ASA:brilliant,inspirimg and,unsexy!

“There is fire on the mountain and nobody seems to be on the run”, this line from fire on the mountain, a single from her debut album summarizes her musical philosophy. Asa is a mix of shade Adu, Tracy Chapman and Erika Badu, combining a sultry voice and philosophical penning skills with an unconventional attractiveness. She defies all odds by diving into the Nigerian music mainstream without selling out! In a society where most ladies depend on baring it all to excel, Asa maintains decorum and still shines. She sings romance without obscenity and revolution without violence. Her lyrics are so conscious you can almost see them moving.

Asa was born in Paris, as Bukola Elemide 27 years ago. Her musical career has progressed in leaps and jumps since her flop at the 2002 edition of star quest, where the judges thought her not impressive enough. She defied the seeming failure and moved on with her career. The name Asa means “hawk”. In 2004 she hooked up with Janet, who became her friend and manager. Shortly after, the connection brought in prolific producer, Cobhams Asuquo and together with other talented artistes, she nestled with Questionmark Entertainment.

As Asa began to soar as an artiste, her music career became her utmost priority, “my guitar is my boy friend”, she told a popular magazine. She worked very hard on her debut album that was supposed to be released on the Questionmark imprint. But things turned sour between her and Kevin Luciano, the Q- mark boss. There were accusations and counter accusations; a split was the only way out apparently. Asa took off to Paris, where she hooked up with Naïve records, on whose platform she released her debut album “Asa” an eponym of herself in December, 2007. The album won critical acclaim both in Europe and Nigeria. In the words of James Silas of HWM, “it is sonorously rendered with a captivating aura that extends the thin line between a good and fairly delivered album”. She credits the production of the album to sound genius, Cobhams Asuquo, along side Benjamin Constant, Sebastian Viguier and Christophe Duporuy (not Duggary you football freaks!) who all gave their best to the ground breaking joint.

The album speaks directly to our consciousnesses. The jazzy instrumentals and the soulful singing are inspiration and lifting. We don’t have to go the 360 degrees to know that there is fire on the mountain, but no one knows tomorrow! Her love ballads, bring us from far away to see things fall down the drain, so let’s be careful when someone comes to say “I love you” or we could end up like “Bibanke”. At the end we are more in tune with what music is all about.

POST SCRIPT.

I watched her perform live at TINAPA on Easter Sunday and was left with locked jaws like tetanus. She had a full orchestra to back her up, very professional! I have never seen any Nigerian act with such a band before. Despite the distance from Calabar main town the hall was packed. I doff my hat for her.

ASA :BRILLIANT, INSPIRING AND UNSEXY!

“There is fire on the mountain and nobody seems to be on the run”, this line from fire on the mountain, a single from her debut album summarizes her musical philosophy. Asa is a mix of shade Adu, Tracy Chapman and Erika Badu, combining a sultry voice and philosophical penning skills with an unconventional attractiveness. She defies all odds by diving into the Nigerian music mainstream without selling out! In a society where most ladies depend on baring it all to excel, Asa maintains decorum and still shines. She sings romance without obscenity and revolution without violence. Her lyrics are so conscious you can almost see them moving.

Asa was born in Paris, as Bukola Elemide 27 years ago. Her musical career has progressed in leaps and jumps since her flop at the 2002 edition of star quest, where the judges thought her not impressive enough. She defied the seeming failure and moved on with her career. The name Asa means “hawk”. In 2004 she hooked up with Janet, who became her friend and manager. Shortly after, the connection brought in prolific producer, Cobhams Asuquo and together with other talented artistes, she nestled with Questionmark Entertainment.

