A Nigerian man, known as @ustinangelo, recently shared a chilling account of his attempt to join a record label in 2015. In a shocking revelation, he outlined the six compulsory conditions imposed on him by the top executives of the label. These conditions included engaging in smoking, spending his entire time in nightclubs, becoming a member of a secret society and serving for a mandatory six months, finding a spiritual guide, demonstrating unwavering loyalty to a specific individual, and regularly dissing a popular artist.
In his own words, he recounted the experience: "Back in 2015 at Mafoloku in Oshodi, after recording my first song, a group of guys took me to some Ogas (won't mention names). They gave me the following conditions: 1. start smoking. 2. Must be at nightclubs 24/7. 3. Join the brotherhood and serve for 6 months. 4. Find one Alfa or Cele pastor to be working for me. 5. Be loyal to one gay Oga like that. 6. Diss a popular artist regularly. Omo I no gree join, I tried doing it on my own, but nothing was working. Had to quit out of frustration."
His revelation sparked reactions from social media users, with one user, @_MzJayde, commenting, "That’s why Spyro wants to hold Jesus, the real guy." Another user, @originalucdivin, shared insights into the compromises often required for fame, stating, "The truth is, fame requires compromising values and making questionable sacrifices. While it may not involve the specific compromises mentioned, achieving fame usually demands some compromising values. In 2015/2016, I recorded my first secular song featuring Slowdog."
Commenting on the conditions, @aynigeria remarked, "These conditions are sick and old school," while @Thatruthtellah reflected on the challenges within the music industry, saying, "Must we sing circular songs? Tbt the music industry is dark & that means you’d have to be very familiar with the system (house) to be able to move in the dark. I ventured into rapping in 2008, lost someone dear to me immediately I dropped my first single. Story 4 another day."
The eye-opening post has shed light on the often murky and demanding aspects of the music industry, where aspiring artists may face daunting choices and pressures to achieve success.
