My name is Chukwuemeka Austin Ekwe aka Sque-Sque and even though I am not yet known as an artistes in Imo State, I know one thing for sure that my name will someday come to your various desks when I start promoting my songs.
I think you should know that I am a graduate just like all of you and I can speak English Language fluently just like all of you. This means I am not a complete fool or one school dropout who cassually embraced music for salvation. So take your time, listen to me and God will bless you.
I don’t meant to disrespect anyone, but I want to say that you guys have not done enough to save the music industry of this state.
I have sat down in the studios listening to tales of my senior colleagues in the industry and they don’t say a single good about any of you. You charge them and when they pay, their songs become secondary projects to you. They become songs you play mostly when you are tired of playing other songs and songs you even play once in a while. This is bad.
I am not saying that you have not done any good at all because I know that some of you are good, but my question to all of you who go online to brag that you are the best this and that, is this “how many stars have you made?”
For most of you, your entertainment news are filled with Beyoncé and some Russia based musicians no one knows here while people you could have helped a re-wallowing in despair. Everyday, most of you go on air and challenge artistes from Imo State to do something new, when what you play every day is the same thing they are doing.
Do you want them to make their beats in the moon or do you want them to speak in tongues on the verses? And before you forget, you have been speaking the same way since 2013 and even most of you who just joined the business, now come to feel like overnight made gods, treating artistes like they are some sort of trash. This has to end.
You can’t say you are helping when you are actually killing my likes. You can’t say You want to change the state when you spend two hours on air playing songs and the only thing you do is play just two songs from Imo State. How can we grow with this attitude? Impossible.
The worst in this act are those of you who also sing, you play your songs and when you walk in the gathering of artistes you feel like Zeus of music. You are just being foolish because you are not half as good as the people you dump their songs.
For those that brag like they are broadcast kings and tin gods, please calm down. There are still radio stations outside this state and we hear what people say about you. If you want to know, they say you are not as good as the folks in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, Benin etc. If they are wrong, why do you send application to those stations or is it about the money?
Don’t you see it? You say we are not good enough as artistes and they say you are not good enough as OAPs. But if we come together to say that we are both good enough, their opinions will be trashed. United we stand, divided we fall.
I don’t want to talk about the female folks in the industry whom you prefer give you payment in kind [Talking to some male OAPs]. Let us imagine this, if all male OAP want to sleep with most of the female artistes who come to them, what will male artistes do with the female OAPs they go to? Maybe this barter deal will favour us well. This is pathetic.
Most of these ladies have quit music because of you and I still listen to people saying there are no female artistes in Imo State. How can there be when all you want is just some sex toys to satisfy you.
Having said these, I believe there are still so much you can do for artistes in the state. I believe you guys can turn the system around here. I believe you can look back, kill your pride and really play songs of Imo State based artistes more often this year.
You are our only channel to success in Imo State; you are the only one who will say we are good and people will believe it.
Don’t feel your efforts will be forgotten when I become a star. No, I will always remember you, I will always remember that you made me who I am and you will surely reap from it.
We can change this ugly attitude this year, we can kill prides and make every sacrifice necessary for success and unity; because should they come, you will be a king maker, and the last time I checked, the king maker is bigger than the king.
God bless you.
It’s your boy, Chukwuemeka Austin Ekwe [Sque-Sque]
N/B This article reflects the opinion of the writer. For response or reply email otowngist@gmail.com or share your thoughts on the comment box.
