Hot Takes: AMVCA Fashion, Freddie Gibbs Vs. Benny The Butcher, Sauti Sol & More

all the hottest topics this week

Written by Damilola Animashaun - 18.May.2022

There has been no shortage of news emerging as we countdown to the summer. On the Twitter timeline, things have been rather gloomy. Insecurity in Nigeria remains on an all-time high as we draw closer to election season, and even though there’s chatter about relationships and lobsters interspersed with all this, there’s still a sense that globally things are going to get worse before they get brighter.

This week, I’m taking the reins on the column to bring you the hottest takes from all across Elon Musk’s Twitter. From the fashion at the recently concluded AMVCA Awards in Lagos to Freddie Gibbs vs. Benny Butcher, and Sauti Sol’s latest infringement case. Here’s the latest in our world of pop culure. Stay with me as we embark on the ride.

WHAT I’M WATCHING

The year is moving at an incredibly fast pace. Like most adults, I sometimes feel like my ability to consume a large number of films has waned, perhaps due to a low attention span or the terrifying claws of ‘sapa’ urging you on to do something more productive. But let’s be honest: watching movies offers productivity, particularly if you watch movies like I do. I’m all about enjoying films but the technique of storytelling stays with me much longer.

Thus, I watch films that dazzle me with structure and story, something my Netflix subscription has failed to provide recently. Many are criticising the platform’s decline in service and I definitely see it. One thing they however have on this Nigerian is the number of our contemporary films on their backend. I recently saw ‘Ahanna: The Rattlesnake’, the Ramsey Nouah movie everyone has been talking about. It’s a terrifyingly exciting film, even though it falls short in certain areas. The acting and cinematography were especially noteworthy, and I think Mr. Nouah can become a great director if he works with more writers to bring more detail into his films. He certainly has the eye for good stories.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO

KENDRICK LAMAR, of course. The Compton legend’s new album ‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’ has got the entire world on a chokehold, and the man is in Ghana chilling out. Of course, that has not excused the album from scrutiny, especially considering the close reading Kendrick’s music demands and receives. It’s surely a great album, the first time the untouchable MC peels away the veneer of steel to reveal a deeply flawed and introspective human.

‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers,’ is a unique placement in his discography, no doubt bound to be divisive. Personally, I think it suffers a bit in the replay value aspect but its peaks are glorious, some of the highest of Kendrick’s legendary career. His writing assumes a sharper, with none of the density of ‘DAMN’ or ‘Good Kid, m.A.A.d City’. Rap-wise, he’s the GOAT, showcasing an eclectic arrangement of flows throughout the double album. My favourite songs? A number of them, but surely the quartet of “United In Grief”, “Die Hard”, “Father Time” and “Mirror”.

Lights, Camera, Fashion at the AMVCA

The African Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA) are pretty much the dominant and most consistent of Nigerian film awards. Over the weekend, again they rolled out the red carpet for this year’s award shows. We had written about some takeaways from the announced nominations months ago. No doubt the categories would be keenly contested and debated.

That Sunday night was however attended by a different kind of attention. Fashion. Many attendees to the event felt the need to attempt the avant-garde, from a black gown flowing with skulls to everything else you saw. A small number of people commented that most Twitter users turning fashion critics couldn’t pull off red carpet looks if they were invited.

Which is probably true, but my hot take is…NEVER STOP, NIGERIANS. Keep being fashion critics, Vogue writers have nothing on you. Y’all make the whole thing really entertaining. Don’t trust me? Go through #AMVCA22 on Twitter and know if you won’t keel over in howling bouts of laughter.

WHAT’S ALL THIS NO. 1 TALK?

Last weekend was preceded by songs from many notable Afropop musicians. Icons like Burna Boy and Davido shared streaming spaces with prolific youngsters like Zinoleesky, Ria Sean and Asake, making Friday a particularly heated day for Nigerian music.

“Number one song in Nigeria” was a phrase many used over the course of the weekend, fuelled by the excesses of the two biggest stars who put out music. The subs and buzz were not surprising, not as much as the widespread acceptance of Apple Music as the metric for determining the biggest song in the country. This obviously negates the fact that local listeners are scattered across platforms, of which Apple contributes a small part of.

