GOSPEL MUSICIANS DESERVE TO CHARGE HIGH FEES FOR THEIR ART

Whether the story of Mercy Chinwo charging 10m to minister is true or false or she was simply used as an example by a pastor, the problem of shortchanging gospel musicians is a real problem because I experienced it when I used to be a gospel musician.

So, this problem is focused on an existing and recurring problem.

It is the reason why gospel musicians like Tope Alabi, Midnight Crew (when they existed), Lara George and a host of other gospel musicians stopped waiting to be given an honourarium by a church but demanded their ministration fees upfront before showing up at any church.

In two churches that I used to attend, the pastor dragged Midnight Crew and Infinity for demanding for ministration fees before showing up.

I guess I was also dragged by these pastors too after I left their churches after the non-payment of my music fees because am I not supposed to be using my talent for God? Is art worth paying for?

Boya na ona buy my drum for me abi na ona go repair am for me if e burst abi na leg I go take waka go house abi I no go chop, wear beta klot.

Nigerian churches dey fi ìlọ̀kulọ̀ lọ̀'yàn!

For your party, you can pay secular musicians like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, King Sunny Ade, KWAM 1, etc. N20M and perform and spray them in dollars, pounds and yen in addition as they perform.....

.......but paying a gospel musician 10M to minister is giving you diarrhea of the mouth and stomach.

Let the Gospel Music versus Secular Music war begin as I laugh in a biblical way! 😄

Let the congregation be poor.

It does not concern the musician.

..... because even if you give each congregation one million Naira each, those that will mismanage it and marry another wife or spend it in the club will still remain poor.

The musician is doing a job.

Otherwise, go and stream her music and let her go to where her talent will be appreciated.

Let their church choir sing for their church and leave her the hell alone!

The lazy and selfish servant hid his only talent in the ground.

His master was angry with him.

He collected the talent and gave it to the servant who doubled his five talents into ten because he sabi work.

Na pésin wey sabi im work dem dey pay N10m and more weda na for inside church or inside club.

Na gospel musician nor sabi chop life abi?

Pastor and congregation, ona nor well!

There is no difference in the requirements of a musician.

Gospel and secular musicians need to look great by wearing quality clothes, doing nice hair, living in nice houses and driving beautiful vehicles.

They pay bills - transportation, housing, power, etc.

They pay the same fee as secular artists to record their music in the music studio, shoot their music videos, promote their music, hire instrumentalists and backup singers, etc.

Thus, whether you are a gospel or secular artist, a music producer and video director do not care. The fees are the same.

Gospel musicians are even supposed to start charging music performance royalties from churches whose choir ministers with an artist's songs on Sundays and every other day.

Go and ask why foreign gospel musicians are richer.

When you invite Don Moen, Kirk Franklin and others to Nigeria, ṣé na peanuts ona dey take bring dem from dia kontiri?

You go even lodge them for five-star hotel.

Nigerian churches, ona dey play!

So, if you are looking for poor gospel musicians in Nigeria, maybe you may find them in Burkina Faso or Togo but not anymore in Nigeria.

ELEVEN LESSONS THAT I HAVE LEARNT FROM AY AND BASKETMOUTH'S DISAGREEMENT

Now that I have heard from both sides, let me share the ELEVEN lessons that I have learnt from this brouhaha:

1. Friendship should not be forced on anyone. 

It is not a compulsory union.

2. Everyone is not and cannot be your friend. 

A friend is supposed to have your back always. 

A friend tells you as it is. 

A friend will not chop your money but will give you more money to support you and your family and even your business.

A friend takes a bullet for you. 

Come rain or shine, a friend remains with you till death.

3. Learn how to classify people into categories such as:

a. Friend

b. Colleague

c. Neighbour

d. Classmate

e. Client

f . Customer

g. Church Member

h  Acquittance: Everyone that you know that does not fall into a definite category will fall under this group. 

4. People who lack empathy and emotional intelligence cannot be your friend but they can still be your colleague, neighbour and acquittance.

5. People who lack work ethics use a silly excuse of no friendship to boost their lack of common sense,  empathy and professionalism. 

6. In this entertainment industry, everybody is not your friend.

7. In this entertainment industry, humility and sentiments do not pay because your colleagues and even your clients will use you as a doormat and later as a ladder to achieve their goals to get to the top.  

8. People fail to distinguish between one's character and their talents. 

I do not have to like you to employ your services. 

You could have the most terrible character but you are the best Master of Ceremony for my wedding. 

I will employ you and manage your excesses as long as you do the job better than other people in your industry and I can afford your service. 

I do not believe in sentiments. 

So, you do the job better, I hire you. 

Outside of our work mode, you try rubbish with me and I finish you. 

9. In this entertainment industry, always have a written agreement for all your dealings with people. 

Insist!!!!

