THEWILL DOWNTOWN APR. 11 EDITION

VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

TIMI DAKOLO:

On His ‘Yard People’, Music And The Importance of Consistency

VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE

Photo: @HairByUgo

CONTENTS

EVERYTHING YOU PUT YOUR HAND GO WORK YOUR NAME GO OPEN DOORS YOU SEF GO BE A BOSS EVERY HUSTLER GET HIN DAY WEY THE HUSTLE GO COME DEY PAY YOUR OWN E NO GO TEY IF YOU DEY FIND WORK DO YOUR OWN GOD SEF GO DO HIN OWN AND FLESH GO COVER BONE IF YOU BELIEVE IT SAY AMEN...

8-11 COVER STORY:

Timi and Busola Dakolo

F

antastic lyrics from Cover star Timi Dakolo’s hit single that has swept everyone I know off their feet! The almost chant-like melody seizes hold of your body and mind as one is transported to a place of positivity and hope where fear doesn’t exist and quite frankly, anything is possible. It promises everything good at its appointed time as long as one puts in the work, with more than a little help from above.

Timi Dakolo’s life itself is a testament to the fact that hard work, lubricated by divine favor will eventually set you apart. The married father-of-three opened his home to us, letting us into the sacrosanct space where his heart beats both gently and protectively for his ‘yard people’.

Guest photographer Rachel Seidu captures these exclusive moments through her lenses.

This week we delve deep into the luxury fashion space in Nigeria as well as deliver a conclusion to the beauty story on perfumes from last week’s edition. Social media also was buzzing non-stop with a couple of revelations from A-list music producer DonJazzy and we are all over it on our Websights Downtown page. Movie buffs will enjoy the Godzilla vs Kong review while there’s also a little something for the foodies from Uzo Orimalade.

Special thanks to Onah Nwachukwu and Chisom Njoku for holding down the magazine’s production this week as I was temporarily indisposed. It will always take a village to get anything of significance done. Enjoy your read and you’ll see us next week.

Can I get an Amen?

LATASHA NGWUBE @latashalagos

THE TEAM Publisher/Editor-In-Chief: Austyn Ogannah Editor: Latasha Ngwube Editor-at-Large: Chalya Shagaya Beauty Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahgram Contributing Editor: Odun Ogunbiyi @oddbodandthecity Senior Writer: Chisom Njoku @inchisomwetrust Contributing Writer: Boluwatife Adesina @bolugram Uzo Orimalade @uzosfoodlabs House Photographer: Rachel Seidu @rachelseidu Graphics/Layout: Olatunji Samson Digital Media: Oladimeji Balogun Interns: Sophia Edisi Kehinde Fagbule Tilewa Kazeem Guest Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘ SunZA’

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5

ODDBOD & THE CITY

ONLY TOGETHER

6-7

FASHION: A Look Into Nigeria’s Luxury Retail Market

13

MOVIE REVIEW:

Kong vs Godzilla

14

BEAUTY: GROOMING: For Him

15

WEBSIGHTS Eighteen Years A Secret Featuring Don Jazzy & His ‘e-n-laws’

VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

THE EDIT

TRIBUTE

BY CHALYA

PRINCE PHILIP, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH JUNE 10, 1921 – APRIL 9, 2021

I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his children,” Bedell Smith claims Philip told his friends at the time. “I’m nothing but a bloody amoeba.”

P

rince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 99, was born in Mon Repos, Corfu, Greece as Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark and became a member of the British Royal Family following his marriage to Queen Elizabeth II. He was born into the royal families of the Danish and Greek.

TIMELINE OF HIS MARRIAGE TO QUEEN ELIZABETH II Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II celebrated over 7 decades of marriage, before he died on April 9th 2021. They met in 1934 and in 1946, Philip asked her father for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

The world officially learned of their engagement on July 9, 1947, and they married that same summer.

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II have four children Prince Charles on November 14, 1948, Princess Anne on August 15, 1950, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York on February 19, 1960 and Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex on March 10, 1964.

In 2017, Prince Phillip retired from public engagements.

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VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

ODDBOD & THE CITY ODUN OGUNBIYI

Only Together I

don’t want to seem like she that likes to harp on, but this is important enough to warrant another mention.

We are in the midst of the largest immunisation program in history. My current pet hate is hearing from somebody who passed up the opportunity to get vaccinated because they want to wait and see.

The implication that I am somebody’s crash test dummy rankles a little and smacks of the ultimate form of selfishness.

We are all in this together and the sooner we are all fully vaccinated the sooner we can all get back to some sort of normal life.

This is Oddbod and the city, My Lagos adventure.

or outdoor dining depending on your mood. Great music from DJ Preppy had us constantly on shazam to update our playlist.

The menu is continental and packed with lots to choose from which I sometimes find overwhelming. We had an absolutely yummy shrimp linguine and exceptional fish and chips. For dessert we had, and I do not exaggerate, a divine chocolate fondant and pain perdu. Don’t judge me! I couldn’t choose, so I had both. Some may call it greed, but I say this is what dedication to the job looks like.

Honourable mention goes to the mixologist; I shall be coming back for more of your marvellous Moscow mules, sir.

