2022. . This album contains 16 impressive tracks with three amazing features.

The new album, is a follow up to his 2020 chart-topping debut album “Boo Of The Booless” which gained wide acclaim in different countries of the African continent, hence bagging multiple award wins and nominations including a nomination for the Headies’ Album of the Year.

The Brother's keeper is an excellent musical experience for Chike. It reflects his life journey after the release of his first album, boo of the booless. The singer took to his Twitter page on the 22nd of July to make the announcement. While unveiling the tracklist, he tweeted

“#TheBrotherKeeper is a reflection of life after #BooOfTheBooless. Thrusted to be a beacon of hope, a lover, a carer, a provider, a friend, and a brother to those that stand behind me, and everyone around me.”

Chike who is known for his grit and resilience which lead him to be crowned the second runner up of the Voice Nigeria Season 1 hopes to urge listeners to strive to be decent to one another and contribute to the societal happiness through individual endeavors. Chike also highlighted instances of fellow artists Simi and Mayorkun supporting him early into his career.

In his new album, Chike featured South African music diva, Azana, Nigerian singer Flavour & talented rapper YCee. Production credits for the album goes to Tee-Y Mix, Killertunes, Lord Sky, Echo The Guru and more. You sure know that the collaboration of these talented artists will produce a banger. You can't afford to sleep on this album.

Song Covers -a better version; or not

Have you ever heard a song and gone like “oh my God! This is so much better than the original”? That's the magic called Cover or Cover Version. 

A cover is a performance or a recording of an already existing song by a different artist. The distinguishing mark of Covers is that they are always different from the original version. Part of the lyrics, the beat, song arrangement or instrumentals could be deliberately altered to give the song a fresh outlook.

However, covers are not always blissful. Sometimes the altering just throws the melody and sweetness of the song out of the window. Other times it's not so much a disaster, but still doesn't sound as good as the original version. 

We’ve also had covers that made us forget the original version of the song even existed. The downside is when the cover version gets all the attention with little or no credit to the original artist. Of course, the artist cannot profit from the song's success, nor can the popularity boost their career. All the accolades go to someone else. It is even worse when the better version is by an already established artist. 

While permission should be sought before making a cover of someone’s song as it is intellectual property, this is not the case with many covers. Most were performed or recorded without permission. And as long as the original artist doesn’t press charges, there is no case. 

Not all covers are a hit, but cover versions are definitely a good thing. Plus, we have had too many beautiful covers to say otherwise. Cover versions will continue to be a thing in the music industry. However, established artists should use it to promote upcoming artists rather than try to rip them off of their songs. 

What’s your favourite Cover version? Mine is Simi’s version of Coke's Taste The Feeling song.

REVOLUTION IN THE NIGERIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY

 

Change they say is the only constant thing in life. This also applies in the music industry-musical fame doesn't last forever.

The music industry is a journey which goes through different seasons and generations.  Every generation of musical artists has their peculiarities and has produced frontline popular music. 1960s saw a number of Nigerian musicians growing in the booming music industry. For instance, Haruna Ishola dominated the apala style of music. Also, the early 1970s saw some of the biggest names in the history of Nigerian music at their peak, including Fela Kuti, King SunnyAdé and Ebenezer Obey.

In the last two decades, the Nigerian music scene has evolved exponentially, giving rise to a number of young music stars. These young people have evolved in their musical careers, eventually becoming some of the greatest voices in music in Africa. Kennis Music, a record label founded by Kenny ‘Keke’ Ogungbe and Dayo ‘D-One’ Adeneye. Both OAPs in the Ray Power radio station at the time signed on artists such as The Remedies, Wale Thompson, Eedris Abdulkareem, Tony Tetuila and Sound Sultan.

 In terms of production quality, international recognition and the forms of music that are classified as popular, there is an obvious fact that it has changed from what it was to what it is now. The 21st century saw another generation of youths standing out in the Nigerian music industry for their talents and achievements in genres like rap, hip-hop and Afrobeat. Musicians like Davido, wizkid, Burna boy, Olamide, Tiwa Savage,YemiAlade, Adekunle Gold and so on are breaking boundaries with their music while  taking Nigerian music all over the world.

