Gossip & Gists: Do You Know That Upcoming Actors In Nigeria Now Pay To Feature In Movies?

I know it sounds unbelievable, but it's fact! A-list Nollywood actors & actresses get paid for featuring in movies, but if you're an unknown actor struggling to get into the movie industry, some movie producers make you pay to feature in their movies.

That's the new trend now.I'm sure some Nollywood practitioners will come here to deny this but y'all know it's true. And if you don't know this already, you guys need to start investigating this.
 
If you're looking to feature in a movie, all you need to do is pay a fee, no audition is required. For minor roles, these producers demand anything from N50k to N100k...it all depends on the role they are giving you. If you want to play a lead role it's between N500k to N1million. Waka pass people are even made to pay.
 
The trick some of these producers use is this; they say they are not making money from these movies because people aren't buying them so can't invest all their money in it. They also say finding financiers to pay for the production of a movie is hard, so for these movies to see the light of day, every cast member has to contribute. Thing is, many are eager to pay. Several people told me that it's the girls they refer to as 'runz girls' looking for popularity that started this trend. They would offer movie producers money to feature in their movie so they can refer to themselves as actresses and now it's become a part of Nollywood.
 
But let me state here that there are some movie producers who don't do this...not all of them demand for money. But a lot of them do. Is that OK? What's your thought on this new trend?

Intervies & Hype: "I’ve Had Doors Shut At My Face" - Seyi Shay

She’s been tagged the next best music diva from Nigeria. Has she got what it takes to rock our socks? You might think she’s having it easy but Seyi Shay says she’s working the ropes just like any other artiste gunning for the top spot.

In this exclusive interview with our correspondent, the rising star details her journey into music, how the Nigerian music scene seems pretty different from where’s she’s coming from, her current relationship with former managers Flytime Entertainment and how she feels she stands out from any other female RnB singer in the country.

How would you describe your journey back home?

I left the UK early last year to come and explore the endless possibilities that this fertile nation has in store for me as regards music. When my former girl-band dissolved, I knew that I wanted to continue doing music, I packed my bags and flew back to Nigeria where my parents are from. It hasn’t always been so easy but thank God that I met some really great people that shared my vision and they put me on. They gave me a platform and the tool to work with and to continue doing what I love to do. I started recording songs and doing shows and put the songs out and people just started to take to it. Over the past year I have had really good experiences and some terrible ones too. I have done so many shows for free, I can’t even count. And finally I’m starting to get paid for my shows now. The transition from the UK to US and to Nigeria was a blessed one, I can’t lie because it could have been worse or harder. I had good support - Sound Sultan, Flytime, they stood by me and gave me what I needed to get this far.

Can you describe the difference between the industry in the UK/US and that in Nigeria?

There is a big difference between the industry in Europe and in the US with the one here in Nigeria. It is so disorganized out here. There is no real strategy nor structure. You just try your luck, if it makes people dance, then you have a hit, whereas out there it is very much more strategized. A really rubbish song has to really be pushed very well for it to blow and exceed the popularity of a song that’s really good. Here in Nigeria, people appreciate good music a lot more than out there, but it would help though if we had in Nigeria more strategy, more engines, ideas and more brand building so that we can compete with the Americans, Europeans and Asians on a music level and bring home Grammys.

When you arrived on the scene, a lot of people were concerned that you didn’t really start from the bottom of the food chain like everyone else. Do you think that it has been easier for you being that you had a lot of support from a platform that gave you the right push?

I started from the bottom. I started singing over ten years ago. I have slept in the studios countless days and nights. I have worked as a waitress, receptionist and other odd jobs. Just because I was raised in London people didn’t really get to see that side of my life. In a way, you can say I had it better than a lot of people back home, and that’s because of the territory I was raised in. At the same time, my ‘sufferation’ is different and it’s not like I didn’t suffer at all. I have had doors shut at my face. I have worked and struggled and hustled too.

Coming back to Nigeria, what has been your most terrible experience?

My most terrible experience in Nigeria is getting to a show where I’m supposed to perform and being told that I’m no more performing after I have changed into my costume because all the big stars have taken all the slots and time. That was really heartbreaking for me. At the end of day, I have put my work in and done hundreds of free shows. All this is after me having an album on an international level and me touring with Beyonce. After all of that, then I have to come back to Nigeria and start all over again. At the same time, I need to pay my dues, so I did that. I have been hustling for many years, so I didn’t just start.

What influences your style of music?

I’m a lover of Soul, RnB, Reggae and Afrobeat. If you fuse all of these sounds together, you might end up with what I like to call Afro-pop. I feel that is the kind of sound I do-Afro pop, popular African music. I don’t actually limit myself or my sound. I have different types of songs. I just like to sing what my emotions is telling me to do at the time.

How do you feel being always compared to Tiwa Savage?

I think the comparison between me and Tiwa Savage is actually dying a natural death.