..... because even some supposedly legal luminaries like Magnus do not have common sense. 

10. In this entertainment industry, be firm, confident, truthful, hardworking, thankful, appreciative, kind, focused and professional.

11. People say forgive and forget. 

I say, forgive (if you want and if you can) but never forget.

So, that whatever incident brought you to that state in the first instance will not repeat itself. 

Once bitten, twice (one million times) shy. 

Until a matter is resolved, people, especially the victim, never forget.  

So, do not bully people to forgive and forget. 

It is their choice and call to do so. 

Do not nullify or simplify what causes them anxiety or grief. 

You are only adding to their pain. 

So, if it takes fifty years to address their grief, those fifty years are worth it. 

Until you walk in a person's shoes, you will never know their pain. 

#basketmouth

#AY

#ayomakun

MOTHERS SHOULD WALK THEIR DAUGHTERS TO THE ALTER FOR THEIR WEDDING

 

Who made the rule that fathers must be the only ones to walk their daughters into their church wedding?

When a tradition is no longer serving its purpose, scrap it!

The best option is for both father and mother to walk their daughter into her wedding but if the father is a deadbeat or he is dead, then the mother should do it.

There is no need to search for any uncle or male cousin or any male to do it.

Mothers, do your thing!

If as a daughter, you do not have the muscle to cause chaos in your family, then you can opt for only a traditional or a registry marriage where this walk-in tradition is not necessary.

It is archaic traditions like this that encourage deadbeat fathers to say their terrible cliche:

"My daughter will look for me when she is grown. When she wants to get married, she will look for me, yen, yen, yen!

Oh! Stop the whining already!

My Dracula vampiric laughter, where at thou?

Haq! Haq!! Haq!!!

This does not happen anymore, honey.

No child looks for a deadbeat father or mother anymore.

Gen Z's do not have time for mundane traditions.

In fact, you will not hear about the wedding.

If you hear about it from gossip, you will not get an invitation.

Once you do not pay for school fees, upkeep and show your face in these children's lives, you are dêäd, babe.....as dëäd as a log of wood.

Even the male children have started changing their surnames to that of their mothers.

It was on Facebook that a twenty-one-year-old boy narrated how he nagged his mother to give him the picture and address of his father who lived in Delta state.

His mother warned him against going but headstrong children nor dey hear word.

He went to look for him and would have slept outside if not for one of his father's neighbours who called him to come and spend the night with them to avoid stories that touch.

His father had re-married and had other children and he did not allow him to step into his home.

Immediately he returned to their home in Ibadan, he went to do an affidavit and changed his surname to his mother's and admitted that his father is dead.

......and they all lived happily ever after.

MERCY CHINWO THREATENS TO FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST OBIDIZ FOR HIS SONG TITLED MERCY CHINWO

Gospel musician, Mercy Chinwo, has threatened to slam a two billion Naira lawsuit against singer Obidiz for derogatorily using her name and image in secular music audio and video.

Obidiz released this song titled Mercy Chinwo on February 10, 2023, with the gospel crooner’s picture as the cover image.

Mercy Chinwo, through her lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a letter dated March 23 and addressed to Obidiz Lawson, ordered the secular singer to take down the music audio and video from all music digital platforms.

The letter read inter alia, “It came to our client’s rude shock that you recently released and published a song titled ‘Mercy Chinwo’ containing disparaging and derogatory lyrics…”

It added, “.....that you take down or cause to be taken down, the song titled ‘Mercy Chinwo’ which you published or be taken down immediately from all music digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud and any other platform whereby you made such publication.”

The gospel singer’s attorneys directed Obidiz to promptly comply with their client’s demands, “failure upon which the full machinery of the law will be set in motion against you including approaching the Court of Law to award damages against you to the tune of N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira) in a favour of our client.”

Obidiz's response to this matter is:

“Na song I sing I no kill person.

'Mercy Chinwo for church o!

'....but for club na Cardi B set’ talks about a girl I met.

'Na she I sing about but una wan crucify me."

Defamation can kill, mai dia!

Below are the lyrics of Obidiz's song titled MERCY CHINWO:

"She dey share me the cake o!

and she no want commitment,

Mercy Chinwo for church o!

but for club na Cardi B set,

I no go commit o!

No commitment at all

Bad girl!

I no go commit o!

No commitment at all.

Yeah!

I’m up to it okpeke if you’re down for it.

If you’re down for oil money I go spend on it.

I’m up to it okpeke if you’re down with me

If you’re down with me. Baby, I go spend on you

I’m up to it oroma if you’re down.

Girl, if you’re down then I’m down,

She won dey form but the money come loyal her.

Ada too form but I loyal her.

The scent of her perfume

still dey my room.

No be chase,

Matter done pass shoot bird,

My number for her phone scooby to do.

