We may be in the thick of the summertime on paper but in reality, it doesn’t exactly feel like summer in Lagos. For one, vaccine passports may be in full swing but the threat of the Delta variant and its ensuing lockdowns and restrictions are looming in the air. For another, it’s raining season here in Lagos and the weather is less than satisfactory at the moment. This is not the hot girl summer that we were promised. Although there aren’t any major concerts or shows right now due to the pandemic, the clubs and lounges here are still going crazy as always but I mean, it’s Lagos anyway so nothing new there.

It’s NYSC camp season again and I’m not feeling very enthusiastic about it. I just graduated a year ago and so, it’s time for me to also obey the clarion call and serve my country or whatever. I can’t help but feel nervous as the day draws closer because I’ve heard horror stories about NYSC camps in this country and I refuse to have a similar experience. From waking up at 4:30 am to early morning marching and showering in public spaces, it’s giving me high school PTSD all over again and I’m definitely not looking forward to any of that.

For this week’s Hot Takes, I’ll be taking the reins to work you through some of the most important cultural conversations happening at the moment. With the summer days rolling in and reality shows popping up at the second, you know I had to weigh in on the latest season of Big Brother Season 6. I also dish about the latest from Netflix who have just launched a new games network on their platform, the potential case between Kai Collective vs Fendi, the Olympics 2020, and much more. Enjoy.

What I’m currently listening to:

If you thought Afropop couldn’t grow any further, then this year, you’re in for a surprise. Music on the continent is growing at an exponential rate with new releases popping up every minute. One of the best parts of the year has been watching Sarz work with and partner with Afropop artists still making a name for themselves. He did it with Lojay a few months ago and now, he’s hit back with ‘Sweetness’, a 4-tracker that ruminates on love, life, sex, and more in collaboration with British-Nigerian singer, Obongjayar.

As the title suggests, the tape is literally savoury and saccharine in every sense of the word. The 14-minute listen is honestly the easiest thing to consume and enjoy and it’ll have you running it back in loops all day. I’m definitely also hooked on Jaylon and Azanti’s new single “Firedncr” (Help I’m currently listening to it lol). Apex Village’s latest member, Azanti made his way into the music scene just last year and already, I’m his biggest fan and I’m rooting for him to win. The kid has so much potential, he may be quite young but he’s already acting as a pop rookie with veteran tendencies. I’m a lover of good harmonies and romance (haha) so this is definitely for me. It’s a very smooth listen and it’s catchy as hell with replay value. Of course, Jaylon went crazy on the production as well, as the reverb on this beat just does what needs to be done. Together, the union of Jaylon’s melodious production and Azanti’s harmonies sounds like a welcome friend. Tap in below.

What I’m currently watching:

Well, I’m not really a cinephile so I’m not watching anything right now. However, I just finished watching this South African Netlix series called ‘Jiva’, all thanks to Tami. She recommended this a while back and I took time to watch it over the weekend and I must say, it wasn’t bad at all. It’s a street dance series about a South African girl who has a passion for dance and making it big in her country. However, she has to put her career on the side to cater to her family when her mother becomes indisposed. She finally decided to face her fears and choose herself which was basically her chasing her dreams and choosing dance, neglecting family objections. South Africans seem to be doing the thing with their movies right now and I’m loving it. I’m definitely going to be on SA Netflix more because I seem to enjoy their series a lot.

Big Brother Naija Is Back

It’s that time of the year again. Following the conclusion of the BBNaija Lockdown season reunion a few weeks ago, the arena is open once again and the new contestants for BBNaija Season 6 have been introduced to us, the ever-nosy viewers. This season, there are 22 housemates in the house with 11 men and 11 women out to win the cash prize and the famed title of the BBNaija winner. While last season definitely garnered incredible fanfare due to its boisterous housemates and all the drama, this year’s season comes with a new twist: wildcards.

At the Sunday opening ceremony, Ebuka, the show’s longtime host announced that this ‘Shine Ya Eye’ season would feature two wildcards amongst the housemates. The housemates were asked to get better acquainted with one another and figure out the wildcards amongst them. If they were able to, the wildcards would be dropped immediately from the show. However, if they were unsuccessful, then the wildcards would be free to remain in the show and compete for the cash prize. This has definitely been a welcome twist and it’s put a spin on the BBNaija franchise which has successfully run for the past five seasons.