Good times at the Ox Restaurant and Bar Things are happening in this Lagos and I am here for it. New on the scene, a new dining experience on Kofo Abayomi in Victoria Island.

Enter Ox Restaurant and Bar, the perfect place to have a fun night out with friends or host a great after-work do.

Large and spacious with an upscale steak house vibe to it, you have the option of indoor

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State of the Union Remixing Media – Weaving Hope obida@itisgood.design I do not delude myself into pretending I am any sort of expert when it comes to art, but I like what I like, and I know when I see it. This Easter weekend, I found myself in the amazing new space, Art Home.

What is so special about it? Well, this place is actually the home of the curator for this project (the first of its kind), Obida Obioha.

So here you are in his home. The first thing that hits you is the heavenly smell; every room subtly different but all blending perfectly together to elevate the whole experience.

Then you look around and notice the room. I have to tell you there was nothing out of place to detract from the delightful sensory explosion.

Gorgeous art on the wall from Alimi Adewale (more on that later), mood lighting from candles or strategically placed lamps, lush plants everywhere and then of course the sculptures. The whole time I am thinking, I could live here among this wonderful art and thoughtfully curated interior design.

This is exactly the mood of the whole show, I think. Never before have the comforts of home rung so true for me. If the pandemic taught us anything, it has been to appreciate and create safety, comfort, and beauty in our homes.

I found the art to be joyful, textured, and thoughtful.

Mainly women, bold women, the texture coming from the materials stitched together to make the canvas before we even get to the painting. I loved the sculptures, never even occurred to me that I am adult enough to have such in my home. Effortless in their beauty.

I have said enough, make an appointment and please go and check it out for yourselves.

VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

WORDS to EAT by

DOWNTOWN EATS

UZO ORIMALADE

Hollow I am so hungry.

It is 4am and I am awake.

No time to think about food. I need to get showered and dressed and out of this house to make the short walk to the estate gate and catch the staff bus at exactly 5am.

I remember I have some apples in the fridge. I will grab 2 and put in my bag – eat one on the bus. That should hold me till the office assistants come around to take our breakfast orders. I reach for my phone and take it off silent mode. A text message from my mom. I send a quick reply. I see a few Facebook alerts and check them. Then I check the pages of the people that left comments. I realise it is now 4.30am.

I swear to myself and rush into the shower. Just enough time for a fast rinse and into my clothes. No time for makeup.

I shove my shoes and makeup purse into my bag and jog to the gate. I make it just in time and grab a window seat. It is only after I settle down that I realise I forgot the apples in the fridge. Agggh. I take a deep breath and figure by the time I take a nap and the bus gets to the office; it will be breakfast order time.

Just as I get into the right position and close my eyes, I hear a bang. The bus screeches to a halt. I hear raised voices.

The bus driver has hit a car. I do not think it is serious, but the bus driver gets out and he gets into a loud argument with the driver of the other car. They scream at each other. I look around.

Some of my colleagues are fast asleep.

A few others are scrolling through their phones. It is too early for the hawkers to be out – no chance of buying some plantain chips.

After what feels like an eternity, the bus driver gets back in mumbling under his breath and we are off. The delay means we get into traffic on Awolowo road in Ikoyi and we do not get to the office till 8am. I rush out of the bus and into the bathroom and try to brush my hair and get my work shoes on. There is no time for any makeup; all I can do is apply a little powder and rush to my desk and grab my notebook and pen. There is a department meeting that starts at 8am

I grab the piece of gum and chew fast and in what I am sure is an undignified manner. I do not care. I am in danger of passing out at this point.

As soon as I get to my desk, I pull the rolls out.

There is no time to stick it in the microwave for a few seconds. I take a bite. I pause. What in the world? I discreetly remove the piece from my mouth using a serviette. It is just dough. I look at the roll in my hand. There is no filling. No unnatural pink meat inside. I break the roll into pieces. Nothing. Just the tiny overcooked piece at the end. That fools you into thinking the roll is loaded. I grab the second one. I break it open.

It’s the same thing. No filling. Both rolls are hollow.

Traditional Sausage Rolls To make 12 rolls, you will need: Pastry: 450g all - purpose flour 220g salted cold butter ¼ teaspoon salt 2 – 4 tablespoons water 1 beaten egg Filling: 500g bulk sausage 1 teaspoon white pepper ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs ½ teaspoon salt (more to taste if required) How to: • Sift flour into a bowl. and my boss does not do Nigerian time.

I slink into the conference room and see everyone is already seated. I apologise for being late and the meeting starts. I cannot focus. My tummy is growling, and I pray the growls do not go from silent to loud ones that everyone can hear.

9.30am and the meeting is finally over. I go back to my desk and see the office assistant waiting for me. I give him money and ask for 2 sausage rolls. I turn my computer system on and arrange my desk. My to-do list ready to be tackled. I will not be able to concentrate until I eat something. My boss walks to my desk and tells me I will be following her to the stock exchange building for a meeting and to get my things ready.

