Charles Novia Writes- NBC's ban of Wizkid & Phyno's songs+Why Olamide & Wande Coal's songs should be banned too

A few hours ago, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation came out with a list of NTBB songs (Not To Be Broadcast). Though such songs have been on the airwaves for months but I guess it’s better late than never. The songs are Whizkid’s ‘The Matter’ and Phyno’s ‘Man of the year’

On social media, a predictable furore has been generated by the NBC’s action. Fans and friends of the concerned artists have been expressing their angst over the ban with some asking what yardstick was used in placing such a ban. As amusing and sometimes annoying one finds some of those comments, which I think stem from an emotive viewpoint rather than logical, I have to pity such commentators because I believe they actually are the ones the songs have corrupted in the first place.

In Today’s entertainment sector, sex is king. The more sex the music videos suggest, the better for the artistes, music video directors and even the stations. I have repeatedly screamed at various interactive music fora that these days, when watching the Nigerian television channels either on terrestrial or satellite bouquets, one cannot differentiate between the lewd music videos and soft porn!

It is also alarming and befuddling that many of the musical acts getting brand endorsements here and there are nothing to write home about when it comes to the lyrical content of their songs or the moral appropraiteness of their music videos! These young turks sing blatantly about sex without giving a hoot about the most important audience of all; the children.
If they don’t know it, they should be told that children are quite impressionable and what goes into a child’s mind visually can either distort that child’s moral progression or improve on the child’s human development as time goes on. But do SOME of these repressed reprobates in the music sector care? Not in the least!

The more raunchy the music videos are, the better for the rascals. Just to buttress my point, have you guys seen the way most Nigerian kids dance to some of these songs at children’s parties? It’s all about winding their waist and even twerking much to either the amusement or amazement of their parents. Yes, thanks to these accursed music videos, we are breeding a new generation of morally bankrupt youths who just need a little prod in their subconscious minds to become the future terrors of the New Republic of Sexual Nigeria! Mark my words.

And I won’t lay the blame on the artistes alone. The radio and television stations which fight over themselves to broadcast those songs and videos are as guilty in this regard. Perhaps too, the music video directors who come up with such concepts.

The NBC too is as hypocritical with these bans as it is sometimes inept. I would suggest a total overhaul of their monitoring unit, if my opinion is asked. I mean, why would they wait for months after such songs must have gained heavy rotation on radio and television before they use their hammer? What kind of crass dereliction of duty is that?

The relatively new Director-General of the NBC, Mr Emeka Mba, is well known to me. He just assumed duty a few weeks ago and I believe he should make it his duty to clean up the airwaves. And please, no double standards! There are worse American and even African music videos and audio tracks ravaging our airwaves which the NBC don’t know jack about! Some radio On Air Personalities take delight in playing some lewd songs with the ‘F’ word unbleeped at times. A few months back,

I was driving in the same car with a Reverend Gentleman and we had one of those FM stations on the car radio that afternoon. Akon’s song with the chorus ‘ I wanna f**k you…f**k you out on the floor…’assaulted our ears. On radio? I had to join the shocked Reverend Father in making the sign of the cross even though I had switched to Pentecostalism years ago! Such was the shock.

We all have witnessed how Wizkid slyly came into the scene a few years ago. I use the word ‘slyly’ because his first single ‘Holla at your boy’ was a neat teen-pop track which was family friendly and won him a huge fan base across continents. Having achieved his aim, his next couple of singles introduced the lyrical direction of his debut album. ‘Tease me’ was a daring post-pubescent song which extolled his plea for sexual freedom and also a blatant praise of his mojo. ‘Na me be the bad guys’ he crows. The accompanying video to that track was as suggestively lewd with pole-dancing girls doing some randy stuff. The clean boy image of Whizkid took a back seat and thereon his handlers and producers tried to sell him as a post-teen sex symbol.

