WANDE COAL TO FLOAT OWN RECORD LABEL

WANDE COAL

The news coming from the camp of Mavin Records has it that their premier artist, Wande Coal, is about floating his own record label.

The label is to be called Black Diamond Records and will have its own artists but Wande will remain a Mavin Records artist.

The formation of the label is reportedly with the blessings of Don Jazzy and it will be a similar arrangement with M.I’s Loopy Records which runs independently even when M.I is still a Chocolate City Records artist.

Don Jazzy is fully in support and it will not in any way disturb Wande’s status as a Mavin Records artist.

Inside sources claim that Wande’s desire to form his own record label goes as far back as his Mo’ Hits days when a disagreement with D’banj almost led to him leaving the label but for Don Jazzy’s intervention and promise to support him.

The time for that support has come. Wande is currently working on his sophomore album and has released a number of singles as precursors to it.

Other artists on the Marvin Records imprint are D’ Prince, Dr Sid and Tiwa Savage who is the only non-Mo’Hits member.

DR SID ADDRESSES HIS LEAKED CONVERSATION WITH DAVIDO

DR SID

Last week an audio clip of a conversation between former Mo’ Hits now Mavin Records artist, Dr Sid and HKN’s Davido leaked. In the conversation, Dr Sid is heard arguing with a number of people (Kamal, Dbanj’s associate known as Evil, Godfather, Davido and B-Red) but in the audible parts of the obviously edited tape, he complains bitterly about D’banj and blames him for the lull in his career.

“Why don’t they know my name? Because your brand (D’banj) and star is too much it is overshadowing,” Sid says heatedly.

“Guy, it’s not that, D’banj can help anybody…If not for D’banj nobody would have looked at Wande, guy I dey lie? Men, I don’t know,” Davido counters.

“Batman and Robin, who dem dey call? Na D’banj nah. D’banj did more negative than positive for my career,” Dr Sid says at the end of the audio.

It immediately prompted a lot of debate and mixed reactions from the entertainment industry and, of course, a backlash from the fans of D’banj and Dr Sid felt the need to straighten up issues. He manned up to having said the things attributed to him in the audio and defiantly addresses them.

Using his twitter handle, @IamDrSID, he said:

 Hi tweeps hope everyone is having a good day? Please permit me to address the issue of the recording that was released this weekend.

I had a PRIVATE conversation with people I trusted (Kamal, Dbanjs' associate Evil, Godfather, Davido, B-Red)......

I'm entitled to my opinion and its unfortunate that this happened…

Sadly, someone chose to record this private conversation and release it to the public......

However, this has taught me a valuable lesson on who to and not to speak with, but life must goes on...

We hope has really learnt his lessons and also, everyone please mind who you hold a private conversation with because it might not be that private. We await the next part of this saga ‘cos this doesn’t sound like the end yet.

CHILL PILLS

While in school, I loved John Dryden, Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope and by extension the bunch of the Restoration poets whose wit and humour really got to me. They thrived on satire and parody and turned sarcasm into a veritable art form that even my head which usually refused to cram anything memorised some lines that last till this day.

In recent times, I have always loved reading The Fifth Official on ESPN soccernet.com where the writer always takes a semi-cursory, humour-laden look at the soccer events of the past week. I might never rise to the stature of Pope and Dryden or The Fifth Official but there’s no harm in trying to imitate them.

I’m an entertainment journalist with special emphasis on music and here’s my own humorous sighting of last week’s events. I will try to make this as regular as possible if you like it…

VIDEO REVIEW: UNCLE SNOOP AND HIS GROWN BABY NEPHEWS

UNCLE SNOOP & NEPHEWS

By now everybody must have watched the ‘Mr. Endowed’ (remix) video. What did you see?

Towards the end of last year the story that D’ banj has recorded a remix of his song, ‘Mr. Endowed,’ with the one and only Snoop Doggy Dogg was everywhere. Many saw it a very big step in the right direction by a Nigerian artist while others dismissed it as a mere publicity ploy when after some time there was nothing forthcoming.

At the turn of the year, the story that they had gone for the video shoot came and this time they substantiated it with pictures. The video duly followed and after having watched it for a while now, a lot of people have made up their minds about it and others are still to decide in what direction the development would take Nigerian music.

What is quite obvious is that it is a welcome development to do a ‘collabo’ with an internationally recognized artist but the intention is confusing.’ Is it to show off access to an international artist or to harness the unique musical and artistic talents of both acts to create a universally acceptable sound and video?

The video, even though of excellent visual quality, seems to only be celebrating the importance of Snoop’s presence. You see D’ banj and Don Jazzy looking every inch of nephews to their ‘Uncle Snoop’ and the fact that Snoop is quite taller than them both only accentuates this in the video. The relative creativity exhibited by director Sesan in the original version of the song is jettisoned for the presence of Snoop and the‘endowment’ of his ‘house.’ *Observe the rest of the Mo’ Hits family crew in different parts of the house.

D’ banj and the Mo’ Hits are not the first to do a ‘collabo’ with an international act. Among others, 2face has recorded with R. Kelly and Wyclef Jean, Star Quest winners, The Pulse, have done same with Busta Rhymes and Clarence Peters even shot the video.

What is noticeable from the goings on so far is that the Mo’ Hits are still trying to find a selling point for D’ banj’s new album and the idea of international ‘collabos’ seem to be the most appealing to them. Lately there is the story of more ‘collabos’ with the likes of Kanye West, Beyonce and Jay Z. If they happen, then the Mo’ Hits family tree would be accordingly proliferated as they uncle-nephew relationship would be automatically triggered.