As Asa began to soar as an artiste, her music career became her utmost priority, “my guitar is my boy friend”, she told a popular magazine. She worked very hard on her debut album that was supposed to be released on the Questionmark imprint. But things turned sour between her and Kevin Luciano, the Q- mark boss. There were accusations and counter accusations; a split was the only way out apparently. Asa took off to Paris, where she hooked up with Naïve records, on whose platform she released her debut album “Asa” an eponym of herself in December, 2007. The album won critical acclaim both in Europe and Nigeria. In the words of James Silas of HWM, “it is sonorously rendered with a captivating aura that extends the thin line between a good and fairly delivered album”. She credits the production of the album to sound genius, Cobhams Asuquo, along side Benjamin Constant, Sebastian Viguier and Christophe Duporuy (not Duggary you football freaks!) who all gave their best to the ground breaking joint.

The album speaks directly to our consciousnesses. The jazzy instrumentals and the soulful singing are inspiration and lifting. We don’t have to go the 360 degrees to know that there is fire on the mountain, but no one knows tomorrow! Her love ballads, bring us from far away to see things fall down the drain, so let’s be careful when someone comes to say “I love you” or we could end up like “Bibanke”. At the end we are more in tune with what music is all about.


POST SCRIPT.
I watched her perform live at TINAPA on Easter Sunday and was left with locked jaws like tetanus. She had a full orchestra to back her up, very professional! I have never seen any Nigerian act with such a band before. Despite the distance from Calabar main town the hall was packed. I doff my hat for her.

crazy and witty

to give us a breather here are some punchlines gathered from some internet research, many naija boiz need to take note. if u can't grab the jerk ask the nearest smart guy or go for an IQ test!


Those who have guinea pigs never have to throw out any vegetables.
3) If you wear a silly hat, everyone knows who you are.
4) No one likes a smartass
4') Especially another smartass.
4") Unless they have their own TV show, then they're a comic genius.
5) Arguing with a zealot is only slightly easier than tunneling through a mountain with your forehead.
6) Anyone capable of getting themselves elected president has shown that they should not be allowed to do the job. (Apologies to Douglas Adams)
7) Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. (Isaac Asmiov)
8) Right, because usually the compentent don't wait that long. (Jerry Pournelle)
9) Once is chance, twice is a coincidence, three times is an enemy action. (Ian Fleming, Goldfinger)
10) Never turn your back on a charging turtle.
11) Never get in a spitting contest with a llama.
12) Projectile vomiting rarely gets you a return invitation anywhere.
13) Never throw toilet paper on a bear.
14) Hyenas laugh becasue they know what's coming next.
15) Shooting yourself in the foot is actually a lot more fun than it sounds.
15') Shooting yourself in the foot is actually a lot less fun than nearly anything else.
16) Calling your mother and pretending to be an encyclopedia salesman doesn't go over too well.
17) The prime motivation for all human behavior is the need to feel superior to someone else.
18) He who laughs last should do so from a safe distance.
19) Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
20) The words "My" "Rash" "See" and "Wanna" don't go well together in a sentence.
21a) When given a choice, people will always do the dumbest thing under the circumstances.
21b) The IQ of a mob can be determined by taking the IQ of the dumbest member, and dividing by the number of members.
21c) Therefore: The larger the number of people, the stupider the resultant decisions and actions (congress anyone?)
22) Never ever go first.
23) When being stalked by an angry mob with raspberries, the first thing to do is to release a tiger. (Monty Python

The rugged man interview!

An online interview a had with ruggedybaba not to long ago.

The name ruggedman is known nationwide and even abroad, how did you do it?

The name is everywhere because of God,the good music I make ,my hard work,consistency,my easy going,down to earth personality and the people that love and support my music.

What has been your greatest challenge so far?
Nothing really.I dont see them as challenges.I see them as things that have to be taken care of and I know how to make good music and hustle to promote my music.Maybe I can say being an artiste and running a record label Rugged Records and also owning the first clothing line by a Nigerian artriste called 20th Sept Wear.CHECK THEM OUT ON www.myspace.com/ruggedmannigerian

You are reputed to be one of the leading hip hop heads in Nigeria,how familiar are you with the universal hip hop movement?

