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Tinsel’s Osas Ighodaro Says Kissing On Screen Is Embarrassing To Me

2013-05-17T17:48:00.001-07:00

HOT OR MISS

NEWS BIT: EFE OMOROGBE CHALLENGES KENNY OGUNGBE'S NEC SPEECH ; WANTS TO HAVE AN OPEN SESSION ON NATIONAL TELEVISION

2013-05-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

Efe Omorogbe of Now Muzik has challenged Kenny Ogungbe of Kennis Music to an open session. According to the mail I Got

When I learnt that Mr. Keke Ogungbe, founder/CEO of Kennis Music was billed to speak on the topic: Are Record Labels Endangered Species?” at the inaugural Nigeria Entertainment Conference, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect and it made all a bit more exciting.

I obviously had my opinion on the subject matter. Working with artistes in management capacity and providing label support services to the indie artist had made it quite clear that the label is a necessity even with the advent of the digital era. To me, it was simply a question of adaptability for the labels, the traditional need remains, it was just the modus operandi that needed tweaking.

I was curious to find out Mr. Ogungbe’s perspective and recommendations as to how the label can ensure its survival and profitability. The speech, though highly informative and interesting didn’t adequately address the topic in my opinion. More ink was dedicated to an engaging historical exposition and general music/entertainment industry issues than the meat of the session which to me, was more about the status of the record label in a changing music business environment.

For me, some of the core issues are thus:

a, If an artist can record, mix and master a track on his laptop, produce a viral vid on the same device, publish the audio and visual materials on youtube, promote via social media and secure iTunes and Spinlet distribution by sending 3 emails and possibly become a star, of what use is a label to such an artiste?

b, As digital distribution gradually become the primary source of label revenue, how sustainable is a system where a telco insists on an 80/20 rev share ratio with a VAS company/aggregator which in turn, takes about half and leaves the label with a paltry 10% to further split with the artiste?

c, If 60% of the current hit-makers are independent, what are the prospects for traditional labels? etc…

These and other questions were neither directly raised nor addressed by Mr. Ogungbe’s paper but interestingly, that is not even the reason for this rejoinder. My concern stems not from the issues that weren’t treated but from some of the pious positions taken and controversial comments made by Mr. Ogungbe during the session.

Mr. Ogungbe and I have had conversations on these industry issues for the better part of 9 long years and we know each other’s perspective and antecedents well enough. As I stated during the business session, I have a different side to many of the stories and assertions made by him during the music session. In deference to the speaker and panelists of the business session, the guests and the organizers, I elected to not address his positions there and then but it would be disservice to the industry in particular and the nation in general if these grievous misrepresentations are allowed to be documented unchallenged.

Mr. Ogungbe and Kennis Music did not create many of the problems bedeviling the music industry but in my opinion, didn’t do enough to fight them either. If anything, his actions and inactions, inadvertently but significantly weakened others who were hell bent on taking on the problems. Let me explain.

Joey Ukpong of Styl Plus Music reached out to me early 2006 in a bid to secure Now Muzik’s support for their price re-adjustment move for “Expressions”, the group’s forthcoming sophomore CD. About a year earlier, they had pushed Styl Plus’ debut 4 track, 1 remix EP, “Olufunmi” on jewel cases at N500.00 per unit retail price and it had been hugely successful. Here they were, planning a March 2006 release of an 11 track full length album that market forces a.k.a Alaba pirates dictate cannot be sold for a penny more than N250 retail. It was a bitter pill to swallow so Joey met up with me at our Maryland office to sell a proposition. He said they wanted to insist on a N400 per CD position but reckoned the chances of success would be higher if other top artistes agreed to push their products at the same price. He said he came to us first because Now Muzik represented at that time, a crop of heavy hitters on the scene. And we did. 2face, Sunny Neji, African China and Ruggedman were clients of ours but there was a limitation. Some of these artistes recorded under other labels and the power to make such decision resided with the labels. 2face was on Kennis Music and Kennis was the most influential label at the time so naturally, Baba Keke’s, as we fondly call him, was our first port of call.

Ever blunt and firm, Mr. Ogungbe told Don T, my partner and I that the move was doomed for failure. He posited that the only solution to the piracy scourge was for us to toe the line of the marketers and allow the ones who have been duly licensed by the labels to distribute the music, sell at a price that’s competitive with what the pirates offered. His belief was that the focus should be on pushing volume. Just as the likes of T-Joe and Obaino had argued, if we crashed the price to a point where the margin is narrowed down to about N10 – N25, pirates would be significantly discouraged from the trade. Then the label will be “allowed” to push units in the millions in peace and everyone would be fine. Really? We left downcast and terrified.

After deep analysis of the discussion, we concluded that for a label with the media might that Kennis possessed at the time, it probably was logical for them to adopt that approach and depend on huge volume to break even and make profit. For the rest of the industry however, it portended doom. Promotion is expensive worldwide. Nigeria isn’t an exception. Mass electronic media push budget for the regular label would easily exceed recording and packaging cost many times over and make it increasingly difficult to break even on a N25 per CD – or less- income. For Kennis, they were in heaven. They had access to an obscene amount of airtime on radio and television and made damned good use of it. Their music and talent were engaging content for their television and radio gigs which earned them good money and in turn, served as marketing and promo platforms for their music and artistes. Genius! More so, when for a good while, the competition was subpar and the ratings were in their favour. They ran the roost. A lot of industry guys cowered and sucked up to them for a bit of shine time so it was VERY CONVENIENT to adopt the “crash the price and push for volume” philosophy. Keke Ogungbe and Kennis Music did what no one could knock them for – look out for themselves – ONLY.

