Nigerian music is at a phase whereby on the off chance that you can’t swim with the tide you would be washed away so rapidly that recuperating would be difficult to swim move down to the surface. This outline tells the stories of some extremely remarkable and capable Nigerian artists who were at one time the creme de la creme of the Nigerian music industry however their radiance days have been sliced short because of a few conditions that is path past them.
During their A days they had it all, the ladies, fans, media, attention, fame and fortune but they also gave us very good music that is very hard to fathom why their gift for making such good music had waned. But notwithstanding they haven’t faded completely as they are still very much in the music industry and their impact is still felt but even with all the effort they have put into making a comeback to their good old days, it seems not to be working for them. Below are 5 good Nigerian artistes who have tried but could not get back those vibes their fans knew them for.
Wande Coal
Wande Coal once referred to as the man with the golden voice who could make a grown man cry just by hearing him sing hasn’t been the same since he parted ways Marvin Records boss and producer, Don Jazzy. Wande Coal career took a nose dive when he began to have problem with Don Jazzy but we all thought been a talented musician that he is was going to bounce back and continue to give us those good music he is know for, but he never really did make the comeback we were expecting. Although he usually drops a single or two every year and he also released his much anticipated second album “Wanted” which failed to live up to our expectation. Wande Coal is still very much relevant in the industry and he is revered for his strong soprano voice and good song writing skill but he hasn’t really been the Wande Coal we once used to know.
9ice
Everyone who knew the days of Gongo Aso can attest to the fact that 9ice was a big deal then and he was one of the biggest African artiste at the time that he was called up to perform at Mandela’s birthday with other top international musicians. Those days 9ice was on fire and he released hits upon hits back to back with his three albums going platinum. But he couldn’t keep up with the form he started with and all of a sudden his career which was affected by his marital affair with his first wife made him take a break from music and by the time he returned back to the scene he struggled to give his fans those music that they loved. He never quit instead he kept working on improving on his craft to become better with every every song and album he released. 9ice is still relevant but those Gongo Aso days are gone but we still love him though.
Faze
Everybody loves Faze. He was that guy you just have to love because he has that voice you can only dream of. Yes that is Faze for you, the ladies man. He was the man of the moment when he released his second studio album “Independent” in 2006 with hits like “Kpo kpo di kpo”, “Letter to my Brother”, “Tatoo Girls”, “Need Somebody”, “Kolomental” and many others. His third studio album”Originality” released in 2008 was also very big with hit songs like “Tatoo Girl (Remix)”, “Originality“, “Am in Love”, Story of my Life” and others. Faze was so big then that after that period he failed to keep up with what he started and he struggled afterward by releasing one song sometimes non in a year. I’m sure he still has a lot to offer and his fans can’t wait to hear from him.
Naeto C
Who remembers the only rapper with a MSc? Yes I know many of you will remember that line used by Naeto C in his hit song “Ten Over Ten”. Naeto C was so big way back in 2008 when he released his first hit single “U Know My P”, “Kini Big Deal”. “Ten Over Ten”, “5 & 6” and “Tony Montana” featuring D’banj. Ever since then he hasn’t been able to give us those kind of hit songs. He took a break after he got married to his long time girlfriend and he tried to make a comeback with the releases of some singles and an album which didn’t really make a mark like he had expected.
D’banj
The name D’banj commands respect for those who really know who the Koko Master is and his achievement as an artiste in Nigerian who took Afrobeat to the global market. He practically paved the way for the new act we have now to be heard all over the world. D’banj was once Africa’s biggest and marketable artiste for several years. You can’t even begin to count the number of hit songs he’s got because if you do I can assure you that you would loose count of them because they are a lot. There are very few artiste who can come close to his achievements both in the local in international scene. D’banj music career kicked off when he joined forces with his friend and business partner Don Jazzy and together they formed Mohit Records. He released debut “Tongolo” single and “Why Me” which catapulted him to the mainstream and he never looked back combining Afrobeat with Afropop with the help of Don Jazzy to become the most sort after artiste in Africa. His career took a downward slide when he parted ways with his long time friend and producer, Don Jazzy and ever since his music career has never been the same again. Though he kept dropping new singles occasionally, he never really found his feet back.
**This list and write-up was written by @iam_JimmyKing