The inspiration from these reigning music stars has challenged others to take up singing career. Recently, we have new artists breaking the waves and releasing hit songs back to back. One if which is all the way from YBNL camp, Ololade Mi Asake. His single sungba wasted no time to take the top spot on Apple music Nigerian Top 100.

Sungba," "PBUY (Peace Be Unto You)," "Sungba Remix", and “Pallazo" were one of the biggest hits we have listened to this year and felt convincing about the young lad’s art. Asake has in his bag right now with five hit songs that top the Nigerian music chart in just six months.

Undoubtedly, we can all agree that Asake is the rave of the moment, taking afro-street pop to the world and a moving train that is hard to stop.Asake dropped a song the same day Burna Boy, and many others dropped theirs, but Asake topped the charts.

Tems is also an outstanding artist currently breaking the waves. Tems' music has earned several deals and honorariums from concerts that have boosted her net worth.Tems is attaining remarkable heights and is fast becoming the poster girl for Nigerian music on the international scene. She has become the first Nigerian female artist to debut on Billboard hot 100, in general she's the second Nigerian artist to debut after Wiz.Tems was nominated three times at the 22nd BET Awards. The categories; Best new artist, best collaboration, and best international act. After her win, there were lots of arguments on social media about who the queen of Afro pop is and majority agreed that Tiwa savage is great but Tems has taken over and Afrobeats now has a new queen.

Interesting and outstanding artists with amazing sounds are coming to limelight in the Nigerian music industry. The question is, is there about to be another revolution of new  musical artists or is it going to be a blend with the set of wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Davido and Burna boy?

The Guy Album By MI; A work of art

Jude Lemfani Abaga popularly known as MI is arguably the finest and most decorated rapper in Africa. He has garnered quite some accolades from fans over the release of his 12th studio album titled, The Guy.

Released on Friday, 19th August 2022, the new project features several Hip-hop heavy weights such as Olamide, Phyno, Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz as well as American rapper, Nas. Wande Coal, Duncan Mighty, BNXN, The Cavemen, and others were also part of the 12-track album.

MI blends hip-hop with elements of Afropop, amapiano, and highlife on his 12th effort while addressing issues such as legacy, mental health, masculinity, and romance. “I believe I started recording this album before it had a purpose.” “Then it crystallized around what I was going through in my life,” he tells Apple Music.

The iconic rapper took to his Twitter handle to announce his track on Number 1 in Nigeria using Asake's and Fireboydml's Bandana.

He also took to his Twitter to pour out encomium on Olamide for supporting him and promised to run from the beginning of third mainland bridge to the end if his fans can put the song on top 10. At the point of writing this article, the song is already on number 13. We are ready to see Mr Incredible on number 1

The Guy album is a work of Art and nothing less was expected from Africa's finest hip hop artist.

Epoh Music Amapiano Playlist

Speaking of soft vibes and rhymes, soothing to the ear, and driving the body to move, Amapiano is your go-to music. Just the name already suggests the beauty of its melodies, and I think what makes this style of music particularly distinct or beautiful is its deep cultural root. 

Amapiano is of South African origin, and tell me, who doesn't like south African sounds, especially the dance? It is a Zulu phrase that translates as The piano. The sound has a unique blend of Jazz, Deep house and Lounge music. 

However, despite its South African origin, Amapiano is not foreign to the Nigerian music scene. Trust Nigerians to take the sound and own it now. South Africans, I don't want to hear anything o. After all, there is love in sharing. 

Amapiano has become one of my favourite genres, which is why I recommend it on this cold Friday evening. And here are a few songs you can start your #TGIF with.

Highway -DJ Kaywise ft Phyno

Southy Love -Peruzzi ft Fireboy DML

Woman -Rema

Kilofeshe -Zinoleesky

Monalisa - Lojay & Sarz

Squander -Falz

Yaba Buluku -DJ Tariko ft Burna Boy, Preck & Nelson Tivane

Hallelu -Masterkraft ft Bella Shmurda & Zlatan

I’m sure you know a few songs on this list. Which do you enjoy most? One thing about the Amapiano sound is that every song sounds alike, and you might not notice when the song changes. Now that sounds like the perfect playlist to put on replay, right?