Carry her friends sometimes make we threesome."

Obidiz ń fi orí oká họ imú.

(Obidiz is using the head of a python to scratch his nose).

This is clearly a case of a personality and brand defamation and possibly a trademark infringement.

Obidiz knows that Mercy Chinwe's name is popular enough to catch the public's attention to sell his music.

A novice mentioned that Obidiz can claim fair use to escape paying damages for this law suit.

This is far from fair use.

Using the name of a person whom you know that they stand for gospel and religion in a derogatory manner is not fair use at all.

It is an evil use.

Obidiz can only claim fair use if he sang about Mercy Chinwo for criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research purposes.

Using the name of a brand as the title of your song and in a derogatory manner such as:

1. Comparing her with Cardie B, a lewd secular singer and rapper;

2. Using her name in a song that has lyrics like 'club', 'threesome', bad girl;

3. Using her name in a song that has clear and direct sexual innuendos,

....show that Obidiz threw caution to the wind in desperation to become popular.

He has achieved his aim because I did not know him before now.

That show business phrase of 'All publicity, whether good or bad, is good for show business," may not work for him.

He needs to do the needful immediately by removing the songs from the listed platforms.

After the song has been removed from the platforms, a public notification needs to be made by Mercy Chinwo's lawyer that whosoever plays the song for commercial purposes in a film, advertisement, social media or terrestrial platform and other platforms will be held liable for damages.

Most def, I will not be playing this song or using it in my music projects.

Pride goes before a fall.

This could make or mar his music career.

He needs to retrace his steps and start on the right foot.

If you say, Mercy does not have a case, fine.

I hope that you will be there to provide financial support to Obidiz, an upcoming artist who is supposed to spend his mõney on better things when his lêgal fêês and damages accrue.

#obidiz

#mercychinwo

THE PSQUARE AND SEUN MUSIC BRANDS ARE MUSICIANS

 

Psquare and Seun Kuti

The mantra of, "Change is the only constant thing," applies to music too.

Music has evolved.

There have been debates about whether the voice can be considered to be a musical instrument and it has been discovered via the classical and jazz genres of music that THE VOICE IS ALSO A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

A professional singer and songwriter needs to understand music theory, tempo, melody, pitch, key, etc just like a person who plays the drums or violin or flute.

Having a knowledge of music theory is not even necessary as long as other factors are present.

That PSquare does not play musical instruments on stage does mean that they cannot play musical instruments.

Paul plays the guitar and composes most of their songs for studio recording.

Peter does more of the singing and creates their dance steps.

The R&B, hip-hop and Afrobeat genres (not Fela's genre) do not require the playing of live musical instruments.

Digital beats are enough.

Disc jockey mixes are enough.

However, where necessary for studio recordings, live musical instruments are performed like in some of PSquare songs and songs produced or supervised by Don Jazzy and produced by Tekno, who is also a music producer.

Even Dbanj plays the harmonica which is a musical instrument.

By the way, all music producers must know how to play the keyboard/piano otherwise, they will not be able to create beats and add other pre-recorded musical instruments via the keyboard keys.

Paul and Peter are music producers.

Music is about WANTS and NEEDS.

People want what they want.

Nigerians WANT what they WANT.

If you do a music concert in Nigeria and even all over the world and sell tickets to those who love hip-hop and afrobeat, they will buy tickets to watch PSquare perform.

If you do a free concert in Nigeria and invite Seun Kuti to come and perform for free, the audience nor go plenty o!

However, Ṣeun will get a lot of foreign audience too.

People need what they need.

Nigerians NEED Ṣeun Kuti's kind of music but they will not invite him for shows because they do not WANT his style of music.

Besides, they do not KNOW him except for his rants on social media and that he is Fela's son.

He does not promote his songs in Nigeria like Fela did and Femi does.

At least, start your talent from your locality before going international.

Ṣeun easily got noticed by Grammy because of his father's pedigree.

If PSquare's father too had been a musician, the duo could also have the same advantage.

As a DJ, I have never been asked to play Seun Kuti's songs but I get requests to play Fela and Femi Kuti's songs.

Ṣeun sings about the ills of Nigerian politicians but he has to go abroad to sing it.

Is that how his father and Femi did it?

Sing it from here! Let those whom you are singing about and the victims that you think you are fighting for hear you even before the world hears you!

If it is not hypocricy, I do not know what it is.

Their genres of music are different.

Ṣeun sings conscious music in the original Afrobeat genre.

PSquare sings love songs and feel-good music in R&B, Hip-hop and Afrobeat genres.

Their genres are incomparable.

Both styles of music have their place in the world of musicianship and performance.

It is like comparing classical music with Fuji music.

In conclusion, both PSquare and Seun Kuti are musicians and none is better than the other.

Musically yours,

DJ Irawo