Of course, Styl Plus Music and Ahbu Ventures put out “Expressions” in March 2006, sold their CDs at N400 for the first 10 days or so and then- BANG! The pirates unleashed their cheaper alternative. The rest of us didn’t actively support their brave move, and they failed. But the failure was really ours as a collective. Soon afterwards the retail price dropped to N200 and then to N150. The marketers put pressure on the replicating plants to crash production price per unit to N25. Sleeves were pegged at N5 and wholesale pricing sashayed between N45-N50 leaving a N20 maximum mark up for marketer, label and artiste to share. The replicating plants were quick to realize that the boom was effectively over. The cost of operations wasn’t going to be sustainable at N25 per CD and some watched their operations shrink weekly. Some closed shop in no time. We had started selling the plastic sound carrier and paper jacket with a tiny mark up. The music, the content had lost all value. The industry was on a free fall to implosion. We cried out and started work towards some form of organized resistance.

I gave an interview and posited that the music business would implode in 18 months if we didn’t rise up to the threat posed by piracy and improper packaging and pricing. If I was the one Mr. Ogungbe was referring to when he talked about “somebody who said the industry was dead in a bid to seek relevance” and proudly added “and I told people who asked me that it was their industry that was dead, not mine”, it is indeed unfortunate.

Some of us didn’t agree with his approach. We didn’t think it was feasible to build a business model that depended on moving units in the millions for sustainability. We knew that five hundred thousand units was a difficult mark to hit even in the US, one million was special. That’s why they awarded a platinum plaque for such achievement. We recognized that records moved 100,000 units in places like SA and the label bosses pop champagne. We reckoned that 100,000 units to the Nigerian label at that rate was N1,500,000 max – less maybe 40/50 royalty to the artiste – less than half the cost or recording the album in the first place not to mention additional costs to package, shoot videos and promote. We didn’t just agree with Mr. Ogungbe. Kennis Music may have been satisfied with cheap products, low budget packaging and heavy hype to sustain its business but not everyone agreed. To the likes of O’Jez, Storm Records and emerging forces like Square Records and Mo” Hits, quality packaging must match hype. They invested in quality photography, styling, videos and the industry responded in appreciation. People wanted their products to look appealing. They wanted multiple paged packaging to allow space for detailed credits, lyrics, pictures and the like. N5 per jacket wasn’t going to deliver that. So you can understand my sense of alarm when part of Mr. Ogungbe’s paper stated thus:

“As a people, we deserve the best and quality product. We should never compromise quality on the alter of cheapness. Pirated works can never stand the test of time because the quality is ever and embarrassingly poor”

We came together and started the resistance conversions under the aegis of Music Business Forum at Sweet Sensation, Isaac John, Ikeja. MBF became AM.B-Pro and would later close ranks with eight other industry associations to form the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition. We engaged the NCC, the office of the AGF, the presidency, one another and worked tirelessly towards tackling the piracy problem and resolving the long-drawn collective management imbroglio. We have been in the trenches working with the government, the NCC to fight piracy at great personal cost and risk. The hitherto impregnable Alaba was demystified. They have been a series of raids and arrests. The historic prosecution of the Alaba king of pirates sent a strong warning to the criminals that the NCC and the industry were no longer taking things lying down. Mr. Ogungbe has made little or no contribution that I am aware of, to the fight. Instead, he has continued to stand by an illegal organization that has continually displayed contempt for the law and attacked the same NCC that has worked with stake-holders to fight back the piracy he protests thus:

“Record label owners today see music as bad investment due to the monstrous problem of piracy. It is time that practitioners of the industry should rise up to the challenge posed by piracy as it is killing the Artist, the Record Label owners, the Investors and the Economy”

I want to believe that I am not the only one who noticed the inconsistency between what Mr. Ogungbe’s written speech conveyed and what his spontaneous comments/outbursts communicated: How else does one connect the statement:

“I am encouraged by the recent development in the music industry as it relates to royalty. The tempo should be sustained. When a musician knows that the more airtime his works gets, the more income he earns which is timeless as music content utilization by broadcast stations and some recreational centres; use works that have mass appeal. Artistes and producers based on this are challenged to produce good works to have that followership”.

with the call thus:

“There should not be pirates in the name of collecting societies”

In an obvious attempt to discredit COSON, Mr. Ogungbe advanced the dangerous argument that broadcast stations should have the right to choose which body to license music from based on the repertoire and the power to do competitive bargaining for same. For a long time, some of us disagreed with proponents of a sole CMO situation in Nigeria and this was one of the main arguments advanced by the likes of Mr. Laolu Akins, Mr. Toju Ejueyitchie and Chief Tony Okoroji. They were resolute in their belief that multiple CMOs will breed chaos and become a powerful tool in the hands of users who are unwilling to pay. They maintained that at the end of the day desperate rights owners or their reps will make it impossible to establish and sustain reasonable standards and that multiple system will consequently not deliver the expected dividends to right owners in general. For a gesture of support for his position, he turned to Mr. Chris Obosi whose Megalectrics brand has indeed signed a licensing agreement with COSON and can’t be said to be in agreement with Mr. Ogungbe’s position. To all those who have remained unconvinced that multiple CMOs for Nigeria will work against rights owners, Mr. Ogungbe just presented proof that government made the right choice by approving only one CMO for a category of works!

I need answers. How can the industry, COSON, the broadcast stations “sustain the tempo” when Mr. Ogungbe functions as a top executive in a media empire that have so far refused to pay royalties? How can we entrench the culture of royalty payments when he continues to serve on the board of an illegal organization whose sole claim to legitimacy is a PRS affiliation that has been nullified for over two years? Maybe Mr. Mayo Ayilaran has not thought it expedient to inform the rest of the board and the members that MCSN does not have any affiliation with PRS anymore. But then again, maybe they know but don’t think it is of any consequence.

