Why I Blame ‘The Streets’ For Lil Kesh “Next Rated” Loss At The Headies
The dramatic event acted out at the Headies awards stage on January the first, is one happenstance that won’t be too easy to forget. The theatrics perpetrated by the upper echelon rulers of the Nigerian music industry has remained an abysmal bewilder to many. While the streets were busy taking over, turning out nooks and crannies, the populace couldn’t even drive their ruling prince to a deserving win. And this was a stinking piece of information that was not-very-well-received-at-all. Their sadness and disappointment shone right through their heavy laden hearts. But it never occurred to them that they might have been their own detractors, the architects of their own misfortune, the direct rationale behind their loss.
Let me tell you why.
First of all, for a voting category award, you never underestimate the power of social media. The Mavins are a brand with an actual structure. YBNL are only just a heavily mouthed gang, no structure. And this was the beginning of Keshi’s loss. While the Mavins crew unleashed tricks off their playbook to ensuring Reeky Banks eventually emerged winner (which majorly centered around online presence, a parade of resource and brand awareness), YBNL just assumed Keshi was going to win because he had built an undeniable brand presence that obviously outweighed Reekado’s.
Mavins have a website, and it tells you so much more than just information-in-passing which almost everyone knows about their dynasty. They even have a so-called A&R Manager. And asides having brand accounts on various social media platforms, every member of the label has taken it upon themselves to participate actively as per time and season on all these platforms, registering their artiste presence with fans as well as strengthening their profile. By suggestive contrast, you would know by now that YBNL doesn’t even have a brand/label account, not to talk of an official website and the members are terribly slacked in honing a presence online.
What processes did the YBNL label or even Lil Kesh take on as an artiste to ensure people were voting him to win? Mavins were tweeting, the undertook some promotional exercises like giveaways, even such things as simple as follow-backs were used as treaties. Don Jazzy used his revered status to reinforce Reekado’s growing online presence. Tiwa, Korede and Di’Ja also showed some support. Reekado too vested himself in hours several minutes long Twitter chatversations with his fans (otherwise Reekaddicts), the ultimate aim being getting you to love him enough to actually take some 5 or so minutes off whatever other important thing you were doing to vote for him. And this was a continuous process. It didn’t just happen once and then stopped there. Thus, this should relay some deep insight as to how he eventually emerged winner over the category’s biggest contender.
The stats from the photo above shows Reekado’s active vestment on Twitter (by tweets) unlike Lil Kesh who appears to have been there longer judging by the margin he has in followership. So you see, it is not basically about person, but the kind of power your person commands. You have to use that to get what you want. Afterall, Lil Kesh is without any doubts whatsoever – a star. But this shocking revelation of January the 1st tells us that he’s failed in exuding power enough to command his galaxy. Still, he’s not to blame alone. The ‘streets’ deserve more scoops from this mélange of utter disappointment. How dare y’all not vote? And everyone all of a sudden was feeling behooved to giving an opinion unsolicited for when his case was already way past retribution.
IMO, the streets haven’t taken over shxt! They’re just a bunch deafening loud and sweaty-thirsted braggards. They can talk an enormous game but in actual sense, they are powerless. You want to know where the real power lies? Just pick up your darn phone. Therein lies your power to make things come to be. Anything. Literally, I mean. So whether you’re creating or destroying processes, ensure that you’re utilizing your position of power in ways you deem fit, and this must be done regardless of however small you perceive the capacity to be. You see how a gesture so small could cost someone such a big deal? ‘Nuff said.
Written by Jim Donnett
@jimancipation
