THE COMEBACK, THE HEADIES AND OTHER MADNESS

It has been three years since I last posted on my blog. Its time I get back on it. Personally, I miss the opportunity to express myself as this was my most comfortable platform. I also apologise sincerely those who were ardent followers of my writings and contributed to the over 5000 pageviews, 140 comments in the 90 posts since inception. There will be much more to read and share from here on. My solemn promise. The frequency cant be guaranteed but I will ensure there is stimulating content to keep you coming back. You know how we do now. The days of MC Kamikaze, Club 22, Club Doneh...Ottawa days....Fun times.

Moving on swiftly, the Headies released the nominees list for the 2015 edition and I would say there is nothing surprising as to who made the list and of course Olamide got the highest nominations. This time around though, Wizkid also got a high number of nominations and I am certain he would take at least one home, a change for the man who hasn't taken home silverware in a while. I have posted the list below and also gave my predictions(in BOLD AND RED) as to the winners. I haven't listened to the albums nominated, and ignored them as it would be unfair to judge something I have not listened to. We will come back here after the final event and appraise my judgement. Please read below:- 
 
1. BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

A non-voting category for the best single recording by an artiste or group in the year under review.

1. Ojuelegba – Wizkid

2. Eyo – Asa

3. Wish Me Well – Timi Dakolo

4. Bez – There’s A Fire

5. Cobhams – Do the right Thing

2. PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.

1. Don Jazzy – Godwin (Korede Bello)

2. Mastakraft – Wiser (Flavour)

3. Young John – Bobo (Olamide)

4. Shizzi – Fans Mi (DavidO)

5. Legendury Beatz – Ojuelegba

6. Cobhams – There’s A Fire (Bez)

3. BEST MUSIC VIDEO

A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review.

This award goes to the video director.

1. Jamb Question (Simi) – Mex

2. Crazy (Seyi Shay) – Meji Alabi*

3. The Sound (DavidO Feat. Uhuru & Dj Buckz) – Sesan

4. Katapot (Reekado Banks) – UnLimited LA

5. Baby Jollof (Solid Star Feat. Tiwa Savage) – Clarence Peters

4. BEST R&B/POP ALBUM*

A category for the best R&B/Pop Album in the year under review (by single individual or group).

1. Bed of Stone – Asa

2. A.Y.O. – Wizkid

3. King of Queens – Yemi Alade

4. Rich & Famous – Praiz

5. Double Trouble – Psquare

5. BEST R&B SINGLE

A category for the best R&B single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).

1. Heartbeat – Praiz

2. Baby Daddy – Iyanya

3. Say You Love Me – Leriq ft. Wizkid

4. Do the Right Thing – Cobhams Ft. Bez

5. Wish Me Well – Timi Dakolo

6. BEST POP SINGLE

A category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group)

1. Ojuelegba – Wizkid

2. Collabo – P-Square Feat. Don Jazzy

3. My Woman, My Everything – Patoranking Feat. Wande Coal

4. Woju – Kiss Daniel

5. Godwin – Korede Bello

6. Bobo – Olamide

7. BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL SINGLE

A category for the best Reggae/Dancehall single in the year under review (by single individual or group).

1. German Juice – Cynthia Morgan

2. Sanko – Timaya

3. My Body – Solid Star Feat. Timaya

4. Daniella Whyne – Patoranking

5. Cheques and Balance – Burna Boy

6. Bad Girl Special (Remix) – Mr. 2Kay feat. Cynthia Morgan & Seyi Shay

8. BEST RAP ALBUM*

A Non-Voting Category for the Best Album By A Rap Artiste Or Group In Year Under Review.

1. Baba Hafusa – Reminisce

2. Street OT – Olamide

3. Chairman – M.I.

4. Above Ground Level – Modenine

9. BEST COLLABO

A voting category for the best R&B, Pop or Hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).