You can add more songs to these and create your personal Amapiano playlist on Epoh music. Don't have an account yet? Click here -register

How to Make Money as an Upcoming Music Artist

I do not think making money from music has ever been easier than we have it now. Technology has birthed many ways one can exploit to make money online, and music artistes are not left out. 

Before now, CD sales were the primary source of income for artists and major artists were even rated based on how many album CDs they sold. However, piracy came and began to eat deep into this revenue stream. And it was even a bigger challenge in places with no strict piracy laws and control like here in Nigeria. Our music industry suffered!

As CD sales gave way to the era of music streaming, it became possible for every artist to earn money from their music, no matter how small. But music streaming also has its downside, which is that it pays a lot less than CD sales. And for an upcoming artist, it pays barely anything as the pay is based on the number of listens within a period. 

You need money to do music, and when you choose it as a career path, it is helpful when you earn something in exchange for the time, effort and creativity you put in. It also lessens the burden of self-funding till you make it big as an artist and get signed by a record label. So here are seven ways you can make money from your music and influence as an upcoming artist. 

• Sell beats and samples 
• Write songs for sale
• Have brand merchandise and sell to your fans 
• Take up live band gigs -this also helps you build a fan base
• Teach music classes
• Crowdfund - take donations from your fans 
• Write soundtracks for movies and shows

At Epoh music, because we believe that every artist deserves to eat from their creativity, our platform is designed to allow artists to put up their songs for sale. Yes, you can sell your singles and albums on Epoh music. You get to set the price you want to sell, and the money is remitted to your account. 

But first, you need to create an artist account. Click here to get started -register

MACHALA BY CATEREFE: CLOUT CHASING, STRATEGY OR LOVE?

 

Of a truth, Nigerians are talented! We might have 99 problems but definitely lacking amazing songs to vibe to isn't one of them. Before fans can get over one, we're being served another. Anyways, we're not complaining. The Nigerian music industry has been graced with another hit song, this time its not by one of the top Nigerian musicians but by a fan.

26 year old skit maker, social media influencer and content creator Oderhohwo Joseph Efe whose stage name is Caterefe dropped an amazing piece of music on Friday, July 29, 2020 tagged 'Machala', featuring young emerging singer, Berri Tiga, produced by rising beat-smith X.

Caterefe is known for his obsession for the Starboy Entertainment boss, Wizkid. In his single, he referred to wizkid as Machala because of his great achievements and global status. “Machala” translates to mean “Lion”, “King” “Man of the People”, and a synonym of “Odogwu”. It all points to the fact that Wizkid is a great man who is hugely appreciated by his people.

This buzzing record in less than a month of its release has debuted on the Billboard US Afrobeats Songs Chart, it currently occupies the 14th spot on the music chart, and also at number one on Apple Music Top 100 Nigeria. On top of that, it's one of the top trending songs on Tik Tok.

This achievement has generated mixed reactions on the street of social media. While some hailed him for the success, others accused him of chasing clout and trying to get reply from Wizkid. Wizkid's aide, Godson also rubbished the song at first but later hinted that Wizkid would be performing Machala alongside carterefe.

Amidst all these, the new music star claims that the song was inspired by his genuine love and admiration for wizkid. An aspect of machala lyrics also talks about how he supposedly met Wizkid in Ghana which inspired him to write a song about him.

Whether he is chasing clout or sincerely love wizkid, the fact is that the song is sweet to the hear, filled with Gen Z vibes and relatable hence it's worth the hype.  Carterefe's strategy of getting attention is also commendable and upcoming artists should take a cue from this. It's no news that the Nigerian music industry is tough to break into, gaining popularity through skit making and then leveraging on his love for a grammy award winning musician like wizkid is a highly thoughtful and commendable publicity strategy. 

If you haven't listened to the single Machala, then you're missing out on something juicy.

