SEUN'S ZOETROPE

VEESTA ONLINE: THE WINDOW TO THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN ELECTRONIC ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA IS HERE!!!

2011-03-21T01:45:00.000-07:00

VEESTA ONLINE

VEESTA ONLINE is an online information portal created under the aegis of “0331 Entertainment”, a company that was founded in 2007. The vision for this publication is to be the leading source of information and x-ray for Nigeria’s (and indeed Africa’s) vibrant television, film making and theatre industries; to celebrate the industry icons, and provide an expert assessment of the inner workings of these sectors. The objective is to fan the flame of healthy competition as well as develop technical and creative capacity in the entertainment industry.

The content of VEESTA ONLINE will be creatively structured towards catching the interest of a wide range of television, theatre and film buffs. The target market is therefore individuals between the ages of 15 and 50 years. The publication is set to provide regular updates on happenings within the industry, as they unfold.

Producers will be afforded the opportunity to premiere their upcoming movie trailers and short films on the site. In addition to this, our team of seasoned writers will also provide fascinating in-depth reviews of indigenous TV shows, movies and stage productions. VEESTA ONLINE will also provide the public with all the juicy tidbits that happen behind the glittery and glamorous scenes of their favorite African movies, TV shows and stage plays, from pre-production to opening night.

This portal presents an excellent opportunity for different brands to market their products. The width of its potential appeal and area of specialization also make it a prospective marketing tool for TV stations and production establishments, Independent TV, Theatre and film producers, editors, graphics and animation artists, directors and many other technocrats in the TV, Theatre and film production sects.

The ultimate aim is to provide a viable platform for the development of original content for African electronic entertainment media to flourish. VEESTA ONLINE aspires to be the primary reference point as relates to the matters of TV, movies and theatre; a semblance of what Billboard international is to the world of music.

To sum it up, VEESTA ONLINE is a creative blend of entertainment and premium style journalism. So if you are a producer, director, animator, actor, publicist, talent manager or just a media junkie who likes a good read; get your fix at www.veestaonline.com .

The site launches officially on March 31^st 2011.

SEUN'S FUN NUGGETS: TEN KINDS OF PEOPLE YOU MEET AT AUDITIONS!

2011-02-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

Being a practicing actor, attending the proverbial myriad of auditions is what many would call Standard Procedure. Now the audition venue most of the time tends to be a kaleidoscope of activity, where different talented individuals converge. Okay scratch the "Talented" part, cos thats not always true. Anyways, the point here is that an audition is a "gathering" of personalities, reputations and egos. Here you meet all kinds of God's conceptualizations of the human specie. So I decided to make a short compilation of 10 archetypal variations of people you bump into at auditions. Here we go, enjoy ant tell me if you agree or not. (leave a comment).

1. Those who know all the stars in the industry.

People like this tend not to hold back on any juicy gossip,

they practically know the colour of Jim Iyke's underwear

and how many slices of bread Omoni Oboli ate that morning.

Now, i'm not saying this is an impossibility, the thing that ticks

me off is that they don't shut up about it.

2. Overzealous production assistants who act like they own the place.

If you have ever been to an audition in Nigeria, you would have met someone

who fits into this category. In most cases these are the guys how handle the

lists and general co-ordination of the audition itself. Sometime these guys

could be so bleeping rude and caustic that you would think you were

begging for the role you came to audition for. Half the time, they are at the

bottom of the production hierarchy (in other words NA DEM BE BOY BOY FOR SET)

Don't get me wrong, this is no to disrespect the profession of Production assistance but

some of them just really vex me.

Personally I have had my own fair share of telling such people off (trust me it was fun...hehehe).

3. Groupies...

This item does not need a lengthy explanation. All you need to do

is observe the scenery until a "so called" star walks into the audition

spot. Chai....Groupie patrol...instinctively flocks in their direction.

4. Those who know all the directors in the industry...and talk very loudly about it.

Awww...common....need I say more in this case?!!

5. The self proclaimed acting coaches ...sometimes they can't even act and then they are teaching you?? AH men!!

If a script is circulated and you need to pair up with a partner, God help you if

you are un-equally yoked with someone in this category....heheh it might just cost

you the role (If you really have talent that is).

6. People who jump the queue...now these ones na im they vex me pass.

The standard practice is that you are attended to on a first come first serve basis. However some

people still want to skip procedure and jump the queue. I just have these few

words;' have some self respect naaa c'mon'

7. The older actors, who think you should just give them your seat simply because they are older.

It's not like I have no respect for my elders, but I you came late for the audition

and don't have a place to sit, I should give up mine of my own volition

and not as a result of your emotional blackmail.

8. Those who are over dressed ...sometimes it looks like its a party at those places. CHAI!

The ladies are mostly guilty here...I mean yes it is an audition and you

should look good, but there should be a balance, draw the

line between what is fabulous and what is just too much.

9. The people who ask too many dumb questions....c'mon men ask the guys who work here...im an actor like you!

I'm not averse to being of help and answering a few routine questions

but asking me about things that only the producer of the movie would know,

now thats just annoying.

10.Finally, those girls that overdo the make-up...watch who U hug men...they will soil ur shirt with foundation.

Yes ladies, there is nothing wrong with getting all dolled up, but apply that make-up

with moderation. Remember, sometimes less is more and it always helps to ask

a friend.

OVEN FRESH VIDEO: DBANJ FT SNOOP DOGG: MR ENDOWED REMIX!!

2011-02-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

So there's the international explosion I was Talking about.

This video was released at 12am on the 9th of

feb 2011 and just as it was uploaded; three major website severs

crashed!! Now that is some SWAGGER!! OOOOSHE!

Lest I forget to mention, it's a lovely video. check it out below.

PS: Look out for the name on Snoop's newly acquired Nigerian passport. lol

INTERVIEW: MY DAY OUT WITH THE LOVELY: AISHA OF NIGHTBLAZE.

2011-02-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

This was totally unplanned but it was all good. Even though Demola (OXYGEN CYLINDER) had not told me I would be meeting Aisha today, it was all together a pleasant encounter. I must say that if judged her outward appearance, Aisha does not come across as one who would win a congeniality award, however, immediately I introduced myself; all that was history. As I took her outstretched hand (to shake it of course) her face creased into a very warm smile and so we began our short chat. Here is how it went.

AJS: Tell us about yourself.

AISHA: well, there is not much to tell (laughs)

AJS: Go ahead, it’s ok.

AISHA: My name is Aisha, born; Aisha Sanni Shittu, I’m a student. Lagos State University.

AJS: Studying?

AISHA: English Language.

AJS: Great, when are we hoping that you will be out?

AISHA: In about a year and a half, hopefully….without the srikes…(laughs).

AJS: So, did music find you, or vice-versa.

AISHA: I think it was a mutual feeling, it was something that we both wanted to do. Music has been wanting to do me for a while, so I just agreed about six years ago.

AJS: That’s 2004?