I have a bunch of other issues yet to address and I am sure Mr. Ogungbe has a different side to my different side of the story so far. Here’s my suggestion. Let’s have an open session, on live radio or television. Let’s have an open debate and settle these issues once and for all. Pick the date, time and venue sir. Just two hours of your time. The industry would be the better for it. I am waiting!

Efe Omorogbe

‘Are Record Labels Endangered Species?’ – Kenny Ogungbe’s Speech At #NECLIVE

By Kenny ‘Keke’ Ogungbe

With the highest humility, on behalf of the Board, Management and Staff Daar Communications PLC; the Proprietor & Operators of Ray-Power FM, Africa Independent Television (AIT), FAAJI FM, Daarsat and the Nigerian music sector, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Organizers of this historic Event for honouring me first and foremost as one of the Guest Speakers to make a presentation on – the Entertainment Industry with an amplification on Record Labels – an appraisal of the challenges, fortune and the prospects.

Secondly; I also wish to thank you for the recognition of my modest contribution to the Broadcast media and the Entertainment industry in particular hence the invitation in the very first instance which is an affirmation of the saying that ‘experience is the best teacher’ and ‘he who wears shoe, knows where it pinches’. With the highest regards and respect, all the Guest Speakers here carefully selected have individually and collectively being the best brains behind the remarkable successes recorded by the Nigerian Entertainment industry in the past decades.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, join me in giving a round of applause to both the organizers and my other respected Guest Speakers. Like the lizard glowingly stated in one of the great works of the now late Prof Chinua Achebe ‘If no one praises me, I will no doubt praise myself’ Mr. Adekunle Ayeni and his resourceful team; the publishers of Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET) posterity will record today’s event eternally as the future is of utmost concern to you all and he who plant a seed for the future generation; is indeed a leader and a statesman.

Entertainment according to Wikipedia is something that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It manifests in two forms. It is either an idea or a task.

Succinctly put, the operative words and concepts in the above definition are: Pleasure and delight. An intellectual analysis of the idea and task that ultimately give pleasure and delight suggest a peep into the omnipotence of the Almighty and His creative ingenuity. The capabilities of intrinsic efforts to elicit pleasure and delight which also is capable of holding the interest and attention of an audience is then not restrictive to humanistic capabilities alone but it is also inclusive of earthly resources and other creations. Nature and animals are equally capable of being sources and forms of entertainment.

Based on the above foundational analysis into this presentation, we can now itemize both human endeavours and nature’s resources that are entertainment related i.e. storytelling, cultural performance, games, sports, dance, musical performance, comedy, magic, fireworks, rallies, puppetry, animal shows, tourist sites, cinema and films amongst others.

The topic for which we are here gathered is suggestive of two things. One; the ingenuity and the exploitative capability of man in making a hitherto hobby; metamorphose into becoming a source of revenue. In the second half of the 20th century, sequel to the technological revolution which gave rise to the impressive and the remarkable growth in the media industry most especially the broadcast sector due to the audio-visual capabilities, natural talents of man in entertaining his community evolved into an industry thus giving birth to the entertainment industry.

The Fatai Rolling Dollars, the Kokoros, the Dan Maraya Jos and others began to earn revenue from their talents and intrinsicness. The Ali Babas out of the talent of jokes which was hitherto fantasy for children; meant to in still values and discipline through the mental artistry of romanizing personalities and situational conflicts for instructional purposes is today one of the biggest industry in the country – comedy.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen permit me to take you down memory lane on an historical excursion which will give us the opportunity to see and appreciate the aptness of today’s gathering and our collective efforts of nurturing an industry that is fast emerging as one of the greatest foreign exchange earner and international strategic branding machinery for our great country.

I most respectively refer you all to the April 8, 2013 edition of The News Magazine – cover story: Chinua Achebe – The Man, His works and Biafra – Top writers pay tribute.

The cerebral Odia Ofeimun as if the import of our gathering was on his intellectually sagacious mind, has this to say on society’s utter disregard for the impact and contribution of Entertainment/Music to the society:

‘For instance, one of the least celebrated characters in Things Fall Apart is actually the most serious and most important character – Unoka, the father of Okonkwo. Everybody remembers that Musician, who like Ulysses, could play flute and everything could either go to sleep or wake up; depending on what the flute meant to do. He was so good at it that his only problem was that he couldn’t do what everybody in the society was doing. He was not a farmer; he did not want to be judged in accordance with the standards of the farmer. He was a Musician and as an artiste, he did so well’

From the above, Odia Ofeimun amplified the society’s error of judgement in professional ranking and estimation. Heroism and professional egoistic tendency have eclipsed intrinsic talents and passion. In Things Fall Apart, everybody applauded Okonkwo’s valour and heroistic capabilities which unfortunately led to his down fall. The Musician who was humble and dexterous to the extent that his flute whenever his son – Okonkwo was on a heroic mission, the sound of his father’s flute invigorated him to his greatest possibilities. Paradoxically, the same society saw his father as a weakling. He; it was who entertained the entire community at social events. He was the unsung hero who nurtured their emotions and entertained the entire community. Whenever he blew his flute the community was joyous. In the natural law of division of labour, he was not a good farmer but an exceptional musician who others were incapable of replicating, copying and ‘pirating’.

From Odia Ofeimun’s intellectual excursion, I will now bring us back to the present. The music industry has transited from being a mere communally domesticated endeavour into a global multi-dollar business.

