Dear Artist, HIP HOP Is Not For The Weak

“Yo L is that a mic on your arm? Let me borrow that”....that line sparked arguably the longest beef in America’s hiphop history 14 years.

In more recent times, 50 cent and The Game’ beef in 2005 was as a result of 50 cent not cool with Dre and his long time partner Jimmy Iovine ‘ decision to push back 50′ the Massacre album to accommodate The Game’ documentary..

They had a fallout, off cos some of us might not understand what it means when 50 refused to sit side by side in The Game’ ” hate it or love it” video instead he sat at the back and was chauffeured by Game.

In Nigeria our very own Ruggedman, Ruggedybaba ascended the throne by making a major power move. Riding on the success of Eedris Abdulkareem and the entire Kennis Music.

Marketing 101, always aim to promote yourself on the airtime of your competitor(s) especially when you are The underdog. Controversy, healthy competition (beef) and power has always been a key factor in hip hop.

POWER the ability to control people or things. Too many good hip hop artists in Nigeria will never reach the pinnacle because they are afraid. Yes! i understand that sometimes by association you can climb the pinnacle, But if there is any lesson to learnt from the last presidential election in America, Trump did not suck up to know one.

He knew what he wanted POWER!, he wasn’t weak, he called out people, bruised egos, lost a few battles eventually he got what he wanted POWER and he is already mending the bridges..

His bragging right in check. Over the last one year i was expecting to see people pull a Kendrick Lamar or Canibus,
I expect rappers like CDQ, Ycee, a few other rappers to cos a stir and wrestle power from….. But no Zoro sucks up to Phyno, and hey he has accepted his spot, second position.

Hip hop is not just about breaking bread. Your bragging right, respect is equally important. As a generation of MCs age i’m afraid only thing we will see is a bunch of kids with sagged pants and skinny jeans who will make us wish we could go back to the 90s when hip hop was for the brave.