The office assistant returns and hands my order to me. I can feel the warmth of the rolls. My tummy growls – louder this time. I open the bag and smell that familiar buttery smell. I am about to take a bite when my boss says to meet her in the pool car. I sigh and stuff the rolls in my drawer. I get into the car and pray that there will be some tea or coffee at this meeting. I can barely concentrate as my boss goes over the objectives of this meeting.

Here we are. In the office of the director general of the stock exchange. He asks if he can offer us anything. My boss says no.

I sigh again. I cannot ask for anything if she has said no. The meeting starts and goes on. And on. And on. By the time we all shake hands and leave his office, it is 1pm.

I am lightheaded. My boss offers me some chewing gum as we head back to the office.

• Add chunks of cold butter. Use fingers and rub butter into flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

• Add water tablespoon by tablespoon until a nonsticky dough forms • Wrap in cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.

• In a bowl, mix sausage meat and seasonings together.

• On a well-floured surface, roll out dough into a square.

• Place some filling along the length of the pastry.

• Gently roll the pastry over the filling once and tuck the edge in • Trim the excess dough with a sharp knife and set aside.

• Seal the rolls with your fingers – to ensure the filling does not leak in the oven.

• Repeat the steps of rolling out the dough, filling and sealing the pastry until the filling is used up.

• Use a pastry brush, dip in whisked egg and smear over the formed rolls • Bake in a 350 degree /Gas mark 4 oven for about 15 minutes or until pastry is cooked and golden brown.

Enjoy!!!

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VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

FASHION

Gucci Pre-Fall 2019 collection

BY CHISOM NJOKU Despite being tagged the poverty capital of the world, ironically Nigeria is home to some of the biggest purveyors and collectors of luxury items in the world.

Luxury brands such as Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Georgio Armani, Burberry, Christian Dior, Chanel, Prada and Gucci among others exemplify the concept of wealth, high fashion, extravagance and,

A Look Into Nigeria’s Luxury Retail Market of course, the exclusivity of possession which can only be accorded to individuals that are considered to be part of the “upper tier” of present-day society.

Due to the value ascribed to luxury items, possession of name brands is seen as a status symbol by many because of the extravagant prices these items are usually worth.

Interestingly, despite the domestic luxury market in Nigeria being worth over $213 million, 90% of local buyers for luxury fashion brands within the country shop abroad for their needs and since most people can’t hop on a jet just to go to Harrods or Saks 5th, they employ the services of personal shoppers who source and acquire trendy and rare fashion items for their elite clientele.

The reason for this is due to the relative absence of world class luxury fashion brands within the country with exception of a few retail outlets like Polo Avenue.

I spoke to Abimbola (@dee_beeshouse) who is a personal shopper with over 6 years of experience in the business. She shares insight into buyer behavior during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as some of the hurdles faced by luxury purveyors in Nigeria.

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How often did you receive orders for luxury products during the lockdown?

It was lower than usual but I still had new customers placing orders regularly and funnily enough, most of them were male.

I received orders for expensive Italian men’s shoes which was probably one of the most expensive orders I’ve had to fill in recent memory.

Do you have customers that urge you to go the extra mile to source items for them?

Yeah definitely. I once had to source for an item from Gucci which was pretty much unavailable anywhere else so they had to bring it directly from their warehouse to the store which took about two weeks and another two weeks to bring it down to Nigeria. So it took over a month.

VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

FASHION

Temi Otedola wearing a sweater from Etro SS21 collection Are customers usually understanding when circumstances like this arise?

Oh yes, I think a lot of it has to do with communication.

So I made sure I give daily updates and keep customers in the loop. With the Gucci item I kept tracking and calling my contacts at Gucci from Nigeria and making sure that everything was on track.

I go the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction.

What is the best part about being a personal shopper for you?

For me the excitement that customers feel when I deliver their order is a major reason why I do it. It’s very exciting when you’re able to make people happy in that way.

Gucci Pre-Fall 2019 collection

Davidson for Emporio Armani

now it’s even higher so it’s frustrating.

Also, Customs officials like to take advantage of the situation especially during the festive period, they’ll withhold goods or make you pay extra tax because they know you need it urgently.

What has being a personal shopper taught you about Nigerians?

No matter how expensive things get, people who really want it will understand and pay for it.

My conversation with Abimbola has helped me to understand even more that high-end fashion items, which in this case come in the form of European fashion brands due to the high level of demand for such items within Nigeria, are normally the first trappings of wealth and success that are purchased by individuals with higher levels of purchasing power because like she said, the prices won’t stop those that really want to get that ‘drip’.

Wizkid in custom Dolce and Gabanna

What are some challenges you face as a personal shopper?

Our exchange rate is in a deplorable state. As at July last year I was complaining about the high rate of transporting luxury items but

Victor Ndigwe for Tom Ford

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COVER

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VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

COVER

TIMI DAKOLO:

On His ‘Yard People’, Music And The Importance Of Consistency After hours on standby, we finally got some time to speak with the 2007 West African Idol winner. For as long as anyone can remember, Timi Dakolo has always been present in the Nigerian music scene. Releasing songs that have withstood the test of time and remained evergreen such as Iyawo Mi and Medicine marinating in this category. His recent single ‘Amen’ has become something of an anthem since its release. The young veteran singer refers to himself as an upcoming artist. In his words, he believes that after you’ve blown, where do you go from there, what’s next? Which made complete sense.