1. Local Rapper – Reminisce Feat. Olamide & Phyno

2. Hold on – Joe El Feat. 2Face Idibia

3. Bad Girl Special (Remix) – Mr. 2Kay Feat. Cynthia Morgan & Seyi Shay

4. Shoki (Remix) – Lil’Kesh Feat. Olamide & David O

5. Do The right Thing – Cobhams ft. Bez

6. Sisi – Praiz ft. Wizkid

10. BEST RAP SINGLE

A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap.

1. King Kong – Vector

2. Bad Belle – M.I

3. Bank Alert – Ill Bliss

4. Local Rapper – Reminisce Feat. Olamide, Phyno & Stomrex

5. G.O.D – T.R

11. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)

A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.

1. Praiz – If I fall

2. Shaydee – High

3. Timi Dakolo – Wish Me Well

4. Cobhams – Do The Right Thing

5. Bez – There’s A Fire

12. BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.

1. Waje – Coco Baby

2. Aramide – Iwo Nikan

3. Asa – Bed of Stone

4. Simi – Tiff

5. Yemi Alade – Duro Timi

13. NEXT RATED

This category is a voting category for the most promising upcoming act in the year under review.

1. Reekado Bankz

2. Kiss Daniel

3. Cynthia Morgan

4. Korede Bello

5. Lil’ Kesh

14. HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION

A voting category for the best new artiste in the year under review.

1. Praiz – Rich n Famous

2. Yemi Alade – King of Queens

3. Skales – Man of the Year

15. LYRICIST ON THE ROLL

A non-voting category for the Rap Artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.

1. Ill Bliss – Bank Alert (remix) Feat. Ice Prince, Eva Alordiah & Phyno

2. Vector – King Kong

3. Reminisce – Baba Hafusa

4. G.O.D – T.R

16. BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE

A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.

1. Reminisce – Skillashi

2. Olamide – Bobo

3. Small Doctor – Mosquito Killer

4. Mastakraft feat. Olamide, CDQ and David O – Indomie

5. Falz The Bad Guy Feat. Yemi Alade & Poe – ello Bae

17. BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG

A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.

1. Di’Ja – Awwwwww

2. Bez – There’s A Fire

3. Asa – Satan Be Gone

4. Adekunle Gold – Sade

5. Ugovinna – Rain On Me

6. Simi – Tiff

18. ALBUM OF THE YEAR*

A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in year under review, that meets judges requirements of excellence (Songwriting, production, rendition and promotion) and acceptability (Sales and popularity).

1. Rich n Famous – Praiz

2. King of Queens – Yemi Alade

3. Street OT – Olamide

4. Chairman – M.I.

5. A.Y.O. – Wizkid

6. Double Trouble – P Square

19. ARTISTE OF THE YEAR

Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste for the year under review.

1. Olamide

2. David O

3. Wizkid

4. Yemi Alade

5. P-Square

20. SONG OF THE YEAR

A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.

1. Ojuelegba – Wizkid

2. Godwin – Korede Bello

3. Kiss Daniel – Woju

4. Olamide – Bobo

 21. AFRICAN ARTISTE

A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.

1. Diamond Platnumz

2. Cassper Nyovest

3. Sarkodie

4. Uhuru

5. AKA

HALL OF FAME

Special recognition for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.

2Face Idibia

Lastly, I want to ask a question. 

How long can you drive in Lagos before getting a scratch on your car OR Is it possible to drive in Lagos for 1 year without a scratch on your car?

Let me know your thoughts please.

Thanks and until next time.

 

What Drives Men

Just thought this was an interested read from Steve Harvey's new book: "Act like a lady, think like a man". I think it something that might interest others, so I thought I give you a quick hint into what it is about.

There is no truer statement: men are simple. Get this into your head first, and everything you learn about us in this book will begin to fall into place. Once you get that down, you'll have to understand a few essential truths: men are driven by who they are, what they do, and how much they make. No matter if a man is a CEO, a CON, or both, everything he does is filtered through his title (who he is), how he gets that title (what he does), and the reward he gets for the effort (how much he makes). These three things make up the basic DNA of manhood -- the three accomplishments every man must achieve before he feels like he's truly fulfilled his destiny as a man. And until he's achieved his goal in those three areas, the man you're dating, committed to, or married to will be too busy to focus on you.

