Do You Know Lami Phillips…………

Who: Lami Phillips, soul singer hogging your TV screens with the videos for ‘Nuttin Do You’, and ‘You Know’, a duet with M.I.; both taken off her debut album ‘Intuition’.

Sounds Like: A neo-soul mash-up of Sade Adu, Floetry, and Jill Scott, with a little more naija jump. “ I’m very Barbara Streisnad meets India Arie, my friends say I’m too deep, but I can’t help it, I’m not going out of my way to be deep its just how God made me and neo-soul always keys into the inner core of things.”

First Shots: Lami released her debut album ‘Intuition’, which was, for most parts, an insular burp, in but her new videos have shined the spotlights on the LP, showing it as the work of art it actually is. ‘Intuition’ boasts six tracks that flit between neo, soul, hip-hop and R and B, to create a very listenable album, shame on you if you haven’t listened to it.

She Gets Around: Her debut album testifies to her genre-jumping tendencies; ‘Intuition’ is a pot-pourri of sounds: a mish-mash of R and B, Pop, Soul, Neo, Naija, and a dash of hip-hop; a veritable heady mix. This is a result of her many influences.  “My musical influences are global, I don’t listen to a certain type or genre or artiste, from Jay Z to MusiqSoulchild to Tracy Chapman; so when I’m writing all those sounds and influences are fused together and it comes out however it does”

No More No Vernacular: When I was recording, I had a lot of pressure to do with language; some people said ‘if the song doesn’t have pidgin in it, it wont sell, if its not done in vernacular, it wont sell; but I just made feel-good music and left it at that, letting the situation dictate the feel of the songs.  so there are some  songs with no Nigerian influence, but I’m Nigerian and I’m proud to be one.

Come As You Are: By her own admission, she doesn’t have any laid out formula for deciding what to write, record or put out. A lot of the time, she works by ear, and likes to wing it, letting the creative juices flow as they may. “My music doesn’t have any calculation or formula to what I’m doing, I do, or more appropriately, I sing what I feel. Like the song ‘Know’, off the first album, MI asked me what I would say in Yoruba to my husband or lover and I said, “erm…my mum always says olowo ori m”i and that’s how that part of the song  came about, but I won’t have sat done there thinking or calculating what to put in, it has to flow at its own pace.”

Greatest Album Never Heard (yet): Lami plans to release a live album sometime in the future, which according to her will best showcase her talents; she plans to release the live effort because, as we know, its one thing to release, its another thing entirely for the market to receive it. “I actually wanted to do my whole album live but it occurred to me that in Nigeria, one might need a whole year to put it together. It is possible to do the live album, but too many things have to come into play for that to work, like the musicians I worked with before, they  don’t live here in Nigeria, so when its live, you need people who can read your mind, musically, and know where you’re going. I was trained to perform live but the people I trained with are all outside the country, so when I do my live album, I’ll have to do it outside the country, or I have to bring them here ‘cos they read my mind and u need that to kick it off.”

Lami’s debut album, ‘Intuition’ , is in stores now.

BOUQUI THE GOSPEL TRUTH

This interview begins with a prayer, a prayer of gratitude to the most high for preserving us till this moment. After all, he’s the author of our life as I am the author of this article. She grew up in the academic environment of the premier University and not in a church like some of you may be thinking. She is not the daughter of a reverend or a pastor.

Born Bukola Afolayan to a Professor Father and teacher Mother, she along sides her other five siblings grew up in an academic atmosphere of the University of Ife (OAU Ile-Ife) and this has served as a big influence for her deep lyrical style and cosmopolitan outlook. The educational inclination of her parents sort of rubbed off on her as she’s quite an intelligent lady. Her strong Christian faith and belief in the words of God as laid out in the Holy Bible is the factor to the formation of the BOUQUI (Born Once more Unto a Quickened and Unparalleled Image) brand name.

She started her professional career with an all girls group called G-Vibes about 10 years ago while still an undergraduate at the University of Ife. She used to rap and sing but decided to take it solo since things didn’t go according to plan with the group. After going solo, the name G-Vibe kind of stuck as she was the constant face of the group since her hip-hop style had endeared her to a lot of people on campus.

Her first single was released in the year 99/2000 giving her a considerable level of popularity but it wasn’t until the year 2005 that the spotlight shone on her as her debut album titled B.O.U.Q.U.I was a ground breaking one with hit tracks like molejo, vanity and get it started.

The self titled eighteen track album didn’t only give her the fame, it broke some records too as she can rightly stake a claim to be the first female rap album in Nigeria. As if that wasn’t enough, the track get it started off the debut album in less than a month was debuted at number one of the backyard beast segment of the PJ Butter hosted World Chart Show, also another first by any home based Nigerian artiste in the history of the Nigerian music industry.

