Open letter to Phenom : Na your record label dey dull you?

Posted by: b3rrilyn in Celebrity News Mar 20, 2014

This is a season of open letters. This one is addressed to Phenom.

Read below:

guy how far? You don hear this new jam? na Naija song? I no dey interested oh boy, forget, this one na die, I no believe say Nigerian fit flow like this on top beat
if e no sweet, thunder go fire you and the artiste? Why you too like Upcoming artiste like this sef, wetin be the name and title?
Na Phenom o, Omo Naija, the song no be dance track but e make sense Die
oya play the song
(plays song)
: (after 3 minutes) chai, see punchlines as them dey enter each other, Na rap be this, the kind Rap wey I dey find for Naija.. The guy no get other tracks? Na the first song abt the popular ‘Omo Naija’ wey I go enjoy be this, others wey dey sing ‘Omo naija’ just dey bore me. I don turn him fan o.. Wetin be him handle???
na @kh_phenom o, na @Knighthouselive be him record label, na @deejayklem dey produce for am, @temigomez dey record am and na @Rogbathebaron get the label..

And that is how the name of Topa Onimowo crept into my ears and memory.. Just through one song, unlike many Nigerian Rappers, after this, I watched a few freestyle videos and I was surprised at what a Nigerian could spit.. I took it upon myself to get familiar with this lines and rendered them at will and people exclaimed, REALLY, did you just say that? How did you think about that?
That’s how good Phenom is.. Now to the business of the day

Dear Topa Onimowo,
This is a Concerned fan, a top fan for that matter, who would fight a boxer upon your matter if he says he doesn’t know you.. Or you’re not the best rapper in Nigeria.. I have watched the rap game come of age and build in confidence and seen rappers fade out.. Of course, All Nigerian rap fanatics can say @Mi_abaga upped the Nigerian Rap scene with clinical flows and jams that remain in our hearts forever, but you came in, had one take and you had it in your hands.. I remember 6ft7ft ft you off the IM2 and how M.I thought he murked the track till your verse entered, truly, M.I spat like a boss, but your verse came in, punchlines were easy to relate with immediately, and at the same time rather deep cus Nigerians couldn’t think of what it meant with just one take. The hyped Shuku Shuku BamBam dropped and I thought, this Nigga wants to kill himself going commercial, rather, you murked it, I used that shii for my ringtone for almost 6 months and I felt, with this song, this nigga is made already!

Murder dem produced By Legendury beatz entered, sick tune, still phenom isn’t a household name? Remix entered? With KING AYO BALOGUN who whatsoever he touches turns into Gold, after 2 weeks, the hype is gone another track New Bounce? Same thing? THE WAY with the KING again? No push? No Hype? No Video? Reminisce jumped on Ashawo? No Hype? No Video? Fo Je Le with Phyno? No Hype? No Video? And it just gets me thinking, what is wrong?

Is it You that isn’t good enough for Fame and Money?
Or is it the record Label that is dulling you?
Or did you pen what you weren’t meant to whilst looking for a contract?
Looking at the Nigerian Music Scene, I take Ice Prince for example, I’m a big fan of Ice prince because he knows how to Shut people up even if Lyrically, he isn’t A-List, even with that, he makes it up in his Chorus, he’s Marketable, he shoots Videos so the face is familiar.. even if he isn’t half a talent as you.

Baba, if KnightHouse no dey try, Comot for there? Are they your family members? People help people, but when the relationship isn’t bringing forth success, they just have to accept and let go.
I remember at fight Night when you entered, and you walked up to where the other artistes sat, a nigga beside me said and I quote, “who’s that Nuisance who doesn’t know that this is where Emcees are meant to be for the battle?” I just replied, that is Phenom and he was Surprised because he just knew the name, and not the face..

Even Lagbaja that covers his face has that as his own Identity, so when the mask is on, we already know that we looking at Lagbaja. My friend, I advice you shoot more videos and get them hyped, get them hyped a lot, you have over 15 songs and only 2 proper videos and one Viral video? Under the 4 years I’ve known you with Knighthouse? And you want to ‘Blow’? Who does that? It’s not Possible??? I can confidently tell you that you are ten times better than Yung6ix, but that Nigga is more popular and more accepted than you are because he shoots videos.. And his videos and songs gets pushed a lot.. Listen, not everything that trends on twitter is checked out, not every song that trends is Downloaded, you are not Wizkid, who can decide to drop a link and sleep knowing full well that if he wakes in 10 minutes, he’d have over 1 million downloads without even hyping it? Why because Himself, his Record Label and his Manager have done their homework and it has paid off.

I laugh when I see people talk about Skales being stagnant, staying under the same Record Label with Wizkid and not achieving the same feat as star boy. The truth is he can’t use Wizkid as a benchmark for Success because you only have that type of Talent once in a Generation.. Even at that, to be honest with ourselves, Skales is a bigger name, with Bigger Success stories than Phenom? Why? Because they have the right resources and have done their bit to make him successful as an artiste.. Has Knighthouse done same for you? I really don’t know and If they have, it’s just not enough.

Some weeks back, I almost cried when you munched Ice Prince Zamani’s tweet about your song with Wizkid and put on your DP. It was quite painful because verily verily I say unto thee, you have completely underrated yourself. That is some shii an upcoming artiste should do and gain more ground amongst his fellow upcoming artistes. For Christ Sake, you’re a Nokia Ambassador, if the winner of Don’t Break Da Beat can walk away with 3.2 million Naira, I wonder what the Ambassadors would walk away with? Where is this money going to? I still see you walk around inside Unilag? Can’t your Record Label Afford a Ride? Ok? They can’t shoot videos for you then they should be able to afford a car you can call your own..

Furthermore, it has been 4 years now that I’ve known you with Knighthouse, the highest you’ve dropped is an EP which you released for free? I’m not against it because Nigerians like free things but if after 4 years it’s only an EP that you can drop then brother its either you quit Music or you find a better Record label that is serious with Music and their own money making business.

I should go on and on, stating things but I should stop here with this, PatoRanking is under Timaya, under 6 months, see what he has achieved? Nigga is already known with his 2 songs and 2 videos, owns a house in Lekki, drives a 2014 Range Rover, yet you have better songs.. Even if Skales seems Stagnant, if you don’t find a better deal or Knighthouse Ups their game, you’d still not be at Half the level that he is.

You can become that superstar that you want to be, drive the best of cars, get that fat bank account, and live large and still dish out good songs? You need to Repackage yourself, and get a good deal, Nigerians won’t spend their money on people they don’t know, people they don’t recognise, yes you get the mentions about been the best, those same people would pick an Ice prince show over yours. Its high time your Management realises that you’re not moving, and they need to do something about it or you terminate your contract and move to a better place.

I remain your Number one fan, and more metaphors to your blackhead. God bless you