Never mind that no one knows what he truly has done. Never mind that everything might be just hype designed to draw you in and make you feel like the subject is the wealthiest and flashiest. It’s just the way the world works.

The music industry is the same, or worse. The entire set up is based on the principle of creating content to sell an idea that is consumerist, fake and very different from reality. The only truth in the content is its ability to entertain you.

It is that theory that artists embody when they live their lives. Many artists live life on social media like it’s a music video. They sell you a lie, curate parts of their human experience to give you a much doctored perception of their lives, and sell you an ideal.

Of course, you fall for it. You have to fall for the designer shoes, expensive outfits, trips to exotic spots and many more. And when the time comes for you to rate the people who make the most money in the Nigerian music industry, you know who leads the popular vote?

The loud and flashy. The artists who are mighty in propaganda. They are the public money makers. They are the once who ‘floss’ the most. They are the people wearing the most expensive stuff, hence they make the most money from the game, right.

Not right.

To understand the true beneficiaries of the music industry money game, you have to skip social media. True value from the music industry is not on social media. It is caught up in deals and power moves that are done away from the cameras. And you can’t truly know the story.

Take for example; Artist A signs a 5 million Naira deal with a telecommunication network. He comes on social media to jump on the timelines and scream “Mama I made it.” Congratulatory messages pour in and everyone is screaming their name and taking shots at haters. It’s a flashy news, and the more noise is made about it, it becomes ingrained in your consciousness that this artist is making money. Which they are.

But compare it to the guy below,

Artist B is a great performer who has had great records, with great sales across the biggest platforms. He isn’t a flashy guy, but he delivers the music, gets the highest numbers and tours based on his record. The same day Artist A gets his telco deal, he signs with an event promoter to tour a distant country and perform at 6 venues. He is paid N50 million for all of those dates.

He wouldn’t show up on social media to scream that he just made money. He takes the deal home, and drops an artwork on social media declaring his forthcoming tour. He clearly has made more money in that time than the flashy guy, but fickle public perception gives the money race to the guy with the comparably paltry N5 million.

That’s the story of the music industry. That’s how you get conned by artists looking to sell you a story and hype, over substance.

Here’s how you can get it right. Always ask yourself questions before you are led down a funny path. The real achievers do not scream it all over social media. They simply appreciate life’s blessings and move on. The only part you see is the work in progress. And when an artist is working, there’s money involved.

Do not get conned. Stay woke. Fake smells different these days.