Rapper's interview on Loose Talk Podcast is why Nigerian musicians need to engage the media

Most musicians see the critic, often a journalist sitting behind an HP laptop, or the scrawny-haired former rapper with a microphone in hand, as an apathetic music ultra-fan. Or as Eminem puts it in "On Fire", off his seventh studio album, "Recovery", the guys who "never got anything nice to say".

This perception creates a chasm that is hardly crossed until the journalist has to fulfil his duty to the audience or ask the questions that add flesh to his story.

Headed by Audu Maikori and Paul Okeugo, Chocolate City was Mecca for Nigerian rap in the late 2000s and early 2010's; with a roster that had Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince, Brymo and albums like "Talk About It", "Son Of A Kapenta". The last few years have not produced that level of success, and fans of the label and Nigerian hip-hop, in general, have thrown the questions at the self-christened "Naija rap messiah", M.I Abaga.

Rapper KEAD released a song, titled "Letter to MI", criticising M.I's third studio album, "Chairman" and his management of the label. In turn, that song would inspire Pulse Entertainment Editor, Ayomide Tayo to write an open letter to the man himself.

M.I did not take it too well.

A twitter rant later, the latter agreed to appear on Loose Talk, a podcast produced by Pulse and hosted by Ayomide Tayo and fellow journalists, Osagie Alonge and Steve Dede.

While the rest of the world ate Sallah meat and slept away August's workload, and he was supposed to be on a flight to Abuja. the rapper and Loose Kaynon talked their grievances with the journalists in an emotional 2-hour long conversation.

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Although they share the same creative industry, there are examples of the strained relationship between musicians and critics. In 2015, Burna Boy introduced his sophomore album, "On a Spaceship" with an excerpt from a highly-critical episode of Osagie Alonge's "Facts Only", a show where the latter offers commentary on the Nigerian music industry.

The chasm between both sides, the musician and the critic, means most musicians only break bread with critics where the intricacies of the music business make it a necessity.

And even at that, it is only the terrain of the majority of emerging musicians or those near or the pinnacle of their career. Once he crosses into pop-star or legend status, there is a perception that the musician has enough goodwill, success and clout to survive regardless of the critic's opinions.

This makes MI's visit all the more commendable. Over a long, storied career, the rapper has deflected many near-scandals and heavy criticism to stake a claim as one of the best Nigerian rappers ever. Later after both sides had flexed testosterone and deep voices, the rapper would say "I've seen enough bad articles about me".

"I've only responded to two; you and you", he gestured towards Osagie and Ayo on both sides. "The reason I came here is because I have respect for the two of you".

And deservedly so. On both sides, each person, musician and critic, has gathered a considerable amount of influence, over the years.

For all the respect that they command, however, you will be hard pressed to find musicians, Nigerian or otherwise that appreciate the role of the critic.

"Everyone hears music different, so I don’t understand how music critics have jobs", Rapper, Tyler the Creator said in a Twitter post in 2013.

“Whether good or bad, it really baffles me.”, he would later write in subsequent tweets. “What if the way I see blue is the way you see yellow?”.

It is a sentiment that most musicians share, and would gladly express given the right time and platform. For the creative artists, their music is influenced, above all, by their realities and experiences, and vice versa. As such, any attempt to review or critique it in isolation is pointless in their eyes

"If you cannot talk to C-Kay, then don't write an article about C-Kay", M.I would say of the 20-year-old who is his protege.

Sentiments like this reflect the general view of the media's right to critique creative work.

For the large part, criticism is often seen as a function of the artist or the 'celebrity'; it fuels the impression that the critic has a duty to consider and convey the artist's predilections in every opinion of his work, actions or decisions.

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On the contrary, the media, and the music critic exist to provide a service to the audience, not the musician.

However eclectic their product or identity is, all creatives and showbiz personalities, for lack of a better term, create art or cater to an audience that looks to them to create quality content and maintain a standard.

Because critics are perceived to have developed their taste in and knowledge of music, the audience looks to them as a sort of highly-versed safety officer.

As Emily Ziemler writes, "The role of the critic is to contextualize, to generate an understanding of how our world is being reflected in popular culture and how that reflection compares to what came before. The critic helps the listener understand what they’re listening to and how it fits into music’s big picture."

In all of this, the critic has an obligation to tell the musician's truth, to state facts and use them in a context that is accurate.

"If you write about me, say the truth", M.I would say to Ayomide Tayo, midway through the conversation. "That is all I ask".

Spoiler Alert: That was not all that M.I. would ask; and while it may be important to avoid heavily biased articles or critiques, conversations between journalists and musicians are an important part of the culture that surrounds music. In the moment, they provide context for the creative's work and in the long term, his/her trajectory.

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Until recently, except for a few exceptions, anyone hoping for a good Nigerian interview would have found drone-like responses to generic, factory-produced questions created with painful little knowledge of the subject or his work.

As Nigerian music continues to announce itself and evolve simultaneously, good conversations will be important for the musicians with a story to tell and the audience willing to understand the larger narrative that inspires the music.

Needless to say, it helps when the musician approaches these interactions with a consciousness of their self and art, and the journalist, with nuance and objectivity in equal measure.

Both sides need to understand how to use this symbiotic relationship to the benefit of themselves, without losing respect for the other's integrity and ideals; and the musicians must learn to engage the media and the people who critique their work.

M.I would echo this sentiment when the podcast's initial heat had simmered into friendly banter.

"This interview is the first of its kind", the rapper would say, "Never have media and artists had (this sort of interview)."

"See what the Breakfast Club is doing. See what Sway is doing. Let's talk. Let's help each other and if the help at the end of the day is to say "brother, you're wack", that's what you should do."

"This sort of conversation must happen more. That's what we've done today. We've opened that glass ceiling of "What is your name?"

"Let's have real conversations", the rapper said.

Most times, it doesn't even have to be a podcast or a live-streamed interview. Simple conversations, one at a time, are enough to add more context to all sides of the story of Nigerian musicians and their music.

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