Playful, funny, and wise beyond his years, his interview with Downtown’s Tilewa Kazeem and Kehinde Fagbule took us on a journey of how he views love, family, music, and his overall outlook on this giant blue ball we call Earth.

W

hat is your morning routine?

I am a very traditional person.

I wake up every day at 5 am regardless of the time I sleep because I like to attack my day and plan it very well.

I say my morning prayers; prayers full of gratitude and not exactly the violent ones.

I do a little workout to get my brain going.

Not so tedious. Then I read about 5 pages of anything that I’m reading at the time after which I head straight to the gym.

How was the Easter holiday for you?

I don’t think I was in Lagos. My weekends are not necessarily mine anymore. It’s been like that for a while though. Anyways, this is the life I prayed for. I spent my Easter in Abuja.

How was it for you to be so far away from the family during such a period?

I’m used to my children waking me up so when I wake up alone something is always missing like nobody is quarreling, nobody is doing stuff. It always comes with great rewards and everybody gets ice cream. However, when I’m in Lagos, I’m almost always at home.

Home is where the heart is…

Home is where the Wi-Fi is free *laughs*.

What inspired the name “The Yard people”?

I grew up in a yard. When I mean a yard, I mean face me I face you where everybody knows everybody’s issues. So, I wanted to grow my children in that way, like everybody is concerned with what is happening with everybody. In the yard, everybody is closer to everybody.

Everybody raises everybody’s child and is interested in building each other up. I want us to have that close-knit relationship like they’re my guys.

From what you said, I’ve been able to pick up that you are big on communication...

I feel like for any family, even with children, they like validation, they like to be heard, so I try to listen; even if what they’re saying does not seem to make sense. You listen then tell them later. If you keep chasing them away, they’ll find somebody else to tell and that will be their closest person. You don’t know the intention of that person, so you don’t want that in your life.

Build the communication so that when they are gone they can still have a place to come. You can still be that ear.

I would like to ask about the West African idols. How did that happen?

In the beginning, I lived in a yard and we didn’t have DStv so my friend told me about a talent hunt and I remember being very skeptical about it because I thought these reality shows were in the shady business of fixing the winners of their shows. He came the next day and the day after that. I eventually listened to him. I’d like to think it was his relentless effort that pushed me there; to a point where I went all the way down to Calabar for my auditions. I took it a step at a time going from one stage to another until... you know the rest of the story *laughs* How did you meet your wife?

I met her in church. I saw a fine girl in church that was frowning and I walked up to her to ask why she was sad, trying to be slick. Then she gave me a fake number *laughs*. I didn’t give up.

I went up to her the next Sunday to challenge her about it and she revealed that she wasn’t lying and her phone got stolen. That was how we started talking as friends. That was 12 years ago.

Was this before or after the West African Idol?

No, it was well after that.

Was there a song you wrote for her?

Iyawo mi. She starred in the music video as well as others.

At home who does the most cooking? I ask this because I have this image of you in an apron slicing onions. *laughs* It’s madam. She does the most cooking.

If my kids see me in the kitchen they’ll ask me “ Daddy, what’s wrong?” “What are you doing?”

Your song “Amen” has become a real anthem. What inspired your frequent collaboration with Cobhams?

Music comes to people differently. Sometimes in part, sometimes whole. I will define music as the sound of my emotion at that point in time, how I feel within. Cobhams and I have this relationship where I can wake him up by three. Like if a song wakes me up at night like you know how you tap someone “Wake up! Wake up!” at night. Okay. I can get a song from my sleep that I did not plan for. Most people think I’m crazy *laughs*. So I woke him up and told him “there’s this song playing in my head. I don’t have it in full oh but the song enter *laughs*.” Guess what? This song we’re talking about has been with me for the past two years. That’s how I am; I have songs. I have a song with Davido, I have another with M.I. Abaga, Falz, TuFace and so on.

So it comes to me and I wake up to call Cobhams like this is what I’m hearing. I want it to be the kind of song people catch themselves singing even after they’ve stopped singing it. I want it to be simple, yet hit the nerves so everybody can relate to it, irrespective of your religion. I want it to be engraved in your soul because, in all honesty, music is for the listener.

You very recently turned 40. What have you learnt from your 30s up until this moment?

The thing I’ve learnt about life, in general, is that we know nothing. The things that used to be important to us, as we grow, we outgrow them.

The things that were important to us 5 or 10 years ago are not as important to us now. Like I was telling somebody yesterday, you know you can be aging and you think that is growing, it’s not. So I try to be like a minimalist and define the important things that I want to chase in life. It’s setting your priorities right. However, I don’t feel 40. I just live my life as easy as it comes and try to steer clear of stress. Whenever I sense stress, I elope *laughs* What was growing up like for you? Can you describe your family structure growing up?

