I am a lover of Nigerian Music
from the days of Kennis Music’s domination, Remedies, Plantashun boiz et al
although it was not easy to listen to new sounds on radio stations it was just
STAR FM, Raypower & Rhythm FM back then but thanks to your organization
(Beat 99.9 FM) coming to our rescue on September 9th, 2009 (9/9/09) guess
that’s where your frequency came out from. Having you increase your work rate
over the time is really amazing with different radio programs at different time
of the day and with the help of Nokia Phones, we can stay glued to our darling
Beat FM.
Well, I am sure with all these
good works there would surely be some loop holes and that is one thing I would
really like to discuss in this my letter and
pardon me if my own observation is totally wrong but I still believe
it’s something you can work on to make it look genuine to me.
1.
SEGREGATION:
The issue of having favourites in our Nigeria music industry…it is normal to
have your own clique or let me say your
OAPs have their own preferred artistes that their music is a must on their
timeline. It is a radio station and I don’t think it is a good thing to
segregate between artistes and if you’d ask me, it can easily bring up beef
between artistes. I could flash back to the days when “DUROSOKE” by Olamide
dropped, I hardly heard it on Beat FM and I paid more attention to Morning rush
when it started playing but I can authoritatively say that uncle Olisa and his
fellow host did not mistakenly play it. Another instance was when Olamide was
featured on a song, whenever uncle Olisa wants to play the song, there’s a
normal hype for new songs ofcourse but whenever he called names of artistes on
that particular track he has never make a mistake by calling Olamide….i know
say this no be my business but it’s just my own observation but even though
there’s any problem he might have with Olamide then, he shouldn’t have make it
so obvious like it was because there are people like me that will always be on
the sideline and be like “I JUST DEY OBSERVE”…thanks to aunty Tolu (Toolz0) for
giving Olamide chance on Drive Time
show, I think she was the one that started playing DUROSOKE on beat FM then
before other programmes imitated her.
2.
PLAYLIST:
You have a fantastic playlist no doubt but there are so many things that you
people always neglect when it comes to good sounds, I don’t want to go about
the issue of “PAYOLA” which madam 4lah of NaijaInfo talked about sometime last
year but I still think its looking more like it. I believe you have your ways
of getting sounds of international acts because I don’t want to believe that
they come to Nigeria to submit their disk to get on your playlist, you pay more
attention to them (International artistes) and to the ones that are already
known here in Nigeria, what is the help you are rendering to the upcoming ones?
I believe your station is still the best when it comes to social networks
(Facebook & Twitter especially) but I think you don’t follow what
discussion is going on those platforms. With no doubt the hottest song as at
when I am writing this letter is “DOUBLE WAHALA” by Oritse Femi and I can
remember DAMI (@AVARIBERRY) tweeted at OritseFemi asking “@oritsefemi why don’t
we have your songs?” I don’t want to believe she’s trying to ask of the disk
but seriously that’s what it looks like and this is very very wrong. DAMI is a
very good user of twitter because I know she rants at all times whenever there’s
an ish and I don’t want to believe she doesn’t know that “DOUBLE WAHALA” is the
song everyone is talking about or maybe there are procedures your organization
follows before any new song gets on your playlist but if that is the case, why
are the international acts’ cases different? Please, I would really like your
organization to see to this and a
possible solution to make it close to being perfect.
3.
NIGERIA
TOP 10 SONGS EVERY THURSDAY: I actually don’t want to discuss this issue
but I don’t want to ignore it at the same time. i have tried my best to figure
out how this weekly programme is being compiled. Having the same songs on the radar week in
week out but different position doesn’t look like we are doing the real “Top
10”. I know its not my business to know how these songs make it to the top 10
but believe me I’ve heard better songs than most of the songs on this chat.
There should be room for new artistes or
is it that this “Top 10” deals basically with known acts? Or is there a time
frame for the song before it can get to your “Top 10”? I am sorry for the
plenty questions but I am really confused because I listened to your “Top 10”
of 30/01/2014 and every song on that list is no way close to “DOUBLE WAHALA” by
OritseFemi…please pardon me oo, I am not writing my letter because of oritse
femi but to be sincere I’m a lover of good music and there’s no way you will
neglect such a tune.
4.
PAYOLA:
I don’t intend to discuss this issue because I thought the article of aunty
4Lah (of May 2013) on Payola in our Nigeria music scene might have put a stop
to it but to my understanding it is still the same. Although, it is not just
your station that is caught in this act but sincerely you are the central of it
all. I did some research on my own just to figure out how some stupid songs
made it to your playlist most especially the FRESH BEATs on Sundays and even
some of them winning at the end of the day and I get to know that if you don’t
have up to 150,000 you can run a radio promo on Beat FM, Haba… how do you expect
an artiste that can hardly afford 20,000 for music production to get 150k for
its promo?? I am sorry to say you people are just encouraging cyber crime
because I don’t see a normal dude that is yet to be signed to any label to
cough up that money, its just wrong..Do you say I am tackling your radio
station?? Well, it’s a NO but I would like you to figure how your OAPs operate
when it comes to getting songs on their playlist. I know that our upcoming
artiste are also not doing well when it comes to radio promo but can you put
yourself in their shoes, after recording a song, you met an OAP to discuss
helping you out with your song and he start by saying …”Omo, mehn before you go
fit get your song on our station e go hard gaan oo you gast raise like 150,000”
…Like seriously??? And the dude will still go further by analyzing how the
payment would go … “the person wey go upload on playlist go collect so so
amount, the person wey I go use him timeline sef go collect so so amount, for
your song to enter FRESH BEAT, the person go collect so so amount and me sef
gast put something for pocket” …you don’t believe me?? Just try figure it out
yourself. I sincerely understand that you pay bills and also have your own
running cost but at the same time you have to be considerate on how to go about
this PAYOLA issue, I don’t know if the management is aware of this but I am
saying it that this is what is going on and to be frank its not helping at all.
I want to ask a question, “Why/How are you the HEARTBEAT of Lagos?” …you are to
represent the state with a good heart but I think your OAP is doing otherwise
making your station the opposite of your slogan, I would suggest you abandon
the slogan for now until things get to normal within your management and your
OAPs. I have a suggestion when it comes to upcoming artistes, I believe its
what your station is capable of doing considering your social network rapport
with the youth, I think you can set up an online portal where you allow songs
to be submitted, you have your inhouse judges to screen the songs, then you can
table them for FRESH BEATS, some songs doesn’t even worth Fresh Beat, like
seeing SHEYMAN’s song on fresh beat, how you take categorize sheyman as
upcoming??? Abi FRESH BEAT is not based on upcoming artistes ni?? Please just
find another means of getting songs for your playlist. I know its not just your
station that is caught in this act but as I said earlier, you have more
credibility in the industry and everyone believe any song that is on Beat FM is
actually going to get the most attention and I expect your station to do this
with good heart so that you can continue to represent us as the HEART BEAT of
LAGOS…
Well enough
said, those are my observations and humble opinion about what I feel is not
right on some of your programmes. But I will like to appreciate all your young
OAPs, Segun, Osi, Dami, Koch et all for the wonderful jobs they are doing, its
not easy mehn and I will say thank you to the entire team for believing in the
Nigerian artistes.. God bless you, God bless Nigeria... this writer (Abiose
Oladunni) can be reached on twitter via @ GAGAMYSTERIOUS
NOTE: This is not a #Freshout9ja opinion, its a post from one of our ardent readers.
