Editor’s note: On January 1, rapper Olamide went on a rant on The Headies stage after his protege Lil Kesh failed to win the much coveted Next Rated Award – it went to Mavin’s Reekado Banks. Naij.com contributor Udochukwu Ikwuagwu explains why The Headies, arguably Nigeria’s most prestigious music awards, may have deserved Olamide’s behaviour.
The Headies logo.
The year was 2008 when a certain Jude Abaga hit out at Nigeria’s biggest music awards, Hip Hop World Awards (rechristened The Headies) on the YQ-assisted track off that critically acclaimed début album. A move in reaction to Wande Coal carting away the gong for Next Rated beating Mr. Incredible, Banky W, GT The Guitarman, and Cyrus da Virus (remember his own diss, too). That gave voice to the sentiment P-Square manager’s Jude Okoye raised at the same awards, playing the ethnic card tagging The Headies a “Yoruba hip hop awards” – a claim curious watchers called gratuitous given the duo’s past wins.
Credibility of the awards has been called into question since then – justified or not, no matter how ludicrous claims presented tend to be. Take the Ibadan-born Skuki’s win over Jesse Jagz and Mo’Cheddah, at a time when the Chocolate City in-house producer and talented rapper was the go-to guy for neo-pop tunes, and the latter as the genre’s reference. If that Skuki win, attributable to the genius of DJ Zeez, was shocking, Sean Tizzle’s over Burna Boy and Phyno years later sent many a tongues wagging and many a bodies out of the auditorium. OluwaBurna reportedly stormed out after losing the Next Rated gong, following an angered Orezi leaving as Waje’s I Wish was announced winner of the reggae/dancehall category.
Burna Boy pointed to this “slight” as well as his MAMAs’ snub in his Fader interview and his song Duro Ni Be as an industry agenda against him and his music and- in extension- lack of regard for his fanbase.
In 2015, pop act Solidstar and rapper Yung6ix at different times aired their grievances at award shows and music blogs’ lists. Similar was done by foreign acts Omarion, Wale, that pseudo-intellectual faux-civil rights activist cum Iggy Azalea’s nemesis, and what’s-his-face-who-sang-a-rehash-of-Nae-Nae calling out the Grammys — with Ms. Azalea’s rival insinuating an anti-black cultural appropriation plan.
One thing is common and certain: awards will never satisfy everybody.
Some will feel slighted or even hated by the awards organizers, others will air their thoughts in interviews, a few will decide to wax records, while majority will fold their arms and, as religious optimism has taught, take a healthy dose of “God dey”.
The 2015 Headies, which coincided with its 10th anniversary, held on New Year’s Day of 2016 kicked-off like any other awards show till the unimaginable happened, living up to this year’s “flip the script” theme – as intended?
Mavin Records’ new kid on the block Reekado Banks won the Next Rated gong, beating label mate Korede Bello, Lil Kesh, Kiss Daniel, and Cynthia Morgan. In his acceptance speech the Katapot crooner said: “I know say some people go dey vex right now, but you can rant.” That was when all hell – as well as pent-up anger – was let loose, and things went south real quick.
One without the benefit of recent history would have taken the carefree statement by the rookie as amusing and nothing to ruffle feathers. But, the conscientious looking beyond the obvious, hitting the memory bank will take such as a blow below the belt.
Rewind to the 2014 Headies when YBNL boss and Lil Kesh’s mentor, Olamide, stepped on stage to receive his award for best rap album for Baddest Guy Ever Liveth.
“I dedicate this award to my n*gga Lil Kesh for the Rookie of the Year— f*ck that sh*t!” he said in his acceptance speech.
Earlier, Lil Kesh lost the rookie of the year to Reekado, and a visibly enraged “big brother” Olamide had to, as a matter of urgency, address the “unfair” treatment of his label signee. Reekado winning over an artiste who had one of the biggest songs, Shoki, in the year under review was surprising, considering the Mavin act had no hit single as a solo artiste. More puzzling was the fact that Lil Kesh wasn’t a finalist on a list that had Slyde and YoungGreyC. (To show how questionable this is, YoungGreyC was again nominated for the 2015 event).
Perhaps meant to send word out to critics, naysayers and the YBNL crew with Kesh the unfortunate target, Reekado Banks’ poorly worded speech in 2016 nevertheless caught Olamide’s nerves. The rapper wasn’t having none of that, and had to set the record straight in case The Headies and Don Jazzy’s “child” didn’t hear him the first time.