AISHA: Yeah, approximately, but I have been …you know, everybody says…it’s cliché to say that I have been singing since I was six…you know, but yeah, in primary school you do a lot of all these things. It’s basically part of grooming here. So I started recording professionally in 2004. I started with Alec Music; I wasn't signed up to them, so I was just going there and recording with Frank Mudi. Then he sort of broke out of the studio, I think there was a minor conflict at the time. Since I wasn’t signed up to them, I just left and Frank opened up his own studio.

AJS: How about now, any recent work?

AISHA: Yeah, of course, I have been working in the studio. I have a couple of songs I have recorded. I mean, if I decided to…or if there was a gun to my head and I had to put out an album, I have a couple of songs to put out. Thing is, that we need to be relevant throughout the year, I say we, meaning, myself and my crew. We need to be relevant, so I need to know the kind of songs I put out right now.

AJS: And the crew is?

AISHA: The crew is NIGHTBLAZE and OXYGEN CYLINDER, that’s my management. I’m signed in to NIGHTBLAZE as a record label and my management is the OXYGEN CYLINDER.

AJS: What is your genre of music.

AISHA: My comfort zone,….I’m not gonna box myself into a particular genre, because this is my first album, so I’ll just say, my comfort zone is RnB. Everybody loves RnB (smiling mischievously) but you know, in Naija, you just can’t be an RnB artiste “like that, like that” you have to add a little bit of Yoruba...it’ll be safe to say that I could do a little bit of stuff. I don’t know about my rapping skills oh (chuckles) but RnB, Pop, you will find that in my album. Then you will find a little bit, “little" being the operating word here, you will find a little bit of FUJI.

AJS: Hmm.

AISHA: Yeah’ I know people are not going to be expecting it but, I’m trying to do something like that.

AJS: Hmm, very interesting, so who were you listening to while growing up?

AISHA: Growing up, hmm, I was listening to Lionel Richie, Adewale Ayuba, Shina Peters, Colintin.

AJS: Good stuff?

AISHA: Yeah, good stuff, that’s what they were always listening to, you know, the whole “Ijo Yoyo” and everything. It was basically Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson a little bit of Mary. J Blige. I liked the whole; I’m going down “swag” then Brandy.

AJS: Have you ever been compared to any existing artiste, within or outside Nigeria?

AISHA: seeing that I’m just coming out…

AJS: NO, I mean, even within a small circle.

AISHA: Em, at a time, I did em, well I was working on a pop track, in fact two pop tracks actually, and somebody said; “Oh, that sounds like Lady Gaga” and I was like; (sarcastically) yeah right..(at this point we both burst out laughing) you get a little bit of that. Yeah the name of the track is Super Woman. People tend to compare you, they see and go; “Oh Queen Latifa” (chuckles), well I’m not really out yet, but we would see what people have to say. I’m not going to say I have been directly compared to anybody…well….oh yeah they compare me to a guy….they say I sound like a guy. (I’m cracked up at this point). Somebody actually tackled me on Twitter a few days ago, the person was like, “Come I’m hearing a male voice on this track and your avatar is female, WHO YOU BE SEF?” and I’m like ah…I’m female oh.

AJS: These things happen.

AISHA: O yeah, they do.

AJS: If you weren’t doing music, what would it be?

AISHA: Well, I’m very interested in; I know this might sound a little vain, but I’m very interested in hair, make up and spa treatment.

AJS: It’s not vain..that’s cash men.

AISHA: (laughs) As in I really like it, besides the money, I want to open a spa someday, a state of the art spa.

AJS: Regardless of whether you are doing music or not?

AISHA: Yes, actually, I really want to do it.

AJS: Who, have you worked with since you started?

AISHA: 2005 or 2006 Thisday concert, at th Polo club, where JAY-Z and Beyonce came,

Yeah, I did backup for Majek Fashek.

AJS: Oh, really…theee MAJEK?

AISHA: (nodding in agreement) theee MAJEK.

AJS: Anyone else?

AISHA: Yeah, I did a song with DR SID. I think that was in 2004 or 2005.

AJS: Was he with MO-HITS at the time?

AISHA: No…of course not. Even at the time we did the Thisday concert, he wasn’t with MO-HITS. I think he was doing something with Weird mc at the time, but this was even before that time, we worked on a song together. He was just SIDNEY then.

AJS: What artistes would be in your dream collabos?

AISHA: I like BEZ…yeah BEZ is cool.

AJS: So, what draws you to BEZ?

AISHA: I think it’s the way he depicts his music…I mean, when I listen to the lyrics, they are not; and I mean this in the best possible way, they are not spectacular. You know, it’s like you say something so small, but you make it sound so grand. I have only heard one track of his really, I heard that the other songs like SUPER SUN are good, but the only one I have heard is MORE YOU and its sooo…I thought it was so nice. I like BEZ a lot, I like ASA. They kind of sound alike right?

AJS: If you were to paint a picture of yourself, one year from now, say, at the end of 2011, how would it look?

AISHA: Well…errm… you really want to know?..(smiling)

AJS: You bet.

AISHA: Ok, let me be realistic. If I were to paint a realistic picture of myself at the end of 2011, I would have finished working on my first and second albums, would have done a couple of shows, hopefully two or three endorsements…err…(thinking hard)

AJS: Ok…and….don’t stop, paint your picture.

AISHA: I am, I’m on it…I’m going. A couple of endorsements…lots and lots and lots of money (laughs). About two or three cars. Well, I think that’s all I want to say for now sha, the rest I would just want to hide for now. In my head it is a very beautiful picture, If I were to paint it myself…hmm. Ok don’t worry, I think that’s enough.

AJS: Tell me about the song that you are promoting now.

AISHA: The song is, IF I HEAR. Yeah, it’s a pretty interesting song. I think everybody can relate to the song, I mean, people tend to push it to women, but that is not what it is about, because everybody says ‘if I hear’.

AJS: So, what’s the story behind it?

AISHA: Hmmm…I should have thought about this before I recorded (laughs)…it’s like, errr..hmm.. wow, the story behind it, is basically, a girl talking to a guy and then, the guy probably tells her,“I love you” and she is like, “ If I hear”. The girl goes; You drive a G-Class…If I hear. If I hear means like “it’s a lie” or like BS stuff like dat. I think it’s a very interesting song. I think guys can relate with the “If I HEAR” and girls would relate to “who’s BB torch is that?”

AJS: What has the challenge been, as a relatively unknown artiste in this industry?

AISHA: If you say “challenge” then you mean just one, but there have been lots of challenges. First, I’m female and I think down here, it’s kinda difficult to come out when you are female. It’s almost like you can’t hustle like a guy. There are certain things that you have to do if you want to come out. Guys tend to be strong enough you know. That’s my own observation oh, It has been very difficult, when you go to record labels..hmm…at the time I started, I visited a few record labels, which I would not mention and they are like; “oh..you are too English, you need to infuse some Yoruba and all that”. Some said “oh your voice needs to be higher or lower”. They just come up with all sorts of excuses. Sometimes they want you to come and do backup for them, but have no plans to sign you. Then of course you have the whole (gesturing quotation marks with fingers) “guy –girl thing” in the industry.

