Post–Mortem of Hennessy Artistry 09

Hennessy Artistry 2009 birthed three weeks of electrifying live performances from five of Nigeria’s urban music nascent artistes. Courtesy Hennessy, world renowned cognac makers, these burgeoning musicians took their stage craft on a circuit of top-billed club locations around the brimming city of Lagos.The definitive goal..? Discovering which one of them possessed the ‘illest’ lyrics, rhythm and stagecraft worthy of being dubbed winner of this year’s competition.

Reigning Hip-Hop sweetheart, M.I, heralded and closed the exhilarating grand finale performances that left both competitors and their enthusiastic audience breathless with excitement. After hushing of groupies’ screams, Chocolate City’s Ice Prince surfaced top dog. Giving credence to earlier prophecies by hip hop disciples that Nigerian music was on the verge of experiencing unimaginable and inevitable glory and fame via hip hop. With M.I cosily cushioned as unchallenged heavyweight MC of the pulsating music scene and unapologetically edging out established names on his sensational climb to dominate the contemporary urban music landscape, it’s not delusional to believe this soothsaying. And it goes without saying; Ice’s victory is a well-deserved and well-fought for success for the ‘Choc Family’ (Jesse Jags, M.I, Audu Maikori).

However, not taking anything away from Ice Prince’s individual brilliance, the nagging thought hard to shake off is, was he the most intensely captivating artiste in the Hennessy Artistry ’09 lot (competitors) and is his ‘game’ world standard? The judges and audience voters seemed to think so. Other educated opinion holders defer vehemently. Thus, trepidations are in order considering that soon enough, Ice would be in New York to perform and represent Nigerian music and swagger at an international gig that would also feature the lyrically profound Common and the Roots Band.

Who else could have won? Now that is a truly nail biting one… Blaise had amazing performances and tight lyrics only they were a couple of steps short of the WOW! zone. Jimmy Flames rocked the ladies and showed eclectic skills but winning the judges over turned out to be a hard task. For her sassy style, cute Mo’Cheddah was everybody’s favourite and she got consistent cheering at every appearance; her progress into the finals was foregone conclusion. Skills aside, Ice Prince had the preternatural sixth man advantage – the aura of his close association with in-vogue M.I clung to the atmosphere like a good omen. Refreshingly imaginative Bez most definitely pulled out all the stops for his soul music to register on the sound meter in a predominantly hip-hop competition (totally wielding the live instruments edge with his guitar skills). Register and resonate it did ushering him into the finals.

Again, popular belief that hip hop is the next big thing for Nigerian music, may explain why Bez could not make it past the judges before a winner was voted.

Candidly, it would have required prescience and a crystal ball if the three celebrity Judges were expected to predict with bulls-eye accuracy which of the finalists would quite absolutely blow up not only on the local scene, but also as an international recording artiste. Also bearing in mind that the Hennessey brand is a globally recognised trademark on whose clout and purse such an artiste could get a well-lubricated launch pad to musical success.

Here lies the connection; is hip hop the principal culturally representative music export from Nigeria in 2009? Quick recaps of musicians (the Rex Lawsons, Felas, Sunny Ades, Femi Kutis) that have brought worldwide ovation and respect to Nigeria reveals a pattern – they did not achieve global celebrity doing ‘borrowed’ music styles. Similar examples abound all over the continent – Miriam Makeba, Angelique Kidjo, Hugh Masekela, Youssou N’Dour, Papa Wemba and it goes on. If the former list contains members of the ‘old school’, then explanations are due as to how contemporary Asa wooed the developed world with indigenous soul music selling out her ground breaking album and overseas concerts. Ironically for many years, she struggled to breakthrough in Nigeria barely being acknowledged as a musician to watch. Not overlooking Congolese musician Awilo Lomgomba, who by popular votes (over 120 countries voting in), had a historic win (Soukous Entertainer of the year 2009) at the International Reggae and World Music Awards for his new album Super Man.

It would be foolhardy to ignore the logic that the world pays attention when creativity is boldly and stunningly exhibited through a method previously unseen or to which it is unaccustomed.

This, perhaps, is why African art works can be stolen from our lands or bought ridiculously cheap and brazenly displayed in museums around the world.

Possibly, this instinctive downplaying of our cultural uniqueness in music, as prevalent currently, is traceable largely to role models/influences from a variant social orientation which shapes our creativity. Here in lies another mind boggling thought? Is Ice, Mo’Cheddah or the next Joe Bloggs rapper not at artistic privilege to express their lyrical content through a hip hop medium if they so desire? But, while hip hop might be fast spawning lyricists in Nigeria and some other parts of the continent, what is this going to do for our music industry? It appears there is an introspective perspective to African hip hop; the genre is not original but it has over time undergone a transformation (a fusion of indigenous patois and style) to create a hybrid music form. How much of an impact this will make outside the shores of this continent (where an enormous market is begging to be captured) waits to be seen. Of course, artistes of 1st generation African descent who have broken into the European and American mainstream and made significant impressions as lyricists or singers were overwhelmingly shaped by Western influences (Akon, Sade Adu, Dr. Alban, Wale, Seal).

Nonetheless, props must go to Hennessy Artistry for helping Nigerian urban contemporary artistes discover the art of live performances. It is hoped there would be marked decline in CD mime along stage acts that have so plagued music. In that case, the 2009 winner deserves all the back patting he gets. Primarily this triumph is about exhibiting his individual art, and how its enhancement might bring him more trophies. Consequently, let the local music industry’s hunger for national glory take back seat and in interim maybe await the birth of a truly compelling Afro hip hop messiah.

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