This year’s season is also sponsored by ABEG – a peer-to-peer platform that enables users to request money from another Abeg user on their contact list. It is marketed as a brand for millennials which bypasses the stress and hefty fees of local bank transfers. The app which launched back in 2019 is actually a product of leading FinTech company, PiggyVest and associate sponsor Patricia – Crypto made easy. According to sources (don’t ask, I won’t tell), it costs roughly about $2 million to be a headline sponsor for a show like BBNaija which sums up to about 1billion Naira. That’s a bit insane if you ask me seeing as the selection is always tight for this spot due to the vast number of players competing and bidding for the headline title. Alongside Abeg, there’s also a number of new and returning sponsors this year including Pepsi, Guinness, Boomplay, Dano, Close Up, Airtel, Innoson Motors, Darling, and more.

The season has been off to a good start and it’s been quite entertaining to witness it all unfold these past few days. As always, there are so many different characters and personalities in the house and I’m excited to see how this season pans out. However, if you want to know where I stand, I’m rooting for a female winner this season #TeamAngel.

Kai Collective Vs Fendi

The fashion industry seems to be stuck in a creative rut. Yet again, Fisayo Longe’s famous Gaia print has been replicated by a brand, however, this time around the culprit is the international fashion house, Fendi. Following the previous cease and desist order issued by Fisayo Longe to fast fashion behemoth, Boohoo, it seems that brands are still replicating the Gaia print which is protected by copyright law in the UK and the US.

In a tweet shared by CEO and Founder Kai Collective, Fisayo Longe’s page, the fashion designer and influencer shed more light on the gross replication of the Gaia print. Placing images of the orange Gaia print and an orange print featured on Fendi’s Resort 2022 Collection side-by-side on her timeline, she was able to stoke the embers of conversation in her favour. The similarities between the two prints were clear as day for all to see.

While the Italian fashion house are yet to comment on this error, Fisayo has already made it known that she will be seeking legal action and redress if the prints were to be sold in the UK and US, the two places where the Gaia print is currently registered under exclusive trademark laws. It is yet to be seen what would come of this case, however, we’re not a fan of bullies here at the NATIVE and to witness a huge international brand piggyback off the hard work of a Black-owned Nigerian brand is truly sinister.

This will neither be the first nor the last time that fashion will borrow inspiration from other lesser-known brands but when this inspiration treads lines closer to flat-out copying and forging, then there is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Kai collective has risen to become a fashion powerhouse in their own right and they deserve to have something that is distinctively theirs and attracting returning customers. Already, she’s made the most out of a shit situation and gone ahead to officially release the orange print Gaia in one-of-a-kind robe sets and more. Go show some love and get yourself a pair here.

Kai Collective Orange Gaia (June 2020) and Fendi Resort 2022 (July 2021). Black women continue to be the blueprint. I see you, Kim Jones. You might not want to release these items in the UK and US because the print is protected and you will be receiving a cease & desist for sure. pic.twitter.com/KJFA4ACs0q

— Fisayo Longe (@FisayoLonge) July 22, 2021

Netflix Is Introducing Video Games on The Platform

Netflix, one of the streaming behemoths of this decade is planning its expansion beyond film and entertainment. Announced recently, it seems that the media giant will be delving into the world of video games and virtual reality. The streaming giant recently hired Mark Verdu, a former Electronic Arts Inc. and Facebook Inc. executive to lead it into this new frontier. The new virtual reality platform follows the company’s recent efforts to provide choose your own adventure style interactive films such as 2018’s ‘Bandersnatch’.

The games will appear alongside current fare as a new programming genre, similar to what Netflix did with documentaries or stand-up specials. According to official reports, the games will be primarily accessible and played on mobile devices, though they may eventually migrate to TVs as well. This move is also inspired by the company’s significant dip in subscribers over the past year. A report in CNBC also states that subscribers in the U.S. and Canada declined by 400,000 in the second quarter, a sign the business may be reaching a near-term saturation point.

Speaking about the move, Netflix’s chief operating officer shared: “We think the time is right to learn more about how our members value games,” the company said in its quarterly earnings release — but also says it expects to be in gaming for the long haul. “This is a core part of our subscription offering.”

BREAKING: Netflix confirms that it’s not only expanding into video games but also won’t charge users extra to play them! https://t.co/lN55NSGkmW pic.twitter.com/ZjBLLzU4Fs

— GameSpot (@GameSpot) July 20, 2021

Does anyone care about the Olympics?

by Tami Makinde

Over the weekend, the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony took place. In its usual fashion, it was broadcast on television stations around the world including the NBC broadcast. While conversations leading up to the Olympics have definitely been rife, this year’s opening ceremony drew 16.7 million viewers the smallest US television audience for the event in 33 years, according to preliminary data.