The entertainment industry/music is the blood of any nation. When a person suffers from anemia the chances of death is apparent. From the Stone Age, man has been known to have created and engaged in one form of entertainment and the other. From storytelling to cultural festivals, there have existed artistes who have contributed greatly to societal good, pleasure and well-being through their various dexterousness in either drumming, singing or dancing.

In modern society which is premised on technological revolution, the media have made the entertainment industry gained global acceptance and recognition. Today, products now have universal appeal and global markets. Jeans is worn globally; Prof Wole Soyinka is a global citizen due to his exceptional literary proficiency. Late Prof Chinua Achebe’s seminal book – Things Fall Apart sold about 12 million copies worldwide. The book has been translated in to more than 50 languages. Possibly the only book with such global feat in recent history. The music works of Fela Kuti is today a global brand. Our own Omotola Jolade Ekeinde was recently voted amongst the top 100 most influential personalities in the world.

From the above, we can appreciate and acknowledge the impact of the entertainment industry and the entertainment professionals in the global scene. The monetary worth of the various personalities is better imagined and their contribution to the national economy is also better left for posterity.

No doubt, the music industry is facing serious challenges which are not restrictive to the sector alone but other professions too, the nation and global obstacles that are inimical to the attainment of the inherent capacity of the realizable potential therein. The problem of infrastructural deficiencies, lack of capital, operational structures, effective management of the industry and most regrettably is the monstrous problem of piracy. These challenges are attitudinal, institutional and sometimes a function of sheer ignorance on the part of the artiste themselves. Collectively, we can improve on the situation and ultimately make things better for our society.

After taking a holistic view of the entire entertainment Industry, l now wish to focus on the topic for which I have been requested to appraise – Record Labels. In the 60′s, Foreigners owned Record Labels due to the technological requirements germane for the production and replication of musical works into forms that could be owned by majority of the people that could afford them – Albums.

Natural talents were abound then and now. The discovery of talents now is very easy and the opportunity for talents nurturing to national and global lime light is very easy considering the avalanche of Radio and Television stations operating in the country. Music today is one of the most fundamental elements and sine-que-non in content aggregation by broadcast media operators.

The role being played by some corporate bodies in talent discovery is indeed commendable. Every year, we are glued to our television sets watching budding talents being discovered and exhibiting; admirably their potentials. As a record label owner, my only advice is that budding talents should get good education first and foremost. Competitiveness is a function of core value and uniqueness. Great musical works is lyrics driven next to the voice quality. I am greatly worried with the present situation of one song stars. Why are we not able to replicate the great artistry, resourcefulness and the creativity of the King Sunny Ades, the Ebenezer Obeys, the Felas etc! etc!! etc!!!

Record Label owners today see music as bad investment due to the monstrous problem of piracy. It is time that practitioners of the industry should rise up to the challenge posed by piracy as it is killing the Artiste, the Record Label owners, the Investors and the Economy. As a people, we deserve the best and quality product. We should never compromise quality on the altar of cheapness. Pirated works can never stand the test of time because the quality is ever and embarrassingly poor.

Record Label owners should make the works of the Artiste on their labels available at designated markets/shops. Scarcity sometimes encourages piracy. The strategy is to make the product available when the product is accessible, the likely hood of pirated copy consumption will be low. I am encouraged by the recent development in the music industry as it relates to royalty. The tempo should be sustained. When a musician knows that the more air time his work gets, the more income he earns which is timeless as music content utilization by broadcast stations and some recreational centres; use works that have mass appeal. Artiste and Producers based on this are challenged to produce good works that have follower ship.

The various governmental agencies that are saddled with the responsibility of supervising the music industry should live up to their expectation and duties. The works of Arts/Entertainment is now a universal product with global appeal. Musicians are national Brands. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Nigerian Copy Rights Council, the National Film and Video Censors Board amongst others should ensure that all the artistic works emanating from Nigeria, are of world standard because mentally, such works have assumed the role of being national Brand Ambassadors. Our own Lagbaja was amongst the few selected African musicians that made the continent proud with the epic song – ‘so why’.

Lucky Dube was a pride to Africa. He was a global Musician. He was to Africa what Jimmy Cliff was to Jamaica. Eedris Abdulkareem through his musical works rose to world recognition when he joined the greatest African of our time – Nelson Mandela to receive the Olympic Torch in Egypt when it was brought to Africa the very first time. Is there any recognition that is greater than being selected to part of the greatest and the best from a continent? The entire human race watched the historic event. That is the power and the influence of being an Artiste and being good. What is good is always good. In conclusion, I will like us to imagine a Lagos in a Saturday; without newspapers, without radio, without television, without music, without Comedians, without Nollywood without beautiful dresses on our streets, without books, without the street decorations like billboards, road signs, without eateries, without football matches to watch either on television or live at the Onikan stadium. That is the power, the impact, the influence and the potency of the entertainment industry. Things can only be better for the entertainment industry.

Thank you and God bless.

Kenny ‘Keke’ Ogungbe, Founder/CEO of Kennis Music

This speech was delivered at the inaugural edition of the Nigerian Entertainment Conference held on Friday, April 26, 2013 at the Grand Ball Room of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos Nigeria.

E.L. (@ELrepGH) Freestyle/Interview on @Factory78

2013-05-17T15:54:00.003-07:00

Ghanaian star artiste/producer and Airtel ambassador, E.L. made a routine stop at the Factory78tv studios. The word-smith is currently in the UK hosting a radio special on BBC 1Xtra playing his favourite music.