For a lady who attributes all her achievements and talent to Christ, she has remained modest even in the face of all she has achieved since her first album debuted. She says “am just an arrow in the hands of an archer”. She prides herself as a contemporary Christian artist who can address any issue and still spread the gospel message. Her sophomore album titled Redefinition is set to drop very soon. The album already has a couple of singles on the airwaves.

She is just got back from a UK tour to promote the upcoming album. She performed in over 20 locations – Sunderland, Dublin, London and Manchester to name just a few. While touring the UK, she seized the opportunity to shoot the video of the single morile. The single is already enjoying massive airplay on radio and TV stations. The video is simply awesome! She lined up a list of events to usher in the new album, precisely a listening party and some shows. She’s among the young generation of female artistes bent on doing one thing: take Naija music to a global level, and she doesn’t see herself competing with other female rappers since she’s not rapping for self-glorification.

In her words, the Nigerian music industry is on the right path and still evolving and she hopes to help promote it to the furthermost part of the world. Her parting shot were precise and had me reminiscing about the biblical words: use your talent well and impart your world with it. Mine’s writing; what’s yours?

OBAMA BRINGING SWAGGER BACK INTO HIP-HOP

Looking back at the year 2008, one cannot but be proud to be a black man. The black race formally thought of as the inferior race or notoriously called ‘Nigger’ showed last year that they were the exact opposite, and were infact the rulers of the world. Unless one was shackled up in Mars, one would have noticed Jamaican Usain Bolt jogging to the new world record, Lewis Hamilton winning the Formula 1 title, Tiger Woods continuing his domination of golf, Nigerian Samuel Peter winning and losing the WBC title and actually seeing rap albums record platinum sales which in this case means Lil’Wayne The Carter III and TI’s Paper Trail. Except in actual fact, you were honeymooning in Mars would you not have noticed that a major historical feat achieved by a black man in 2008 was not included above and that is Barack Obama emerging as the 44^th and the first African-American President of the United States of America.

The election itself was historical as the turnout vote was the highest in generations and maybe a century with voters defying the long queue and weather to vote for their candidate. Also, in the election, the President-Elect, Barack Obama managed to energize a new voting bloc of young people who were rather political apathetic with interests ranging from gang-banging to doing drugs. Looking critically at the Barack Obama’s presidential victory, it wouldn’t take apolitical analyst to decipher that a huge chunk of support emerged from the hip-hop family. For like the first time, hip-hop artistes whose efforts at social responsibility were pet projects varying from saving the environment to sheltering homeless kids all turned their microphones and lifestyles politically, lyrically and financially to put Obama into the White House.

This was not the first time that music has been involved with politics. In the 1950’s to 60’s, rock and roll influenced lifestyles, fashion, attitudes, language and may have helped the cause of the civil rights movement because both African American teens and white American teens enjoyed the music. The music-politics romance went on to the 70’s to 80’s when Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley through his music spread his political message worldwide. Not to be excluded, Nigerian Afro beat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti also incessantly made his views on the state and actions of the Nigerian government known all through his lifetime which ended in the mid –nineties. However, in the 90’s, there seem to be a political apathy by musicians who were rather commercially inclined. Their message bordered on the good life which included selling drugs, chasing skirts and making loads of dough. There were some exceptions like Tu Pac who tried to make his views known but got his life cut short by being involved in violent musical rivalry with Notorious Biggie who met the same fate. The romance music and politics rekindled in the early part of this decade during the Bush Administration. First off the block was Diddy, who was one of the ambassadors of the ‘Vote or Die’ maxim which proved a lot popular amongst the apathetic youthful crowd and even gingered some of them to vote. During the unpopular  President Bush’s reign, some musicians did not hide their displeasure at his policies. Eminem lyrically dissected Bush’s Iraqi policy with his track titled ‘Mush’ and the ever controversial Kanye West veered off- script on a live national TV broadcast accusing Bush on hating black people during the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Like rookie superheroes that were just discovering their powers, potential and influence over their fans. With fans numbering to the millions, they had become opinion leaders and shapers. All that was remaining was an outlet to channel that power, a direction they clearly lacked until Senator Barack Obama came along.