Meanwhile, how patronizing was Don Jazzy to call Reekado Banks and Korede Bello his “children”?
Olamide had his mic-jacking moment when label signee Adekunle Gold climbed on stage with the YBNL crew to receive the gong for Sade. Baddo sidelining the celebrant crowned Kesh “our Next Rated artiste” before going on an expletive-laden tirade directed solely at the organizers for the snob. At that point it was crystal clear that Olamide was pissed at the whole enterprise, and it’s understandable.
For a category that had Reekado Banks, Cynthia Morgan, Korede Bello, Kiss Daniel, and Lil Kesh, Banks was the least achiever in the year under review. Cynthia Morgan’s German Juice and Come and Do were bigger than Banks’ offerings. Korede Bello had the nation rocking to Godwin. Kiss Daniel was on a roll from Woju (remix) to Laye to Raba to Good Time. Kesh crafted bangers Gbese and Efejoku, hopped on street hit Ladi and Okamfor. If the Headies thought it wise to name the next big star, Kiss Daniel earned and if not him, Kesh was a clear runner up.
The soft defence that “it was a voting category”, comes off spurious to anyone in the room. Granted Don Jazzy’s clout brings more to the table than any social media marketer or influencer, this is no news. But with this influence to spin followers to vote for a Mavin act, it’s predictable where the top will settle – Korede Bello’s side. He had one of the biggest songs in the year and has way more followers to do his bidding. True to strength, Bellovers trump ReekAddicts any day anytime. So, if the SMD boss were to drum support for his artistes, more Mavin fans would swing to Korede’s side, adding to his own- including personality- than the Katapot crooner’s. Then puzzling how 2014 rookie got the award ahead of bigger acts. Was it based on popularity that swayed votes, or strength of fanbase, or workings behind the curtain, or some unfathomable machinery at work? How come an artiste who couldn’t get a single nomination in other categories won ahead of artistes who had at least one?
A screen grab of Olamide and Adekunle Gold during the former’s onstage rant at the Headies 2015.
At the 2014 edition, then indie rapper Jesse Jagz rolled up his weed unperturbed, calmly and climbed up the stage to receive the gong for God on the Mic sending a little parcel of cusses. How else do you take an awards show that’s struggling to be the butt of the joke seriously?
Olamide was wrong, nonetheless; but, Don Jazzy’s response was condescending, disrespectful and immodest to remarks he assumed were directed at him. Don Jazzy cheapened the whole conversation to something as inane as a struggle over a Hyundai SUV. Olamide’s battle, as badly thought out as it was, wasn’t because Kesh lost out in the car race but called into question the credibility of The Headies. Nothing more, period!
The Headies prides itself as the Grammys of Nigeria, and should be seen in all ramifications toeing the lines and not run foul of integrity test. It is an indictment on the Nigerian Grammys to relinquish duties of musical excellence, quality control to the hands of fans to judge. How does that work? Fans will generally gravitate towards their favorites, rewarding them duly regardless of the output of other nominees. Dereliction, therefore, cozied by the organizers as fans do the honours. The Grammys won’t let fans ‘decide’; that’s why there is a Recording Academy to judge for the deserving even when their fanbases pale to that of contenders. The Headies isn’t a viewers’ choice or in this case a listeners’ choice award. For instance, if the Grammys allowed fans Canadian goddess Shania Twain or perhaps Brandy would have knocked Hootie & the Blowfish off, Justin Bieber or Drake would have snatched the gramophone from Esperanza Spalding, Barbz would have ensured Nicki Minaj got the nod over Bon Iver. Fans do have a say, but not at an awards ceremony where industry giants are supposed to determine who gets what based on quality of records and performance(s), public identity, impact and overall excellence bestowed on said artiste(s).
One shouldn’t expect an authority to misstep, and when they do criticism for faux pas required of industry watchers. One won’t demand The Headies to present voting log for credibility sake—that action parallels the ridiculous idea that birthed it. Why have ‘experts’ adjudicate on some categories and fans decide the others? The Headies has been in business for a decade and shouldn’t be caught pants down! Every award can’t satisfy all but every award should be seen to be fair. The Headies should take the message and not shoot the messenger—no matter the state of the complainant or the style of protestation.
In all: In vino veritas!
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