​Drake God’s Plan over Science Student Olamide’s Non-Controversy

by | Mar 2, 2018 | Africa, Personality, Writing | 0 comments

First, How is God’s Plan or Science Student my business? As a thought influencer and writer, I realize that I cannot ignore the influences around me and what readers absorb regularly matters. I bet you listen to either Drake or Olamide. Even if you don’t, you have been part of the conversations.

It’s weekend also. What music are you jamming? It influences your reality, the arguments you get into, the friends you make and keep. This is why I need to think about them too as your favourite blogger.

Some good news first! I wrote a post about Fela Durotoye a few weeks back. Only recently did I realize he had featured the article on one of his main webpages. “Mr. Nigeria,” is FD’s pseudonym as a Nigerian Presidential Aspirant. Read the post “Mr. Nigeria” where my article was featured.

On to Drake and Olamide’s Music!

There is absolutely nothing lyrical about the two videos particularly. I have always believed that music all over the world is undergoing a major strain in content.

On one hand, we think we could get better lyrics but the good beat and ultra-urban theatrics sell. Get a crazy line and beat it up over and over in your song, that’s all you need for music these days.

I mean at the level of soul content, both Olamide’s “Science Student” and “God’s plan” fail.  Listening to Drake repeat “bad things they wishing on me… but God’s plan,” was a bit cheesy. Olamide’s lyrics were as usual “ibile” and easy peasy repetitions.

The Controversy about Drugs and Science Student

I don’t find “Science Student” offensive as a lot have portrayed it. I am not a huge fan of secular music but I had to hear Olamide out over the controversial opinion that he eulogized the use of drugs in his lyrics.  No, he didn’t. In fact, the tone of the lyrics was more like an expression of shock and reprimand.

“Ganiya se wo mo’n wo lo kan yi, iwo omo ti mummy ran lo s’Harvard”

The excerpt above is comical and portrays the alarm we all feel when good kids turn bad.

The Videos, Content and Brand Strategy

Olamide as some people have expressed, got distracted by the criticism for his lyrics. The video ended up being a desperate damage control over a non-controversy.
The language of the song being core Yoruba may have worked against him. In a sense, his song being his brand reeks of street sound and a lot of people automatically stereotype him. He then desperately pumped too much effort into the video, props, and locations. The dancing and concept were all over the place.

Drake, on the other hand, had a tight grip on the “God’s plan” video. The brand loyalty that Drake would have amassed so far is too immense to quantify.

As at the last time I viewed “God’s Plan” on Youtube, it had over 89 Million hits. The video evokes such strong emotions. A lot will argue that Drake did “God’s Plan,” just to sell his brand. I believe in doing good irrespective of how it profits you. He could have made his music video and used his money for himself only. For me, he hit home on some major things a lot of us wish celebrities could do.

Hit Points Include:

– The sudden public appearances to “ordinary people.” That means a lot to viewers, being real.

– The gifts. People love gifts and the effects they have on people.

– Representing. He not only did a video, he connected with people in different locations, races, color, and status.

I think most of the challenge media has in these times is how to connect the mundane with soul.  As much as we may not be able to cure entertainment of wack lyrics and overused beats, there is a lot of potential in the content strategy.  If you are too “deep” these days, you won’t even get an audience.

Tell a story that resonates with the people, a simple story. A message of hope. This is what anyone can achieve even with the worst lyrics.

This is probably where Olamide could have done a better job. A simpler music video with some soul would probably do more than all those “chaka zulu” guys he grouped together to dance in his video.

 

 

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