Personally, I don’t care for the ‘No. 1 song’ narrative, knowing fully well it’s not a level playing field. On the ground, a platform like TurnTable charts offers even more breadth in representing the Nigerian listenership, collaborating with ALL the major streaming platforms, and including radio and TV in their reports. The question of why more musicians aren’t using their stats demands a bigger conversation but please, PLEASE…can we stop with all the number one talk? Let’s discuss the artistry and range on display instead. That’s how the sound grows.

FREDDIE GIBBS VS. BENNY THE BUTCHER

This headline sure reads like a wrestling match-up but these are rappers. Some of the most skilled rappers today who have previously collaborated, uniting their gritty takes on street lifestyle into iconic Hip Hop numbers. However things took a turn recently as news of sustained conflict between them have made the American tabloids over the past week with some reports even dating back months.

According to reports, Gibbs had been throwing shots at Benny over on social media. On Saturday, he was in Buffalo, New York, to perform a scheduled show as part of his Space Rabbit Tour. However, just before he took to the stage, he was jumped inside a restaurant by people believed to be associates of Benny. Video surfaced not long after, and with the crowd, it was obvious Freddie didn’t stand a chance. He went on to perform at the show but with a balaclava which couldn’t cover all the parts of his bruised face.

This act of violence, however light or comical it may be perceived, surely leaves a bad taste in the mouth (no pun intended). Just days after the YSL RICO charges, the rap game is again centring itself in unhealthy ways. And it’s sad that two respectable MCs are at the center of this one. It’ll surely be to the benefit of everyone involved that this is settled as soon as possible, away from the flashing lights and with as much humility as both parties can muster.

CAN MEN AND WOMEN MAINTAIN PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS

Twitter has risen to become a favoured court of public opinion but don’t trust everything you see there. Over the weekend, a male Twitter user posted a picture of himself and a lady, with the caption: “me and my lecturer’s daughter”. In the comments a host of (mostly) Nigerian men bared their misogyny through a number of lewd comments which suggested a romantic relationship between the both of them.

Sadly, the man encouraged the comments. Not long after he returned with an update, saying the girl’s actual boyfriend had broken up with her and that she was devastated. He deleted the post, but never the consequences. Stories immediately inundated the timeline, something I now group under a folder I’ll call ‘bestie palaver’. In all, a number of men don’t believe a woman can be just ‘friends’ with another man.

Shola, a popular Twitter user, made a post challenging ladies to text something steamy to their male besties. That tweet now stands at 35k likes and 15k retweets. The conversation is surely a divisive one, but mostly lacks nuance. Of course, a number of best friends have sex but there’s such a thing as platonic friendships as well. As wise people say, two truths can coexist. Meanwhile, if you received a risky text over the weekend you’re likely caught in this rocking boat of conflicting opinions. It has nothing to do with you–the game just remains the game.

Sauti Sol seek legal action against Kenyan political group

by Tela Wangeci

On Tuesday, Kenyan Afropop band Sauti Sol spoke out against an illegal use of their song in the naming of Martha Karua as the coalition’s running mate for the upcoming elections. According to reports, Sauti Sol claimed there was an alleged copyright infringement of their song “Extravaganza,” which was used without the group’s permission. In a statement issued on Monday, Sauti Sol accused the Raila Odinga-led Azimio La Moja political group of infringing their right to property.

According to the Music Society of Kenya (MCSK) chairman Ezekiel Mutua, the political group was given a go ahead to use the song. However, further permission was not sough from the song’s owners. The Kenya Copyrights Board (KECOBO) stood with Sauti Sol stating the infringement of copyright as only the owners of the song have the right to flag it off for usage when it comes to audio-visual platforms.

Sauti Sol’s outcry brought to light a number of issues including tyranny in music organisations and lack of public knowledge when it comes to copyright. Since news broke out, Kenya’s Copyright Board has issued a statement which states that the government needed to have obtained a synchronisation license before use of the song. This license can only be issued by the song’s original composer or performer. While we applaud Sauti Sol for speaking up, Kenyan artists should take it upon themselves to learn the workings of the industry as well as their legal rights to avoid abuse from the authorities

Featured image credits/NATIVE

ICYMI: PROJECT RUNAWAY

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