Think about it: from the moment a boy is born, the first thing everyone around him starts doing is telling him what he must do to be a real man. He is taught to be tough -- to wrestle, climb, get up without crying, not let anyone push him around. He is taught to work hard -- to do chores around the house, get the groceries out of the car, take out the trash, shovel the snow, cut the grass, and, as soon as he's old enough, get a job. He is taught to protect -- to watch out for his mother and his younger siblings, to watch over the house and the family's property. And he is especially encouraged to uphold his family name -- make something of himself so that when he walks in a room, everybody is clear about who he is, what he does, and how much he makes. Each of these things is taught in preparation for one thing: manhood.

The pursuit of manhood doesn't change once a boy is grown. In fact, it's only magnified. His focus has always been on, and will remain on, who he is, what he does, and how much he makes until he feels like he's achieved his mission. And until a man does these things, women only fit into the cracks of his life. He's not thinking about settling down, having children, or building a home with anyone until he's got all three of those things in sync. I'm not saying that he has had to have made it, but at least he has to be on track to making it.

This is certainly how it worked for me. I'll never forget how disappointed, frustrated, and unhappy I was when, in my early twenties, I was laid off from the Ford Motor Company. I was already a college dropout, and now, without a job, I hardly had enough money to take care of myself, much less a family. This left me unsure of my future -- what I was going to do, how much I was going to make, and what my title would be. The titles "college graduate" and "Ford inspector" were gone; having no job pretty much meant that my chances of bringing home a good paycheck were zero; and I hadn't a clue how I was going to make money. It took me a while to find my footing. I dabbled in various jobs: I owned a carpet cleaning business; I sold carpet; I sold Amway products, the Dick Gregory Bahamian Diet, and ALW Insurance and Commonwealth Insurance. It was madness what I was doing to try to get my life together. Finding someone serious to settle down with was the absolute last thing on my mind.

Then, one night a woman for whom I used to write jokes encouraged me to go to a local comedy club and sign up for amateur night. See, I knew I was funny, and I made a few dollars -- very few dollars -- writing material for up-and-coming local comedians who were trying to find their way into the industry. But I hadn't a clue, really, how to go about getting into the business for myself. Still, this woman saw something in me and told me to take the stage.

So I did. And I killed. I won $50 -- which today may not seem like a lot of money, but when I was broke at that time, it felt like $5,000 -- for telling jokes. I also was guaranteed another fifty dollars if, as the winner, I opened the following week's amateur night competition. The next day, I went to a printer and spent fifteen dollars of my winnings on business cards that, along with my phone number, read: Steve Harvey. Comedian. They were flat and flimsy and didn't have any raised lettering, but those business cards announced that I was Steve Harvey (who I am), and that I had a special talent in comedy (what I do). How much I was going to make remained to be seen, but at least I had the "who I am" and the "what I do" lined up.

If men aren't pursuing their dreams -- if we're not chasing the "who we are," the "what we do," and the "how much we make," we're doomed. Dead. But the moment that we figure out the puzzle and feel like our dreams are taking shape, new life breathes into us -- it makes us vibrant, enthuses, and animates us. From the moment I became a comedian, I stepped onto that stage ready to be the very best.

Even today, no matter how tired I am, no matter what is going on in my life, I am never late for work, and I've never once missed a gig. Why? Because when I wake up, my dream is in check; I'm living it out live and in color every day, whether it's on the radio during the Steve Harvey Morning Show, or on television with my various projects, or onstage, during my Steve Harvey Live shows. Who I am is certain -- I'm Steve Harvey. What I do is certain: comedy. And how much I make is right in line with what I've always wanted for my family and me