So, it was no surprise to the discerning ones amongst us when his new singles were laced with overtly raunchy suggestivism. Let us examine the lyrics of the banned single in question; ‘Back to the matter, open and close, touch your toes, oya baby..,’. Chai! May your children grow up in the ways of the Lord.
I have nothing against the hard working Whizkid, in case some puerile minds begin to think in their usual template that ‘what’s Novia’s own?’ Or ‘He’s just jealous of Whizkid’s success’ which is a usual conclusion when critiques like these meant to correct an anomaly raise some dust.

I actually enjoy most of the young man’s clean songs as much as I abhor his lewd ones. This is basically a call to him and others of his ilk to go inwards and re-engineer their lyrics. Better still as Gbemi Olateru Olagbegi of Beat FM tweeted, they should go the extra mile in producing clean radio edit versions of some of their songs.

Phyno is one interesting rap artiste I have been studying. He joins the league of rappers who rap in native lingo, following the footsteps of his artistic heralders, 2Shotz and Dat NIGGA Raw. Phyno understands the essence of showmanship and personal branding, what with his unique Mohawk hairstyle and his style of dressing. I don’t understand Igbo very well but I have listened to the banned song ‘Man of the Year’ for controversial or lewd lyrics as well as his other songs. Here are some words I found;

 ‘Okereke okereke.. My guys no abaleke… N’ekperem ekpere Sika m fepu ka chekeleke Si mu kuwa k’elekera Na ezem k’ekelebe Ebughim otu mana m ga n’egbu ha ebelebe …)Something wey don enter don enter but if e nor gree enter, make you rub vaseline’)

Please someone explain a bit to me about the meaning of some of his suggestivism in those words? I think that is why the NBC banned the song.
In any case, Phyno is one act to watch. I don’t really rate him as a fantastic emcee but he’s commercial and would go far…somehow.
There are some Nigeria music videos which I would personally recommend for non-broadcast and I hope the NBC takes note somehow. This recommendation is without fear or favour and I must state too that it does not in anyway detract from the amazing talents of the artistes who I give props to for raising the bar in their chosen field. However, while they are raising the bar, I and millions of concerned parents are raising our kids so please ‘make una nor spoil my blues with una razz ragga’. Shikena.

Wande Coal’s ‘KICK’ video should be banned off the national television space. Seriously, have you seen the ladies shaking their bums in that video? For the pious and piety men reading this, I would advise you not to bother checking it out. Especially if you just came out of a spititual fasting regimen like I had just done when I saw the video. Needless to say I resumed my fasting with more vigour after that. If Timaya’s ‘shake your bum bum’ video was sexually provocative, Coal’s ‘Kick’ video gave a double provocation with two bum-shakers.
Olamide is a great musical act who is making waves at present. We all have watched his gradual ascent for the past couple of years and he has succeeded in filling a void left open by the late Dagrin. I have my reservations about his latest video ‘Durosoke’ but that is not the video I’m recommending for non-broadcast. There’s one he calls ‘Stupid love’ which I believe promotes alcoholic inebriation; which I presume to be against the broadcasting rules.
In the video, Olamide in almost every cut is seen clutching a green bottle suggestively filled with either rum or brandy or some strong coloured spirits. He takes deliberate swigs from the bottle and even chants at a point in the song about feeling ‘high’. This video gets massive airplay on national stations. I think it should be yanked off. Oh yes, some may argue that there’s no proof that the contents in that bottle is alcohol. Balderdash! Why don’t such people argue that the ‘yanshes’ they see in some of the music videos I mentioned above are harmless to the psyche of the children? And not only children too, come to think of it!

There are quite a few more I could recommend but why would I do the NBC’s job for them? Isn’t that one of their functions as a Commission?
It is high time we cleaned up the airwaves. Let those who wish to listen to lewd songs or watch raunchy music videos do so on other media. It is a sin the way we corrupt the minds of our children in the name of artistic licence.