Mo’Cheddah
Modupe Oyeyemi, aka Mo’Cheddah, has won some awards and proved herself a worthy artiste. Since scandals are also part of the game, this pretty singer has had her fair share of darkish tales. In one of such scandals, a naked photograph of the singer suddenly popped up on Twitter. She was said to have mistakenly tweeted the picture while trying to send it to another artiste named ElDee da Don.
As expected, the picture, which showed Mo’Cheddah in her natural ‘swim suit’ posing before a mirror in her bedroom, and an accompanying message to ElDee urging him to pretend that it was sent by one of his pals, went viral on social media and attracted shocking reactions from her followers and fans.
Embarassed, Mo’Cheddah had tried in vain to deny the tweet. But the damage had been done. The tweet subsequently fuelled the rumour that she was actually neck-deep in a sizzling romance with ElDee. Some followers of both artistes were further convinced that the photograph was a clear evidence that she was in love with him.
More important, however, is the fact that the singer, who arrived the music scene at the same time as Wizkid is far from being active in recent times. Indeed, while Wizkid and her other contemporaries including Davido and Tiwa Savage, seem to be everywhere, many fans are simply asking, “Where is Mo’Cheddah?”
Ruggedman
Rapper Micheal Stephens, aka Ruggedman, was recently the special guest of V-Channel, an entertainment cable TV channel on Startimes at its weekly ‘Celebrity Night Out’ party at Troy Lounge in Ogba, Lagos. The event had fellow music stars, such as Kenny Saint Brown and Essence in attendance.
Many music fans turned out to express their love to the rapper and Ruggedy Baba, as he is fondly called, partied the night away with attention-grabbing dance moves, amidst cheers from gathering. It was Ruggedman’s first real public appearance in a long while. The last time he had a real outing was in 2012 when he performed alongside other artistes in a concert in Asaba.
The show was hosted by the Delta State Government to celebrate its success at the last National Sports Festival. Always controversial, the rapper was said to have almost started another controversy after he goofed during a recent appearance on TV continental. The subject was his much-publicised breakup with erstwhile pal, 9ice.
Paul ‘Play’ Dairo
Not long ago, Paul Dairo reportedly sued MTN Nigeria and Ultima Limited for allegedly infringing on his copyright. Both companies were said to have used his song ‘Angel of my life’ for the MTN-sponsored reality TV music talent hunt show, Project Fame without his permission.
The development implied that Paul, who was in the USA, had finally recovered from a spell of ill-health that kept him away from the music scene and the limelight for a while. The singer has been reportedly struck by a strange illness that almost ended his career. Last year, after leaving his hospital bed, he had promised to head straight to the recording studio and out with two new albums at once. But so far, his fans are still waiting for the fulfilment of that promise.
Tony Tetuila
Tony Tetuila was one of the groomsmen of Tuface Idibia during the latter’s recent wedding to actress Annie Macaulay in Dubai. It was an indication that both artistes had remained close friends despite the challenges that they had to face these past years. But, while Tuface’s career appears to be constantly on the rise, it seems that Tetuila’s quiet struggle to regain relevance is yet to yield positive results.
Meanwhile, the singer, whose last successful album was recorded a couple of years ago, has been spotted in some fun spots in Lagos simply idling away. Last year, he was rumoured to have impregnated a young lady living in the United Kingdom.
Olu Maintain
After recording ‘Nawti’, his last album that enjoyed tremendous reception from music fans here in Nigeria, Olu Maintain sort of faded out of the entertainment scene. Lately it was rumoured that he had dumped his American girlfriend, Natalie Nunn, for a Nigerian female artiste.
If that story is anything to go by, it is possible that the singer, who rose to fame with the success of the hit-song, ‘Yahoozee’, is too absorbed in his new relationship to realize how much music fans yearn for his return to the scene.
Bouqui
Fans of self-styled rapvangelist Bouqui (real name is Bukola Folayan) were pleasantly surprised when she brokered a new deal with the American records label known as Xist Music, which is guaranteed to launch her career to greater heights.
