Editor’s note: Naij.com contributor Udochukwu
Ikwuagwu analyses the music career so far of media
darling and former MTN Project Fame winner,
Chidinma Ekile, and discusses the long wait for her
to “blow”.
Chidinma kick-started her career convincingly
after snatching the top prize at the third edition
of Project Fame West Africa in 2010, defeating 18
contestants in the academy including Tolu, who
currently enjoys a fine run with Don Jazzy and
the Mavins.
Five months after her victory she showed signs
she was ready to take-on the industry with two
hits: Carry You Go, and Jankoliko. On the latter
she came out like a boxer tailing the voice of an
announcer into the ring- cue the video. The song
had veteran Sound Sultan, whose vocals aptly
suited the track. Call it social commentary or
social consciousness offering, Chidinma put out a
fine outing on the production by Oscar Heman-
Ackah, whom Darey and Simi may credit for their
recent brilliance. Oscar again was behind the
boards – and as a songwriter – for the mid-
tempo Carry You Go which showed off
Chidinma’s vocal prowess.
The Chidinma-Oscar partnership was three for
three when Run Dia Mouth dropped in October
2011. Inspired by ’89 Beasts of No Nation, it had
elements of afrobeat and traditional pop for
Chidinma and her Angélique Kidjo-styled ad libs
to kick it. Chidinma sang about barefaced liars
engaged in what Fela called “authority stealing”.
The brilliant A&R by the iLLBliss-run Goretti
Company ensured her strengths were harnessed,
and weakness faded behind studio walls. Goretti
Company ensured its act got the best production,
direction, use of vocals, and songwriting for her
eponymous album. Kedike, for instance, had one
of the best producers/songwriters Cobhams
Asuquo, and went from a throwaway to a
watershed in her career—she even bears Ms
Kedike as a sobriquet. One of the simplest
Cobhams works aided by a masterful ‘Laitan
Dada and Tha Suspect put Ms. Ekile on stage to
win the 2012 KORA Best West African Act
(Female) category, besting Omawumi. At that
point even Thomases couldn’t doubt her
proficiency and shine. Chidinma did enough to
make then-Glo ambassador and namesake,
ChiDynma, (also a powerhouse singer) change her
name to Chee after almost going into oblivion.
Months later, an experiment by the Capital Hill
Music act birthed Emi Ni Baller, a Legendury
Beatz-crafted song with her label boss iLLBliss
and in-house engineer Tha Suspect. Although the
beat was eerie similar to the Sarz-produced Wash
Wash’for eLDee – some calling it a blatant rip-off
– that didn’t slow its spread and influence. That
experiment was the introduction of the ‘bossy’,
tough chick alter ego of Chidinma, Ms. Kedike.
The success of Emi Ni Baller was bittersweet. It
was the biggest song of her career, also the song
that would take her off her musical direction into
unknown/lost territory with lacklustre outputs.
The crotch-grabbing, cuss word-slinging, rap-
singing, cash-talking, ‘bad girl’ persona was born.
“Necessity is the mother of invention” , “Innovate or
die” , or other fancy Darwinist quotes don’t work
here, as the Chidinma brand wasn’t in grave need
of an artistic retouch/recreation towards the ‘bad
girl’ persona. And say there’s a request to match
the vibe of the song (and others to follow),
shouldn’t that persona be worked into her off-
studio appearances? For an artiste who giggles
when asked about her sex life; a reticent
personality known to be “just a reserved church
girl” and dresses like one, and has to answer to
her pastor when asked about a staged-kiss, that
persona doesn’t add up when repeated for VJ
Adams’ Melo, Lil Kesh’s Shoki, ‘and her own
single Lorry’—that act is definitely played out.
2015 Lorry was one of the contenders for the
worst song of the year, and listening to it one
can’t help but wonder what Capital Hill Music
and Goretti Company were up to. Between 2012’s
Emi Ni Baller and 2015’s Lorry, Chidinma dropped
forgettable to mediocre singles with promise of a
(non-existent) sophomore album.