I grew up with my grandmother, she was a petty trader. She was always selling things in seasons for instance if it was an orange season, she was selling oranges; if it were a banana season,

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VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

COVER “If you glory too much in your yesterday’s win, you won’t put enough effort into today’s work” guide me when I write. I like to dissect songs.

we’re doing bananas. It was that kind of household where there was never enough but we strive regardless. Growing up with an old woman, you have to be an adult at a very young age. It was me doing laundry, dishes, sweeping the whole compound, and going to the market as early as 10 years old. You have to look after yourself basically because you don’t want to stress your old grandma.

You’re saying you had a fun childhood?

I had a wonderful experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else because those are the things that fashioned me the way I am.

This was what brought me here. If I had rich parents and had things my way growing up, I wouldn’t have been here.

Who are your kids? Tell me about them.

They’re all brilliant children and I will say for one, they are different sets of very unique human beings and I try to relate to them on that basis. Zoe is the quiet one, albeit very precise. It’s hard to convince her not to do the things she wants to do. Zoe tells you I want this kind of pizza with this particular topping on it. She would tell you “when you were buying that stuff for me, make sure it is in pink.” “I want a crop top, I don’t want this kind of gown”, she’s that specific.

You can’t convince her to take something else, she will sulk the whole day.

The next is Hallel; she’s very dramatic. tries to change your mind and the decisions you have made. She will play with you and all of that, she knows the perfect time to strike you. She knows when you’re happy and that’s when she asks you for things.

Then my son Alexander is the least problematic as he just wants to play his video games. He doesn’t like it when you’re not happy with him. One of the best things I discovered this week is that my son can sing *laughs*. Also naturally, he can write. He wrote something that I found one day and I was marvelled by how well he writes for a 10-year-old. These are the things that we ought to look out for in our kids instead of trying to force them into the traditional whitecollar industry.

So that’s my children for you. They always want what they want and I like that in them as you can’t easily manipulate them.

Your parents... I’ve scoured the Internet for something about them and I found little to no information on them. Please who are they?

My parents were too young to take care of me so they dropped me

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off with my grandmother. By the time they came back for me, I was already used to living with my grandma so I opted to remain with her. They were in Lagos and I grew up in Port Harcourt.

If you were going to open up a show for any artist, who would it be?

I’d love to open for Jay-Z. I know it’s an unexpected option but I’m a big Jay-Z fan. If I had given you 25 options to pick from you wouldn’t have picked him *laughs* So what artists do you admire?

I kind of listen to everything. I’ve always been a fan of Asa, Davido, Wizkid, I listen to everybody including the new artists that are springing up, the likes of Fireboy, JoeBoy, my friends VK, Blessed and a lot of artists that are less popular with awesome songs.

Before I sleep now, I just put on the Nigeria playlist on my Apple Music and let it just keep playing.

Aren’t you afraid that, that might influence your craft?

It used to in the early stages. But I’m a grown man now. Now I just listen to it for the fun of it not like I want to pick a thing or two. What I do as a songwriter is when I listen to music, I try to understand what the artist’s state of mind was like whilst they were writing the song. I try to decipher what the story behind the song is. Like if I hear a song by Bob Marley for instance, I’m thinking about where he was when he chose that chord progression. I like creating images in my head as I listen and ask a lot of questions like “why this, why that?” So the answers to these questions form principles that

At what point did you get intrigued about your sound?

I don’t tell people that I was an accidental musician. To become a musician was never the plan for me. I grew up in a family where the typical mentality was to study hard, get good grades, graduate, get a job in Shell, settle down and go on vacation with your kids. However, I was just always close to where music was being played and it made me feel a certain way. I grew up in a house where they play a lot of reggae music - my aunt’s husband, we all stayed together with my grandmother. I used to sing these songs all the time. I even had a music book where I would write lyrics of songs. I did all of these things but it was never the plan to become a musician. It was after I won the competition that the plan changed to a ‘maybe’. You dare not dream to become a musician growing up in the household I did. Of course, I was in the choir and I was in a few groups but those were the things you do during your spare time. Even after winning the West African Idol, I didn’t know what the next move was. For the duration of the show, we were doing covers of people’s songs. Now that the show was over, I had to come up with original songs and I didn’t know how to go about it. For about 3 years after I left West African idols, I didn’t put anything out. That was because I did intensive research and reading most especially on how to make music after which I’d meet Cobhams. I would listen to songs and make my own versions of them in my head. That was how I began making music.

How would you describe the music that you create?

I am very intentional about the things I put out. I like them to be evergreen, to speak to different aspects of humanity.

I like them to be here when I’m gone.

I am my biggest critic. My job is to speak to the heart of the listeners.

To create an experience that doesn’t go anywhere; that even as you grow old, you can tell people about the experience.

What is your creative process?

I have my creative hours and I think it is early morning. I think my mind is at best very early before the distractions of the day. I think that when an idea comes to you, don’t wait till later to attend to it. I could be in a conversation with the president, Buhari, and if I had the idea of a beautiful song, I’d ask to be excused

VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

COVER

From left: Zoe, Alexander and Hallel

to go record it as a voice note on my phone. Sometimes, it is just a hum that comes to me with no lyrics to it. Other times it is a conversation that doesn’t concern me or something someone says. Sometimes it is something I heard in a movie; I’d rewind it and write it down. The fire that burns a house down started with just a spark so no idea is a waste.

