The rate at which hip hop continues to attract followers in the grassroots may mean an end of the reign of fuji music, AKEEM LASISI writes
For fuji, the traditional music style transformed by the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, this may be a very trying time. The wide acceptability it has enjoyed for many decades is under threat as hip hop and related genres, such as rhythm and blues and Afro pop, have continued to spread.
Just tune in to most radio stations nowadays, especially in the South West where fuji music originally belongs, you discover that the airtime enjoyed by both genres is skewed in favour of hip hop. The same applies to television and record stores where various kinds of music are played on loud speakers to attract the attention of buyers. Depending on the area in a city like Lagos, fuji no longer enjoys the dominance it used to command in the past.
Even in motor parks, drivers and touts have also been steadily ‘stepping up’ on the social ladder. Gone were the days when you were inside a commercial bus, whether the one heading for Oshodi from Agbado Ijaye, or one destined for Obalende from Oworo, and all the driver – the almighty operator of his bus CD/cassette player – would unleash on passengers was fuji music. Now, many drivers too have ‘woken up’ to be part of the rebellion that hip hop seems to represent.
A number of factors are responsible for such shifts. One of them is the fact that hip hop artistes have realised the need to localise the content of their music. Many of them use Pidgin English, Yoruba language and make empty noises that the grassroots audience can appreciate. As a result, they now conveniently cut into the generality of the audience that hitherto had their hearts for fuji.
This is part of the outcome of the ‘revolution’ that the likes of 9ice, X-Project and even D’Banj and Tuface launched years ago. The seed had earlier been sown when Ajegunle hawks like Baba Fryo, African China and Danfo Drivers dominated the scene with songs like ‘Dem go dey pose’. Of course, the trend also benefited from the indigenous rap that Lord of Ajasa and the late Da Grin had also launched while Whizkid, Olamide and others have continued the trend.
Beyond these factors, however, Afro hip hop singer, Edaoto Ageniyi, believes that young generation fuji artistes that opened their flanks when they started collaborating with hip hop artistes.
Edaoto says, “When fuji had dominant appeal among music fans about seven years ago, many hip hop and R&B boys were still struggling to find their feet,” he says. “To find relevance, some of them started doing collabos with Adewale Ayuba, Abass Akande Obesere and Pasuma. In the process, the fuji acts indirectly introduced the hip hop singers to their (fuji’s) customers. That is part of the beginning of what is playing out now.”
•Whatever goes round must come round – Record seller
A record seller, Pastor Oladiti Moses, is in a good position to know what is really happening in the market. He says fuji music still has its own audience, but its popularity is gradually waning, no thanks to hip hop genre which, he says, is penetrating from right and left. But he sees a bit of retribution at play here.
He says, “It is the same fate that juju music suffered in the hands of fuji artistes that they too are now experiencing. Remember that in the past, especially in the 1980s, juju music used to reign in Nigeria. But these fuji singers like Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla, Wasiu Ayinde and Adewale Ayuba came and started deploying musical instruments that ‘belonged’ to juju. Gradually, they almost made them ordinary, and that is when more and more people shifted to fuji. After all, they could get almost everything they were getting from fuji – with added traditional devices. That is how they pushed juju out of the way. I believe Ebenezer Obey’s exit from the music scene was partly due to such pressure. But for King Sunny Ade who fought hard to remain relevant, maybe juju would have died by now.
“Fuji too has had its season for years. Hip hop is giving it the same fight it gave juju. Apart from collaborations, hip hop is mixing traditional songs with their music. Some of them are also using gangan drums, sakara, gongs and the likes.”
Another factor that seems to have affected the rating of fuji is that for the past three years, no hit song has been released. Wasiu (K1 de Ultimate) and the other key players have been rolling out albums and recordings of their live plays, but none has recorded a blockbuster in the pedigree of Sikiru Ayinde Barrister’s Fuji Dimension, Kollington’s Ijo Yoyo or Wasiu’s Democracy. Indeed, it has been observed that since Barrister died in December 2010, none of such hits has been released by his former younger colleagues.