I started listening to hip hop in 1989 till date.I know what I know what I need to know and what I need about hip hop.If you talk about hip hop movement,I will say I am more interested in Nigerias hip hop movement which I am glad to have been infront of with my Ehen track that revolutionised the Nigerian music industry.
Thats why I have loads of awards to my credit and have been nominated for 2008s KORA all Africa music awards for best hip hop.

Most musicians are guilty of trivializing sexuality and portraying women as objects of entertainment and sexual gratification.What is your take on this?

The way peoples features are different,thats how peoples characters and view on life is different.Some musicians sing about the life they live,while some make it up and sing about it.9ice does not smoke cigarettes,let alone weed but he sang a monster hit called Ganja man.Music is no longer just music,it is now a business.Musicians look for angles that will make them sell records and they get into it.Nowadays sex sells,so the ones that can do it capitalise on it and make money from it.

Can you do anything to change it, or is it necessary to help sell your records?

Its a way of life.We know its not right but its a thing of choice.Its either you are ok with or you are not.One party says its bad,but how do you say that to a musician who is making 4 million naira in a month off such a song?You really cant force people not to do certain things,that will be encroaching on their fundamental human rights.So the most we can do is add parental advisory tags on such cds so people that dont like such will be aware and not buy it.

Any special advice to the youths out there?

.To the youths I will first oall say thank you very much for your love and support for Ruggedman and his music.
Then be true,be real and most especially be you.There is nothing bad you do that you will not pay for.It might sound harsh but thats how life is.
Hard work and positive persistence pays off at the end of the day.


On the mode nine beef, he says he has no time for that. he wont reply because mode nine is trying to use him to sell on of those his "hardcore albums.


Ruggedman is not new to awards anymore,but he is really excited about a 2nd KORA awards nomination.His 1st album titled Thy Album Come got a KORA nomination in 2005,now his 2nd album Ruggedy Baba has been nominated again for Best Hip Hop group/act.Ruggedman is using this medium to reach out to his fans seeking their votes for the award.

KORA AWARDS 09 VOTE RUGGEDMAN FOR BEST HIP HOP ACT/GROUP True Ruggedy Baba peops its on officially o!!!! Vote Ruggedman for KORA.IN NIGERIA Text RUGGEDMAN-BEST HIP HOP OR GROUP TO 33320.OUTSIDE NIGERIA TXT RUGGEDMAN-BEST HIP HOP ACT/GROUP TO +248 984 000.

Ruggedy has stated that he is going to put out 3 new songs on radio soon and is currently in the studio putting finishing touches to the songs.
He has also stated that this album will be his last album because he intends to pay 100% attention to his record label Rugged Records and will soon unveil the artistes he has been working with and his clothing line 20th Sept Wear .

POST SCRIPT
i saw the video for "banging" a couple of days ago and it is the bomb. brilliant video.

silver saddih: albub review

Album title: the bard
This is a brilliant delivery of R n B. the best by any Nigerian so far. his sonorous voice takes the listener on a trip to bliss. his lyrical ability is very deep, casting a magic spell on you like vodoo. With Cobhams on the boards the beats serenades the listener. Kadija shows how an artist can render beautifully even in a local dialect. after listening to this album , i wonder why it is not a mainstream hit.

what's beef?

The rap game in Nigeria is heating up. For the first time in Nigeria’s rap history we have 5 real rappers in the mainstream. Gone are the days when wanna bes stole the show and fakers ran court.
Before ruggedman’s “Ehen pt 1” coup most tight rappers remained underground, there was an erroneous thought that rap was an American thing. Those who showed up were a bib joke, they took advantage of the ignorance of the popular media and force feed us whack stuff. I laugh when Eedris says he pioneered hip-hop in Nigeria. Rap and Hip-hop has always thrived, the problem was that the media then was straight – jacketed. Many cities like Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Calabar etc had an awesome amount of underground rappers doing their thing actively before the remedies emerged... Thanks to the media boom in Lagos.
Before Eedris and he remedies, there were the Black masqueraders. Ruff ,Rugged and raw, Def O Clan, Swatroot, KD world, Menthol X, Fada Kane, UDX etc who were doing some very tight stuffs. I remember I had my first Nigerian Rap mixtape way back in 1996. But thanks to Kenny and D one who controlled the pioneer private TV and radio stations the remedies blew. Those who knew better remained mum like one of my parents. Even when black face and ruff rugged and raw spat some tight bars on Tony Tetuila’s “Omode meta”, no one gave them props, rather Eedris’ reply on wakawekee MCs was given all the hype. That was the beginning of mainstream rap duels. If Ruff, Rugged and Raw had hit back with a track of theirs, they would have blown, they retreated, and so did their career.