You can also listen to other Nigerian songs for free on epoh.ng.

8 Music Promotion Tips To Scale Your Career

Music is not the 'easy way out' career path people think it is. There is the hardwork of writing the good lyrics, getting the right tune, finding a good producer. And even when you have done all that, there is still the hardwork of promoting your music. 

Music promotion is how you get your song to be heard. You can be very talented and still not have an audience. But music promotion is also not cheap. And that is a major challenge for upcoming artists. True, we have had cases where a song became popular on its own, but those are the exceptions. And an artist who has taken music as a career path should not be leaving the success of their career to chance. 

Thanks to social media, music promotion has become easier. And the chances of a song going viral has even increased with the evolution of streaming platforms. However, it is still not a good plan to leave your success to chance. Here are eight ways you can promote your music. And it is guaranteed to work. 

• Create a challenge
• Get influencers 
• Sponsored ads 
• Have a listening party
• Enter a competition/show
• Distribute it across digital platforms 
• Work with DJs
• Promote it on Epoh Music 

Notice how it doesn’t include blackmailing people to buy/listen your song. That’s because it’s a terrible idea and would only make them avoid you the next time you have a song coming out. Let them love your music organically and support you wholeheartedly. That’s how you build a fan base that promotes you at their own expense.

And, of course, Epoh Music is here to make sure you always have a platform for expression. Everything go better!

IS BIG BROTHER NAIJA A PRODUCTIVE PLATFORM FOR EMERGING MUSIC TALENT?

 

It's another season of the biggest reality TV show in Africa, Big Brother Naija!. Millions of people are always glued to their TV set analyzing the housemates, choosing a fave, vocalizing their thoughts on social media and entertaining themselves. BBN airs in 48 other African countries besides Nigeria, to an average audience of 309 million viewers, huge right?

With this massive viewership, in just one week, BBN will give anyone an incredible publicity that cannot be gotten through advertising in months. Little wonder why about 30 thousand people strive to get a slot into the show every season in order to showcase their talent to the world especially those interested in showbiz.

In the past seven seasons, about 26 housemates have graced the Big Brother Naija show with the aim of promoting their musical talent. To mention a few, ex-housemates like  Efe, White money, Bisola, Avala, Marvis, Laycon, Tricky Tee, Coco Ice, Uriel, Veeiye, J-Paul, Teddy A, Niyi,  Ella, Rico Swavey, Sensei Michael etc pursed their misical talent pre and post BBN. The latest addition to this list is Bryann and Eloswag.  Unfortunately, how many of these ex-housemates have been successful in their music career? .

BBN is a platform that exposes these housemates to millions of people all over Africa but ironically, none of the past BBN housemates who goes to the house to promote their music have been successful. Even three of the housemates who are winners and had large fan bases couldn't successful promote their music post BBN. Should we then say that BB Naija isn't a fertile ground to grow one's music career? To be honest, this question is difficult to answer because Laycon's considerable success in the music industry is an exception.

These factors can be said to be responsible for the low success rate of ex BBN housemates in the music industry.

1.      Fan's high expectations: For some ex-housemates like Efe and Debby rise  fans had high expectations of their music and weren't ready to take anything less that the standard they set for themselves in the house. Unfortunately, they were unable to keep up with it hence their music career went for it.

2.      Fake Fans: Majority of viewers are Big Brother's fans not the housemate's. Why do I say this? . During the show fans stand with their favorites through out the show both in right and wrong situations. Some even become violent but this energy isn't transferred to boosting their careers it only ends with the show. When the next season comes they move on to the next interesting housemate.

3.  Bad music: Most of the ex-housemates have been incapable of making decent music that will really interest the audience. Laycon could stand out because he sang good music.

4.      Biased mindset: there is some kind of bias surrounding BBN ex-housemates that they got undeserved sudden fame they didn't work for so anything they do is mostly criticized.

To conclude, BBN is a great platform to promote ones talent not excluding musical talent. However, housemates who want to promote their music through this route need to have a unique talent different from what people are used to, a great personality and lots of hard work to back it up so as to standout.