When speaking to Adesope, the gifted musician talked about his controversial freestyle “Open Letter” where he appeared to have said he was no longer doing any collaborations with Ghana rappers. He also touched on the ripples he is making across the borders in Nigeria and the relationships he is building because of that. Watch the gifted young star's interesting interview including a hot freestyle on Factory78tv.

: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wUem0y--4Bs

PHOTO OF THE DAY

2013-05-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Umbrella-toting Marines protect Obama, Turkish PM from raindrops

2013-05-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

When you're the president of the United States, you don't hold your own umbrella. Highly trained Marines do it for you.

There was an unexpected bit of rain during a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday.

As drops fell on the two world leaders, President Barack Obama asked for some protection from the elements. "Why don't we get a couple of Marines," he said. "They're gonna look good next to us. Just 'cuz I've got a change of suits, but I don't know about our prime minister. There we go. [Gestures to press.] You guys, I'm sorry about."

Two dedicated Marines swooped in like hawks, open umbrellas at the ready. Those attending the news conference were presumably on their own.

The mockery began on Twitter almost immediately. One self-identified conservative posted a picturewith a caption reading: "OBAMA CALLS IN MARINES TO HOLD HIS UMBRELLA."

🇺🇸Obama calls in the MARINES to Hold his Umbrella❗ 👉#tcot #USMC #Troops #Vets #OpSLAM #teaparty #lnyhbt #Benghazi twitter.com/ChristiChat/st…
— Conservative❤ (@ChristiChat) May 16, 2013

But umbrella etiquette isn't new. Some might say it's a bipartisan issue. Behold Ronald and Nancy Reagan getting a rainy day assist from a member of the White House staff.

Reagan's umbrella guy had some great side burns. twitter.com/BuzzFeedAndrew…
— Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) May 16, 2013

Others on Twitter extended their sympathy to the Marines tasked with the unenviable job.

The Few. The Proud. The Umbrella Holders. weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-ca… — David Burge (@iowahawkblog) May 16, 2013

I'm sure these Marines were happy they went through Parris Island just so they could hold an umbrella for PRESBOshar.es/Zqtb4 — wayne (@travelbond) May 16, 2013

CNN reports that Marines being asked to hold umbrellas is "extremely rare," according to Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Greg Wolf. For one, it makes it difficult for the Marines to properly salute.

After several minutes, Obama judged the rain to have passed and asked the Marines to return to their posts.

President Barack Obama decides he no longer needs umbrella help. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)

New Chris Brown single to feature never-before-heard vocals from Aaliyah Track will appear on Brown's new album 'X

2013-05-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

Chris Brown has revealed that his next single will feature never-before-heard vocals from Aaliyah.

Pitchfork reports that the late singer, who died on August 25, 2001 in a plane crash, will make a posthumous appearance on Brown's track 'They Don't Know', which will feature on his forthcoming new album 'X', which is released on July 16. Previously, Brown had revealed that Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams Timbaland and Nicki Minaj would also all feature on the new LP, which will be sixth studio effort.

Earlier this week (May 12), it was reported that Chris Brown had made himself unpopular with his neighbours as they believed the "devil" artwork painted on the side of his Beverly Hills mansion is "scaring children". They claimed that the garish, sharp-toothed goblins, which are painted along the retaining wall of his Californian home, are ruining the community's aesthetic and upsetting local kids.

City officials responded to the complaints about Brown's monster art and fined the singer $376 (£244) for unpermitted and excessive signage. Brown has 30 days to remove the graffiti art, but his lawyer Mark Geragos says he is not backing down.

In August of last year, meanwhile, Brown's rival Drake unveiled a new posthumous duet with Aaliyah, titled 'Enough Said'. The track, produced by Noah '40' Shebib, features a previously unreleased vocal hook from the singer. Scroll down to listen to it.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born in New York in 1979 and raised in Detroit. She released her debut album, the R Kelly-produced 'Age Ain't Nothing But A Number', in 1994. It was followed in 1996 by 'One In A Million' and her self-titled third album, which was released a month before her death in 2001 and has since sold over 13 million copies.

Music Premiere: Wizkid - Calling You Remix Feat Chris Brown, T.I, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Sedjro and Meek Millz (CoolDjMaxi Mashup).)

2013-05-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

After a successful Orezi’s Rihanna Mashup by CoolDjMaxi , here’s another smashing hot mash up on Wizkid’s leak song, released early this year. Get ready to crank your stank y legs on this hip-hop remix…Enjoy!!!

Wizkid – Calling You Remix Feat Chris Brown, T.I, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Sedjro and Meek Millz

Wizkid - Calling You - CoolDjMaxi Remix.mp3
Play Download

MUSIC-PEPERONIE-OMOGE.

2013-05-16T15:17:00.001-07:00

Felix Emoghene, better known by his stage name Peperonie, is an upcoming Nigerian singer-songwriter and rapper who is currently based in London, United Kingdom.

Early Life

Born and raised in Lagos State, Nigeria, Peperonie grew up with his parents, Benson and Esther Emoghene and six siblings.

When Peperonie was younger, he attended Police children school Ikeja, where he completed his primary education. He then attended Logos comprehensive college Maryland for his secondary school education where he discovered his music talent. At Logos Peperonie and 3 other classmates came together to form a rap group called the young Christian rappers (YCR). The group was well known for performing gospel rap music in school events and parties. The YCR also performed at churches, Talent hunt and other schools around Ikeja area. Unfortunately they had to split up due to financial difficulties and one of the group core member transferring from Logos to another secondary school.

After Secondary school Peperonie decided to pursue his education to a higher level and eventually left the music scene. His parent decided to send him to the united kingdom for his higher education where he studied accounting at the University of Gloucestershire and earned his first degree.