AJS: We all know that one.

AISHA: We all go through that one at one point or another and when you are not willing, you are roasting. At the end of the day it’s all going to be better if we keep trying, I mean, six years is pretty much, a while. you know when you are working on something and people in the studio are telling you, its nice, you are expecting everybody out there to feel it. People are like, this is the track you going to blow, do you know how many times people have said “this is the track you are going to blow”? hehehe you know.

AJS: Six years coming.

AISHA: Oh, my God! (laughs)…yeah…like this is it right here.

AJS: Like I said before; These things happen.

AISHA: Yes, I mean at the end of the day, for you to be able to have a story to tell, you have to have seen certain things. I probably won’t have anything to tell you right now, if this was my first time, I hadn’t done anything with anybody, I hadn’t been through anything, I probably wouldn’t have anything to tell you. It would just be, ok yeah, this is my first song, oh I have never worked with anybody… you know, so that’s just it.

AJS: It has been fun speaking with you, I do wish you the best, especially with that picture of yours

Discussion Concluded at 2:57pm 22-01-2011.

Listen to AISHA'S single below.

IF I HEAR

SEUN'S PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: KESSE AND THE PRODIGIES COME TO TOWN. LIVE IN UNILAG!

2011-02-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

Come out and rock, as Studio 6 brings you the PRODIGIES .....The Future's Best: Live at the MAIN

AUDITORIUM,

UNILAG on the 10th of Feb 2011. Featuring

KESSE BABE

and the Project Fame All Stars;

IYANYA

MIKE

CHIDINMA

EYO, YETUNDE, MADONA, TOLU, OCHUKO

other acts include

G-FRESH

SEGUN ADEFILA

MACORE, B, MOE, EASYFREAK

and introducing for the first time to the live stage:

STRIPES.

a brand new female group who will be

performing their first single SO SERIOUS.

It's gonna be a blast. Tell someone I said so!!!!

Gate fee: 1000 NGN

200 NGN for students with ID.

Date: 10th Feb 2010

Venue: Main Auditorium University of Lagos.

INTERVIEW: MY DAY OUT WITH EX-O: ARTISTE, PRODUCER AND CEO OF CASH IN RECORDS

2011-01-27T12:46:00.000-08:00

Finally, the clock had struck 10:00 am and yes it was another Saturday morning. I was looking forward to the rest of the day though. As it turns out it, it was the day I was to meet and have a chat with music producer and CEO of CASH IN Records; EX-O (real name MAGEGE THEOPHILUS) . Happy enough for me this time, I slept like a baby the night before (thanks to my trusty canister of Baygon all purpose insecticide heheh; don't hate me men, these Lagos mosquitoes are of a special breed) so I was well rested and all set for my well envisaged, fine DAY OUT with EX-O. Since it was the weekend, I was hoping I would be able to go out and get registered to vote but, when I got to the registration point, the crowd was overwhelming. "I go do am later jorr" I mumbled under my breath before slinging the mono-strap Hp bag, containing my laptop, over my shoulder and heading out. By 1:08 pm I was at EX-O's studio, where the interview was meant to go down. Apparently EX-O was in a recording session with one of Naija's HipHop big wigs, whose name I will keep withheld. This meant that I had to wait a few minutes at at the reception. It was a good thing though, it gave me time to cook up a few more questions. Finally EX-O took a break, to have a quick chat with me, now on sighting him, I knew it was going to be a fun discussion; I mean his charm is just infectious. Here is how our chat went.

AJS: It seems like you have been around for a while; so can you put a finger on it for us. You know, when exactly did you start?

EX-O: Err…officially, when I say officially, by the books I started as a producer in year 2000. As an artiste, I started out professionally in 1997, that was just about the time I got out of school. I was trying to get a job, I worked for three months and then I met a producer called Papa Kay, who took me in and…

AJS: Schooled you.

EX-O: Exactly, he schooled me and started a small “mini” label and wanted acts; rappers and artistes under his label.

AJS: So, you started as an artiste?

EX-O: Yeah..

AJS: Has it always been “EX-O”?

EX-O: No…no I started then as “HOSTILE” as a rapper. My mom wasn’t too happy with it cos it was too negative for a positive person. She knew I wasn’t a hostile person, I am a gentleman (with a grin) in all ramifications, so she discouraged me off it. So I was still working with that until I used my name half way and named myself “DR T” because I love DR DRE so much and my name is Theophilous. By virtue of acronym; “T” came from Theophilous and the DR (Doctor of Rap). (laughs)

AJS: So how did “EX-O” then come about?

EX-O: Well gradually as I interacted with other people, as I started growing intellectually, I was picking up magazines, reading novels, reading poetry books, browsing, listening to a lot of music. I started opening my mind to concepts and understanding that ok, what represents an artiste or an individual, starts with the name. Once the name is on point, people will be looking forward to hearing what you sound like. I just thought of it, people qualified me as Theo the extraordinary guy. It was just the thing with me…..you know, I was nice and easy going, never liked to quarrel with anyone. If people quarrel with me, I just kind of opt out like a… coward.

AJS: So it’s more like an acronym for extraordinary?

EX-O: Well EX-O in the real sense of it means the EXCETIONAL ONE, so I abbreviated exceptional with EX and hyphen O representing “one”.

AJS: What’s your music to you?

EX-O: Errr…hmmm….if I go through the history, music has always been that part of me where creativity is centered. If I want to see myself as something, in “worth” or “value”, music is it for me. I feel creative when I’m in music or around music, or I’m doing music. I feel focused, I feel like I can influence mankind, I can influence nature, I can influence my immediate surroundings through music, because of music. So music to me is life , music to me is the very essence of man’s orientation.

AJS: Wow…

EX-O: that science of human beings is music for me, so….it’s a lot more….for me its just life basically…..(reluctantly ending that subject).

AJS: I have had experience doing studio work…even though I’m not a recording artiste, but I have recorded voice-overs. Now my observation is that time in the studio tends to fly by.

EX-O: Yes it does.

AJS: Do you sometimes feel like you are missing out on life?

EX-O: (with a deep sigh) Men…100%, I wouldn’t lie to you, I would be honest with you. I have had issues with friends, I have had issues with family members, even with myself. I find that I’m so into the work and because I’m the kind of guy that likes to be a perfectionist in whatever I do, no matter how small or insignificant, I like to make it perfect, so you cannot fault it. Even if you fault it, maybe one or two things that can be pardoned. Basically, for me I see myself almost struggling socially. I rarely attend functions, marriages come from friends and I’m invited, even personally invited sometimes and I end up still having one studio session or struggling my way out of the studio and still end up getting there late, which is sometimes not very good for my image socially. What can I do, it’s something I’m so good at and people recognize me for that. You can fault me on any other thing, but musically...no.

AJS: What is it that attracts you to an artiste and makes you want to record with the person?

