Don't hate on artists who flaunt their wealth. They are doing God's work on earth.
It’ a new week and Psquare have moved into a big mansion. The Okoye brothers moved their families into the beautiful new house, and the photos of their new crib have circulated like wild fire.
Psquare are blessed. Over two decades of recording and performing all around the world has left them with this huge stash of cash that they aren’t afraid to spend.
Add that to their numerous investments across the globe, and we have a family dripping with wealth, which was gotten as a reward for the art.
Somewhere, in many dimly-lit across Lagos, Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, Jos, Abuja and Aba, there are countless young men and women, who are trying their hands at music and pushing it as a professional endeavor that they would want to give their life to.
When these broke people, who have nothing but just a prayer in their hearts and songs on their lips, discover these photos, they become energized, set new targets and work harder on their music. They work hard not because of a need to affect their generation and express themselves via music. They work hard for the promise of money.
Just like every other business, the pursuit of money is what drives the Nigerian music industry at all levels. We come from a country of over 200 million people. According to various reports and respected studies, 100 million people, (half of the total population of the country) live below $1 a day. They are dirt poor, struggling every day for survival.
Of the remaining 100 million who live above the poverty level, 50% of that crowd are near the poverty level, and their life mission is not to slip into abject poverty and lack. In total, over 75% of our national population are either poor or on the brink of poverty. Which is why the only general language that every Nigerian would connect with is ‘survival’.
We want to survive in this country, and the only way we do that is to make money.
99% of musicians in Nigeria are trying to survive. They come from a poor crop of people who embrace music as a means to fight poverty and move further away from the poor crowd. A good example of this is Skales.
The singer came from a poor home in Kaduna. Abandoned by a deadbeat dad, his mother was left alone to fend for him.
“My mother and I used to sleep in a shopping complex at a time. I am talking about during my primary and secondary school days in Kaduna,” He told Punch.
“Then, the only hope for me was music. At some point, I told my mother I wanted to work and support her. I was chased out of school because I did not pay school fees. I had to steal school uniform because mine was bad and I would tell my mother I saved money for it."
Ice Prince was also another poverty story. The rapper dropped out of school due to his lack of funds and music saved him. “I didn’t really have a comfortable start, I understand that but I think that’s how it was meant to be from the very beginning”. He said in an interview.
Patoranking sold rat poison, engaged in carpentry and numerous odd jobs to feed. Today his music stretches from Lagos to Bamako, to Jamaica.
Via their talent, and music, they worked hard and made money. Skales currently commands huge performance fees, from which he has bought his mother a house. Ice Prince rose from that poverty, and at one point, had a meeting with rap legend, Jay Z about a business collaboration. He recently moved into his personal house in Lekki, a high brow residential area in Lagos.
Young artists with no money see this, and they get inspired to do more. And while there’s a growing dislike for artists who flaunt their wealth and make ostentatious displays, we all forget the most crucial benefit that it does for others.
This need for money fuels young people to venture into the music, and established artists who flaunt their money, prove to the younger generation that their dreams are valid, and can be actualized.
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