MUSIC CAREER

Peperonie draws inspiration from the Afro Hip-Hop stars such as 2face, P-Square, D'Banj and the like. He is currently under Dream Muzik, one of Africa's biggest labels, and his début single titled "Omoge" is a song for the clubs which is meant to make you dance. His video is expected to drop soon.

PEPERONIE-OMOGE.mp3
Play Download

Follow on twitter @iampeperonie

Sassy Actress Mo’nique loses 80 pounds!

2013-05-16T14:39:00.004-07:00

The 45-year old Phat Girls star has lost 80 pounds, and is happier than ever.

“I’m the best Mo’Nique I’ve ever been,” she told NYC radio show Hot 97 Tuesday. “And I still have a ways to go.”

Part of the secret behind the Oscar winner’s fitter physique is committing to walking at least 10,000 steps a day, which she keeps track of on a pedometer, and mixing up her workouts, which include weight lifting, yoga, basketball and running. She also tweets updates on her progress and messages of encouragement for others trying to get in shape.

But Mo’Nique didn’t just lose the weight for her own sake: She did it for her family, thanks in part to husband Sidney Hicks‘ encouragement. When she weighed in at “close to 300 pounds,” she recalls saying to herself, “OK sis, you got these babies. The twins are 7, Michael‘s 9, Shalon‘s 22.’ And I want to meet their babies. So, I said, ‘Let me stop being selfish and eating everything.’” (E!)

“And I ate everything,” she admits. “I was a food junkie.”

Part of the reason she’s being so open about her gradual, healthy course of action is that she wants it to inspire others. “I want women to see, especially us big women, that you don’t have to let them cut you and suck it out,” she says. “You don’t have to let them staple you up. You don’t have to let them give you a pill. You don’t have to let them put a band around your organs. If you just put the work in, baby, I promise you, it comes off.”

Congratulations, Mo’nique! Looking good!

Yvonne Nelson Announced As A Judge for 2013 Miss Universe Pageant!

2013-05-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

CONGRATS TO HER...

PHOTO OF THE DAY

2013-05-16T05:36:00.001-07:00

Pregnant Kim Kardashian's worst fear: Kanye could be gay

2013-05-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

Insiders are claiming that gay rumors about Kanye is pushing Kim to the breaking point. There are rumours that he's dating 39 year old Riccardo Tisci, the creative director of fashion power house, Givenchy, and that's why he's more in Paris than in the US.

From In Touch

When fashion bloggers slammed the flowery Givenchy dress she wore to Met Gala, it was clear that Kim was crushed. But her humiliation ran much deeper than just a gown. Online commenters are speculating that her boyfriend, Kanye, is in a romantic relationship with the man who designed her controversial dress, Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci!. “Kim’s freaking out,” says a friend. “If it turns out Kanye is involved with Riccardo, she will be utterly embarrassed – more so than she’s ever been in her life.”

Then on the cover it says; "humiliated by rumours that her baby's father has a secret boyfriend in Paris, Kim cries: you spend more time with him than with me!"

Big Spanx - 60 Bars (In-Studio Video)

2013-05-15T21:33:00.002-07:00

Big Spanx formerly called Spanky has been a sensation to reckon with in the hip hop scene in the south-eastern Nigeria until he dropped the mega hit ''I'm Luving It'' featuring Phyno and Slowdog in 2002, that garnered him a nationally acclaimed rapper, a lyricist and a hit maker.

A Co-Owneer of the independent imprint ROLLIN'DICE MUSIC GROUP and the head honcho of the movement of ''COAL CITY WOLVES'', hes dropping his first mix-tape COALCITY WOLVES VOL 1 EP on the 31st of May 2013.

A 16 track EP of good music (In the words of drake ''Dropped a mix-tapes n Shit sounding like an album'' heres an audio in studio performance of one of the tracks from the mix-tape titled ''60 Bars'' download and enjoy. It's a movement......... Coal city is the future

Youtube Link: http://youtu.be/3gYcYmWuW2I

Video Download Link: http://bit.ly/12BV8Rs

International Style Stars to Watch Out for at Cannes

2013-05-15T21:22:00.002-07:00

The Cannes Film Festival, which officially starts today, is right up there with the Met Gala andawards season when it comes to the red carpet.

For those of us who aren’t there and don’t actually get to see the films, the festival is essentially an 11-day fashion show on the French riviera, with a constant influx of red carpet pics.

Aside from its sheer length, one thing that differentiates Cannes from other red carpet events is the fact that it’s international, meaning the American style stars we all know and see on the covers of magazines every day will be mingling on the red carpet with equally well-heeled actresses we may not recognize.

For every Diane Kruger or Carey Mulligan, there’s a Fan Bingbing or an Aishwarya Rai. So, we’ve compiled a little guide to 10 sure-to-be Cannes it-girls from overseas that you’ll probably be seeing a lot of.

Photos: Getty

I May never Appear On Eminem’s Next Album Chris Rock Says

2013-05-15T18:05:00.001-07:00

Comedian Chris Rock has suggested that he will make an appearance on Eminem‘s new album.

The stand-up posted a picture of himself alongside the rapper in the studio recently and was asked about what they had been doing during an appearance on Fuse TV earlier this week.

“Uh, I can’t really say,” he said, adding: “Hey, hey, I was on the Kanye [West] record – maybe I’m on the Eminem record. You never know.” Brown appeared on Kanye West’s 2011 album ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ on the track ‘Blame Game’.