EX-O: (laughs) I won’t be cliché by saying: money, half the time, we discuss money last. First of all, personality must speak for that person and the person’s eagerness to be successful with music, because I feel, the moment you say you are going to the studio, it means that you are taking it as a career and not as child’s play or a hobby, so when someone walks through that door (pointing at the studio entrance) the way the person addresses me, is the way I will address the person back. So that first of all is what attracts me; personality, orientation, character. All those key elements, I look out for and then (emphatically) once the artiste is highly skilled or musically inclined; then we can hit the mark and start work ASAP.

AJS: Has it ever happened that because you don’t find any of these things you just mentioned in an artiste, turn such a person away?

EX-O: Yes, at some points, yes I have.

AJS: So you have turned people away, even though they had money to pay for sessions?

EX-O: I have actually turned some people down, only for them to come back and…you know, try to correct their impression about themselves, but it’s very rear. People are proud you know….arrogant in this business. So when they come in, the moment they sense you are not feeling them; they go around telling people that you are arrogant and pompous, meanwhile it’s the other way around. It’s a defensive mechanism or strategy, but you can’t take it out on them because we are all guilty of that same thing.

AJS: In recent times, the producer, especially the Nigerian producer has started to earn his due, so to speak. Producers now get due mention in their work. Before, it was; you see the artiste, you love his music and that’s it. So what’s your take on the new level of consciousness that the audience has about the producer?

EX-O: I will say, thank God for the western community who always set the standards, who always make it a point of duty for others to want to follow them. You know….they set that standard and we follow, because we know that we are not there basically. Without that, we here would not have had this privilege we have now to be recognized. The way artistes over there…first before the song starts proper, they yell out their producer’s name (demonstratively)..”eeeeh POLO D DON, you crazy for this”… (with more enthusiasm) that already gives people the sense of; “oh is that the guy behind the work?” you know, people forget that there is a person behind the artiste. They tend to see who is in front of the camera but forget that there are people who made that thing possible. So, we thank God, it’s growing but it’s not there yet. We hope to start getting royalties and more accolades for the work we have done.

AJS: Now let’s lean more towards EX-O the artiste. Do you have any recent work?

EX-O: Yeah…err…apparently, two. I had in 2009 a song called girl on facebook that I dropped on the airwaves but of course I didn’t do massive promo. I dropped it in two radio stations: Rhythm 93.7 and Radio Continental. It got sparse airplay, then gradually, in 2010, I heard they started playing it but it wasn’t that much. So people didn’t really know about that song until when err..what’s his name? this other guy dropped his own facebook song with Essence.

AJS: Jaywon and Essence.

EX-O: Yeah... then people went….wait wait ….who is this one again? In Unilag it gathered some buzz because peple actually thought it was Banky W that did the song. I was at a gathering when the song started playing and I was like "ahaha….nice so even here they have it" I didn’t think they had it in Unilag at all. Only for some guy to say “you neva hear this song?....na Banky” and I said, (laughing) “no….na me oh…na my song be this oh” and I just went on and on explaining like; “sorry I am a music producer”, “I did Won Beri (by Knighthouse)”. It was not easy to convince him cos he didn’t know my face. So I decided, I said; 2011, EX-O, you are releasing your song and the title of the song is BLACKBERRY, now with that one I hear there is another BLACKBERRY song. I don’t know why this is happening to me, if I had known I would have shot a video last year, but I am shooting one in February for BLACKBERRY.

AJS: Just give a list of people you have worked with and on what songs?

EX-O: Ok, let’ s start from 2008, with knighthouse their first single, The Finest (Won Beri). I did their second single Ijinle Pam Pam, with Kel, YQ, El dee. I worked with Igho on his Naija Boy album, I did; Make me kolo and the one he did with Mode9 and Faze … Get away. I worked on the whole album, mixed and mastered. I worked with Teeto, I did Feel The Vibe with Wizkid I did the remix to Teeto’s Oshamo. I also worked in 2010 with Teeto on his Freshness mixtape.

AJS: Is that out yet?

EX-O: It’s out, it came out with SOUNDCITY BLAST magazine. I have worked with Wizkid, although the song is not out, I don’t know if they would be releasing it. I worked with Kel on a song she did with an artiste abroad, someone featured her, so I did the beat for the girl; her name is Ezzy B, she was in a group but has gone solo now. I worked with Terry the Rapman on his album,No love I was on the hook. I worked with Sausekid, his last album, the one he dropped last year, Airplane mode, I produced that one. Quite a number you know….Illbliss, Asa…..quite a number of artistes.

AJS: What’s your take on the Nigerian music, in terms of quality and commercial success.

EX-O: Em..so far, I have been in this business since 2000, so that’s about ten years or over. Industry wise, the standards have improved drastically. In short, in five years it has been a very high sloping improvement. The gradient is very steep…in five years it just went up straight, almost vertically. To be honest, that’s good, in fact too good. Success in the industry is not just here in Nigeria, but the world over, we find ourselves winning BET awards, MOBO awards, MTV base awards, I mean it’s beautiful to be a part of the industry at the time of it’s peak and there is so much more that is going to happen in 2011, I’m looking forward to that. The commercial success, in terms of sales, we have had more sales in recent times that way back. The early 2000s and late 90s, you cannot compare the millions of records that were sold, especially when you metion names like 2face, Psquare, Dbanj; sales have been so extreme. I mean, it can only get better, there is no dropping in the standards.

AJS: Have you done anything for the audiovisual industry…movies, television, any sound tracks or theme songs?

EX-O: Yeah, I did one for HipHop world, Rhythm 93.7, that’s radio not TV now, jingles for Radio Continental, I have done jingles for companies and conglomerates, even for the Nigerian Government. I did a song for amnesty, I did some for the CBN, I did for companies like Procter and Gamble (Ariel). I have done for banks…I virtually worked outside the music industry, for the business/corporate sector.

AJS: Your advice to people who want to become producers in this environment.

EX-O: First thing, patience, extreme patience and extreme humility, because first of all, to sit down for hours treating a person’s vocal, while the person is there or not takes some discipline. For you to sit down sef for an hour, listening to one voice, over and over. From minutes, to an hour and before you know it, three hours have passed while you are treating that one person’s voice. It takes humility for you not to lash out at an artiste when the artiste is lashing out at you, because they do that a lot. It takes the fear of God, because if you think about the money first, honestly there is no telling, you are not going to get too far, you might get somewhere but that’s how far you get. Then you need to be talented and also have your ears to the street, ears on the radio, ears to the market, locally, internationally. Keep your steps ordered, be conscious of the market you are in, be conscious of your industry, who’s making what, who’s leading, who’s not leading, why they are failing, why they are succeeding? You need to have this information at your finger tips so that you don’t just always stay on top, but you remain relevant.

AJS: What are we expecting from EX-O as a producer and an artiste in 2011?