2013 saw her unleash a triad of songs, with Bless
My Hustle and Jollie bordering on stale concepts
made worse by hackneyed production. The saving
grace, Kite, with a similar problem of overplayed
ideas, was, however, worked to sound ‘fresh’. The
autotune-treated vocals of Chidinma delivered
love lyrics that reworked a Yoruba folk song to
amusement. Her Young D-partnership has failed
to reflect chemistry between singer and
beatmaker – 2013’s Oh Baby, 2014’s Kuli Kache,
and 2015’s Africa We Are One- the last two failing
in their attempt to capture the Francophone
communities it was meant for.
The ‘new’ Chidinma concerns herself a tad too
much with money affairs and balling that her
catalogue gets littered with cash-oriented lines
beneath her tough chick lyrics. She forgets herself
on the gospel-themed If E No Be God that she
lets the money cover her. There’s an explanation
somewhere in Sigmund Freud’s works on
association; having a label boss that’s
synonymous with money talk has rubbed off on
Chidinma. Apparently, she isn’t sorry for spending
a truckload (read: lorry) of money. Shoki was
2014 zeitgeist so an artiste releasing a Shoki-
inspired track won’t go amiss; but a Shoki-
crafted If E No Be God mid-2015? That’s Drake
rocking dada and becoming one of 2013’s best
memes.
Tiwa Savage has the diva on lock. Seyi Shay
brings the sultry. Cynthia Morgan releases her
German juice on tracks. Omawumi offers the
humorous side of life. Waje is expressive. Nneka
tends to be political—even when talking about
something as intimate as coitus. Aşa has mystery
around her. Identity in art is important-
personality sets one apart from the crowd. So,
who is Chidinma right now, because she’s
bringing a new persona that’s antagonistic to her
own personality and fails to be reflected beyond
the studio. The persona has begun to cloud her
music and render her catalogue chaotic.
Perhaps it’s time to ditch the act and stick to a
sound she is comfortable with and songwriters
and vocal coaches she can work with. It’s an
added advantage when singers can adapt to
different genres, but when an artiste has tested
these waters and submerged in the process it’s
time to signal help and float in your house pool.
Little wonder her label has pushed back her
sophomore album with no release date in sight.
Are they worried about reception, and so lack
confidence in the project? Then you understand
why top music blogs ‘accidentally’ released two
songs off her début album- I’m in Luv and
Direction- in December 2014, passing them off as
“new” singles.
Ikwuagwu analyses the music career so far of media
darling and former MTN Project Fame winner,
Chidinma Ekile, and discusses the long wait for her
to “blow”.
Chidinma kick-started her career convincingly
after snatching the top prize at the third edition
of Project Fame West Africa in 2010, defeating 18
contestants in the academy including Tolu, who
currently enjoys a fine run with Don Jazzy and
the Mavins.
Five months after her victory she showed signs
she was ready to take-on the industry with two
hits: Carry You Go, and Jankoliko. On the latter
she came out like a boxer tailing the voice of an
announcer into the ring- cue the video. The song
had veteran Sound Sultan, whose vocals aptly
suited the track. Call it social commentary or
social consciousness offering, Chidinma put out a
fine outing on the production by Oscar Heman-
Ackah, whom Darey and Simi may credit for their
recent brilliance. Oscar again was behind the
boards – and as a songwriter – for the mid-
tempo Carry You Go which showed off
Chidinma’s vocal prowess.
The Chidinma-Oscar partnership was three for
three when Run Dia Mouth dropped in October
2011. Inspired by ’89 Beasts of No Nation, it had
elements of afrobeat and traditional pop for
Chidinma and her Angélique Kidjo-styled ad libs
to kick it. Chidinma sang about barefaced liars
engaged in what Fela called “authority stealing”.
The brilliant A&R by the iLLBliss-run Goretti
Company ensured her strengths were harnessed,
and weakness faded behind studio walls. Goretti
Company ensured its act got the best production,
direction, use of vocals, and songwriting for her
eponymous album. Kedike, for instance, had one
of the best producers/songwriters Cobhams
Asuquo, and went from a throwaway to a
watershed in her career—she even bears Ms
Kedike as a sobriquet. One of the simplest
Cobhams works aided by a masterful ‘Laitan
Dada and Tha Suspect put Ms. Ekile on stage to
win the 2012 KORA Best West African Act
(Female) category, besting Omawumi. At that
point even Thomases couldn’t doubt her
proficiency and shine. Chidinma did enough to
make then-Glo ambassador and namesake,
ChiDynma, (also a powerhouse singer) change her
name to Chee after almost going into oblivion.
