Someone captured the 2016 Headies in these few words:"This may very well be the funeral".When Wizkid strolled in and attempted to hug Eva's fiancé before hugging her instead and leaving the poor dude hanging, you couldn't help helping the organizers bemoan the abject lack of A-list calibre guests.There couldn't be a better illustration than Eva on the front row .The many empty seats were an eyesore and echoes in the hall got startling at times.But for what its worth,the organizers can console themselves with the fact that there just has to be a record of some sorts for the number of absent winners this edition spawned.Definitely haven't seen this many in my over 30 living years.
Those watching Ayo's Headies at home on Ayo's HipTv have him to thank for making them understand their DSTV remotes better.It felt like a sound engineering course sometimes as audio and picture quality was so poor,you spent half the time adjusting and re-adjusting.That being said, lets skip to the awards itself.
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
EMERGENCY-D'banj
LOVE DON'T CARE-Simi
PRAY FOR ME-Darey feat Soweto Choir Group
ORENTE-Adekunle Gold
SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING-Brymo
Dbanj's EMERGENCY had no business being on this list and when I first saw it,I thought he was going to clinch it because the arrangement that got him there might include him winning it.But it turns out that wasn't the case.
There are a thousand other songs that deserved to be here in its place and if the Headies felt it ought to show him some love then it should have just handed him the Special Recognition award.I consider Darey's PRAY FOR ME a really great song but I think either of Adekunle Gold's ORENTE or Simi's LOVE DON'T CARE should have gotten this.Adekunle was able to put together sheer magic over talking drums and guitar strings.Ironically,the song was produced by the same guy who produced the winning song-Oscar and mixed by Simi.Oscar deserves a best producer nomination for this song and he might just have won that category if he had this to complement Darey's PRAY FOR ME which he was nominated for.
Simi is a breath of fresh air and she is in tune with the basics; having a peculiar quality in a saturated industry won't really count much unless it is being put to effective use. She did just that on LOVE DON'T CARE.The story telling in that voice was awesome.
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
DJ COUBLON-GOOD TIME AND RABA RABA BY KISS DANIEL AND DJ SHABSY
PHEELS-PICK UP AND LAGOS BOYS BY OLAMIDE
OSCAR HERMAN ACKAH-PRAY FOR ME BY DAREY FEAT THE SOWETO CHOIR GROUP
MASTERKRAFT-FADA FADA AND CONNECT BY PHYNO
YOUNG JOHN-MAMA BY KISS DANIEL
LEGENGURY BEATS-BABA NLA (FINAL) BY WIZKID
I still don't understand why Masterkraft didn't win this.His songs with Phyno are the hugest of the pack and its hard to believe the voting public picked MAMA ahead of them.Category specification says individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review. MAMA can't come no where near CONNECT and FADA FADA.
BEST R&B/POP ALBUM
NEW ERA-KISS DANIEL
WANTED-WANDE COAL
SHEYI OR SHAY-SHEYI SHAY
NAK3D-DAREY
KLITORIS-BRYMO
The popular opinion is that Ayo and his goons set out to compensate KISS DANIEL for last year's snub.But there is a price to pay for doing that-quality is compromised.Wande Coal made an album full of good songs with no outstanding one to stand out from the bunch while Brymo seemed to have shed some of his invincibility on KLITORIS.Darey didn't quite meet up to his standards but Sheyi Shay made a quite amazing album.She had you in heart all through; whatever she tried,she wanted it to sound good to you.SHEYI OR SHAY was light years ahead of others in quality.
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
MARY (SHEYI SHAY)-MEJI ALABI
EMERGENCY (D'BANJ)-UNLIMITED LA
SOLDIER-(FALZ THA BAD GUY)-CLARENCE PETERS
BAD-(TIWA SAVAGE FEAT WIZKID)-SESAN
MADE FOR YOU-(BANKY W)-BANKY W
Quite frankly, I don't think these were the best videos out in the year under review.These same guys (with maybe the exception of Banky W) made videos much better than the ones they were nominated for.Unlimited LA seemed to want to eat his cake and have it on Dbanj's EMERGENCY.-'throwing back' to the Fela era and still wanting to stay in present day.
Banky's MADE FOR YOU was a love story that had been told countless times with practically nothing to set it apart from the others.No extraordinary scenes or costumes,it was just plain and lacking a creative edge.He showed promise though and I sincerely hope he excels in video making.
SOLDIER certainly wasn't Clarence Peters's best work neither was it the best on the list.But it won.