EX-O: Ok, let me start with EX-O the artiste, it’s pretty brief compared to EX-O as a producer. EX-O the artiste is signed to CASH IN. Of course, CASH IN is my label, but I’m still signed as an artist under it. I intend to release an album this year… and finally quench the hunger and thirst from my fans for years, they have been expecting me to drop stuff, singles but I did not do that, I have been working on a lot of artistes and trying to make them sound good. So it’s my turn to do that; put a little bit of my skills to my own benefit and make myself relevant in the industry, cos people need to hear what I do and I can tell you, my songs are the bomb. Seriously, I’m not saying that to hype myself or anything, but if you hear my songs, trust me, you might end up not listening to some artistes in another 2-3 years. Then as a producer, I have artistes that I’m bringing out under my label; Emsong, Kay-L, Flow, I have HIPHOP SPEAKS coming out February or march, it’s a compilation, a HipHop compilation, that should be out anytime in the first quarter of this year. I’m looking at selling it, we don’t wanna dash people, we want people to see the value of the work, cos we have heavy weights on that album, virtually the who is who, hiphop wise on that album. So EX-O as a producer, that’s what to expect for 2011.

AJS: Ok, this was fun, thank you so much. (shaking hands)

Discussion Concluded at 2:33pm

Jan 22nd 2011.

Here is his latest single

BLACKBERRY

Download, listen and enjoy

Watch out for his upcoming

mixtape titled HIPHOP SPEAKS.

DBANJ. TETHERING ON THE BRINK OF AN INTERNATIONAL EXPLOSION!

2011-01-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

News has filtered in through different social networks that the KOKO maestro; Dbanj,
made an appearance on one of the famous BILLBOARD charts. Dbanj sits in the
seventh spot in the international music magazine's Next Big Sound 25.
This African megastar is also fresh off a Video shoot of his collaboration with
Snoop Dogg; MR ENDOWED REMIX. If these are not tell tale signs of
mainstream international success, then I don't know what is.

HERE IS A SHORT CLIP FROM OF BEHIND THE
SCENES OF THE MR ENDOWED REMIX SHOOT
WITH SNOOP DOGG. ENJOY!!

OVEN FRESH VIDEO: OLEKU: ICEPRINCE FT BRYMO

2011-01-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Just caught wind of the fact that one of Naija's biggest singles of 2010 has
a video out. Counter reports however, from the PXC (Pixel Chaos) front man
known simply as MEX (the director of the video); say
that this version is just a decoy. Mex tweeted from his handle at
about 3:56 PM on Jan 20th 2011 as follows

PXC_Mex: Oleku video isn't out yet, it's a leak, please spread the word.
According to him the complete and original
version will hit your TVs soon. Whatever the case, since I love you guys who read
the ZOETROPE I'm gonna show it to you anyway. I will be doing a review of it later
so...watch this space. In the meantime...please FEEL this boy ICEPRINCE in HD.

Enjoy the video and leave a comment on what you like or don't like about it.

INTERVIEW: MY DAY OUT WITH THE TRIPCITY CREW.

2011-01-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

I couldn't guess what time it was really, my eyelids felt like they had lead weights hanging from them. There was just this constant buzz that continued to filter into my end of dreamland. It sounded like one of those grinding machines that are powered by petrol also known to Yoruba people as "PAPA PUPU". "Oh darnit" I thought, it's a DE JAVU, a flashback from one of those days in my childhood when my mother would call me up right when I'm about to see how VOLTRON defeats the ugly ROBEAST. Her voice would ring out loud and strong "SEUN!!! BA MI LO LOTA YII JO (seun go and grind this pepper). Suddenly I woke up and yeah...there was no grinding machine, it was just the vibration from my ringing phone amplified by the wooden headboard right above my head. "Na who be this I thought?" but when I saw the caller, it came to me in a rush..."Gosh!! my appointment with TRIPCITY was for noon and it was already 11:40 am. In a mad rush I got out of bed and got ready and by 12:50 pm I was at the gate of Ilaka street Ilupeju; the venue for the interview. By the way; in case you are wondering why I was still in bed that late in the morning, it's cos I didn't get any sleep the night before. So I found the venue: which turned out to be a recording studio: home to the widely acclaimed XO (another one of Naija's super producers). I met with the TRIPCITY Crew; Tasti and Sukiyaki. The discussion that ensued...is as below. Enjoy.

AJS: Did u always think it was going to be music?

Tasti: Nah… I never really thought it was gonna be music until I was in university, In my second year. Even though I used to do it…since I was in primary school, my parents always used to rebuke me. You know, to them it was like music ke! (laughs). Well after I just felt like I could really do it u know..i have always wanted to so I just recorded my first song and things just kicked off from there.

AJS: Ok, so, on the real now, what was the immediate reaction of your friends when you told them you would be going into music professionally.

Tasti: (chuckles) Ah… they were like “GUY WETIN HAPPEN NA?” (laughs), but later sha, when they see you, they just start feeling your stuff now. Of course there will still be people that don’t like you (switches to pidgin) it’s a normal thing na.

AJS: (to Sukiyaki who joins the discussion) so did you always think it would be music?

Sukiyaki: Yeah, since when I was young.

AJS: Oh so it’s different for you then?

Sukiyaki: Yeah, totally different.

AJS: So that means that the reaction would have been different when you told people that you had recorded.

Sukiyaki: People were actually expecting to hear something from me. I normally used to sing in school, I used to sing in church, until later I took it to the next stop.

SUKIYAKI & TASTI : XO's STUDIO ILUPEJU 1:17 PM

AJS: The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the two names: TASTI and SUKIYAKI I thought to myself; were these guys inspired by food, because I know that SUKIYAKI is Chinese sauce or soup.

SUK: (Cuts in) Beef soup.

AJS: Oh, ok it means beef soup… and we all know what TASTI implies. So tell me, what were you guys thinking, when choosing those names?

TST: "TASTI".. well the name came from...eh..ok I guess it was a girl that started calling me that when she heard my music. It’s just the style of music really , you know I thought it was ok cos they used to call me Dosh before, so it’s just like different styles of music cos when I was growing up I used to listen to all kinds of music; from alternative to rock to Jazz and many others. So it’s just basically different tastes of music. It’s not just Tasti, but different tastes of different genres.

AJS: Alright, so Sukiyaki… that stemmed from what?

SUK: First of all, my name is Sukanmi, from Sukanmi they used to call me Sukky. Now, with the kind of mischievous friends I had in school, they started calling me Sukiyaki.

AJS: So when they threw the name, it stuck?

SUK: It stuck. (laughs). Now, "SUKIYAKI" is a Japanese/Thai/Chinese dish and one thing about Chinese food is that, once you pop, you can’t stop. So once you hear my music you always want to hear more.

AJS: That’s an interesting way to look at it. Ok, moving on…is TRIPCITY a group?

TST: It’s not…it’s just a crew consisting of me and him.

AJS: Ok, since that is cleared up, tell me what’s new that you bring to the table? Nigerian music has ballooned and all kinds of acts are thriving. So what is the unique thing you are bringing in to the industry?

TST: when u listen to TripCity music, it’s quite different from other artistes out there; why? It’s cos we are versatile, we rap, we sing, we do pop, afropop, we could do Afrobeat even dance hall. So we try to fuse everything together and put it all on the same compilation. Something like the BLACK EYED PEAS.