In your home, who plays the good cop and who plays the bad cop?

I am the bad cop. Somebody has to do the job. My children know that I’m their guy but there are times when I’m their daddy.

Of all your performances, which would you say was the most memorable?

I’ve had a few though. There was a wedding that stood out for me. The husband told her that I couldn’t make it and all she had wanted was for me to be there. Then I eventually showed up and she couldn’t stop crying. The emotion displayed was so surreal.

If you could change anything in the industry, what would you change?

I’d want us to have a structure. If we had a structure, everyone would make more money. We don’t have to change anything as it is, we just need a system that everyone adheres to. If we have that in a place where créatives are reaping the fruits of their labour, our job is almost done. Sadly, in Nigeria, everything goes.

History, we’ve had foreign countries come to Africa to monetize our resources under false pretences. Fast forward to decades later, we are having foreign labels coming to tap and monetize our resources musically.

Do you think we are ready for this, are we prepared to handle it better than our progenitors, and how do we use this to our advantage in pushing African music and culture?

Like I said, in every aspect of structure that is the building, human capital, the know-how, sales and everything that needs to be put in place has to be put in place. A better awareness makes you make better choices but a lot of people in the industry don’t even know. People don’t know what is supposed to be there and what isn’t. We are just going as we’re going. People think the only way artists should make money is through shows but the truth is that once your music is being played on the radio, you’re supposed to earn.

So we need people who know this music business for what it is to lead it.

Having been in the game for a long time doesn’t make you a better leader.

That position should be based on merit and not just based on how long you’ve been around.

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten and by whom?

A while ago, an older friend said to me “Don’t glory in yesterday’s victory.” If you glory too much in your yesterday’s win, you won’t put enough effort into today’s work. This is what is wrong with a lot of artists as you would notice.

Their debut album is always their best work. That’s because of the energy and time they put into the first one and it becomes big, they oftentimes don’t replicate it. Oga Femi gave me that advice.

My second best advice was given to me by my mathematics teacher, Mr.

Odu. I was one of the best at maths at the time so I wasn’t paying attention as I ought to as I already knew what he was teaching. He then sat me down, wrote something on the blackboard, and asked me to solve it. It was a simultaneous equation with three variables and I didn’t know it. He then said, “never assume that you know because the day you have told yourself that you know, nothing can be added to what you’ve claimed to know and there is always another level to knowledge.”

How were you able to drown out all the media focus on your marriage?

In a relationship and a marriage, three is a crowd. It is what the both of you agree on and see as important that is truly important. Anyone that comes to say something else is not as important. I told someone at the time; the truth is the truth no matter what you choose to do with it, it remains the truth. The truth is the most powerful thing. Truth and love together are so powerful nobody can defeat them. I love my baby (wife) and my baby loves me and there’s nothing anyone can do about that.

Someone tried to warn me that how I handled the situation would affect my career and I didn’t take that likely. I will always know how to sing but I will not always have the opportunity to defend my family. I will always have the opportunity to make good music because I know the ropes of it but I will not always have the opportunity to make my wife feel safe in moments like this. When we made our vows on the altar and we swore to stand by each other for better or worse, we never thought about what the worst would be but that period was the worst so I had to stand by my word and defend it. The same people who tried to tell me I was damaging my career standing by my wife are the same ones vibing to my new song now.

The frailty of men is that they don’t get it. Do the important things and the rest would take care of themselves.

How did this affect your children?

I sat them down and told them exactly what happened. I told them that one day they’re going to hear about it so they need to hear it from me and there’s nothing to be ashamed of nor angry about. The fact is that their daddy and mummy stood by each other and fought through it together. At the end of the day, they are okay with it. Because of the way they’re going to grow in this internet age, it is surely going to pop up when they grow older so they must know about it all as early as possible.

What’s the advice you would give new artists?

The reason why I would never attest to the fact that I’ve blown is that after one blows, nothing comes next. So that feeling in itself is dangerous as there’s always a different higher level. If you’re on a commendable high level, but still think there’s a level higher you need to get to, you’ll wake up the next morning wanting more out of life.

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VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

Movie Review: BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA

Kong vs Godzilla

Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, Kyle Chandler, Demián Bichir; Director: Adam Wingard

G

odzilla vs Kong is big, dumb and stupid. I loved (most of) it. I went into the theater expecting one thing and one thing only; a giant lizard and gorilla punching the living daylights out of each other and in that area, I absolutely got value for money. However, the movie falls into a crater whenever neither of these characters are on screen, getting bogged down to add perfunctory human drama to my monster movie.

Godzilla and Kong is the fourth entry in the loosely connected Warner Bros. MonsterVerse franchise. The positives in this movie are actually quite strong. The CGI of the titular characters look superb. Every hair on Kong, every scale on Godzilla is rendered beautifully. The sheer scale of the two monsters is almost frightening and their battle(s) are well-lit and easy to follow (take note, Transformers), making those scenes an absolute joy. On the big screen I watched it on, the cinema audience oohed and aahed at every blow, really adding to the experience. The only complaint I do have regarding the aesthetics is that Kong’s size seems to fluctuate a bit, as if he were a boxer hovering between weight classes.