According to Dr Dre, Slim Shady is close to completing his eighth solo album, while the rapper was also pictured in a recording studio with Big Sean in April.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Eminem will play an outdoor gig in Glasgow this August, with the rapper the first act announced for a brand new concert series called the Glasgow Summer Sessions, which will also see a gig by Kings Of Leon. He will take to the stage in the city’s Bellahouston Park on August 20.

In December (2012), meanwhile, he was revealed as the headliner for this year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals, which take place between 23 and 25 August. He has also announced a massive Irish gig at Slane Castle on August 17.

PHOTO:

A HIT BANGER FROM JULIO BBA7 TANZANIA-Summer Jams 3ripple Treat

2013-05-15T17:24:00.002-07:00

Julio is from Dar es Salaam and works as the Head of VAS, Electronic Channels and Products at a company in the telecommunications industry. With a BComm in Finance and an MBA under his belt, he looks set to be a wily player on Big Brother StarGame! He entered to be on the show because his best friend – Hilda – was the perfect example of the best candidate. Coupled with that, he saw himself as the most complete character because of how he lives his life as a hedonist..Julio describes himself as fun, crazy, smart, cunning and entertaining.

Here is his Summer Jams 3ripple Treat

Download&enjoy..http://hu.lk/Julio600tz

The Next Titan – Nigeria’s First Business Reality TV Show

2013-05-15T15:58:00.001-07:00

For the first time, Nigerian television is centred on young business people and how they

go through the challenges of entrepreneurship and business.

The top 16 contestants come from across the country and their businesses are as diverse as they are. However, they have one thing in common, they are all out to win the top prize of 5 million Naira, a brand new car and lasting business support from some of Nigeria’s top business moguls.

It is a Herculean battle…

The youngest contestant is Jubril Juma who at 22 wants to start up a road traffic monitoring system to help you make better route decisions as you commute, while the oldest is 35-year-old Williams Oti from Rivers state who has a plan to start-up a talent school and help young people turn their talents into skill and business.

Also on the show, meet Izizi Okpala who is interested in making your gadgets look beautiful and Tunji Akande who’s jewelry pieces will blow you away. As a matter of fact, you’ll find some of his pieces on the necks, wrists and ankles of several of the contestants, including Tobechi Nneji who is an On Air personality with 92.5 Enugu’s Dream FM. She has the plan to start up a trade and PR fair in South Eastern Nigeria.

Every week, watch how the contestants work their way through tasks, slug it out in the boardroom and sometimes, turn on their ‘best friends’ in the race to win.

16 contestants from all around the country…13 weeks of friendship, rivalry, love, drama, quarrels and money making…13 weeks of business….one big winner

Get a favourite housemate…support your favourite idea…learn the intricacies of entrepreneurship.

Catch the show, every weekend on the following channels

- Channels TV (DSTV 234) 8pm – 9pm Saturdays

- OnTv 6pm – 7pm Sundays

Visit www.thenexttitan.blogspot.com,www.thenexttitan.com to read more about the contestant and follow @thenexttitan and the tag #TitanNG on twitter for quick information and some behind-the-scene gist from the show and the google hangout with some of the contestants.

Vote for your favourite contestant via SMS- text ‘Titan’ (space) ‘Contestant’s name’ to 33352. SMS' cost N50 each.

MBW concepts Presents PROFACE Makeup Artist Competition.

2013-05-15T15:11:00.001-07:00

The search for the best upcoming make-up artist is ON! Made Beautiful World concepts presents PROFACE make-up artist competition. This competition creates a platform for upcoming make-up artists to showcase their talent and art like never before. Judged by veteran make-up artists who know the ART, the competition is definitely going to be a tough one. get your brushes ON! You don't wanna miss this opportunity.

Enter at profacemua@gmail.com

All entries must be received by May 20th, 2013.

Include your full name and contact

4 photos of your work

2 sentences describing your make-up inspiration and style.

To be a VIP at the event to witness 15 make-up artists compete against one another, call 08168251647 for your tickets now.Ticket: 5,000naira.

This ticket gives you access to a FREE mini make-up kit, a goodie bag, 'beauty bites', networking, makeup fun and so much more.

Date:JUNE 2nd,2013.

venue: Our place, 7, olufunmilola okikiolu street, off toyin street, ikeja.

@profacemua, www.profacemua.com, BB pin 20D513BB, www.facebook.com/PROFACEMUA

Nb: please kindly get back if you have procedures for posts.

Thank you

Aminat Adebukola Wahab

Shawttynatt Online Media

www.shawttynatt.com

Twitter: @shawttynatt

Keek: shawttynatt

Instagram: shawttynatt

Facebook: www.fb.com/shawttynatt

08096578015

BB-Pin: 2983F90C

NIKKI LAOYE'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH CHANELLE HAYNES-SCHWARTZ (OF LEGENDARY AMERICAN GOSPEL FEMALE GROUP, TRINITEE 5:7) ON HER RADIO SHOW, GIRLS ROCK! THIS THURSDAY, 16TH MAY, 2013

2013-05-15T14:45:00.003-07:00

This Thursday, Nigerian Gospel Diva, Nikki Laoye sets an unforgettable record as she interviews CHANELLE HAYNES-SCHWARTZ, founding member of the renowned American gospel group, TRINITEE 5:7 on her radio show, GIRLS ROCK WITH NIKKI LAOYE.

Kicking off in 1998, the beautiful ebony skinned singer alongside Angel Taylor and Terri Brown were the original members of the group, Trinitee 5: 7, which was marketed as a gospel alternative to R&B girl groups such as Destiny's child and TLC.