AJS: So what you mean is that your music cannot be classified under a specific genre.

TST: Yeah that’s our plan you know, like maybe in a few years to come, when an album comes out and people listen and they hear a lot of stuff that appeals to different audiences.

AJS: From what I have heard…you know, your singles so far, what you do is rap. So you need to explain it to me, do you mean that your style of rap touches on other genres of music?

SUK: We won’t say “our own kind of rap”. We rap, sing, we do afropop, we do techno….its a fusion.

TST: Just focusing on the song itself u know, sometimes it’s not because you are a rap artiste now…if you want to achieve something on a song you might not need to rap. It’s just what you want to achieve really you know. What’s the ambience, how do you want the song to feel.

SUK: What we are just trying to do is be unpredictable.

AJS: 2011 is a fresh year, so what’s t he plan between now and Dec 2011?

SUK: We want to expand our horizon.

TST: We are looking at not just sticking to music, cos we do make good music. He (Sukiyaki) is a producer, I do a lot of art…you know, we can look at a creative way to fuse art and music together.

SUK: Also, before December we are looking at doing a few videos and a few collaborations with other artistes.

AJS: Can we get some names? The names always draw the flies…so to speak.

SUK: I don’t think we can disclose any information yet.

AJS: Where do you see Trip City in 5 years?

SUK: Tripcity Entertainment in 5 years….by God’s grace would be an entertainment Empire, we would have expanded, we would not only focus on music, we would have extended our tentacles into other sects of the entertainment industry, there’s sound production, there’s dance, there’s video production and there is graphics. Tasti does graphics…

TST: We would still be in the scope of entertainment basically. Our major aim is youths, we are looking for how we can make it…cos in the economy we are in now, there are a lot of people who don’t know what to do.

SUK: Yeah, there is no work out there right now for young people, you leave school and you are like what next?

AJS: (to Sukiyaki) You just said that Tasti does graphics.

TST: Yeah.

AJS: Where you responsible for the promo material for Tripcity?

TST: yes

AJS: Who are you favorite foreign acts?

TST: Kanye West and Lil Wheezy.

SUK: Drake and Timbaland.

AJS: How about Naija here?

SUK: I respect EL DEE a lot. He has been in the game for a while, he sings, he raps and he has been consistent and he is producing.

AJS: (to Tasti) And you?

TST: EL DEE as well.

AJS: Wow..its EL DEE’S lucky day.

TST: I have been a Trybesmen fan for a long time.

AJS: On a lighter note..what’s your favorite movie cliché?

TST: For me I think it’s the BAD GUY fight at the end of the movie. When you just go (strikes a boxer’s pose) GEN GEN!!! (laughs), you know that part when the have beaten him down and he rises up from the ashes (laughs harder…actually we are all laughing at this point). Yeah, that’s something you will always see in movies for years to come.

AJS: (to Skiyaki) How about you?

SUK: I’m not a movie person…I have no take on this subject.

THE TRIPCITY CREW ALONGSIDE YOURS TRULY 1:40 PM

AJS: So your song titled SHON SUN NI….where did that stem out from?

SUK: (in hush tone) SHON SUN....

TST: (suddenly bursts out loudly) ARE YOU SLEEPING!!!??? (general laughter).

AJS: Ok, now this question is gonna come out like an accusation; now its normal within our industry he comes out with his own slogan; like UTUNU, or short clichés like JOOOR OH, or with Da Grin it was that amazing laugh and with Dbanj I mean… I don’t need to say it….it was almost a national slogan. Did you guys have this at the back of your minds when you recorded that song?

TST: From my own point of view, it wasn’t really planned. We were in the studio and we were actually going to record another song, and one of our friends came in a told us; "meehn they just stole something from my car". So I was just like; guy are you serious, ah ahn, were you sleeping, SHON SUN NI? So the tune was playing and we were just like SHON SUN NI? (singing it on and on). In fact the way the first recording came out is very different from the song as it is now.

AJS: How about the other songs, what are their titles?

SUK: SHE WANNA and CATCH THE CRUISE.

AJS: So its three singles so far…are we expecting to hear more work from you guys individually?

SUK: Yeah.

TST: That’s even the plan, to have a Tripcity compilation that with the two of us cos we are a crew and not a group so after the compilation we release solo albums.

AJS: When are we expecting this compilation then?

SUK: We can’t pin it to a particular date but before the end of the year.

TST: Yeah before the end of the year, let’s just be realistic…cos before then we are doing the video you know so by God’s grace that will be out by this the end of this quarter.

AJS: What is the challenge of being an unsigned artiste?

TST: Lemme just give you a story: when I was coming here…I came all the way from the Island, I left my cash at home so I was basically stranded. I had to call Lanre (their manager) like “what will I do today?” I was there for about an hour and a half. So basically, financial constraints and a few other things.

SUK: Actually I would say it’s being recognized, there is a lot of disrespect…but the passion that we have keeps us going.

AJS: This has been fun….I would say..I wish you both the best…please say your last words to the peeps who would read this.

SUK: Watch out Tripcity, we coming soon.

TST: We’re gonna bring the shin shin to the building!!!

Discussion concluded at 1:51 pm 15^th Jan 2011.

Click download and listen to two TRIPCITY singles.

SHE WANNA

SHON SUN NI?

SEUN'S MOVIE RADAR: BLACK GOLD BY JETA AMATA

2011-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

Starring Hollywood bigwigs like Vivica A. Fox, Tom Sizemore, Eric Roberts, Michael Madsen, Hakeem Kae-Kazim and our very own Mbong Amata; Jeta Amata's new offering to the big-screen might be just what the Nigerian movie industry needs to attain mainstream recognition. BLACK GOLD centers around:

One local Niger Delta community's struggle against their own government and a multi-national oil corporation who has plundered their land and destroyed the environment.

Lets just hope that this offers

a balance in terms of perspectives considering the sensitivity of its thematic thrust. Well, I guess we will just have to wait till it hits cinemas. Meanwhile enjoy the short preview below.

Plot Overview and Photo sourced from: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Niger-Delta-The-Black-Gold-Film/139370876121060?v=wall

THE WORLDS 25 BIGGEST HITS OF 2010 IN ONE MASH UP: DJ EARWORM'S: UNITED STATE OF POP!

2011-01-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

I really had to to this after I stumbled on DJ Earworm's mash up of the twenty five biggest pop hits of 2010 according to Billboard international. Now this is not just one other DJ mix, it is "THE" mix I assure you. Earworm takes jar of Lady Gaga's BAD ROMANCE and sprinkles in a little of Taio Cruz's DYNAMITE and then he calls up " Rihanna's RUDE BOY. Enrique Iglesias' I LIKE IT helped to spice up Katy Perry's TEENAGE DREAM and when he gets a whiff of what is about to be served, Usher screams "OMG"!!!!!!!!

Just having fun people enjoy DJ EARWORM"S audiovisual kaleidoscope of pure fun and don't forget to leave a comment.

