MTV Base Musicology: Darkoo, Sean Okeke, Sheye Banks, others reveal tips on maintaining relevance in the African music industry

Maintaining relevance after achieving a certain level of fame is a challenge that plagues most players in the entertainment industry. This was the focus of the discussion on this quarter’s edition of MTV Base’s flagship roundtable show, Musicology, as it brought together some of the biggest names and brightest minds in the Entertainment industry, to explore the difficulties upcoming and new artists face while trying to carve a niche for themselves and build an impressive following. 

Discussing the theme, “Blown! What Next?”, the iconic panel comprising Darkoo (Rapper, Singer/Songwriter), Sean Okeke (Entertainment/Talent Management Executive and Head of Operations, Jonzing World Entertainment), Sheye Banks (Hype man and On-Air Personality), Scoop Naija (Entertainer and Talent Management Executive), and Owolabi Daniel (Label Manager, Sony Music West Africa), explored the necessities and requisite habits needed to stay relevant in today’s highly competitive landscape. 

Delving into the topic, the contributors discussed what every upcoming artiste needs to have and know to become a phenomenon in the industry. According to Sheye Banks, upcoming artistes need to understudy the artistes that are already making waves in the industry. In his words, “before blowing up, you need to learn from the blown ones.” The hype man explained that learning from artistes that have gone ahead helps an upcoming artiste learn what works best without going through the trial-and-error phase.  

Darkoo and Sean Okeke spoke on consistency as a crucial element to staying relevant in the industry. “You have to out-do your last song because in this game, you are as good as your last hit song,” said Sean. Darkoo reiterated this sentiment, and from an artiste’s point of view, revealed that the key to staying consistent is ‘hunger’. According to her, “It’s really about hunger. if you’re hungry for it, then you go harder”. 

Other matters discussed by the panellists include the importance of digital platforms like TikTok to an artist’s career, leveraging digital platforms to create a “cult” followership, and tips around staying power for digital artistes. 

The session ended with the entertainment juggernauts giving upcoming legends of the future trade secrets for lasting impact. Here, Daniel Owolabi said, “you need to keep your eyes on the prize and stay focused.” 

You can catch a repeat of Musicology this Sunday, 31 October, at 19:00 WAT on MTV Base, DStv Channel 322 and GOtv Channel 72. 

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