The Week in Review: April 26 - May 1

Merry Merry New month y'all. It's been quite a year and I for one can't wait to see it roll over because we really have been through it - definitely not panning out how anyone envisaged.

Straight up, I'll be throwing back some info I tweeted, came across in the week that I think may be useful for you. As you must've known, sharing knowledge/information is one of the things that give me the most joy.

So, shall we?

Earlier in the week, I demystified the reality of artists’ streaming revenue being a constant flux per market/region, contrary to a likely notion that the value of every stream is equal; now you know it isn't.

Pulse writer, Tolani penned this stupendous piece about Ladipoe, obviously in commemoration of the rapper having his first #1 song with Know You. This really has been a long time coming for Poe - a talented rapper & amazing personality.

I queried on Twitter about pressure of sticking to some music industry status quo and a bunch of emerging artistes opened up about their personal dealings with such. This was actually an eye-opener for me, seeing young artists having this much to battle. In case you missed it, care to share whatever music industry status quo you might be pressured about?

Following Warner Music's recent partnership with Africori, an African distribution platform and their then affiliation with Nigeria's Chocolate City last year. It seemed to be like they're testing the waters before taking steps to actually launch here [Nigeria]; probably taking precaution from it's contemporaries - UMG & Sony who have been here for a while but are yet to record their presence via market share. Micheal Ugwu, CEO Freemedigital, and Former GM Sony West Africa however, illuminated on the modus operandi of the major labels in Africa. I was however reminded that Warner has been physically present in South Africa since 2013.

For the first time, I attempted a music business Trivia. It was fun seeing the numerous attempts and interest. I'll probably do more of that subsequently. Thoughts?

Pulse writer, Tolani also tweeted about this platform called Dubset, for [EDM] producers & DJs alike. If interested, go check it out and see if it's something worth dealing with.

The geniuses at WeTalkSound created a dope report card template to better help document your journey. Every win, no matter how small is worth documenting and celebrating. Always remember to define success in your own terms; not anybody's.

If you're interested or have anyone, Obinna Agwu needs a set of grad or music professionals to carry out a music study. He's just a DM away.

Native Mag put together a brilliant compilation of emerging artistes worth checking out. I loved the piece on each of them as much as I enjoyed the music. You should have a look.

Joey Akan also published his December 2019 interview with Davido. I enjoyed reading this yesterday morning, as y'all must've known already that Joey never disappoints. Go ahead, have a look and subscribe to his newsletter.

Honour has made quite an interesting motion visual for Odunsi & Tems' newly-released Decided which drops later today. Do well to check it out.

Yesterday, I spent my morning listening to two great podcasts - Listening Sessions by Obinna Agwu and African Music Law by Ms Uduak. The podcasts feature the prolific music producer, Cobhams Asuquo and ace A&R exec, Bizzle Osikoya respectively. As an emerging artist, producer or music business enthusiast, there's a lot to unpack from these podcasts and I advise that you dedicate some time for it.

Lastly, if you're a Rapper, keep an eye out as 100 Crowns and Monster Energy are furthering their Hip-hop forwardness - launching a platform for rappers to showcase their genius and get a prize. So, you may want to tell your rapper ex, cousin, frenemy etc. I'll keep you posted as it goes, starting May 7 2020.

Now, you go have an amazing weekend.

RIP: Tony Allen, Picture Kodak ✨

For your listening pleasure, let's tango here.