Enter Ruggedman; ‘Ehen’ aimed deadly blows on mainstream heavy weights: Rasqui, Maintain and Eedris. Kenny and D one tried to fight back on behalf of their prize rapper, Eedris, but the rugged one put them to the sword with big bros. Vanquished Eedris stopped rapping.
Rugged ran the game alone; there was no contest, so he turned to the club and party.
The trybes men and their trybe cohorts impressed only to falter. Eldee and freestyle gave the impression of a show down, but abandoned it before it got anywhere. Ruggedman had no sparring partner.

Mode nine is in the building; African stand up! And give him elbow room. Nine’s sharp and witty lyrics got the industry talking. Starting from “its about to get ugly” you could tell he was made for battle.


Single after single, and two mix tapes, modey ripped tracks
and showed nothing but raw skill and hunger for battle. Tongues started wagging, journalists started writing, and ruggedman knew someone was breathing down his neck.
“Ruggedybaba” was seen as a subtle address to Mode nine. During media chats and celebrity hangouts, both rappers made veiled references to each others’ style. When Ruggedman’s full album dropped. Tracks like “watch me” and “to whom it may concern” were no doubt aimed even indirectly at Mode. Nine also jabbed back with tracks like “Toron Giwa”,”spectacular” and “not like you”. That’s what most cats think any way. The battle for superiority was brewing, for the first time in naija rap we had two real pugilists going for the crown, although they had only been shadow boxing so far.
When Mode nine dropped “Talking to you” sometime in 2008 the press jumped on it and scored it as a direct hit, I disagree. In his words he confirms this saying “talking to you… that track was a decoy”! But ruggedman had already responded with “banging”.. Mode nine came out smoking with Spartans and the delivered the death blow on “the paradigm shift album.
While we watch the battle unfold, other cats are out spiting fire.M I gave us a unique flavour, he is very lyrical. Terry the rap man has resurrected a career that was almost dead with a brilliantly delivered “The rapman begins” album. Rugged man’s name appeared on it. Even if it was in jest. OD is also out spitting fire, he too had thoughts on rugged. His album is one of the hardest core raps since Mode nine’s “Malcolm IX”.It seems the reign of Ruggedman is coming to an end, but never under rate the Baba.

To those cats out there screaming beef, they better shut up. The rap industry is getting lively and trading banter is part of the game. Beef is what you get when you kill a cow!

silver sounds

I am back again. I ve just been listening to some new stuff from naija boiz, i wonder if they will ever improve. I heard one sheyman guy singing 'hoter than fire and am trying to figure out what he is all about. when asked what type of music he plays he replies : 'funky hiphop ragga'! what is that? Almost every artist in Naija wants to be hiphop by force. It is either Afro- hiphop or fuji hiphop or garbage hiphop. it is driving me crazy!

Naija bioz

Naija bioz are not taking it easy in the show biz industry. back in the days we used to watch wack videos for nice songs, nowadays we have tight videos for wack songs. most of the songs we listen to these days are potential headeachers.
What is the meaning of 'do me i do u' or "zanga". most songs we hear are just a beat and a chourus. someone just goes into the studio with no concept in mind and sings any trash. The funny thing is that Nigerians love it. this goes to show the level of music illiteracy of naija people.Those who know better are not smiling. in the coming months i feed you guys with the best and the worst of naija sounds.