Paul and Peter Okoye, the magical musical duo f Psquare are arguably th most loved acts of Africa. They are on par with 2face Idibia, have more consistency than D’banj, show more class and longevity than Wizkid and Davido. Over a decade of being at the top of the music game has made them musical gods.
Psquare, Jude Okoye
(Press)
Last week, they went
head-on with one of the most recognised broadcast stations in Africa,
Soundcity TV, and the feud had all the makings of good sport. There were first shots, retaliations, intrigue, messy pasts, mischief, and opinions.
Simply put, it was a reporters dream. Controversy and publicised fights
are the stuff of sensational journalism, and seeing the unfold felt
like Christmas arriving early for pressmen.
But in
that game, there were winners and losers. The gains and losses of a
great fight are always relative. There is really no victor, nor
vanquished, just , erm, gains and losses.
Psquare
(BHM)
The relationship
between the media and the celebrities is one of mutualism. The stars
need the media to get their activities out. The media need the stars to
keep their business running.
This fight highlights
the growing chasm that exists between the modern popular TV and
celebrities - the people who have become an indispensable part of
content generation. It hasn’t always been this way. There was a time
when stars were not only not afraid to enjoy the company of TV, but
eager to do so. But times have change.
With the
tremendous growth of the internet, and the popularity of Entertainment
on demand, TV stations, who have long been gatekeepers of content have
seen their powers wane and diminish. This has made the once invincible
powers of media such as Soundcity, look ordinary and limited. Throw in
the stiff competition that exists in the media space, and it becomes
even dire for them.
Peter Okoye in 'Personally' video
(Press)
Psqaure are the big
winners of this battle. They took on Soundcity, exposed the pettiness
that exists within their setup, made them all cringe and respond to
their twitter rants. With the cult following that they enjoy, they also
might have taken off a viewer or two from Soundcity. Factor in the great
press that they enjoy, and you would begin to get an idea of the gains
they have made.
They are relevant enough to upset Soundcity.
The only loss they suffer is the lack of airtime on Soundcity. Which they have suffered with minimum impact on their career.
J. Martins, Psquare shoot new music video
(David IJeh)
Soundcity also did make gains. They were successful in displaying the power they have in choosing not to promote an artiste. Mess with them, and you lose valuable play time. Their methods might be petty and lacking in professionalism, but it is ‘their method’. No one can dictate otherwise, or have an input in how they run their business. That is strength.
Many
will point to their withholding of quality content from their viewers
as a weakness, but if analysed properly, they truly don’t need Psquare.
The absence of the duo was not noticed by many. And this is in part,
caused by the unending variety of content that exist in the market.
(bhm)
For the strength they
gained, they also lost in image perception. Pettiness is a weakness,
especially when it is utilised at the expense of professionalism and
gain. They have put themselves first rather than their customers, and
that is a failure in ethics.
Ultimately, Soundcity
and Psquare don’t need each other. They have the expansion of both the
media and content generators to thank for that.
good
