Nigerian artists have grown bigger than accepting breadcrumbs from the US

Last week, Davido shared a video of his car stereo blaring a confusing song. The instrumental was recognizable as the sound of his hit record ‘If’. But it came with a different vocals. That vocal delivery turned out to be that of legendary R&B singer R. Kelly.

Trust Nigerians to be elated. The general thought pattern and reaction on social media was one of happiness. According to a sizable number of Nigerians, this was a big deal; R.Kelly’s take on the song should be mastered and released as the official remix of the record. These people were still caught in the mentality that any time a foreign artist touches Nigerian content, it’s a blessing.

That’s a wrong mentality to possess. If this was between 2000 – 2005, this would have been one of the greatest Nigerian achievements by an artist. Having R. Kelly on a Nigerian record would have been a victory for the industry, and everyone can whip out the flags of achievement and wave it with abandon.

But this is 2017. R. Kelly, with due respect, is yesterday’s man. Where he once ruled the game with a strong chokehold on the culture, there are new kids on the block, working the streets and creating new music with the same impact on the culture.

But I understand why Nigerians were elated. We still possess the colonial mentality of appreciating everything foreign and giving it undue and undeserved prominence, without scrutiny. R. Kelly’s presence on Davido’s record simply just shows that the music is appealing to more people outside the traditional spheres of our influence.

That’s what we should celebrate; the message, not its bearer. It could have been Joe or Tyrese for all we care.

Another reason why we overreacted to the news is because we fail to properly recognize our stand in world music. We are yet to fully comprehend the power that we hold in world music right now, hence are willing to celebrate breadcrumbs.

We have artists collaborating with Drake, getting on US radio, and snagging major label deals. We have the biggest music companies seeking business opportunities and partnerships in Nigeria. That’s the level that we operate in right now.

According to a report by Price Waterhouse Cooper, Africa’s entertainment and media (E&M) sector—especially in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa—has grown tremendously over the last two decades as artists have risen from relative international obscurity to global recognition.

The E&M sector—which encompasses books, movies, internet, newspapers, radio, TV, and video games—in these three countries is projected to grow at a faster rate than that of the world’s average. The music industry largely contributes to the growth of the E&M sector. In Nigeria for instance, music is the fastest-growing E&M sector, behind the internet.

Nigeria’s music industry alone is expected to grow at a breathtaking 12.9 percent CAGR—almost doubling from $47 million in 2015 to over $86 million in 2020—on the back of strong mobile music revenue.

That’s how strong we are. We have the ability to command the best of collaborations. Davido himself is working with today’s stars. Future, Young Thug, Rae Sremmund, Meek Mill, Migos, and many more, have recorded with him.

The focus right now for us is how to compete favorably around the world, and consolidate on our gains in different markets. We need to look at creating systems and structures to support the export of our art for commercial value. That’s what our national focus should be.

Having R. Kelly on ‘If’ remix is good for press. But in commercial and cultureal terms, it’s a very small victory. Perhaps too small to even matter in our expanding industry. We should aspire for greater achievements. Not R. Kelly.