Whenever there was a lull like this in the past, Wasiu, it was that sprang surprises with some irresistible style or a winning song. This too has not been forthcoming from him. What could have done this for him is his Eyin mama e sempe, in which he urges old women to vacate the dance arena for young babes. But the death of Barrister at the time the album that contained the song was about to be released seems to have eventually affected its chances.
Yet Oladiti has another reason why the fuji scene has been on the low side: there has not been much in-fighting.
“Anyone who has closely followed the music knows that it is when there is a controversy or a fight between major players or groups that fuji fans mostly patronise them. This is what happened during the long-drawn battle between Barrister and Kollington. The same happened when, a few years ago, Osupa and K1 fought over who should be crowned the new fuji king. But for some years, there has been peace and reconciliation, at least among the key rivals. This means that nobody is abusing any other person, and there is less to be expected by the audience.
“It is in recent times that another conflict is brewing that the scene may come alive again. Pasuma has said that he is no more Wasiu Ayinde’s chief or boy, that he wants to be independent and assert himself. Taye Currency, another younger fuji artiste who used to follow Wsaiu alongside Pasuma, wanted to raise eyebrows on this, but Obesere quickly told him to be himself and prove his talent. Obesere and Korensi have now waxed an album, ‘Jaforie’, meaning, fight for your own destiny. So, let us see what will happen when Wasiu replies them.”
Before now, most slang expressions used to emanate either from motor parks or the fuji kingdom. Such include Ropopo from Kollinton Ayinla, and Ma fi para from Obesere and Orobo kibo from Pasuma. But nowadays, jabs from the hip hop artistes are spreading faster. An example of that is O di gombe – it has become a tug of war – a spin from XProject.
But while the rush into the studio by most reigning fuji acts, such as Osbesere, Osupa and Pasuma, may have affected the market – they are fond of releasing albums in doubles and in quick succession – the fact that one sees more of hip hop acts at big-budget shows indicates that things are getting better for the first.
This is, however, not to say that the likes of Wasiu, Pasuma and Osupa are not making money and they do not command a crowd. Beyond the performance of their songs, they are still the toast of many parties in different cities, even outside the country. That is why as the hip hop gus are flaunting wealth online, the trio also occasionally step out with their new houses, big cars – and women. For instance, while Pasuma only recently completed his house in Lagos, Wasiu not only recently married another woman, he also unveiled a super country home in Ijebu Ode.
Wasiu Meco, an Ibafo, Ogun State-based mechanic, believes that fuji has come to stay as it is still widely accepted by many people.
He explains, “I don’t even listen to hip hop. I am a fuji person and Osupa is my man. There are about 70 songs on my phone and more than 50 of them are Osupa songs. Is there any sense in what hip hop people sing?”
•They can never upstage us – Pasuma
Reacting to the scare, Pasuma has said that it is a joke to think that hip hop can push fuji to the background. One of the most enduring new-generation fuji singers, Pasuma has been in the limelight since the 1990s when he came up with the orobo fuji style.
While he is one of the fuji acts very close to the hip hop world, he says his followers are always there for him. Besides, he notes that the live performance strength that fuji singers have will always make the difference.
“Hip hop can never send fuji packing,” he says. “The hip hop artistes do not have bands. They cannot engage the audience as a band, and for a long time as we fuji artistes do. They only depend on digital recordings. So, they have limited social value.
“Let a hip hop artiste mount the stage and sing for three hours, he will have nothing to sing again but we can be there for many hours. Once they have exhausted the songs in their albums or singles, there will be nothing left. But we have a lot to fall back upon and we can create songs spontaneously to the delight of our audience.
“You will also find out that many of the hip hop guys do not have long life span when they are on stardom. I don’t want to mention names but the connection between our audience and us always lasts long.”
•All hype and less substance
Pasuma’s contemporary, Muri Thunder, has also said that fuji is not under threat.
According to him, although hip hop guys are doing their best to get the market, he and his colleagues will not allow them to outsmart them.
He says, “They are the ones trying to give their music credit by injecting fuji into what they sing. They just inject oyinbo into fuji, so that what many of them are singing is fuji.”
Thunder adds that in terms of album sales, they are doing better in the market.
“What the hip hop people are enjoying is media publicity. They have upper hand than us in the media, like the TV.”
