The videos kept popping up online. Joyful people of all ages and races, but mostly Nigerian, singing excitedly at the top of their voices at a concert in London. They seemed to have had a blast. They were all there to see OLAMIDE, the famous Afrobeats superstar. Olamide owns a major record label in Nigeria, YBNL.
This label has nurtured the talents of several young artistes who have gone on to become stars in their own right. At the London concert, Olamide performed with some of his current and former label artistes such as Asake, Lil Kesh, Poco Lee, Bella Shmurda and several others. One of his other famous protegees, Adekunle Gold, had a packed concert of his own at the Royal Festival Hall in London on the same night. A superstar artiste proudly producing other superstars, never afraid that their light will dim his. As his reward, the light shines on them all.
I was at a women’s leadership seminar in Abuja recently, and one of the things we spoke about was the importance of mentoring, and how difficult this can be. I pointed out that many mentoring projects collapse, because there is an assumption that the more experienced party is the only one who has something to teach and the less accomplished one is only there to learn. Both have something to teach and learn, and the two parties need to have a growth mindset.
I am sure Olamide has stories to tell about his relationships with his artistes – the good, the bad and the ugly. We might never hear about all the details but watching them perform together on the stage in London, it was clear that these artistes have all grown together, weathering storms and honing their craft. Olamide has also demonstrated remarkable servant-leader qualities. He paused the London show for a few minutes to check on a fan who seemed to be unwell. He did not continue the performance till the medical team arrived to attend to the fan.
There was another concert in Denver, Colorado a few weeks ago. Burna Boy, another Nigerian superstar was performing on a leg of his ‘No Sign of Weakness Tour’. He noticed a woman in the front row sleeping. He paused his performance and ordered the lady out of his concert. How dare she fall asleep while he was performing? He considered her perceived disinterest a profound insult. Afterwards, other facts emerged. First, Burna Boy arrived late to the concert. Second, the lady in question bought tickets to attend because she was grieving the passing of someone close to her and she wanted some respite. When people heard her side of the story, they were furious with Burna Boy.
There were also others who said she did not even need an excuse, she was a fan who bought tickets and was entitled to her peace, as long as she was not disruptive in any way. Burna Boy dug his heels in and refused to apologise to the fan. Other stories of his attitude to his fan base started to emerge – arriving late, a hot temper, hurling insults, kicking an excited fan who tried to touch him. Most of these happened in Nigeria, but being the megastar that he is, he got a mostly free pass. Not in the USA. Now, Burna Boy’s hubris has landed him in a crisis. He has had to cancel several legs of his tour due to poor ticket sales. His American fans are keen on teaching him an expensive lesson by ‘cancelling’ him. A performer cannot become a star without his/her fans. The day you forget this is when you will begin a slow but steady decline from A List to C List. After a few years, you will not be on any lists at all.
Two international concerts, different outcomes. Olamide’s London concert solidified his status as a multi-talented artiste with an endless catalogue of back-to-back hits, which turned his show into an amazing experience for those who attended. Olamide’s fans are aware of his history and context. The YBNL label has been focused on working with artistes from ‘the streets’. From unknown wannabees, they are now stars. The London concert was therefore a reminder that greatness has a task of replicating itself and when this happens, the result is pure magic. Yes, as a music entrepreneur, Olamide has always kept an eye on business, but focusing on figures is not what produces other successful artistes. Discipline, solidarity, encouragement and support also play a key role. It is also important to know when to let go, so that your ‘children’ can find their own way in the world, knowing they can always come back home when they want to. I am sure he has also learnt to cut his losses, as we can see from one of his former noisy protegees who is on a downward spiral of his own making.
Burna Boy will hopefully learn some important lessons from this. Character is everything. Kindness, compassion and empathy are essential for all those who are regarded as role models. A famous performer also serves as an ambassador, cultural icon, teacher, someone who others look up to. You might not be able to sing, act, play tennis, kick a football, or strut the runway forever. Your influence and impact are likely to outlive your productive years. If your brand is embroiled in too much toxicity, if you are more famous for your inadequacies than your talent, your days at the top might be numbered.
Let us ask ourselves, who are we taking to the top with us? How many stars have we enabled to shine? Do the dreams and aspirations of others wither away at your doorstep? Who can we call on to take the stage with us, knowing they all have their own crowds and stages, but will come when we call because of what we mean to them? Do we pause to take a look at those who are struggling around us? When we are successful, how do we treat the people who make it possible for us to thrive? How do we relate with our drivers, nannies, maids, cooks and so on? Do we know what stages their children will stand on tomorrow?
Congratulations and well done Olamide. Keep up the good work. Burna Boy needs to set aside his stadium-sized ego and meet up with the fan he humiliated. Humility is not a sign of weakness, it is a strength. He also needs a good crisis management strategy, because being pushed out of an expensive tour is a really bad thing. The issue is not just what he did wrong on this tour, but his whole brand and personality – these need to be aligned with the values people like to see in those they consider to be icons. To whom much is given, much is expected. I am proud of these two sons of Nigeria/Africa, I hope they keep getting better. In the words of Olamide’s famous song, Kodurosoke’ (Stay on top) to both.
•Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Leadership Coach, Policy Advocate and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com
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