Asides the monsters though, this movie really isn’t all that interesting. Over 40 minutes of runtime pass until the two titans actually meet, and those minutes feel like a slog, as we’re introduced to a new ensemble of Exposition Delivery Units that could charitably be described as ‘characters’. Every scene the monsters are not on screen, is in truth, draining.

Every ‘MonsterVerse’ movie, from Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla reboot onwards, has struggled to know what to do with the human characters on the ground, and in some ways, this is the worst offender yet for it.

We can only mourn for the classically trained actors forced to deliver aggressively stupid dialogue about “gravity inversion” and “psionic uplinks”. Pity, in particular, poor Brian Tyree Henry, who plays a conspiracy-theorising podcaster plucked straight from outdated stereotypes, given cringing comic relief lines like, “If this wasn’t contributing to world destruction, it would make a great DJ booth!”; and Rebecca Hall, who seems to have the role previously held by Ken Watanabe of attempting to impart some gravitas on what is really a very silly endeavour (“Kong bows to no-one!”). In spite of all this, there are hints of a more intriguing film. One (literal) deep-dive into hard science-fiction world-building is a welcome shot of weirdness, if never fully explored; and an opening sequence of Kong having a shower in a waterfall to a ’50s track is nothing if not unexpected. The original “Gojira” was an allegory of human recklessness, much as the old “King Kong” was a tragedy catalyzed by human cruelty. They were pop fables; something this slick spectacle doesn’t remotely aspire to be but it does at least honor the nobility of the brutes on the screen as it caters to the appetites of the brutes on the couch.

Godzilla vs Kong gets a rating of 8/10 when the monsters are onscreen and 3/10 when they’re not.

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VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

FASHION

STYLIST AND DESIGNER,

JOSEPH USIGAWU HIGHLIGHTS 5 WARDROBE ESSENTIALS

BY TOBILOBA OLAKOLU & CHISOM NJOKU Joseph Usiagwu is a Nigerian stylist, fashion consultant, and designer who’s the co-founder of Urban Tribe, a thriving creative community building the next generation of industry leaders.

His styling catalog includes superstars like Davido, Flavor, Shaffy Bello, Joeboy, and many more. We had a chat with him and he shared five wardrobe must-haves to keep the fashion enthusiasts on top of their game.

T-shirts and shirts As simple as it is to shop for them, you could easily miss it by buying common colors or t-shirts that don’t do justice to your look. Invest in neutral color tees. Neutral colors like grey, dark grey, army green, black and white t-shirts go with anything you are looking to wear. For graphic tees, make sure whatever you are purchasing has some style in it.

Not too distracting but also eyecatching. As for shirts, invest more in Cuban shirts, two-piece outfits as they can serve various purposes, and oversized buttoned-up shirts for the ladies.

Accessories Since pre-colonial times, accessories have always been a thing even when being fully clothed wasn’t in vogue. In the olden days in this part of the world and even till now, we identify royalty with beads which is an accessory. This goes to show how an accessory adds more to your perception.

Invest in accessories like bangles, necklaces, earrings, glasses, and even your face masks. Invest in the matching fabric facemasks as they add more to your detailing and imagery as a person.

Denola Grey wearing a Durag

Joseph Usigawu David Blackmoore T-Shirt

Headdress/hats Scarves are head wears that you can’t go wrong with as they add spice to your outfit. They add details you wouldn’t know were missing. Other head wears you could invest in are berets, headbands, and durags.

Don’t just limit yourself to denim. You can be expressive with your pants too. Invest in colored pants as they go with neutral colored t-shirts, patterned pants, corduroy, dungarees and can be styled in different ways.

Footwear

Gucci Mules

There is a whole variety available to everyone as far as footwear is concerned.

You can wear mules, palm slippers, sandals, half shoes, and even comfortable shoes like the espadios. You could wear the various footwear mentioned with shorts, pants, and even jeans and pull off an awesome look.

Pants

DB Demin

You can follow Joseph Usiagwu across all social media platforms @Josephusiagwu

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VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

BEAUTY

BY SOPHIA EDISI BEARDS

HAIR For hair health and daily maintenance, it is recommended that you choose a good combination of shampoo and conditioner that’s delicate and tender on your skin.

Beard oil This product softens and moisturizes your beards. It contains properties formulated to help better manage your beard, giving it that shine.

Shampoo/Conditioner Shampoo makes a good wash that moistens rough and dry hair, leaving it soft, refreshed, and easy to groom. While the conditioner nourishes and makes it more manageable and moisturized.

Beard balm Beard balm is a great product for men with medium to large-sized beards. It contains shea butter, beeswax, and argan oil which help to condition and tame the beard. Beard balms sit on your beard and skin longer than the oil does before absorbing, which gives you more nourishing and longer-lasting moisture. This is also what gives your beard some extra shine while keeping it healthy.

