Just like their debut street anthem, “Danfo drivers”, Kponlogo which also captured their ghetto realities cemented their names in the annals of Nigerian pop culture. It is still shocking that there was no single collaborative work by the artist of that era worth mentioning. In fact, some carried this rivalry to their graves. Instead of collaborating, many of them saw their contemporaries as rivals. Paradoxically, fame and money sometimes exacerbate rather than soothe the pains wrought in the slums.Īlso, many of them fell prey to poor management as some of them were barely literate, they signed themselves away into slave contracts. Baba Friyo of the eye-patch fame tried to remain relevant for a while but, after “Denge Pose” and “Notice Me” there was nothing else one could point to.Īn ironic and indeed sad twist of career trajectories of these ghetto-bred entertainers was that they were also consumed by similar circumstances that catapulted them to fame – the ghetto is a cruel place. Daddy Fresh never lived up to his potentials. Stereoman had just two memorable tracks – the energetic “Ekwe,” and the somewhat mournful “E pain me.” Marvelous Benji was only popular for “Suo” – the track and the dance. Like the high from an illicit substance, the allure of their arts burnt out quickly and many of them were unable to replicate tunes with which they originally captured the fancy on the street.
Perhaps this is because they were mostly flashes in the creative pan – they were mostly one hit or one album wonders.
While the musical talent of the era satisfied the entertainment needs of the era, they hardly attained iconic status.