I think Falz plans his videos and all he has to do is get a director to shoot them.SOLDIER was no different from JAMB QUESTION which was nominated last year but only that the latter was directed by Mex.The story was unreal and there was nothing to commend the video for other than the quality of the song.
Meji Alabi did a good job on Sheyi Shay's MARY though he could have done better.It was a dark video that tended to get too dark at times especially the scene where she was in a mask.The white fur coat was a really great touch and I wish I could say same for the black top she used.It erased the 'bossette' feel and if you walked in and saw her wearing that over a bowler hat in the last scene,she would pass for a mere 'waka pass'.
When you make choices, its harder to defend videos than songs.Songs leave you many 'outs'.You could cite sales or radio play in place of quality but not with videos because everyone sees whats on display.
Its really sad that Sesan had to watch a plaque he deserved, go for a second consecutive year and last year's was even closer than this.Thats what hurts the most.
He made one of the best Nigerian videos I have seen in recent times in Tiwa Savage's BAD feat Wizkid. It was just flawless.BAD was probably the only video worth being here and ordinarily, it would stroll hands in pocket all the way to this Headie.To be modest, Ayo and his crew need to start counting the votes well.
BEST RAP SINGLE
EYAN MAYWEATHER-OLAMIDE
ASALAMALEKUM-REMINISCE
JAGABAN-YCEE
CHUKWU AGOZI GOGI-ILLBLISS
AGU JI NDI MEN-AQ
SHOW YOU SOMETHING-BOOGEY
The Headies can safely fall back on the 'voting clause' as far as this category is concerned.Baddo is the most loved rapper in Nigeria and a lot of people would vote him even if no song was attached to his name.But I laugh in spanish if they expect us to believe our votes have been winning awards.
EYAN MAYWEATHER will rank last if these songs were to be judged on merit.JAGABAN deserved this Headie more than any of the songs.It swept across the nation in some style and birthed the start of an elaborate ascent to the zenith of naija rap.
BEST POP SINGLE
MAMA-KISS DANIEL
FINAL(BABA NLA)-WIZKID
PICK UP-ADEKUNLE GOLD
OSINACHI-HUMBLESMITH FEAT DAVIDO
REGGAE BLUES-HARRYSONG FEAT OREZI,IYANYA,OLAMIDE & KCEE
EMERGENCY-D'BANJ
FADA FADA-PHYNO
MONEY-TIMAYA FEAT FLAVOUR
This had to be the tightest category of the night.REGGAE BLUES was a worthy winner but I'm sure no one would have bated an eyelid if it went to FADA FADA or OSINACHI.
BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL SONG
NO KISSING-PATORANKING FEAT SARKODIE
BODY HOT-PRAIZ FEAT JESSE JAGZ AND STONEBWOY
JAGA LOVE-JESSE JAGZ
OLOWO-CYNTHIA MORGAN
PAM PAM-KETCH UP
I LIKE THE WAY-TIMAYA
Patoranking's NO KISSING was a really good song.Just that it isn't as good as Cynthia Morgan's OLOWO.Song is fire!!!.It infects you when it comes on and makes you want to dance in any hall.."Ask about me for igboro"!!.
Whether or not Praiz's BODY HOT is reggae/dancehall is debatable but what is not in doubt is the fact that it was a really good song.One I would rather hand the Headie to.
BEST R&B SINGLE
LOVE DON'T CARE-SIMI
MADE FOR YOU-BANKY W
SMILE-SHAYDEE
SUPER WOMAN-WANDE COAL
PRAY FOR ME-DAREY FEAT THE SOWETO CHOIR GROUP
ADUKE-TJAN
Darey's PRAY For Me is a great piece of work,but sometimes I just can't help thinking its getting more props than it deserves.This is a voting category and I sincerely doubt if Darey's song was huge enough to be voted over these songs and even if anyone leans on the fact that a lot of people only listened to some of the songs when the nomination list was released, I don't think anyone who did that would vote it ahead of Tjan's ADUKE.It was a fabulous song that had all the essential ingredients of R & B in it.After all the lectures on what or not songs of a particular genre should sound like, it all boils down to one thing-whether or not it sounds good to its listeners. ADUKE is a classic.
BEST COLLABO
REGGAE BLUES-HARRYSONG FEAT IYANYA, OREZI,OLAMIDE,KCEE
OSINACHI-HUMBLESMITH FEAT DAVIDO
WAIT-SOLIDSTAR FEAT TIWA SAVAGE
NO KISSING-PATORANKING FEAT SARKODIE
MONEY-TIMAYA FEAT FLAVOUR
SOLDIER-FALZ FEAT SIMI
I really think REGGAE BLUES deserved to get its second plaque of the night in this category. One thing this song alongside Humblesmith's OSINACHI had going for them was the fact that they were nationwide hits. They were more popular than SOLDIER which was more or less, a 'Lagos' hit.Either one of these two should have gotten the Headie ahead of Falz's SOLDIER.