Even they felt better when it was announced that the award-winning rapper planned to release a double CD album titled ‘Marks of a General and Eve of Independence’. But that was where the excitement ended.
The truth is that Bouqui has been ‘missing in action’. Many fans think she has skipped too many A-list concerts in town and she has been lying too low for comfort. Although she released a single album early this year, it was hardly noticed.
Faze
Having joined his pal, Tuface Idibia, at Musiz Records, one would have expected Chibuzo Orji, aka Faze, to have upped his game. But the R&B singer and ex Plantashun boy appears to be having a tough time turning his career around. Not even the arrival of his fourth and most recent album, ‘Refazed’, in which he tries to reassert his relevance on the music scene, has made a difference.
Eedris AbdulKarim
Ex-Remedies star, Eedris AdulKarim, can be seen here and there. But his efforts to reclaim his former position as a foremost rapper has not yielded results. Beyond his last single CD, in which he carried on his private ‘conversation’ with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, it is certain that Mr Lecturer ought to prepare more punchy handouts for his fans.
RUFF RUGGED AND RAW
The hottest hardcore rap group in Nigeria, Ruff, Rugged and Raw, made up of two brothers, “B-RITE” (Kingsley Ayovunaduo) and “HANGMAN” (David Ayovunaduo), has taken the radio and club scene in London by storm with the club banging single “WETIN DEY,” produced by Paul Play (C.E.O. PLAYGROUND ENTERTAINMENT). they did lots of collabos with Pauplay single FOREVER and with the MTV award wining 2face Idibia, 9ice (Plantation Boyz) and many more. .. but since then… yeah, you guessed right. Thin air!
TIMI ( DA TRYBE)
Remember Timi of the defunct Da Tribe? The ‘free me’artist? Timi can be classified amongst artistes that came after the first onslaught of this present wave of Nigerian music. A member of d ‘trybe collective, that offshoot of theTrybesmen responsible for that feel good jam of the early 2ks ‘Oya’, Timi would go on to score some solo points of his own with ‘Na Flash’- an ode to the high tariffs and peculiarities of owners of the then newly acquired GSM(does anybody still say geezm?) phones. Timi’s name would ring for a bit in 2004 then… halt! Disappeared into thin air.
ZULE ZOO
Ibrahim Alhassan and Michael Aboh, two multi-talented young Nigerians, founded the group known as Zule Zoo. Many music fans found it difficult to ignore this group, whose lyrical creativity and bias for a style that is deeply rooted in Nigerian culture was exceptional. Zule Zoo’s first hit song, Kerewa, which brought them instant fame across Africa, was banned by the Nigerian Censor’s Board because it was deeply laced with sexual innuendoes. Nobody knows exactly what led to the break-up of Zule Zoo. But it was rumoured that Aboh was afflicted with madness for his role in the composition of a particular song that had offended a deity in his home town in Benue State.
Styl-Plus
Originally known as STYL, this group was formed in 1997 in Abuja and comprised four members. In 1999, after the death of Lanre Faneyi, Zeal Onyecheme joined the group and it was renamed Styl-Plus. In 2002, Yemi Akinwonmi left the group to pursue another career. Styl-Plus’s maiden album was a great hit. The second album did not do so well in the market, and now… thin air!
SASHA P
Sasha came into the limelight at a time when there were very few Nigerian women in Hip Hop music. Subsequently, her success helped pave the way for other female rappers and musicians in Nigerian hip hop. She began musical collaborations and was signed in to eLDee’s Trybe records. Sasha was the most prominent female artists in Nigeria in the 2000’s, especially after the successful release of her debut album “First Lady” under her record label STORM. She has been nominated for various awards in Nigeria and abroad, but we cannot deceive ourselves.. her music isn’t there any more.
To cut the story short, the list goes on … WALE THOMPSON, DR. ALBAN, RASQUE, BLACK TRIBE, BANTU, EMEM, PAUL PLAY DAIRO, 419 SQUAD, LAGBAJA, MUMA GEE, WEIRD MC, Etc. Question is, WHAT HAPPENED? WHERE ARE THEY ALL NOW?
Adapted from: naij.com & nairaland.com
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