GROOMING:

FOR HIM

Good grooming is an essential part of lifestyle, as the male grooming market in Nigeria is booming. More men are paying attention to their appearance and skin, which has paved the way for emerging men’s grooming brands to line up and meet the daily needs of men. Because it is sometimes difficult to keep up with a self-care routine, it is best to use products that are quick, simple to use, and deliver a host of benefits over the ones requiring greater effort. Here are some of the things you might want to take into consideration.

Nails Most men often do not pay attention to their nails. Getting a pedicure and manicure done is really important because having clean and clipped nails will go a long way in making you look groomed.

You will need nail scissors for this because nail clippers are usually hard on men’s nails and it will not get the job neatly done.

Beard activator oil This is a beard hydrator and grower; it contains ingredients that reduce beard breakage, protects it and promotes healthy beard growth. It also helps to stop itchy beard and cleans the pores for fast facial growth.

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THE RIGHT TOOL

Mike Edwards

Having your own personal tools are preferable unless you have a trust-worthy professional. All you need are comb, clippers, scissors, hairbrush, and a bag to keep them.

VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

websights DOWNTOWN FASHION

Eighteen Years A Secret Featuring

Don Jazzy & His ‘e-n-laws’

O

n Easter Saturday, Don Jazzy dropped a bombshell on Nigerians as he finally revealed his marital status on social media. This would come 2 days after a 3-hour heart-to-heart interview with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu that gave a much deeper insight into his life as Michael Collins as never seen or heard of up until this point.

Aged “39”, Don Jazzy has for the most of his lengthy career been the butt of so many jokes and conversations surrounding marriages and relationships. As one would expect especially in a society like Nigeria (and even Africa at large), eyebrows have always been raised whenever a new couple just got married in the industry and the societal “book of life” gets opened up to the “when will you get married?” page with of course Don Jazzy topping the food chain as one of the most eligible bachelors and the poster boy to that entire discuss.

To everyone’s surprise, Don Jazzy took to social media to announce that although he’s still an eligible bachelor, he is also a one-time divorcee.

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE

However, nobody knew that was the same period he had just completed the divorce with his ex-wife.

Married at just 20 years old, the then-Mo’hits CEO revealed that the 2-year marriage ended abruptly (howbeit amicably) as he struggled to strike a balance between his marriage and the music. He explained in the post as he spoke of his ex-wife, then 22 years old, in a glowing light.

Having only really e-flirted with Rihanna on social media since his rise to fame, howbeit playfully, Don Jazzy has never been involved in a relationship scandal or baby mama brouhaha; whether he simply doesn’t have any of the aforementioned or he works overtime to keep it from public eyes. Whatever the truth is, we wouldn’t have found out before he came on social media to share his story himself as he doesn’t grant a lot of interviews or speak to the press as often.

This came as a big shock to fans and quite a lot of people in the country as we all felt we had seen the most of his life from when he made his first record with D’banj 17 years ago at the age of 22.

This is Websight Downtown and of course you know that we bring you some of the best online reactions from every big trending story. The reactions would go from fans flooding the producer’s social media pages over to taking over his ex-wife’s Instagram comments en masse persuading her to reconsider getting back together with him; taking her from a little over 4000 followers to 71k within just 2 days. The biggest talking points though would be D’banj and the rest of the Mo’hits crew’s loyalty to make sure that the whole situation was kept a secret; and the fact that he was married at the tender age of 20; a practice that’s completely alien to a lot of Nigerian men.

Here are some of the best ones…

To conclude the interview, he admitted to being in a situationship, stating that he didn’t know where things were with the woman he was seeing at the time of the interview. The industry veteran revealed that the 2-year relationship might as well have ended last month as he was still waiting on his spouse for clarity on what was to happen next. Maintaining that he is happy with his current state and the fact that he’s not saddled by the burden of social expectations of him to be married, Don Jazzy said during the closing of the conversation; “marriage is a beautiful thing and I respect everyone who goes into it. However, I don’t think it is for me.”

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VOL 1 NO.9 • APRIL 11– APRIL 17, 2021

BEAUTY

Continued from last week

BY ONAH NWACHUKWU

SCENT FROM HEAVEN We Are Family Perfume notes are categorized and these categories are known as fragrance families. They are usually made from the same raw material, for example, plants. In the 1900s, fragrance families were categorized into seven: Single floral, Floral bouquet, Amber, Woody, Leather, Chypre and Fougere. In some cases, you would still see these categories as the families of perfumes, but this division has become obsolete. The modern perfume family is categorized into Fresh, Floral, Oriental, and Woody.

Aqua Di Gio GIORGIO ARMANI

Fresh

Floral Eau de Parfum COACH

Fragrances in the fresh family often comprise of citrus, water, and green notes; meaning they have a refreshing, zesty, and vibrant smell.

The fresh family usually smells clean.

Floral It smells very flowery and can range from being light and delicate to a more complex and intense fragrance.

Woody

Hypnotic Poison DIOR

Fragrances in this family are usually warm and long-lasting, very popular among men’s perfumes and aftershave. It is usually associated with smells like cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver and amber.

Oriental

This fragrance family is usually sensual and quite rich; they can be warm, sweet, and sometimes spicy. Oriental fragrances vary, they can be floral oriental, soft oriental or wood oriental.

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Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum