FEMINIST THIS, FEMINIST THAT! --by Nickz

Image source: www.fabglance.com

          For a while now, I’ve been fiddling with the idea of putting this down. I think I’ve finally picked up sufficing motivation to voice out on this subject of perturbation. For readers outside Nigeria, this piece may have a degree of variation from your culture as compared to mine here but not to worry, the underlying significance will be found generally beneficial. I want to talk about the abuse in Female Activism on social media, most especially on Facebook.

          Ideally, I would have opened with the definition of female activism or who a feminist is but my impatience wouldn’t let me. Whether defined here or not, I think the purpose of female activism is to change the archaic way the society views women and the girl child, to enlighten the populace and erode the inferiority label on women, to promote girl child education, to give women a chance to be heard, etc. Unfortunately, many here in Nigeria feel they can take shade under the canopy of this movement and diffuse adulterated and self-inspired perspectives to confuse and possibly misguide the gullible fans and followers on social media. When I say many here in Nigeria, I’m referring to our very young ladies on Facebook who have obtained education and probably, some overdose parental pampering and luxury, or a rough relationship life.

          Firstly, let me clear the air before I proceed. I nurse no grudges against outspoken ladies. I love vocally gifted and well-mannered young ladies. I love to see a lady express her opinion intelligently and impart wisdom to the listeners or readers. Unfortunately, what we see on Facebook frequently is not the real deal. Like we all know, on every social platform, there are people who are looked up to as gods and goddesses. These people pull a mass of followers and transmit a degree of influence on them.  What they say is “the best” and so, the possibility of misguiding followers is high. Their center of focus is usually on role equality among partners, especially in matrimony and relationships. To be sincere, this piece is not out to dissuade any female writer from writing whatever she imagines is  cool on her wall but to enlighten few naive and gullible young fans and steer them from misguide.

It is easy for a young lady reading a post to get emotionally carried by the sweetness of the imagination conveyed, especially when it talks about relationships and how a male should be very caring to the wife; cooking for her, opening car doors, helping in domestic chores and all that. She immediately reacts to it by loving the post and commending the writer for speaking “the truth”.

          Dear readers of such posts, I implore you to wash your faces and open your eyes to reality. Most of these female writers usually write based on the nature of their upbringing and environment. Some of them grew into well-to-do families, obtained sound education and in the process became outspoken, acquainted to a life of comfort and social connections. This makes them weigh things based on their exalted level and class. Others are simply out to say things followers want to hear and draw up more followers.

          To tell you the truth, it is at your own detriment to use the fantasies of someone else in laying the basis of your anticipated or current relationship. Relationship is based on mutual understanding. If Miss Lizzy has found a man who likes to cook for her and talks about it delightfully, it doesn’t mean you should expect your man to do same for you. Relationship is complicated because people of diverse backgrounds are merged. Every guy is different and has strong and weak points. Most Nigerian guys grew up seeing their mothers help the family with domestic activities like cooking, cleaning up, putting the house in physical order, also respecting and supporting the husband morally and otherwise as well as contributing to some extent financially. When a guy from such a background starts a relationship with a lady of this generation and she keeps complaining that domestic roles should be shared or that she’s too tired to be doing all the cooking and cleaning for a house of two people, or that she cannot bring out her salary for home building because it’s the man’s job to provide, do you expect that kind of man to stand her? No man wants a lazy woman who will sit on her glorified seat and not be willing to bend down and pick a pin on the floor. The so called feminists have forgotten Nigeria has a way of life. The husband is the head and the wife is a help meet.  There may be one or two exceptions based on mutual understanding but men are naturally cut out to come in when the task or chore is heavy and physical. This is not to say men don’t do light works in the house like to dust a piece of furniture or dress the matrimonial bed or help out one way or the other. They do that too but it doesn’t mean if he recoils from such tasks, the partner should make a scene out of it. I stand to discourage the perspective that it is statutory that males must be compelled to bend to the desire of the women in helping in what is usually the role of the woman, in the name of gender equality. You may argue with me: who made the rule that it’s the role of a woman? I’ll ask back: are you smarter than the system that worked for our parents and grandparents? How many divorces and separations did you hear back then?

          There are several ways a man can show love to and respect his partner: he can always be there to support her, make her feel valued, provide for her needs and place her as priority in his life. A woman who is wise will not ask for more. She will not ask him to help blend the crayfish or help wash the baby’s clothes. She will respect him, plan her schedule to allow her manage home affairs and her job effectively. A wise man appreciates hard work and can willingly offer to help. If he doesn’t, he has other ways of showing his appreciation. Women who are humble and willing to build their homes are the ones that win the heart of their men. Those who nag, argue and debate, complain of being too utilized, always readily drawing the man into simple domestic affairs, are likely to lose their relationships. Women who want to follow the template of a Facebook post from a so-called feminist may lose their relationships.

Stop feeding yourself with the dream picture of Prince Charming that will bring you breakfast in bed. Wake up, wash your face and face reality. Build your relationship based on what you both desire, not what one single (or unhappily married) lady who has probably been having relationship problems all her life will be dishing out on media. Be wise. Any question?

MUSIC REVIEW::: DADDY YO OR DADDY NO?

 

Dear Reader,

Thank you for visiting. As promised, below is our opinion of Star Boy Wizkid’s single “Daddy Yo”.

We hope you enjoy your stay.

 

 

 Daddy Yo came at a time when we thought Wizkid was going to take a break from his normal style and make us feel the influence of the Western world in his singing style. There had been news of Ayo Balogun collaborating with foreign acts and there had been music videos to buttress these gists.

However, it is said a fox never loses its spots; as such it was not a surprise to hear Efya’s endless repetition of:

“Daddy Yo make me dance, Star Boy make me dance”.

For an easy read, we have decided to split this review into the following subheadings.

LYRICAL CONTENT

I particularly enjoyed the hook on this one, as it is easy to remember and rolls off the tongue without any hassles. However, the verses were too watery (no disrespect to Wizkid music lovers) for the level of achievements that Daddy Boluwatife has attained over the years in the music industry.

“1,2  I love the way you dance”

“I love your kitty dance,

I love the way you dance”

3,4 knocking on the door

Whine fi mi baby

Girl gimme, whine slow

Girl; 5,6 tip on your toe”

And blah blah”

 We believe that Starboy could have done better if rolling with the likes of Drake, Chris Brown and other international acts had any effect on his sound.

 

GENRE

If asked on the spot, we would usually classify the Artiste behind this song as an Afro-Pop artiste, however he decided to give us a reggae dancehall feel on this one. Talk about evolution!

PRODUCTION

Maximum respect to the producer on this joint. Although we did not get to hear his name or signature on the sound. You just have to bob your head to the rhythm of the tune.

The drums were and bass lines were out of this planet and everything was almost done right. I did not really enjoy the delivery/recording on this one, probably due to the laxity with which the sound was attacked. Efya really sounded boring.

CROWD APPEAL

It is no rumour that Wizkid is notorious for knowing what to give to his fans at any time. All he needs is a beat and a hook is manufactured in his head within seconds. And even if he coughed on a beat, a lot of people would buy it.

Skits and viral videos are on social media platforms to support this claim.

It is no different with Daddy Yo ;as every beer parlor, barbing salon, events and other public places for relaxation have this song on repeat. You need to observe the excitement in people, when the song comes on. One would think it was the Pentecost.

Daddy Yo is definitely a hit for a major part of the populace.

LONGEVITY

Over time, we have discovered that the maximum life-time for hurried, commercial, dumb or Kpangolo music is usually six (6) months. Therefore, it is worthy to note that we may barely remember lines to this song in some months from now. Except for heavy on-air rotation and sold out events at the end of the year.

 

Rating: 3.0/5.0

 

-Slick

Thank you for reading. We really appreciate your feedback and suggestions. Kindly tell us what you think of this song and how you would rate it in the comments section. We would love to hear from you.

 

DISCLAIMER: The above written article are solely the writer’s view/opinion on the highlighted music. It is in no way written to discredit or tarnish the image/efforts of anyone. Kindly read with an open mind.

GistCreek Team

 

BEYOND WORDS --by Kreed

Image source: getbellhop.com

There we were, gathered before the Supreme Being. It had become a perfunctory activity, every Sunday. It was like a convention of sinners; ungrateful and unrepentant ones, as always. A bunch of hypocrites most of us were.

“‘Love your neighbour as yourself’, Master says it is the greatest commandment.” The Preacher cried out, with his arms outstretched, as if he was reaching for our ears so he could drag them. The message reverberated across the hall. It always did, for neither was that the first time those words were preached nor was it the first hall it had been preached in. But on this occasion as in every other, it didn't sink into our hearts. We chewed the words and spat it as soon as it got in.

Love is probably one of the most used words and also the least expressed. This word has mostly ever been said but hardly ever been applied, abused and misused in the end, preached as a noun but never practiced as a verb.
While we speak of Love, our actions are devoid of it and our thoughts are either villainous or vile.

Our society is experiencing a serious rot and the number of churches is growing at a geometric rate. Unfortunately, that is not reflecting in our Society. The rate of the impact of these Churches on the lives of many is rather retarded. People don't even talk about Jesus anymore...just their church and their 'Daddy'. Pastors on the other hand are more concerned about building mega churches. It is suddenly beginning to feel like they are all in some sort of competition.

We pay so much in tithe and offering, which is not a bad thing but how often do we come to the aid of those who are in need of our assistance? Yes 'Daddy' will give you a hundred and one reasons why you must tithe but does he talk about
1) the patients in the hospital who need to offset their medical bill?
2) you to assist that family that can hardly afford one square meal?

Or are you going to tell me that those that flock to service every Sunday come from Mars? Are they not human beings in Nigeria here? We have too many passive Christians than active ones. Hell, I know more non-believers who practice the greatest commandment (Loving your neighbours as you love yourself), even more than regular church goers (I won't call them Christians). Let's stop practicing it on Sundays and within the walls of the Church, Christianity is much more than that. It is beyond words, it is beyond pretence, it is beyond the show off we do every Sunday. Are you the same person you pretend to be on Sundays, when your church members are not around you? Is it man you should try to impress or God?

Every Tom, Dick and Hypocrite is suddenly challenging the words of the Bible. We are so eager to manipulate the words to suit our desires but the Bible is real simple. Even with instructions for those who seek to understand the words therein. Love your neighbour as yourself, it is not rocket science. You don't need to know the whole dictionary to comprehend this simple but important commandment. So many of us are spending time interpreting the scriptures, whether wrongly or rightly, but only few are practicing it.

MUSIC REVIEW: WIZKID FT DRAKE- HUSH UP THE SILENCE

 

I was overly excited when I saw that Ayo Balogun had dropped a new tune which featured Champagne Papi Drake. This was a collaboration come true, since Wizkid's vocals would not be low key as it was on Drake's "One Dance". It was time to show these Yankee folks how it was done in Africa.

Hush up the Silence had to be the best collaboration for the New Year. However to our dismay, the tune was unusually below par.

With due respect to Daddy Yo, a lot of things did not come out right. The hook for example did not even relate to the title of the song. It was practically boring and empty for an international collaboration.

One would have to pinch himself to realize that this were the same duo that made a scintillating remix of Ojuelegba

One would have expected the " Pakurumo crooner" to have made up for his boring delivery on Justin Skye's "U don't Know". We quite understand that Wizzy is trying to switch his style, but to little or no avail. If you follow his new sound, you would observe that he is struggling hard to fit into the reggae genre with his usual habit of free styling instead of writing. (He should give up already..)

However, the production was full of enjoyable percussion and strings. Such that If it was blended  with proper lyrical direction, composition and delivery would have made an instant hit song (with the exception of promotions and radio rotations) instead of spending thirty seconds at the intro on bragging for no reason.

We all know you are Starboy and we do not have a choice than to listen to you (even if you were to cough all along on the song)

Drake was on however on hand to give us a reason to enjoy the song bit. He once again displayed his singing prowess just like he did on Contralla. He was able to give the song a direction as he was able to tell us that the song was about a damsel even though this did not in any way relate to Silence.

Wizkid has reached a height where he ought to be classed in the category Trey Songz,, Jeremiah or even The Weeknd.. He is obviously Nigeria's biggest music export to the world.

Our criticism here is not to write off Hush Up The Silence as a complete waste of studio session, instead it is aimed at saying that the song could have been done better.

It is okay to do some research on how great hooks are written and sung in order to generate the right kind of listening appeal.

This is time for us to expect more from Daddy Yo instead of the normal “bread and beans music” he has been feeding us with. A lot of new school folks are springing forth and are giving us a feel of what good music should sound and feel like.

In solidarity, we are asking that Wizkid makes us trust him again like we did when featured on Kardinal Offishal’s “Reppin for my City”

I believe with proper composition and meaningful lyrics, Hush up the silence would have done better. For now, it's just one of those songs you hear.