Are you guys friends?

Yes, we are friends.

Have you guys actually sat down to talk about the comparisons?

Hmmm…have we spoken about that yet? We don’t really have time. We are both really busy. If we talk about anything, it’s more me asking her for advice or her inviting me to an event or occasion. But we just talk more about ourselves. We don’t talk about anything or anybody and that’s when we can because we are very busy people.

Back to the comparisons, it’s dying a natural death. We are both from London. We both spent time in the US and we both came back to Nigeria. We both encountered the same people that helped us in our careers. So, naturally you are going to have that comparison. Now I have rebranded myself, not because of the comparisons, but because it was time for me to shift from my comfort zone into challenging myself more. We have new pictures and new music now. I don’t imagine Tiwa singing the kind of music I sing and I can’t imagine me singing the kind of music she sings from what I have heard on her album. We are just different like that. As time goes on, people will see that.

A lot of people feel that when it comes to female artistes, there’s the ‘Big 3’-Tiwa Savage, Waje and Omawumi. Out of the hundreds of other female artistes out there, do you think you are the next one to join the ‘Big 3’?

I was very honoured when Omawumi asked me to join Tiwa, Waje and herself on stage at her concert. I felt like she saw something in me. The way the three of them accepted me into their trinity was humbling. But am I the next one or am I going to join the trinity to make a foursome? I don’t even feel like them being called the ‘Big 3’ is right. I feel that they are all individuals and they should be seen that way. At the end of the day, most people know those three names the most and I get that, but I don’t think they would like to be seen as the ‘Big 3’. I don’t want to be cast under that umbrella. I just want to be my own person and hopefully influence people in a positive way in my own right.

You come across as Soulful singer, but now you are in the studio and doing stuffs like ‘Irawo’ and others. Do you think it is the Nigerian sound that has affected the way you sound right now?

Yes it was the Nigerian sound that actually influenced my moving to Nigeria. Before I moved back to Nigeria, I had the opportunity to either go to Los Angeles and sign a record deal or come to Nigeria. Most people told me I was crazy for not going to Los Angeles. I have done that and I know how hard it is. Trust me, the pool is bigger which means there’s more fish and sharks in the sea. I did it for four years. Actually, the ground is more fertile in Nigeria. We could do more out here as artistes and I want to be part of that revolution that takes Nigeria and African music into the rest of the world. I feel that I have so much to offer because of the training and practice I have had for so many years since I was a child. I can tell you that my album will be a mixture of Soul, RnB, Afropop and Westernised pop. It’s my album so it can be a combination of anything I like and I’m sure people will be able to identify with it.

Do you write your songs?

I do write my own songs but also Harrisong, Del B and other people help. Del B is the one that wrote ‘Killing Me Softly’ with Timaya. I adore Timaya, everybody knows that because he’s just like the best. KCEE and I are from the same production camp that’s why the collaboration with him. Vector helped with the remix of ‘Irawo’. Whoever I sing with or work with, I always write with them, but the person that has helped me write songs the most, the person I always go to first for lyrical input is Sound Sultan.

Could you shed light on your relationship with Flytime?

Flytime and Seyi Shay are no longer working together in the capacity that I was working with them when I first came to Nigeria. They gave me some tools that I needed and have used to get this far. Without those tools I wouldn’t be here doing the things I’m doing. I’m eternally grateful to Flytime. That’s what they do. They promote artistes and they have done a good job with me I think. We are not going to continue our relationship in that capacity. I’m not a Flytime artiste anymore and they are not my record label.

You seem to come up as a very fashionable person. Who are your favourite designers?

I like and I wear a lot of CLAN. I love Grey to Mini Lee. These are Nigerian designs I’m talking about. Toju Foyeh, I started with her and I think she is elegant and classic. Her finishing is so perfect. I also love Deola Sagoe.

you are not in the studio or on stage, how do you hangout?

When I’m not doing music, I’m cooking, I’m cleaning my house because it is very therapeutic. I like to go shopping too.

Gossip & Gists: Pasuma In Murder Mess

One of Nigeria’s most prominent Fuji musicians, Wasiu Alabi Odetola, popularly known as Pasuma Wonder is currently enmeshed in a murder mess.

From all indications, the Fuji veteran who recently celebrated 20 years on stage may be on his way into police net if matters are not well handled. Eye witnesses are saying that a member of the convoy of the Fuji star over-ran a teenage fan after Pasuma’s vehicle knocked down the victim on their way from a show at Idimu-Council area of Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The victim, Bidemi, a 12-year old fan of the ‘Orobokibo’ singer is said to have been lurking around to get a glimpse of the star as he was leaving the St. Augustine Events Hall, Isheri-Idimu where the show took place only to lose his life in the process. ‘Pasuma was trying to avoid the area boys as he was leaving and so he was driving fast and it happened that he knocked the boy down and the vehicle behind him ran over the boy’, an eye witness told our correspondent.

Pasuma is said to have been driving in his newly acquired Range Rover Sports and did not bother to slow down to find out what had happened. ‘He sped off without caring’, another eye witness said. But the singer’s minders insist he’s innocent and absolutely unaware of what happened after he left the event venue. Those close to Pasuma told us he wasn’t initially aware of the situation and that the decease may have been hit by a random car coming behind the musician.

Our investigations reveal that ‘Paso’, as the singer is fondly called in the streets was trying to avoid the area boys who were desperate to extort him. It has become an accepted tradition in the Fuji industry, for Fuji artistes who perform in an area to ‘settle’ the area boys because they form the largest percentage of their fan base.

Pasuma according to a few ‘area boys’ who were at the scene of the incident said the self- acclaimed Oganla of Fuji is fond of not ‘settling’ the area boys and it was in this bid to avoid being extorted that led to the untimely death of the teenager.
‘Paso no dey like to settle. Na because e no wan settle make am drive fast like that’, one of the area boys said.

Other sources say he actually tipped fans and some miscreants, but like Oliver Twist, some camps wanted more and the musician sped off after he had had enough. Speaking to us in a telephone conversation, Pasuma’s manager, Afolabi Oyekoya refused to confirm or deny the allegations. He was yet to issue an official statement as at press time, and our enquiries were left unanswered.

The family of the victim could not be reached for comment. Our correspondents’ visit to the St. Augustine Events Centre, venue of the show did not yield results as the management refused to comment on the incident.

All efforts to get the police officers at Idimu Police Station Area M also proved abortive, as the officers refused to entertain any questions and directed that we referred the inquiry to the office of the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, whose number was switched off at the time.

Pasuma is not the first celebrity to be involved in a hit and run. Years ago, the current president of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, Ibinabo Fiberesima was arrested and imprisoned for killing a Lagos doctor. Also, last year, singer Terry G was alleged to have been involved in a hit and run situation. It is not clear how the case ended.

Events: Confirmed! Rapper Wale Folarin Is Coming To Nigeria For Ice Prince’s Concert

The Maybach Music Group recording artiste had announced weeks ago, that he’s making a trip here. But he didn’t divulge details.

We have now confirmed that Wale will be coming for Ice Prince‘s ‘Fire of Zamani‘ album concert which holds on November 23, 2013. The concert will also feature another international artiste – UK rapper Chip (formerly known as Chipmunk).

Both artistes collaborated with Ice Prince on the #FOZ album. Other big names who’ll be performing at the concert include label mate M.I Abaga, Don Jazzy, Jahfizz, Olamide, Kabbar and Burna Boy; as well as  Sunny Neji, Yung L, Ruby, Morell, Jeremiah Gyang, DJ Caise and DJ Edu.

Gossip & Gists: "I Had A Fling With A Guy And He's Now Blacklisted Me" - An E! 365 Inc. Reader

From a female reader

Have I made the biggest mistake of my life? Did I do something so terrible? I met this guy at my work-out place and found him really attractive. I've never found myself making the first move but in this case it was almost uncontrollable. I got his no and called him and we met up, had drinks and I couldn't control myself either and it all went down. He called me up for a second date and we had sex again. 

We both agreed it won't happen again since he is in a relationship and wouldn't want to mess that up. I see him everyday at the gym and we just greet passively. I just realized he blacklisted my number on his phone. That hurts. It's not like I was stalking him. Please did I make such a blunder to follow my heart for the first time ever? I'm just really confused here. Did I do something that's unacceptable?

Music: Kabbar Drops Another Single, "Gat Me High" Featuring Barbara McArthur

The man of the moment and Kajjor Family Entertainment’s very own superstar Kabbar makes a huge splash in time with GAT ME HIGH featuring Barbara McArthur (KFE #1 Female Rapper).

Produced by Komo D, "Gat Me High" sees Kabbar excellently fusing his modern cloud-7 vibes and sensibility with what can only be described as a mixture of synth-heavy dance instrumentals and a dubstep musical milieu alongside beautiful flow of sexy-diva Barbara, to resounding results.

"Gat Me High" on the other hand is providing the befitting production with lush drum patterns, talking drums and synthy keyboard arrangements, over which Kabbar waxes lyrical in his trademark vocal cadence and commanding flow.

Whatever your tastes and preferences are, Kabbar does more than satisfy them with this new single. Not only that, he shows his vast repertoire and versatility in delivering excellent hit singles over several musical styles, you can expect for Kabbar to be a constant fixture on your favourite music websites and radio stations – be prepared for the take over.



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MUSIC: Maxi Young Features Tuwyze In "Ogbeni"

After the success of "Amingo", Eminent Music electrifying Afro-pop artist; Favour Chinonso Odogwu aka Maxi Young, dropped another hit single title “OGBENI" in collaboration with one of the fast rising artist Tuwyze, produced by Yemade.




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