Is Whitemoney wasting his time with music?
Reality show stars and celebrities alike continue to diversify into music despite success and acceptance proving hard to come by.
This week’s newsletter has got to be the most taxing I’ve written. That’s why you won’t mind getting it on a Saturday. Thursday was the convocation for my Master’s Degree, in English, not in Creative Writing or Entertainment Writing like you probably thought 😂😅😅. I have been on the road for more time than usual but nothing can stop this week’s issue. Not even the rice and chicken that couldn’t go round for AfroDivers. I can hear you say congratulations. Thank you, community.
Barely a week ago, winner of the Big Brother Naija Season 6, Hazel Onou, otherwise popular as Whitemoney, released a single, Selense, seeming to many that he was making a grand entry into music as he dropped the visuals to the song at the same time.
Produced by ace producer, Masterkraft, mixed reactions instantly followed Whitemoney’s announcement of his new single. Easily, one could see the negative remarks overwhelming the positive pats. It would have taken an extraordinary heart not to have been discouraged from what many said. Even the white in Whitemoney would have turned pale brown that day 😞😞.
Although the flak coming for Whitemoney is probably understandable, it is largely undeserved.
First, we should know that Whitemoney’s initial singles, Rosemary and Your life, came in 2018. That’s over three years ago. He’s dropped another one this year, with a convenient Google search showing that he has more than 10 singles to his credit.
So then, it would be erroneous to say that Selense is his debut single or that he’s just making a foray into the music industry. His discography suggests that he has more than enough songs for an EP. But because to many, he would not be the first celebrity to suddenly discover their singing skills after hitting limelight, he’s being prejudged.
As a matter of fact, Selense is a good song. It captures the rag-to-riches story of the singer himself. It is like Ojuelegba for Wizkid, Story for P-Square and Anytime for 9ice. The visuals make the single appealing and full of storytelling if objectively appreciated.
Taking BBNaija into consideration alone, Efe Ejeba, the winner of the Big Brother Naija Season 2 (See Gobe Edition), has walked similar paths trying to use his newfound fame to elevate his music career. We all know how that worked out.
But Laycon, last year’s Lockdown Edition winner, has proven to be an exception to the widespread belief that it is impossible to crossover from reality show into music, although some critics still opine that it is Laycon’s towering popularity thot got him the streaming numbers he’s enjoying, not a supreme singing skill.
Nollywood has been the easiest and most travelled path for many BBNaija alumni, so, going that way would seem logical and easily acceptable for Whitemoney’s critics.
The reality show star wasted no time in reacting, saying that his music was not for everyone, and despite his not-so-sleek voice, he will bring home the Grammy next year. The Grammy is certainly a tall order for him but understandably, he needs the public show of self-confidence.
Importantly, the essence of branding comes to the fore. The Kaduna-born Igbo star was not popular for music in the house. It is a lesson for any aspiring musician who wants to use a reality show as a platform to blow to ensure that they craft music into their image while in the house. For all the blessings of winning a reality show, it is also a box, and it becomes hard for people to see one beyond that.
Whitemoney’s songs are decent enough for anyone's attention but he may have got the first step wrong. His options are far from limited given that he's now a celebrity but where his music career goes from here is anybody’s guess.
Congratulations on your convocation... willing to help to grow the website🤗
Congrats on the Master's degree. And to think you're of the Greatest Ifẹ ✊🏽!