Months later, an experiment by the Capital Hill
Music act birthed Emi Ni Baller, a Legendury
Beatz-crafted song with her label boss iLLBliss
and in-house engineer Tha Suspect. Although the
beat was eerie similar to the Sarz-produced Wash
Wash’for eLDee – some calling it a blatant rip-off
– that didn’t slow its spread and influence. That
experiment was the introduction of the ‘bossy’,
tough chick alter ego of Chidinma, Ms. Kedike.
The success of Emi Ni Baller was bittersweet. It
was the biggest song of her career, also the song
that would take her off her musical direction into
unknown/lost territory with lacklustre outputs.
The crotch-grabbing, cuss word-slinging, rap-
singing, cash-talking, ‘bad girl’ persona was born.
“Necessity is the mother of invention” , “Innovate or
die” , or other fancy Darwinist quotes don’t work
here, as the Chidinma brand wasn’t in grave need
of an artistic retouch/recreation towards the ‘bad
girl’ persona. And say there’s a request to match
the vibe of the song (and others to follow),
shouldn’t that persona be worked into her off-
studio appearances? For an artiste who giggles
when asked about her sex life; a reticent
personality known to be “just a reserved church
girl” and dresses like one, and has to answer to
her pastor when asked about a staged-kiss, that
persona doesn’t add up when repeated for VJ
Adams’ Melo, Lil Kesh’s Shoki, ‘and her own
single Lorry’—that act is definitely played out.
2015 Lorry was one of the contenders for the
worst song of the year, and listening to it one
can’t help but wonder what Capital Hill Music
and Goretti Company were up to. Between 2012’s
Emi Ni Baller and 2015’s Lorry, Chidinma dropped
forgettable to mediocre singles with promise of a
(non-existent) sophomore album.
2013 saw her unleash a triad of songs, with Bless
My Hustle and Jollie bordering on stale concepts
made worse by hackneyed production. The saving
grace, Kite, with a similar problem of overplayed
ideas, was, however, worked to sound ‘fresh’. The
autotune-treated vocals of Chidinma delivered
love lyrics that reworked a Yoruba folk song to
amusement. Her Young D-partnership has failed
to reflect chemistry between singer and
beatmaker – 2013’s Oh Baby, 2014’s Kuli Kache,
and 2015’s Africa We Are One- the last two failing
in their attempt to capture the Francophone
communities it was meant for.
The ‘new’ Chidinma concerns herself a tad too
much with money affairs and balling that her
catalogue gets littered with cash-oriented lines
beneath her tough chick lyrics. She forgets herself
on the gospel-themed If E No Be God that she
lets the money cover her. There’s an explanation
somewhere in Sigmund Freud’s works on
association; having a label boss that’s
synonymous with money talk has rubbed off on
Chidinma. Apparently, she isn’t sorry for spending
a truckload (read: lorry) of money. Shoki was
2014 zeitgeist so an artiste releasing a Shoki-
inspired track won’t go amiss; but a Shoki-
crafted If E No Be God mid-2015? That’s Drake
rocking dada and becoming one of 2013’s best
memes.
Tiwa Savage has the diva on lock. Seyi Shay
brings the sultry. Cynthia Morgan releases her
German juice on tracks. Omawumi offers the
humorous side of life. Waje is expressive. Nneka
tends to be political—even when talking about
something as intimate as coitus. Aşa has mystery
around her. Identity in art is important-
personality sets one apart from the crowd. So,
who is Chidinma right now, because she’s
bringing a new persona that’s antagonistic to her
own personality and fails to be reflected beyond
the studio. The persona has begun to cloud her
music and render her catalogue chaotic.
Perhaps it’s time to ditch the act and stick to a
sound she is comfortable with and songwriters
and vocal coaches she can work with. It’s an
added advantage when singers can adapt to
different genres, but when an artiste has tested
these waters and submerged in the process it’s
time to signal help and float in your house pool.
Little wonder her label has pushed back her
sophomore album with no release date in sight.
Are they worried about reception, and so lack
confidence in the project? Then you understand
why top music blogs ‘accidentally’ released two
songs off her début album- I’m in Luv and
Direction- in December 2014, passing them off as
“new” singles.
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