With numerous awards including multiple Grammy award nominations; albums such as the self titled "Trinitee 5:7", "Spiritual Love" , "The Kiss", "T57" and hit singles such as "God's Grace", "Hola", "My Body", "Listen", "Bring Your Praise" and more, the group's career has spanned over 15 years and still counting.

Working with top music greats such as R-Kelly, Kirk Franklin, JMoss and now signed to Spirit Rising Music, the gospel division of Mathew Knowles (Beyonce's Dad) record label, Trinitee 5: 7 show no signs of slowing down, despite the recent adjustment of the group to a duo consisting of Chanelle and Angel.

Get to hear the stories, the challenges...Hear all about the longest standing female group, Trinitee 5:7 as Nikki speaks live with Chanelle, this Thursday, 5pm - 7pm on Nigeria's No 1 Online Gospel Radio Station, Praise World Radio.

To tune in, Click @ www.praiseworldradio.com or with your mobile device, download the PraiseWorld Radio Mobile app from the link above.

Many thanks and great appreciation to Alexander Oturu (Nikki's husband), who set up the interview with Chanelle.

Like our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/girlsrock9ja

Listen to PraiseWorld Radio: www.praiseworldradio.com

PICTURES-GREAT STEVE HARVEY WALK ON HOLLYWOOD OF FAME

2013-05-15T14:28:00.001-07:00

Earlier today, Steve Harvey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in honor of his many contributions to the entertainment industry. See the photos inside….

The legendary comedian Steve Harvey has been honored with a star in the radio section of the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

Though his star is in the radio section of the famed boulevard, Steve has made successful forays into both television and film. Fellow talk show hosts Ellen Degeneres and Dr. Phil also came out to support him. Sweet!

Famed actor Samuel Jackson was also there….looking so Fresh & so Clean like Steve.

The kaaaaangs! Cedric The Entertainer posed for pic with his former “The Steve Harvey Show” co-star and fellow King of Comedy.

Steve also celebrated with his fab wife Marjorie Havery and all the children.

When speaking about his success and his large porfolio of projects (radio, tv, film) he told Variety, “I just always wanted to keep evolving and reinventing myself. Most people get stuck on one idea and you can miss out on a lot of opportunities … but everything is centered around my comedy.”

Photos FayesVision/WENN.com

SA TV diva, 32-year old Nohnle Thema set to marry her 24-year old baby daddy

2013-05-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Nohnle Thema Former Channel O VJ, Nohnle is getting married to the father of her six months old daughter, Arthur Bolton, who at 24 is eight years younger than she is. South African and good looking guy got engaged in March, four months after welcoming a daughter, Star Phoenix Ivy Zima. The couple who live together with their child in a posh area in Johannesburg, have been dating since 2010 and are planning to wed in the next few weeks.CONGRATS TO THEM..

Solange Knowles on Complex magazine

2013-05-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

solange not slowng down at all..hummmmmmmmmmmm beyonce watch this space oooo...love her hair..

Rihanna Doesn’t Want Love She Wants To Phuck

2013-05-15T13:22:00.001-07:00

Now I think Chris Brown knows why Riri dumped him if he wasn’t good in bed. The controversial musician posted on instagram that

All Bad girls dont need Love, so don;t bother showing it to them

NUTTY PIKIN...

MISS EXCLUSIVE NIGERIA: REGISTRATION STILL ON!

2013-05-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

The Organizers of Miss Exclusive Nigeria Beauty Pageant are pleased to inform the general public that arrangements are fully under way to organize the long-awaited 2013 Miss Exclusive Nigeria beauty pageant. This is a beauty pageant with a difference as its definition of beauty encompasses far more than other traditional beauty contests would consider. The Miss Exclusive Nigeria pageant is designed to encourage young women in pursuit of excellence in education, scientific research, business and entrepreneurship, practical skills acquisition and personal development generally. Our contestants are therefore expected to showcase any or all of these qualities, even if at a budding stage for the obvious reason that they are young women just starting out in life.

Some of our chosen Contestants are already preparing to join us for a 5-day “Miss Exclusive Nigeria Preparatory College” to be held in Warri, Delta state, Nigeria from Sunday, 6 October, 2013 to Friday, 11 October 2013. The aim of this 5-day exercise is to further prune the list down to only those that will compete in the Grand Finale. That Grand Finale, which will witness the crowning of the winner and runners-up, will take place on Saturday, 12 October, 2013.

However, the good news is that there’s still room for any lady interested to apply! So, if you are a Nigerian lady between the ages of Eighteen (18) and Twenty four (24) and you think you've got what it takes, what are you waiting for? Pick up the Application Form from our representatives by calling 08063853886, 08039224375, you can also send an email message requesting the Form to info@missexclusivenigeria.com with detail of an address you would want it posted to. We can also send you the Form via email, if that’s your preference.

Pay N3,500 into

Bank: Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB)

Account Name: The Incredible Production,

Account Number: 0122080981

Then visit the site (www.missexclusivenigeria.com) and click on the “Register “tab to fill the online form.

So, here’s a Big Congratulations to all those who’ve made it so far to the Miss Exclusive Nigeria Preparatory College as we look forward to more of you picking up the Application Form to throw your hats in the ring!

Keep the buzz going and keep the dates!

Delta: May 18th
Rivers: June 1st
Imo: June 15th
Bayelsa: June 28th
Abuja: July 6th
Ogun: July 13th
Lagos: July 20th
Cross-river: August 10th
Enugu: August 23^rd

For more information call: 08039224375, 08063853886, ff @missen2013 on twitter, you can also log towww.missexclusivenigeria.com

Dr Sid shows his new home with Customized floor

2013-05-15T12:48:00.002-07:00

customized floor...wow. Congrats!