Immediately Obama declared his intention to run for president, the whole hip-hop machinery came alive. All of a sudden, there appeared to be a very thin line between politics and entertainment. Major entertainment moguls and artistes like Oprah Winfrey, Diddy, Beyonce, Jay-Z all threw their weight behind the then Senator Obama. Alongside Obama’s campaign Chief Axelrod, the artistes vocally supported Obama in their lyrics; they even wore shirts that either carried Obama’s face or his popular catch phrase ‘Yes We Can’. Black Eyed Peas member, Will.I.Am made a video titled Yes We Can citing the reason because he was inspired by a speech Obama made in New Hampshire and implored schools to teach the speech as part of their curriculum the same way speeches by Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King have been used to inspire young people over time. The publicity and support was so much that even the average drug-peddler on the street knew that Obama was change even if he didn’t believe Obama, he believed whatever Jay-Z or Lil’Wayne would have probably said about Obama. Black Entertainment Television (BET) was so vociferous in their campaign that should have been rechristened Obama Television. During the BET awards, artiste upon artiste solicited for votes and commented on the need to make sure Obama got into the White House. The Obama mania got so intense that artistes who used to be controversial in nature all cleaned up their acts; Young Jeezy whose music subject matter ranged from selling drugs to women released an album titled The Depression that has sold above gold. Songs in it include Put On and Crazy World where the support for Obama was evident for all to see. Even as far as Nigeria if rumors are to believed, Eedris Abdulkareem is planning to release a six-track album and is said to be in conjuction with Professor Pat Utomi and a couple of very important personalities and organizations in Nigeria.

At the Game’s MAMA performance at Planet 1, hot sensational MI was seen sporting an Obama Tee shirt and even in the news a popular member of the Nigerian government was involved in a plot or scam to raise money for Obama. Back to the States, the influence of the celebrities was so much that on election day, stars like Oprah, Jay-Z, Diddy were all told to steer clear of polling booths so as to not influence voters who had not made up their minds not that it matters anyway as Obama still emerged victorious. After the elections, an incredible fact showed that just by her own, Oprah Winfrey was able to generate more than 1 million votes for Obama; a fact that ensured that she jumped from number 6 to number 1 on the U.S based newspaper, The Hollywood Reporter “Power 100 List making her the most powerful woman in entertainment”.

It would be foolhardy to think that Obama got all these support because of his skin colour. It is far from that as he actually epitomizes hip-hop. Viewing Obama from a distance, you would realize that he’s got swagger. Even though he was a book-worm as his credentials showed, he looks like he’s got street credibility in him. Call it a campaign stunt or not but Obama attends the right events, dress well, speaks well. Early on in the election race, Reverend Jesse Jackson, a formal black U.S Presidential aspirant made the mistake of disproving Obama’s presidential aspiration and got the raw end of beef in the black community. Always one to speak his mind, Game dissed Jesse Jackson in his emotional track My Life saying “F**k Jesse Jackson cos it ain’t about a race now”. That example showed that the hood is ready to protect Obama as one of its own and Obama returned the favour late last year by when he lent a kind word and commiserated with Kate Hudson on the tragedy that befell her family. The zenith of Obama’s hip-hop credibility showed just before he was announced winner. Instead of being soaked in tension, Obama took time out and went to play a game of basketball  with his guys. Talk about nerve!

The implication of this feat by Obama on hip-hop is boundless. First of all, the victory has managed to demystify the corporate white America’s powers. The victory would most likely impact on the type of music that would now be made by musicians. Instead of waxing lyrics on black oppression, hating Uncle Sam, messages behind songs that would now be released might bother on nation-building, one love and overall support for the presidential office. Now the entire black race would not see themselves as second class citizens or the oppressed. Artistes who used to be overtly controversial would most likely want to clean up their acts because nobody would want to be scorned by their big brother who’s in the White House or is it now the Black House? The will and zeal to please and not disappoint would be at an all-time high as evidenced by musicians tripping all over themselves to perform at Obama’s inauguration and swearing-in ceremony. If anything is to be believed, it is that the Obama victory has definitely brought swagger and belief back into the hip-hop community.

Why You Should Stop Smoking….

When our parents were young in those days, people could buy cigarettes and smoke pretty much anywhere – even in hospitals! Ads for cigarettes were all over the place. Today we are more aware about how bad smoking is for our health. Smoking is restricted and banned in almost all public places and cigarette companies are no longer allowed to advertise on TV, radio, and in many magazines.

Almost everyone knows that smoking causes cancer, emphysema, and heart diseases; that it can shorten your life by ten (10) years or more; and that habit can cost a smoker thousands of naira, dollar or pounds a year. So how come people are still lighting up? The answer is the word ADDICTION.

