wisdom according to drake!

pay attention to his  wristwatches. he definately buys what he will use... :0)

Get Paid to shoot your Videos & Quit Robbing Yourself!

as far as i'm concerned the most paid entertainer/celebrity in this country aint worth sh*& in comparison to their counterparts in the developed world. It might be worthy of note that the expensive cars, houses and bling flaunted in videos and movies don't neccesary come from album sales. So if you as an artiste intend to be able to afford a bentley from money paid to you by alaba or the likes of notjust ok then you must be high on some cheap battery water.Have you ever wondered why a very tall Travie McCoy would ride in a mini cooper in the Billionaire video featuring Bruno Mars? Ching! Ching!!

Clearly while the likes of Jayz and Kanye get paid by Daimler to destroy a Maybach in a music video, our indigenous artists have to 'pay' to drive a Mustang or use bottles in their own videos. That my friends is the difference between our psyches.

"with CD sales plunging as downloading (both legal and illegal) soars, more music artists and record labels should use their videos to make money rather than to simply promote an album" 

#goodnews

as TV producers blur the lines between the commercial breaks and entertainment content and as more of our entertainment content is exported to the world via MTV, Channel O and the likes it makes even more sense now to cash in on the windfall of 'advertainment'. So the next time you have to shoot a music video as an artist or a Movie as a director and you ever consider using anything from a V.S.O.P bottle, to a blackberry smartphone do it with the consciousness that you are ripping yourself off and YOU OUGHT TO BE GETTING PAID FOR IT! especially if you have attained a certain level of success as an artist.

* we can help you get paid MORE  for doing what you love.

-gd

twitter: @gozzim

cold fire!

i recall a few years ago while back at school, i made a trip every month to attend a very popular inspiration session in V.I hosted by a foremost motivational speaker. a friend of mine and I would come all the way and head back to school all 'fired up' 'cos we had supposedly heard and rubbed shoulders with the wealthiest & most influential motivators within and outside Nigeria.

In my honest opinion if i had to do it all over again i would probably have been satisfied with just one of those sessions, subsequently i would go on to read volumes of inspirational books all 'cos i thought i would hit it big along the line.

"what good is getting all fired up, if you cannot transfer that fire or passion to a meaningful project?"

If you are in the habit of networking you would agree with me that sometimes its not worth meeting people especially if they won't remember you the next time you meet. The best way to keep you networking memorable is to be known for a form of unique project/feat. It doesn't matter how many seminars you attend, or how many books you have read or will read, to attain a certain level of relevance you must apply your self positively to whatever passions you nurse.There will never be a perfect time to do anything meaningful. 

START SOMETHING NOW!

~gd

expensive experiments

we all nurse dreams and aspirations but what good is a dream when it stays in your head. every dream that has ever been fulfilled took some level of perspiration on the path of the dreamer. waiting for the perfect situations is usually the biggest hindrance to  making dreams a reality. any wise man will tell you to be open minded and dream big but also be humble enough to start small. In reality not all dreams are meant for every season, someone once gave me a very smart advice when i tried to go into a certain kind of business to:

"weigh my options as far as my dreams and business plans were and be sure to choose if i was going to start a viable business venture or an expensive experiment". 

in summary be open minded enough to dream big without bothering about financial or social constraints, and be humble enough to start small in accordance with your social reality without second guessing yourself. Its the only way any meaningful progress is made.

Have a fab week ahead!

~gd

the Nigerian brand of terror!

a few years ago i recall telling a friend that it will be quite a while before Nigerians ever attempt to blow themselves up, apparently i couldn't be more wrong. yet again for the wrong reasons the international media from NYtimes, BBC, AP, down to the the gossip rag Bossip has its spotlight on us. for some weird reason Mutallab triggered the down trend of terror in Nigeria. the incident at the U.N building now means that in addition to our huge and shameful challenge of underdevelopment we now have to deal with terrorism too. unfortunately our brand of terror is even more senseless.

The Corporate SCAM called Sponsorship!

sometimes i wish there was a more effective way to enforce sponsorship contracts in Nigeria asides from the courts. Its a huge baffle why corporate entities consciously sign sponsorship contracts  with the intention to default on payment. a popular electronics giant out of Korea is especially making it a habit. the general misconception in our country that sponsoring an event is doing the promoter a huge favor is absolute B.S. If concerts where particularly easy and cheap to put together, every fool with a few bucks would be an event promoter.

All this 30% before event and 70% after business is the new SCAM from corporate entities. My advise to anyone planning an event that requires sponsorship: " get as much of your money as you can from the sponsor before the event, preferably at least 80%". I will leave it here for now.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes- Lessons in Leadership.