SEUN'S VIDEO REVIEW: LAMIDE'S ENI DURO DIRECTED BY DJ TEE

2011-01-06T05:29:00.000-08:00

ARTISTE: OLAMIDE

As one of Nigeria's premium music video directors; DJ TEE has continued to bring some of our favorite songs to visual fruition. He (DJ TEE) has been doing this a far into the days of the Nigerian music boom as the origin of the then critically acclaimed but now unsung Music Africa (kai, I hope thats not a #GBAGAUN heheh). However, of a lot of the Naija hit tunes that I have seen DJ TEE bring to life, Lamide's ENI DURO tickles a specific part of ma medulla (Oh thank god this is a blog and I can write the way I feel).

VIDEO DIRECTOR: DJ TEE.

First of all, it's hats off to the artiste in question. It is the quality of material presented in Lamide's Lyrical ingenuity that provided DJ TEE with enough creative material to work with. This video is a break away from the from the overtly forced and pretentious "swagger" that characterizes your average Naija Video. DJ TEE sets all the events on the streets of what seems to be Bariga (Lagos Nigeria) and not one of those badly lit clubs that we are used to. The most interesting thing that this video has to offer the visual mode of telling. DJ TEE continually reels out a constant stream of physical interpretations of Lamide's lyrics and he tops this up with seamless transitions from scene to scene....AAAAAH. Ok let me just give my verdict and stop blabbing before I confuse you with too much OYINBO!!

VERDICT (of a possible score of ten)>>

CONCEPT: 7.8

CINEMATOGRAPHY: 8.0

EDITING: 8.5

SCENE STAGING: 9.0

If you don't agree...Hhehe u don't have to....just leave a comment.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW>

SEUN'S MOVIE RADAR: GENEVIEVE NNAJI & JOSEPH BENJAMIN STAR IN NEW (35mm) MOVIE: TANGO WITH ME.

2010-12-27T04:02:00.000-08:00

From the desk of one of Nigeria's finest film producers; Ali Mahmoud Balogun, comes another movie, soon to hit big screens around the continent. Tango with me Star's Africa's Julia Roberts ( in the words of Oprah Winfrey) Genevieve and Fresh face, Joseph Benjamin. Its shot on 35mm film....here is a short trailer.

SEUN'S STAR FORECAST: EVA

2010-12-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

With an effortless delivery and flawless flow,
Eva burst on to the Nigerian HipHop scene
with her appearance on Cartiar's Remix of
Owo ati Swagger. Her outing on
DJ Jimmy Jatt's "Lick mic" completely
incinerated every doubt in the minds of Naija
HipHop heads that this babe was born to do it.
Eva recently released a single titled Down Low
featuring Shank. This song is enjoying some
major airplay right now. For 2011
this is one Nigerian Femcee that will not be
ignored....tell someone I SAID SO!!
Here's EVA wishing Yall a Merry Christmas.

NB>> here is a bonus video of her Jimmy's Jump Off
freestyle!!

SEUN'S STAR FORECAST:SAY HELLO TO PITA!

2010-12-24T02:15:00.000-08:00

<PITA>

Peter Linus is a gospel alternative rock artiste...now
I know that this genre of music is kind of dicey to pull off in this part of the world,
how ever, I am a living witness to how easy PITA makes it look.
This dude's most priceless gift, is the power of his voice, and how well he harnesses it
within a live performance.

Here is a brief bio of Mr. Linus:

At age 7, PITA joined the children’s choir, at Upper – Room Mission Church, in Satellite Town ,Lagos . A veritable nurturing ground ,it led, some years later ,to the formation of a 6 – man gospel accapella group called Baby’s Heart – a reflection of their collective youth ,beat and devotion to proclaiming God’s gift through harmonizing .It wasn’t long before the group gained a fair degree of good publicity ,invariably leading to PITA’s growth and direct collaboration with much older, established artistes including B.O.U.Q.U.I, Segun OBE, Tosin MARTINS, Olufunmi, Pastor AITY amongst many others.

His Mission : To meaningfully contribute to the music industry with his unique fusion of African hooks alternative rock-filled gospel.

His Vision: To create a positive impact ,through his music ,on the lives of everyone it touches, drawing each closer to God.

Now trust me, if you are talking about people who
will be taking over the airwaves in 2011; my money is on PITA!!
You dont believe me? Then lets prove it. CLICK AND LISTEN (below)

Ebamirababa ft Olufunmi
No evil
Imela

Bio:sourced from www.iwantairplay.com

WEIRD MC & SWITCH IN NEW VIDEO: JEHOVAH (the paper song)!

2010-12-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this new video, Oven Fresh from our very own Weird Mc. The song is titled JEHOVAH (the paper song) and features Switch from the pulse. This one has an inspirational tilt to it. As directed by the Capital Dreams skipper: Clarence A Peters, the vidoe has funny Cameos by Yinka Davies and Nigeria's Funny men; Koffi and Gbenga Adeyinka I. There is not a whole lot to say about this one, except that it is a pleasure to watch. My verdict is: JUSTICE WAS DONE TO THE MESSAGE OF THE SONG. See for yourself. heheh!

SEUN'S STAR FORECAST... POPE da HITMAN

2010-12-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I was listening to the Beat FM and I heard one a very interesting sample of a Fela song
the fact that the very act of taking such a step (sampling Fela, that is) is a very daring one. On my first listen however, I discovered that whoever this dude is, he has a lyrical wit that borders on outright bravery. Pope is one rapper that the Nigerian hip-hop community should keep an eye on. Here is a freestyle by pope from the hit TV show JIMMY"S JUMPOFF

Born Michael Egube in Benin City, Pope is the 1st child & only son of his parents with two beautiful sisters. Pope spent his early years at oil-rich Warri before moving to Lagos. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of influences including Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z and Fela; he started music at an early age, learning to play the keyboard while in primary school. He later added the drums and bass guitar to his repertoire in secondary school, as well as what would ultimately become his foremost skill: rap. By 2008, Pope had become a respected name on the underground hip-hop scene in Nigeria, where he cut his teeth on numerous underground mixtapes while honing his signature melody-driven rap sound, eventually getting the attention of Cackland Music, his current label home. With his two official debut singles just released ('Enjoy'-which he sampled Fela & fused it with jazzy hip-hop to make a classic & 'Baale Baale'-which he made a club hit from only drums) and his debut album slated for release later this year, Pope has effectively proven that he is set to take the entertainment industry in Africa by storm. Bio sourced from www.truspot.com

Things are certainly looking up in the Naija Movie terrain. Here is another slice of hope from 37th STATE! woop woop!!

2010-12-22T04:04:00.000-08:00

this is another one of those good looking trailers, its a short film by 37thSTATE is a new film studio headed by filmmaker, Bolaji Kekere-Ekun. NKIRU is the first in a trilogy of groundbreaking short films the studio plans to release in 2011.