However, we trust our dear lovers of Tanko music to promote this song and make it stick in our memories.

Rating : 2.5/5.0

Kindly tell us what you think of this song and how you would rate it. Feel free to use the comment box below.

Thank you for reading.

Written By Slick

THROWBACK TUNE OF THE WEEK: N WORD- ICE PRINCE (PROD BY DON JAZZY)

 

 

Dear reader,

Thank you for stopping by. Your presence here is greatly appreciated. We hope you enjoy your stay!

Today we will be going back in time. Yes! All the way back to the year when Panshak “Ice Prince” Zamani’s second studio album dropped. It was in the year 2013 and everybody anticipated a follow up to the Jos born rapper’s debut album. He did not disappoint as Chocolate City put out the Fire Of Zamani” album into the market.

However, Track 7 on the album had been a favourite tune even before the album found its way into Alaba international market. The Don Jazzy produced track came as a surprise, as one would never have expected the Mavin Boss to have produced a rap song. I was completely taken aback when Iceprince whispered “And its Don Jazzy again”.

The production skills of Don Jazzy on this song were above par. Beautiful samples, strings and kicks that could heard even on the worst set of headphones or speakers. You would have to be exceptionally wack as a rapper not to be able to deliver on this magic sound created by the wonderful hands of Michael Collins.

The song was carefully crafted and laced with an exceptional rhyme scheme. It is more than fair to say that Iceprince brought on his A-game. However, a couple of repeated listens showed that Iceprince was taking lessons from Meek Mill. Similar punchlines, word play and style of delivery.

This would however not take the shine off the song, it was and is still a banger. It is no surprise that N-word was followed up by delicious remix that featured South Africa’s revered rapper A.K.A.

A.K.A’s verse on the remix was sick and did not need healing. The chemistry between both rappers on the track was exceptionally interesting. They both understood what they needed a remix to sound like. The remix sounded like a new song entirely.

For dessert, Iceprince served us with a dope video which showed cameo appearances by Don Dorobucci, AKA and his South African family. I especially enjoyed the funny dance steps displayed by the Mavin Boss and Iceprince on set.

In general, N-Word was a gift from Mr Zamani to his fans and lovers of rap music.  It’s been four (4) years after, yet N-word is still a tune for your rap playlist.

How would you rate this tune? What is your favorite throw back tune? We would love to hear from you. 

Feel free to drop comments and suggestions in the box below. Thank you for reading.

Please visit  again!!

Rating: 3.7/5.0

Written By: Slick Michael

THERE'S ALWAYS A STORY -- by Kreed

Image source: www.footage.framepool.com

The cock crowed; an ancient cue of a new dawn. I had been awake even before the rooster. I laid lifeless, just gazing at the ceiling. Pen in my hand, short of inspiration. Then an idea came so I got up from bed and went to the wardrobe. It was a very beautiful piece of furniture. All the details—the protrusions and intrusions, the colours and the way it complimented the other items in the room, the attention given to it by the carpenter—lend credence to its beauty. But just like everything made by man, it deteriorates and in the case of this beauty, the termites were beginning to infest.

I picked out something to wear. I pulled it on and stepped out of the building. I was going for a stroll in the neighbourhood. The thought of the long stretch was discouraging but I was taught to see beyond my nose. The air felt different from what I inhaled inside; it felt lighter, more natural. It was a bit windy but I felt no cold. The grasses were covered with dust, looking pale, begging for precipitation. Just then, I noticed some movement; it was a caterpillar. I had almost stepped on it; I almost ended the cycle of another just when it came close to reaching its heights. I became more cautious. I watched as it crawled across the untarred dusty road like an old locomotive. An ugly, tardy creature it was today but a beauty on wings it was destined to become.

I passed by a string of shops. This used to be the hub of the street. It was like our barbershop but time; it happens to everything. I moved further. To my right was a boutique, just opposite the deserted highway. It was where I used to purchase my clothes. But I heard he had moved. Bigger shop, higher price tag beyond my means, then I felt a pint of pain. I hadn't progressed much, I thought but then he began this race before me. I quickly comforted myself.
I turned back. I needed to head home but then I asked myself: what was the essence? Why wake up and then decide to stroll? It was simple: inspiration—I needed inspiration.