 

Last night, i had the unique privilege of seeing this exceptional movie. I did go out of my way for this only because critics rated the movie  82% on the tomato meter. During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to freedom. What this synopsis doesn't mention is how there exists unique twists that make the overall story line a must watch. Directed by Rupert Wyatt and starring James Franco, this movie indeed details how true leaders come to life. It also further exposes the striking similarities between humans and lower primates. This movie gets 4-G stamps from me. some of the leadership lesson i learnt from this movie are outlined below:

1. Any one passionate about his grievances could make a good leader
2. Leadership has very little to do with size or stamina its all in the mind.
3. 2 key ingredients of effective leadership are charisma & Patience
4. people don't really care how much you know until they know how much you care.
5. Loyalty of followers must be earned through genuine concern and the meeting of the needs of potential followers.

The Wrestling Fiasco

In my entire life i have never witnessed the colossal waste of money like i did last Friday night. The UPWF wrestling championship was a total waste of money by the organizers especially after  98% of the seats where empty. Once again we learnt how failing to plan automatically implies planning to fail. The event which featured 18 wrestlers from the U.S to include:

shelton Benjamin, Meringue Warrior, Ray Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, among others was scheduled to start by 4pm but did not start until almost 10pm especially after the wrestling ring from the US only arrived at 8pm. word of advise to event organisers NEVER EVER base your planning & funding of your event on TICKET SALES, and if by any chance you do at least sell tickets 2months in advance.

circuittatoo

This Epidermal Electronic System (EES) consists of circuits which could contain electrodes capable of measuring brain, heart and muscle activity in the same way an EEG does now, transmitting this data wirelessly to your doctor.

well SOME CALL IT TECHNOLOGY, I SAY THE BIBLE MENTIONED ALL THIS, AND THIS IS HOW ITS STARTS.

OTIS- Sliced Maybach to be Auctioned for Charity

yesterday i seriously doubted the ability of JayZ and Kanye West to actually slice up a maybach like they did in the OTIS video off the watch the throne album. I WAS VERY WRONG! as the sliced up maybach used in the video was real and the word on the wire is that the sliced maybach is to be auctioned to raised funds for charity (to ease suffering in EAST AFRICA). By the way that car costs about $400,000. FINANCIAL ARROGANCE!! I guess i just did what they wanted- talk about their opulence. but its for a good course.

~gd.

THOR (3D)- my review

THOR 3D directed by  Kenneth Branagh is indeed an extra ordinary blend of a good storyline, action scenes and breathtaking sound & special 3D effects. 

The movie which features Chris Hemsworth ( as thor), Natalie Portman (as Jane Foster), Anthony Hopkins (Odin the god) and Idris Elba (Heimdall the gate keeper) is indeed a good movie, Although through out the movie i couldn't help but notice the Hammer which  bears a striking resemblance to SANGO's staff a Yoruba god who coincidently is also the god of Thunder according to Yoruba mythology. 

THOR is a marvel comic adaptation which is based on the universal god of thunder depicted in the marvel comic series and it tells the tale of the banishment of THOR by his father who is a wise & peace loving king. It also tells an unclear and an unfinished love story between THOR and Jane. The movie which opened over the weekend has so far earned $66million at the box office.

This movie is worth the time and the little inconvenience of the 3D glasses and gets 4-G stamps from me.

FELA! my experience from behind the scenes II

as promised in my previous post the following are the more shots from behind the scenes:

back stage

lighting setup & testing

cast & crew cocktail welcome reception

As i mentioned in my last post also I am already working on the next big project, and every day that passes my passion brings me closer and closer to an opportunity for adrenaline rush.

FELA! my experience from behind the scenes I

The last few weeks have been pretty amazing for me. as a PR consultant i have worked on various accounts but none has been as exciting as working behind the scenes of FELA! This is obviously my first post in the last couple of months and its all cause i had to immerse my self in the spirit of the multi awarding winning broadway musical FELA!.

Bringing a broadway musical to Lagos especially when the theatre culture in Lagos is for shit seemed counter intuitive at the time. But what we had going for us was the identity of the Legend Fela anikulapo kuti on whom the broadway musical was based. So after all the pr/media campaign the stage, sound, lighting and projection equipment started to arrive from New York and south africa. The entire cast and crew from the Broadway show numbering over 72 people also arrived. Over my next posts i will upload pictures from behind the scenes. From this point i will let my pictures do the talking:

In my next post i will bring you back stage access. It gets better just before we concluded FELA! i got wind of the fact that i might work on another exciting project. The magnitude of this will blow your mind.

Yeezy wants mohits

i woke up to the tweet above. at first i thought it was some kinda prank, but apparently its a real as yeezy's verified status. fresh from the whole snoop dog mohits euphoria, it seem to me that the world has not had enough of our Ngerian style of music. I am anxious to see what they come up with.