Once You Start, Its Hard To Stop

Smoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine which is highly addictive. Like heroine or other addictive drugs, and the body and mind quickly become so used to the nicotine in cigarettes that a person needs to have it just to feel normal. People start smoking for a variety of different reasons. Some thinks it looks cool; others start due to peer group while some do it because of their family members or friends smoke.

Statistics shows that about 9 out of 10 tobacco users start before they are 18 years old. Most adults who started smoking in their teens never expected to become addicted. That is why people say it’s just so much easier to start than to quit smoking.

How Smoking Affects Your Health

There are no physical reasons to start smoking. The body doesn’t need tobacco the way it needs food, water, sleep and exercise. Infact, many of the chemicals in cigarette like nicotine and cyanide are actually poisons that can kill in high doses. First time smokers often feel pains or burning in the throat and lungs while some feel sick or even throw up, the first few time they try tobacco. The body is small; it goes on the defense when it is being poisoned. The consequences of this poisoning happen gradually over the long term, smoking leads people to develop health problems like heart diseases, stroke, emphysema (breakdown of the lung tissue) and many types of cancer including lung, throat, stomach and bladder cancer. People who also smoke also have an increased risk of bronchitis and pneumonia.

Each time a smoker lights up a cigarette, it takes about 5 to 20 minutes of the person’s life. Smoking could also cause fertility problems and can impact sexual health in both male and female. Teen smokers experience many of these problems like bad skin, bad breath, reduced athletic performance, increased risk of illness, greater risk of injury and slower healing time.

As a smoker, take time to ask yourself these questions, maybe it could help you quit smoking and take unto a good and wonderful habit that could change your life and health around:

1. Why do you smoke?
2. Why do I benefit from smoking?

ABUEDE CHILE ABBEY aka STEEL

REAL NAME – ABUEDE CHILE ABBEY

STAGE NAME – STEEL

D.O.B – 24^TH DECEMBER

NATIONALITY – NIGERIAN

SEX – MALE

GENRE – AFRO HIP-HOP/R&B

Steel is a youthful, Urban R&B/Afro Hip-hop musician. As a child he toyed with many hubbies that have brought him into limelight or made him the man with nerves of steel that he is. Football was his first love (even though he still nurses the dream to play for F.C of Arsenal) before dazzling into music that brought him fame and fortune and also made him the darling of the young and old alike.

At age 15, he showed his dexterity by winning the keenly contested first edition of African/Latin America barbing awards. After few years, he joined a musical group called Hy Profile as the lead vocalist. Before the release of his debut solo single titled Omoge on the stable of his new record label (YES RECORDS). Sexy Steel as he is popularly called by his female fans and admirers has made cameo appearances in couple of musical videos with Olu Maintain (Yahooze), 9ice to mention but a few. This multi talented artiste studied Fine Art in college where he was one of the finest in his set.

He recently won an award for fresh video at the just concluded Soundcity Musical Video Awards (SMVA).

http://www.sexysteelonline.com

OMOTOLA: The Mix Feelings

It is so hard to have one’s head above waters in Nigeria due to the situation the country is in. The strong are finding it hard to survive, and the wise can’t just figure a way to exile. The chances of survival are just trimming smaller day in, day out and when a friend or a neighbor breaks through the odds, all we see is envy from some quarter of the society. It is ironic how some people strive to use every traditional, religious or political norm to bring down their fellow human. Omotola Jolade Ekehinde is one who knows more about these. She has received lots of criticisms as well as applauds. She has been there and has done that through every nook and crannies in the search for a way to survive; and for years, she carries the burden of a young lady inspired to successful despite all odds and she was good to her dream. No matter the measures one uses to grade her, she will not be short of an A-plus. In the movie industry, she has re-written the script for been one of the most successful and prominent actresses of all time and never has she deprived herself of the happiness of been a happily married wife and mother. Despite all of these some quarters in the society still envy her success and will never miss an opportunity to criticize some of her actions. At the height of her movie career, she decided to venture into another angle of entertainment industry which was music to be precise, by publicly making her intentions clear with the release of her debut album containing some hit singles featuring some of Nigeria A-list artiste. Well, her critics decided to have sleepless nights by asking the whole world the nagging question……. Why did she decide to be an artiste? Recently, Omotola rebranded herself by working on her physic and her brand name by releasing her recent photograph to the public. The images are so hot that her fan base increased in thousands, but despite all of these, her critics decide to come up with another nagging question…… why does she want to look so good after having four children? The questions on the streets are getting to much for me to handle knowing fully well that Omotola Jolade Ekehinde is well educated and well experienced to have answers for all, so I decided to rest my case by asking her critics my own question……. Is it wrong to be successful, and why can’t they just leave her, her fans, and family alone to live their life?