The story of NKIRU centers around a group of friends who go to the beach and disappear under mysterious circumstances. With stellar performances from all of its fresh up-and-coming cast, this supernatural thriller takes a modern look at a familiar myth in Nigerian and African society.

The ‘supernatural’ genre is one that is explored quite often in Nigerian movies, however, it is usually from the same point of view. It is refreshing to see a younger, more modern take on this. Check out the teaser trailer below. The movie is produced by Nkechi Bakare.
The film is slated for release in the first quarter of 2011.

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFO: WWW.BELLANIJA.COM

NIGERIAN ACTRESS DAMILOLA ADEGBITE AND GHANA'S CHRIS ATTOH STAR IN A NEW MOVIE: 6 HOURS TO CHRISTMAS.

2010-10-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

From the stable of Sparrow films and the same director who brought you Perfect Picture, comes another romantic comedy 6 Hours Before Christmas . Shirley Frimpong Manso has succeeded in sealing her reputation as one of Africa’s most prolific directors, with numerous awards under her belt. The movie is set to premiere at the National Theatre Acrra. It parades Ghanaian Chris Attoh and Nigerian TV starlet Damilola Adegbite as head-liners. 6 Hours Before Christmas is built on well thought up comical twists, see the synopsis below.

The story

It looks like it's going to be a typical 24th December day for suave creative director, Reggie and perhaps a slightly more memorable one as his girlfriend promises him dinner and fireworks before the stroke of midnight.

Things however take an exciting turn for him when his office colleague and the girl he's lusted after for a long time gives him a Christmas present he finds impossible to refuse.

As Reggie's mind goes into overdrive, events unfold into very hilarious and yet bizarre circumstances and it seems a day that started with the promise of Christmas may just end in heartbreak and a gun to Reggie's head.

It looks like this one is gonna be a pleasure to watch, go ahead click on that “PLAY” icon above.

NNEKA TEAMS UP WITH GIDEON AND JIMMY LOUIS ON NEW FILM RELENTLESS

2010-10-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Known today as one of the county’s biggest exports within the international music community; Nneka Egbuna seems to have more creative sides to her than just being a musician. In her big screen debut, she teams up with Gideon Okeke (of the hit multicam TV soap Tinsel) and Haitian actor Jimmy Jean Louis form Phat Girls in a movie directed by Andy Amadi Okafor, titled RELENTLESS.

The ,movie tells of Obi (Gideon) a war veteran who returns from duty in Serria Leone to start up a security firm with Ola, a close friend of his. He is haunted by a bitter past with the gruesome murder of a girl he loved back on his expedition in Serria Leone. On one night, his attempt to draw himself away from his brutal past is brought to naught as he rescues a high class prostitute (Nneka) from death by the hands of one of her clients.

The trailer does not say a lot but speaks in volumes.....yeah I know that sounds like a head scratcher but I’m sure you will get what I mean when you see it.

JON OGAH BOUNCES BACK ON TO THE SCENE WITH NEW VIDEO.

2010-10-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

Young and talented winner of last year's edition of

NAIJA SINGS, Jon Ogah, know within the larger circles as

Jon O is fresh off a plane from Phoenix Arizona in the

US with a brand new video titled; TONIGHT.

This is a consolidation on the success of his other

single; Gbedu. I guess this means we should be

expecting more from the promising 19 year old

crooner.

Directed by HD Tay, the video is creatively injected with

Jon's warmth and effortless charm, it makes for an enjoyable viewing

..see for yourself.

CHARLY BOY AND DENRELE..WHAM BAHM....IN YOUR FACE.

2010-10-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

I would first like to say that before you read any

further; you note that I speak entirely from my point of view.
So if you do not agree with it then that’s entirely up to you

I know the feeling I get when I’m watching The Style Network and I see
a dude with a heavy layer of foundation, lip gloss and eye shadow on, with a funny hairstyle girly hand gestures and a handbag.
To speak honestly, it knots my stomach up. A few years ago, one would have thought it would take quite a while for such behaviour to filter across international borders towards our beloved country Nigeria. unfortunately it is sad to realize today, that it has already happened

Yesterday some pictures of two famous men were leaked onto the internet with them kissing each other. Well it’s not been much of a secret that activist, musician cum entertainment “Big Wig” Charlie Boy (CHARLES OPUTA) and Nigeria’s wacky on air personality Denrele Edun had a certain degree of admiration for each other. As a matter of fact, it is reflective in their sense of style. Now, there have been debates about whether they are both gay, bisexual or if the entire thing is just one huge publicity stunt. As far as I am concerned it really doesn’t matter; I mean the way these two adult “MALES” spend their “LEISURE” time is no business of mine. My worry here is the power of INFLUENCE.

In the first instalment of the Spiderman movies; Peter Parker’s uncle is known to have told his nephew, that; “with great power comes great responsibility”. I think these guys did not put this into consideration when they took that picture. Really men, think about it; Charlie Boy and Denrele are two of the most popular individuals in Nigerian media today, that gives them so much power. If they are seen engaging in such acts publicly, then WATCH OUT!!! This is going to start popping up all over the country. More people will come out of the closet. It will start looking cool to be gay or bisexual. The typical Nigerian father’s nightmare would be to wake up and have his full grown male kid tell him, “daddy what’s wrong with being gay, after all ***** and ***** are openly displaying their intimacy”? What else is there to say but , may the good lord help this generation of earthlings....pshewww!!

Ah well, like I said at the beginning of this article; this is entirely my opinion and you don’t have to agree with me. One last thing though; wouldn’t it just be an incredible gag to see Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Charly Boy’s octogenarian father’s face on sighting the picture.

Kaffy Takes on Music

2010-10-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Nigeria's hottest female authority
on dance and Choreography
Kafayat Shafau aka Kaffy has decided
to tow the musical path.
Did I just sense scepticism? Well..my thoughts
exactly. Sounds like the proverbial Nigerian entertainment
GIMMICK huh? Well lets not be too hasty though.
Kaffy is not new to the business of music videos
but this one is hers. its titled OMO LASGIDI.
Make your candid comments.

Amata...Setting Trends...INALE.

2010-10-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Jeta Amata is known for setting a few trends
within the Naija film industry.
He seems to have done it again
by making the first Nigerian musical
on film. the movie features the the
crossover LOST star; Hakeem Kae Kazeem and
Nigerian Musician and former Idols judge

Dede Mabaku. The movie features original
songs of the Nigerian high life doyen; Bongos Ikwe.
I am a bit lost on the casting of "POT BELLIED"
Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, as the mystery boxer.
Well, lets not be too hasty, maybe it will be justified when we see
the actual movie. Here is a good looking preview though.

DIPP pops off in chaotic pixels

2010-10-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Here's another one from the
house of pixel chaos......
Dipp's new video pushes all
the envelopes. Iam just a bit worried about his
whole "USHER RAYMOND" type identity
hope it doesn't earn himm a bullet in his foot
if you know watta mean...* mischievous winks*.
The video is definitely fun to watch; packed with
stunning dance moves and eye popping special effects. Enjoy yourselves

while you watch.