When foremost hip-hop artistes Acharaman posted on Facebook that he has been in the industry for 18 years, it should have called for thinking among other artistes who previously had the Mbaise bon rapper as their role model as well as those who still look up to the Country 5 Ambassador.
Looking at a gloomy 18 years career, one would ask questions of what the rapper had achieved and if he could have done something better with his years,
18 wasted years?
Personally I can’t say he wasted those years because it is never always easy for the pathfinders. Acharaman could have achieved something bigger if he had invested those 18 years of musical struggles on something else but there is no way anyone would wake up and write off his contributions to the industry especially in the hip-hop revolution that happened around 2011 and 2012.
He is always a name in the story. His ‘Relax’ was a brand new tune and outliving the likes of Aifee, who was his major rival and other rappers in that revolution is a credit, despite the ray of success he has seen.
Is Acharaman really the king?
A section of people will comfortably say that Acharaman was okay with King of Imo State, but others still see him as the only one that was left behind in the class.
Kelly Hansome, Singaholic amongst others were exported while he was left behind as king of the home team and even when the names mentioned previously soared before going down the pecking order in the National scene, Acharaman has come to see other rappers spring up and go beyond his present state.
What’s Special about him?
Someone would wonder why the picture of this old timer still appears on posters and banners of events alongside the likes of F2 and Xbusta. What people did not dig deep to find out is that Acharaman stole the hearts of the first fans of hip-hop music in Imo State and with his songs still echoing in their minds, it is always difficult to push him aside,
Aside the connections, he still has a circle of powerful friends who can get his face out there as well as many other loyalists who would do anything possible to please their ‘boss’.
Surprise Achievement
Between 2012 and 2014, no artistes was featured in songs more than Acharaman and even F2’s recent form has not seen him surpass that record.
He is the first Imo State based artiste to become a brand ambassador to a multinational company (TSTV) in 2017 and also the first to model on a billboard in Owerri (for Hytel Pone Ltd).
Only F2’s ‘Shima’, Skutch’s Íbonge’ can brag of getting the number of radio airplays his ‘Relax’ got as far back as 2012 to 2014 and even when he has not really replicated that form, it will be a record for upcoming artistes to break with the number of radio stations in the state at the moment.
Is this the end of Acharaman
There comes an end of every era, but I don’t see Acharaman who is also a polished compere fading in the industry. He always has a way of putting his face out there and sometimes he had been vocal in politics, often speaking for or against the seating government.
Acharaman’s silence for more than a year in the industry might have damped our memories of him, but his song ‘Confirm’ which also saw him shoot his first ever career video, did a little in dusting those masked memories of a rapper who could be a legend without a national hit song.
18 years and still counting
There is no sign Acharaman is quitting in music and he would be looking forward to a silver Jubilee in the industry, if nothing happens.
For me, I think he should carefully look at the new industry and see what his ‘Old Guy’ blood and brain could do in an extreme fusion the ancient and modern sounds to yield something for his old fans and the new music lovers of today who are paying the bill of artistes at the moment.
I wish him the best.
Chinedu Hardy Nwadike writes from Owerri, Imo State +2348038704454