NEXT RATED
*TEKNO
YCEE
MR EAZI
HUMBLESMITH
ARAMIDE
Tekno criticized his choice as a nominee and that necessitated a public clarification by the organizers. In response to the statement that he was a vet, the Headies told us it didn't matter how long you had been in the game as long as you hadn't released an album yet.He boycotted all pre-award activities required of nominees and it earned him a ban just days to the event.
Tekno was the clear favourite and his omission threw it open .This category had been the most controversial over the years and this edition wasn't bereft of it.
Mr Eazi is a great artiste with a unique sound but i'm baffled to no end as to how he beat Ycee.Its simply impossible to justify that.
Ycee made a monster hit in JAGABAN and followed it up with OMO ALHAJI which was stellar stuff as well.He made more hits, had more collabos and notched up endorsements (doubt if Eazi even has one).He was the favourite rapper's favourite rapper to use that all too familiar cliché when Baddo named him his number one rapper.
A lot of people rate Humblesmith higher than they do Mr Eazi and you wouldn't blame them for that.Mr Eazi is a breath of fresh no doubt-distinctive style that blew everyone but more than a year in (at least officially), BANKULIZE still remains the closest thing he has to a hit. Humblesmith's original and remix versions of OSINACHI were all hits.That is just by the way anyways.
Mr Eazi over Ycee?. Naaah.
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)
SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING-BRYMO
SMILE-SHAYDEE
PRAY FOR ME-DAREY FEAT SOWETO CHOIR GROUP
GENTLEMAN-RIC HASSANI
SUPER WOMAN-WANDE COAL
Shaydee was the best choice.He put those chords to phenomenal use on SMILE and I'm really glad he won.I really feel sorry for Wande Coal though,he did put in some great work on SUPER WOMAN.
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
LOVE DON'T CARE-SIMI
PLAY NA PLAY-OMAWUNMI FEAT ANGELIQUE KIDJO
RIGHT NOW-SHEYI SHAY
LOVE ME-ARAMIDE FEAT ADEKUNLE GOLD
The organizers got it right in this category as well (vocal performance is non-voting).In as much as I think Sheyi Shay's RIGHT NOW is the best song listed, i most certainly agree that SIMI displayed the best vocal prowess on her LOVE DON'T CARE.
BEST STREET HOP ARTISTE
WHO U EPP-OLAMIDE
BAD GANG-AJEBUTTER FEAT FALZ
JAGABAN-YCEE
GBERA-SMALL DOCTOR
KO LE WERK-KOKER
CUSTOMER DADA NI-2T BOYS FEAT SERIKI AND SMALL DOCTOR
This was always going to go one way-Baddo's.He blew up the slang and had everyone using it after he dropped the song.If we had a Nigerian dictionary, I'm sure WHO U EPP would have been the last word added to it and maybe the first to be added in the last 10 years.
But on the real,I don't think the quality of the song measures up to that of KO LE WERK or CUSTOMER DADA NI in the street hop context. Great slangs but they were also great songs.The fact that every rapper wanted to jump on WHO U EPP after Baddo's crew and close associates did, helped blow a decent effort out of proportion.
Olamide was never one to worry about strategy,it was just music and more music all year long.The one time he got strategic, it paid off handsomely.After his gang did their versions, everyone hopped on it.WHO U EPP was the most remixed song of the year no doubt.
If it were up to me,I would hand this award to 2T Boys.CUSTOMER DADA NI had the craziest concept I heard in a really long while and Its the most creative song on the list.Koker did his thing in grand style on KO LE WERK and I feel as sorry for Ycee as I did for Kiss Daniel last year.Hard to think JAGABAN didn't get at least a plaque for all its quality.
BEST ALTERNATIVE SONG
GENTLEMAN-RIC HASSANI
SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING-BRYMO
WAIT FOR ME-JOHNNY DRILLE
PICK UP-ADEKUNLE GOLD
YOU SUPPOSE KNOW-BEZ
A lot of observers and critics usually get lost in their own little world before every award show.Everyone shuts out how much buzz the songs generated, the calibre of artistes that made them and just focuses on how good the songs truly are.In my own little world, it was a walk over for Johnny Drille's WAIT FOR ME.Song is just so out of here...sumn like an Audemar telling Mars time.He should be bronzed for it.WAIT FOR ME in a few words is-International quality.