TONY® AWARD WINNING SENSATION FELA! MAKES HISTORIC ARRIVAL IN LAGOS, NIGERIA APRIL 20-29, 2011

The hit Broadway musical about the life and music of Nigerian performer and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is scheduled to be performed in his home town of Lagos, Nigeria making it the first Broadway show to be performed in Sub-Saharan Africa.

FELA!, the landmark Broadway musical, which won three Tony Awards (Broadway’s highest honor) including Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), is coming to Lagos from April 20^th to 25^th.  It will be performed at the prestigious Eko Hotel’s New Expo Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. This critically lauded musical will star its original Broadway cast with Sahr Ngaujah reprising his Tony-nominated role of Fela Kuti with music provided by the internationally renowned Antibalas as well as other members of the New York City Afro-beat community. 

Concurrently with the Broadway production, FELA! opened and triumphed at London’s Royal National Theater for a three-month sold-out run.  That production was nominated for three Olivier Awards, London theatre’s highest honor, including Best Musical, Best Actor (Sahr Ngaujah) and Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones). This Nigerian engagement will be the first since the closing of the Broadway and London productions and the NTLive performance which was broadcast to in 370 cinemas worldwide.

The aim of FELA! in Lagos is to unite and connect Africans in spirit and unity, to serve as a catalyst for cultural revival in Nigeria, and to celebrate Fela Kuti, for the contribution he has made to Nigeria and the world. FELA! depicts the true story of the legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, whose soulful Afro beat rhythms ignited the spirit of empowerment and cultural awareness in a generation.  It is a tale of courage, passion and love featuring Kuti’s captivating music and the visionary direction and choreography of Tony Award winner, Bill T. Jones. FELA! in Lagos is being produced by a Nigerian production company, Broken Shackles in conjunction with Lagos State Government.

Upon its Broadway opening Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote, “There should be dancing in the streets.  The hot (and seriously cool) energy that comes from the musical gospel preached by the title character of Fela! feels as if it could stretch easily to the borders of Manhattan and then across a river or two.  There has never been anything on Broadway like this production."  The New York Post’s Elisabeth Vincentelli cheered, “There’s enough energy to short circuit Con Ed.”  David Cote of Time Out New York, in giving it 5 stars (out of 5) raved, “Fela! is more than a musical; it’s an ecstatic phenomenon."  And Jennifer Farrar from the Associated Press exclaimed, “An exuberant celebration!”

The English critics were equally effusive after the London premiere of FELA! One critic, Baz Bamigboye of The Daily Mail, summed up the critical sentiment with his review saying FELA! is a “groundbreaking show that shook Broadway and London’s Royal National Theatre to the rafters. Getting Brits to get on their feet and ‘get loose’ as Bill T. Jones puts it, was a rare feat.  FELA! pulled it off by sheer exuberance and theatrical showmanship. At the same time, FELA! explored the soul of an artist and the darkness of a government that tried to block what Fela’s beam exposed.”   

In addition to rave reviews from critics, FELA! has also won numerous awards and received standing ovations from such personalities as Mick Jagger, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Spike Lee, Ben Okri, Janet Jackson, Denzel Washington, Professor Wole Soyinka, Robert De Niro, and Hugh Jackman.  First lady Michelle Obama, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and President Obama’s Head of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano are but three of the dignitaries who have embraced this show.    

Bill T. Jones, director and choreographer of FELA!, was recently honored with the prestigious Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts award along with Sir Paul McCartney and Oprah Winfrey. The Kennedy Center Honors are awarded annually for exemplary lifetime achievement in the performing arts. FELA! also won two Astaire Awards for its cast and choreography.

FELA! on Broadway was conceived by Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis and Stephen Hendel. Its producers include the entertainment legends Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith. 

A spokeswoman for Broken Shackles suggests that “with a series of media partners and sponsorships, FELA! in Lagos will be the most talked about show in Nigeria for years to come. We have created sponsorship, branding and advertising opportunities for those who wish to be a part of this historic theatrical event.”

For sponsorship, advertising opportunities, please email sponsorship@felainlagos.com

For more information on FELA! please visit http://www.felainlagos.com

For all press and public relations matters please email pr@felainlagos.com

 For more information on ticketing and group sales please email tickets@felainlagos.com

Oleku: was the video worth the wait?

You may recall that a few weeks ago this video was leaked online and later taken down on the request of chocolate city. As at the time of this post i must have seen this music video about 4 times to form an objective opinion. 

The video which was directed by mex of Pixel Chaos makes me wonder if this director would ever settle for more live shots. In my honest opinion i think the music video was more about graphic effects and transitions than story telling. Granted Oleku is simply a feel good song but this video kind of dampens the hype of this hit track. 

This video in my final opinion does not do the song enough justice at least not as much as the safe video did Safe by M.I justice. but then again its just my opinion...