According to reports, the Tokyo opener’s TV audience declined by 37% from 2016, when 26.5 million people watched the Rio de Janeiro Games opener, and 59% from 2012, when 40.7 million people watched the London ceremony. It was the lowest audience for the opening ceremony since the 1988 Seoul Games, which attracted 22.7 million TV viewers. According to the president of the LHB Sports, Media, and Entertainment, “The TV ratings are down more than anticipated,” said Lee Berke. Between the lack of a live audience, the move to streaming and the ongoing dropouts of key competitors due to COVID, all of it seems to have a negative impact.”

I’m not too shocked at the low numbers this year. I, myself, didn’t tune into the broadcast over the weekend and only glanced at the games in passing since it began. It just doesn’t feel the same anymore. There was a time when we were younger that these games would have elicited so much joy in us as we watched world-class athletes take centre stage and win games for their respective countries.

However, that excitement is clipped this year by the fact that international sports games continue to uphold archaic rules and punish Black women much harshly than others. This year alone, we’ve seen the constant piling on women such as Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Simon Biles, Sha’carri Richardson and more, who have been treated unfairly by sports governing bodies and had their mental and physical wellbeing disregarded. I can’t help but shake these feelings and I’m sure it’s affected my willingness to watch the games. I don’t know if I’ll be tuning in later but for now, it’s F word the Olympics.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Feminist (@feminist)

I don’t cook, I don’t clean and I also don’t want this ring

By Adewojumi Aderemi

Years ago, Nigeria’s hardly beloved President Buhari came out with a horrifyingly inappropriate statement “my wife belongs to my kitchen, my living room and the other room.” Not even giving Mrs Aisha Buhari ownership or even shared ownership of these domestic spaces, Buhari – for once – reflected popular Nigerian sentiments that a woman’s purpose is to tend to and care for men, and their offspring. Around the same time as the President’s incendiary comments, Beyonce was beckoning right-minded women into “Formation”. After seeing this hilarious video of Beyonce explaining why she doesn’t cook, this is where you’ll find me.

Starting on Twitter and ending up on Instagram, as always, a throwback video of Beyonce describing her kitchen traumas sparked conversation over the web about women’s domesticity. “Every time I try to cook it’s disastrous,” Beyonce says after describing how the ice from her frozen chips mixing with oil caused the pan to pop; “I thought I was gon’ burn the house down.” With enough money to not have to cook to survive, Beyonce is living the life I can only imagine. Eating out, hiring a chef, having a laundry person and a cleaner, these are the luxuries I aspire to, but in these parts, I’m made to feel like feeding and cleaning the family are my duties and my responsibilities… as a future wife. I reject it in Jesus’ name.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Petty Mayonnaise (@realpettymay0)

It has been said often that Western ideals are corrupting our youth, with many citing secular music as a particularly poor influence. But have the elderly considered that traditional values are imprisoning capitalistic tools? And songs that praise our wet ass pussies, unifying anthems of liberation and empowerment, and not chants of to cult-initiation or defilement?

On the wholly controversial “WAP” Cardi B espoused the iconic bars, “I don’t cook, I don’t clean, but let me tell you how I got this ring.” Summarising my proudly lazy personality in two sentences, Cardi B’s rejection of traditional gender roles is every bit of me. I don’t have much ass to shake but my hands do flail about in the air in solidarity… until she gets to the bit about her ring.

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending my dear aunty’s book launch (buy here). In one of his introductions, the master of ceremony confidently announced to the congregation that a woman is not complete without a husband. Much to the offense of all the single ladies, this dogma is heavily purported throughout Nigeria – and even still globally – resulting in miserable pairings and unjust compromises for women. From ‘Lemonade’ to Toke Makinwa’s ‘On Becoming’, whilst many women, and men, in society are accepting the fact that women are so much more than homemakers, there is still a general consensus that we should have a home, with a man. The expectations of domesticity might be waining, but heterosexual marriage is still being presented as the pinnacle of female existence. I’m sorry (not sorry) but having ‘l-o-v-e-d’ two men, coming out barely breathing, marriage is decidedly not on my agenda.

So, tell those 30+ aunties I’m a bad bitch – sorry Cardi, Bey. I’ll cook for myself only (cos I love food and I gotta eat), I won’t lift a finger with the cleaning and if I only ever fall in love with myself, it’ll be the happily-est ever after, ever.

Featured image credits/NATIVE

ICYMI: Meet Shasimone, the British-Ghanaian rapper on Dave’s “Both Sides of a Smile”