I would place Adekunle Gold's PICK UP second and though the instrumental to Brymo's SOMETHING GOOD IS HAPPENING was top notch, he opens by telling you "everyone is hustling and trying to be boss but if you listen hard you will hear the sounds of victory". Highly contradictory. You hear those sounds when you are boss or at least aren't 'trying' to become one.After all said and done,I don't think Bez deserved it.
BEST RAP ALBUM
EYAN MAYWEATHER-OLAMIDE
POWERFUL-ILLBLISS
STORIES THAT TOUCH-FALZ
YAGI-LIL KESH
One of the non-voting categories where the organizers shocked you again by getting it right.Though it was obvious Illbliss made the best rap album of the pack, there was no ruling out a gift to Falz who was co-host and current rave.Illygaty tha Oga Boss aka Abrahamovich put together a splendid album in POWERFUL and I'm really glad he is getting the respect he deserves.Illbliss is quite frankly one of the very few cats the rap game owes some dues.
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
CHUKWU AGOZI GOGI-ILLBLISS
ASALAMALEKUM-REMINISCE
JAGABAN-YCEE
SHOW YOU SOMETHING-BOOGEY
AGU JI NDI MEN-AQ
NO MATTER WHAT-MODENINE
Here, we allowed the Headies choose and they failed us.The only good thing about Lyricist on the roll in 2016 was that Mode9 didn't win it like a lot of us expected and since some other yardstick besides friendship was used (presumably quality) then its worth a good look.Illbliss's CHUKWU AGOZI GOGI lyrically had nothing on all the other songs on the list.Pound for Pound,it was the whipping boy.AQ's delivery isn't always top notch but AGU JI NDI MEN was one of those times he got it right.His usually tight lyrics were framed perfectly.Reminisce is second only to my winner-Boogey's SHOW YOU SOMETHING.Boogey flew us first class back to the '90s with not a single element missing.He held you spell-bound and pulled you into the story he was telling.Real timeless stuff.
To Mode9 and all the other purists out there-Hip Hop ain't dead...*scratches*, this is how it should be done!!.
HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION
GHETTO UNIVERSITY-RUNTOWN
YAGI-LIL KESH
SHEYI OR SHAY-SHEYI SHAY
NEW ERA-KISS DANIEL
There is no way in the world NEW ERA is a better album than SHEYI OR SHAY and if anyone tells me people voted it, I will instantly demand proof because Lil Kesh is the most loved and popular of the nominees.He would clinch it on that basis while those who listened to all the albums would pick Miss Shay.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
STORIES THAT TOUCH-FALZ
NEW ERA-KISS DANIEL
WANTED-WANDE COAL
SHEYI OR SHAY-SHEYI SHAY
There are all good albums and somewhere deep within me,I think Falz would have gotten this if votes truly counted for the simple reason that he is the current industry darling.No one who has listened to all these albums would give this to Kiss.
NEW ERA had a wider gulf between the good songs and the not-too-good-ones and whats more?.We already heard its 2 best songs about a year before it was released.
ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
OLAMIDE
YEMI ALADE
FALZ
WIZKID
TIWA SAVAGE
It was 60-40 Falz even with Wiz's SHABBA featuring Chris Brown,Trey Songz and French Montana in the equation till you remember Wiz was on Drake's ONE DANCE and then a blow-past.Falz on Wiz's rearview. Congrats Starboy,our most viable music export.
SONG OF THE YEAR
FINAL(BABA NLA)-WIZKID
PICK UP-ADEKUNLE GOLD
OSINACHI-HUMBLESMITH
REGGAE BLUES-HARRYSONG FEAT OREZI, IYANYA, OLAMIDE & KCEE
FADA FADA-PHYNO
Any one of OSINACHI, FADA FADA, or REGGAE BLUES deserved to walk away with this and in the end Phyno's FADA FADA was the lucky recipient.FADA FADA cemented Phyno's status as unarguably the most versatile Nigerian artiste of all time.He became pop and hiphop royalty at the same time.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD
FLAVOUR
No disrespect to Flavour but I think he has a few more notches to clear.There are more deserving recipients than I can count-OJB Jezreel (post-humously),Dbanj,Clarence Peters,P-Square to mention a few.
They really need to put their house in order.
This Year's Headies has had a lot of fans wondering if it is the beginning of the end.Its been sad to watch its credibility wane over the years and though no 'official' gossip has been leaked as to why it was boycotted by almost all the stars,it may just be because they are as aggrieved as the fans.Perhaps they came together and decided to stay away.Its just too much to be a coincidence.
The biggest music industry in Africa deserves a much better spectacle to call its biggest award show.
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