You see, it is funny how when you pick up your pen to write, you suddenly run short of words. You suddenly feel deserted by your creative spirit. But all around us, there is always a story. From that piece of furniture to the array of shops, there is always something you can write about. Life is an accumulation of small events. Those events are all stories. Ideas are never in short supply but words, same can't be said of words.

PRIMARY PERCEPTION IS DECEPTIVE --by Nickz

Image source: www.jonlieffmd.com

A fraction of every man’s grey matter somehow, has created a virtual folder of expectations so that the resonance of certain words or the sight of a specific substance triggers this folder containing the attributive expectations. It’s psychological; it’s the way we have been wired. To an ice-cream lover, a mere mention of ice-cream sets his mouth watery, evoking a mental picturesque and a craving for one. To a young dude who is perusing through movies on the shelf of a movie store, a movie titled “The Battle Line” would trigger an imagination of warfare and jaw-breaking heroism (assuming there was no graphics preview). Surprisingly, such an expectation may be dashed on the rocks if the predicted warfare movie turned out to be a high school break dance competition.

Just like the ice-cream and movies store illustrations, we apply the same form of assessment to a wide range of things including fellow humans. Keep following me and it will become clearer. Certain qualifications and tags tend to influence our primary perception of the tagged. For instance, when someone is introduced as “an academic doctor,” in a meeting of “academically average” people, something in the brain gives the picture that such a person is highly endowed with wisdom to handle whatever purpose the meeting was scheduled for. Incidentally, the impression of his tag could command his being appointed as the chairman or a figure in the meeting or planning. Unfortunately, this so much “hoped on” epitome of knowledge may turn out to be unsuitable for the particular role of spear-heading the affairs of the gathering.

In another setting, someone may be tagged an illiterate. This word is usually a heavy connotation. It creates an impression of the absence of academic qualification, very low level of societal exposure and of course, financial limitation. (The tagged, in the true sense, may be educated just to the apex of primary or secondary stratum and may have a relatively small level of social exposure. This may make people who feel they are well educated to label them with such a slanderous name.)

As it is, this piece will not delve into the morals behind negative tagging or labeling since it has a primary focus already which is to condemn the falsifying effects of primary perception. Primary perception—a term I coined myself, which I will try to define as simple as possible— is a mind picture or imagination which is triggered by words used to describe or name a particular item or person. It is similar to what we popularly call “first time impression”. Tagging someone the description, “market seller” is likely to paint a mind picture of a  person  who is poorly dressed, dirty, bad mannered and noisy. Labeling someone an illiterate (which so many times, we use it wrongly) will automatically paint the picture of an uncivilized and highly primitive person who has no impressive reasoning ability etc. Similarly, tagging someone a graduate (and probably attaching the name of a prominent university) will create a picture of a sound-minded fellow who is eloquent in speech, well-mannered and has a good sense of organization. Calling someone a Minister of God paints a grand picture of a gentleman that commands maximum reverence. In the actual sense, these individuals may just be opposite of what their tags portray.

Like earlier mentioned, it is natural to picture things this way as our brains are wired so. But this is when wisdom should be employed. It is insufficient to give a verdict based on primary perception. It is unwise to segregate one’s self from another, merely because of proliferating rumors that the person is a harlot. It is unwise to sideline people from taking active roles in a function or program on grounds that they do not have university education. It does not suffice to start drawing up the “he is evil” perception after discovering that your next door neighbour is an atheist. This primary mental perception has gone miles in causing dents to reputations and undermining/over-rating personal abilities. So many people we downgrade and steer away from based on the labels they carry or that are given to them are actually better than the perception we have of them. I’ve seen university graduates who cannot correctly read two out of four sentences. I’m sorry to say this but back in school, there were a couple of people I deliberately did not want to be seen with as their level of self presentation (grammar, dressing and conduct) and academic commitment was terribly disheartening. Unfortunately, they are in the society today, with the tags “graduates”. I’ve also come across a very outspoken and intelligent young fellow who does not have up to university qualification but is excellent in planning and coordinating events. I usually seek her guidance many times the occasion demands. This is one in many.

What am I emphasizing? Do not judge a book by its cover. Learn to observe for yourself. Discover the potentials and abilities in people. Don’t be blinded by the tags they’re given or they carry. Even the ones with applaudable tags may not be suitable for that role. Again, primary mental perception could be deceptive, don’t judge a book by its cover.