Generally, 2018 has been a year of so many accomplishments, new beginnings and multiple surprises for certain celebrities in the Nigerian entertainment industry. Smarting from a two-year national economic downturn, some exceptional celebrities experimented with different ideas to stay relevant in the game resulting in either public outcry or celebration and ultimately robust media coverage. Like the British writer, Oscar Wilde, once said,“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked aboutand that is not being talked about”, these select artistes did things that kept them on the news in 2018.
Nigeria’s former President Shehu Shagari is dead
PSQUARE – Final breakup
For nearly two decades, the PSquare brand wielded enormous influence and respect in the Afrobeat industry, garnering millions of fan-base both at home and abroad. But 2018 began on a sadder note for all the fans of the sensational twin group. After months of media war, mercurial reconciliation, mediations from industry mates, senior citizens and fans, Peter and Paul Okoye finally announced they wouldn’t be getting back together as a group. The news, which slipped into the wee hours of 2018, was further strengthened by the launch of two different management teams by the twin brothers and the consequent release of solo singles. Today, both singers, Mr P and Rudeboy are making frantic efforts to re-establish themselves as solo artistes and consolidate their brands independently. They have also continued to make headlines with their growing rivalry to outclass each other with endorsements, fiery singles and new property acquisitions.
OLAMIDE – Science Student movement
Olamide kicked off 2018 with the release of an encrypted song onstreet drug culture, titled Science Student. As expected, the banger stirred up dust from both the wrong and right places. Many believed that the King of the Street was promoting illicit drug consumption. Thus, in the making of the video, which pretty much mirrored the phenomenal Michael Jackson’s Thriller video created by John Singleton, Olamide set out to prove his critics wrong.
The video, which involved a team of over 20 dancers, Guinness Book of World Records holder, dancer Kaffy, and few of his label associates lasted for 7 minutes and 35 seconds ubiquitously displaying the Say No to Drugs sign in all the major scenes. But this didn’t stop the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) from clamping down on the song. Nevertheless, drug and substance abuse soon became a national epidemic shortly after the release of Science Student in February as evidenced by the Sweet, Sweet Codeine documentary by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Olamide was somewhat vindicated, entering the 2018 Google’s list of the most searched celebrities in Nigeria for that revelatory song among other accomplishments.
DAVIDO – Porsche Assurance
In 2017, Davido’s career witnessed a massive turnaround following the release of his classic hit song, IF, produced by Tekno. The subsequent releases of Fall and Fia proved that Davido has mastered the art of making hit singles. But in April 2018, Davido stunned the world with the release of Assurance, a song he dedicated to his girlfriend, Chioma Avril Rowland. By gifting her a Porsche car on her birthday, the eve of Assurance official visual release, the DMW boss set tongues wagging. This unprecedented stunt dominated most headlines for weeks and has been described as the best musical publicity stunt of all time. Not even his enrolment in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) or his performance in political rallies, garnered him as much media attention as Chioma and Assurance had done for his career.The song revved up Youtube list of most watched song of 2018 and with the multiple endorsements that followed, 30Billion gang leader smiled from chin to chin to the bank.The word Assurance took up a new meaning thanks to Davido.
CHARLES OKOCHA – AccoladesC hiee!
2018 would not be complete without a mention of the only man who really deserves some accolades, Charles Okocha, a.k.a Igwe Tupac, a Nollywood actor turned Instagram icon. Before Assurance became a thing, expressions like “shove it up your ass”, “amonshine when amonshine”, “I deserve some accolades”, “we globul now, nicca, chiee!”, then “What is your adenini?” and “use your upper”had serendipitously coloured quotidian expressions of both the young and old, rich and poor,Nigerians and foreigners, thanks to the nuisance value of Charles Okocha. But things weren’t always like for the Nigerian actor. Some years ago, he was allegedly shot five times by a drunk policeman, while attending a function in Nnewi, Anambra State. Months after his surgery, a video emerged of him having what seemed to be a meltdown on Instagram. Between sobs and tears, he would mutter, Amoshine when Amoshine,” birthing the amoshine hashtag and his baptism as the people’s favourite. In 2018, Charles completely reinvented himself to sync with the times, smacking a quasi-music career as well as a viral sensation for his many skits. With the ingenious adlibs supplied by his hypeman, Charles took over the Nigerian comedy on Instagram, which also saw the rise of people like LasisiElenu, Josh2funny, Maraji, Crazeclown among others.
Wizkid – Fever
Since his entrance into the music scene in 2012, Wizkid has never shied away from controversies and cheesiness. He literally covets the media like a Christmas gift. When it is not about a child support squabble with his many baby mamas, it is the rekindling of an old brush with Davido. Having tired fans with his constant fight with DMW boss, Wizkid went shopping for another news worthy bed fellow. And he went all the way up: Mavin Record queen, Tiwa Savage. Though their romance/ relationship came to public eye mostly in 2017 with the release of Malo and Bad, two hit songs they teamed up on, Wizkid sparked an unparalleled hullabaloo with the release of Fever, which saw Tiwa Savage make a seductive cameo appearance.
TIWA SAVAGE – Stew
2018 was a generally good year for Mavin Records’ first lady, Tiwa Savage. The dogged star songstress broke a number of conventional codes to stand out from every other female artiste in Nigeria and in Africa. Her collaboration with Wizkid brought huge dividend and fresh push to her career that was in the throes of death owing to a poorly managed marriage/divorce crisis with his former manager and estranged husband, Teebilz. Although, Tiwa was in the news not always for the good reasons,her engagement in the media this year was no more diversionary as it was professional. She had more collaborations this year than ever before, she performed in almost all major events locally and internationally.
DUNCAN MIGHTY – Phenomenal Comeback
One artiste who truly exemplified the zeitgeist of 2018, the spirit of new beginning, in the entertainment industry is Duncan Wene Mighty Okechukwu simply known as Duncan Mighty. After his September 2012 18-track album release, Duncan Mighty suddenly slipped into the doldrums. The Port Harcourt first son wallowed in oblivion until 2018 when the song, Fake Love featuring Wizkid surfaced online, in clubs and in the airwaves. Reviving his career with Fake Love, Duncan Mighty did not rest in oars. His collaboration with Wizkid, which has been touted the life wire of his career renaissance, endeared him to other artistes, who quickly saw his versatility and resourcefulness. Releasing one featured song per week, Wene rose to the rank of the most featured and prolific artiste of 2018 within a short time.
TUNDE EDNUT – Artiste Maker
The Nigerian entertainer popularly known as Tunde Ednut, can be described for the most part as the rudder silently stirring the entertainment industry. His career in social media influencing peaked up in 2018 after with his weekly giveaways on social media, down to his promoting budding artistes and actors.
Most of the trend setting skits and photos of 2018 emanated from his social media handle. The Kogi born entertainer, whose career in music collapsed even before a debut album, found a new hobby in social media. With his 1.3 million followers on Instagram, the kingmaker as he is often called hasjudiciously supported both budding and established artistes as well as his fan-base.
Tosyn Bucknor
The demise of popular On Air Personality, actress and singer Oluwatosin Bucknor popularly known as Tosyn Bucknor shook the entertainment industry. The 37-year-old who was in her prime of life was reportedly found dead by her husband, Aurelien Boyer, in their Lagos apartment. She died, according to her sister, due to complications from sickle cell disease. Before, she died, Tosyn wrote a poem urging her friend and family not to cry when she dies. The poem went viral. The Inspirational FM OAP, vlogger and blogger was the brain behind One Mic Naija and the TosynBucknor Show.
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