The journey here is unsettling enough, it’d take a while to get used to the sight of a razed Heritage Park. But beyond that deforestation-induced squeamishness, I can afford to be relatively upbeat, Ayra Starr is coming to the University of Ibadan. At this point, there’s already a massive buzz generated by her visit, young people in bright clothes and with even brighter smiles stream through the gates of the University. At the Old Football Pitch, SUB, the picture is no different, hordes mill about, undeterred by Harmattan’s dust as the stage is set up in the distance.
Intermezzo, Zik Hall. Stopping here to charge my phone, I become all too aware of the controversy surrounding this event at this point. Our daddy-in-the-Lord has spoken, Ayra Starr is naught but a messenger of darkness, clad in miniskirt and that oh-so reprehensible device, makeup. To reduce a Grammy-nominated phenom to little more than a device for lust, an agent of your own sexual desire is beyond me, yet that seems to be the consensus among many so-called believers. And for this to happen now, with no similar backlash at other times when secular artistes such as Ckay and Blaqbonez were set to perform at the University of Ibadan speaks volumes. It’s difficult to imagine a man given this sort of treatment, no matter how much his lyrics may centre on fraud and sex, no matter the allegations brought against him. There is a deep-rooted misogyny at play, and one would wonder why the Association of Unibadan Christian Students’ Fellowships (AUCSF) President, Samuel Apooyin would choose to stir up division at the slightest instance, directing hate at a hardworking, independent young lady, who in truth is a worthy example to girls and boys across the country. It is especially noteworthy that Christians are not met with resistance of this sort when they stage their numerous programs on campus, but perhaps it is easy to forget one’s tenets, the principles of love that guide this religion.
Near 6:30 pm, music from the concert starts to filter to Zik Hall, and it is my cue to return to the arena, an hour after I had left. Throngs of students mill about as dusk sets, miniskirts aplenty, ripped jeans en masse. Perhaps we are all bound for eternal damnation after all. But hell can wait, it’s party time. As is the norm with these things, underground acts from the host university—Ibadan in this case, open for the more established headliners. And it’s chaos. Two-minute sets hardly enough to leave a mark, the DJ politely cutting the beat while the hypeman shoos you off, it’s a daunting task to make your mark in that window. They put in their best however, and it’s a real revelation of sorts, the number of solid Afro acts we have at the University of Ibadan. Noteworthy among these is Ann, originally a rapper, according to the hypeman anyways, performing “Alakori”, an afrobeats ballad reminiscent of Ayra herself—and that’s not where the similarities ended for the night (more on that later). I must admit though, I have my biases, and it’s hard to focus on the endless carousel of talents, I must wait more for some names I can more easily recognise. At some point, the monotony is interspersed by a dance contest of sorts, ten women taking to the stage. It’s interesting viewing, however, UI crowds are vicious. Those deemed “un-Starrlike” are heckled off the stage by the teeming throng. “Ayra Starr or Japa?”, the conductor would cry out, and at almost every point, the people cried foul. They were loving it, and the MC could tell. And so this back and forth would continue for the next few minutes until the crowd finally accepted a tribute. Her confidence worked great for her, in truth, many other ladies perhaps didn’t face that horde with the strength of mind that she did. Unperturbed, unabashed, and now champion.
There’s a real buzz about the place at this point, and people are starting to get into it. The coming performers have a baying crowd at their mercy, more pressure or more adulation, depending on if you look at the glass half-empty or half-full. And there they are! The opening act I’d been most excited to see, Syntax, The Creator and Udo Nebo, here to perform “Ctrl”, one of the best off Syntax’s “Room 203” EP. It’s great to watch them give that to the world though I can’t imagine how that must have felt for them on that stage, bored through by so many expectant eyes. It can be very difficult for a studio performance to translate to a live audience, and one must do their best to engage that crowd and ultimately make them a feature of your show. Ladies and gentlemen, like I said before, the University of Ibadan is a very difficult crowd, and one is best off not poking that beast. Mavins artistes themselves would face this reality later (more on that later, once again). In any case, any efforts to get the crowd going in this instance were met with mostly deathly stares, and one must forgive the pair for their ambition in this stance. Now, I may have got the name wrong but ?Segundo deserves a mention just for his shirt, a sparkly, multicoloured ensemble sure to make Joseph’s brothers jealous, he performed with a confidence to match his outfit, and would have made it worth the while for many fans on that night. My favourite act for the night would however be Yomidee, by some distance too! Performing “Adenike”, yet another song off Syntax’s Room 203, he came clutch with refined vocals, and a stage presence to match. Sure enough, the reluctant crowd were soon drawn in, and choruses of “Adenike, I like you,” rent through the night air. Best of all, after his two minutes of stardom were over and the DJ cut the beat, he continued a cappella, shielding the microphone with a stiff-arm for the ages, not missing a single beat. The whole experience was truly enjoyable, and reaffirmed the talent currently trudging the halls of this school. It’s time we had our own superstar indeed, who knows what the next few years hold.
The Ayra Starr look-alike contest commenced shortly after, several optimistic contestants facing the gleeful mob. In no time, a lady was sent off the stage for wearing slippers, because “you don see where Ayra Starr dey wear slippers before?” And you know what, fairs. In any case, the crowd was soon back on their worst behaviour, jeering contestant after contestant off until it came down to Ann, the previously mentioned performer, and a new entrant, Natasha. Natasha of the tie-front top and denim miniskirt would however win it all against a backdrop of resounding cheers uncharacteristic for the night. A hundred thousand Naira and a trip with Ayra Starr, not a bad return at that.
The hypeman soon announces that the Mavin squad: Lifesize Teddy, Bayanni, Boy Spyce, Ladipoe, and Ayra Starr, heir apparent to the Afropop throne. The field is filling up by now as word of Ayra’s appearance in different UI halls begins to filter across campus to doubters who didn’t believe she’d actually come. The DJ on the night, ever a shrewd operator begins to rattle HEIS bangers to harness the crowd’s energy. In the midst of this, there’s a gas leak, possibly related to pyrotechnics. The scare soon resolves with no attendees harmed and partying continues. Things have nearly reached boiling point when Lifesize Teddy emerges on the stage, rapping a “Many Men” remix in the most dramatic of entrances. The Bonny Island native continues with a rendition of an upcoming single titled “Liar”, supposedly dedicated to the boys and girls who’ve had their hearts broken. And while I appreciate the representation, it’s hard not to feel like her career has stalled since her breakout one year ago. The pecking order within Mavin Records is strict, and as evidenced by her position in the setlist, she’s still at the bottom of that ladder. Events like this are important however, offering an opportunity to gain ground in an Afrobeats-obsessed demographic—students. She’d need this opportunity more than most of her colleagues. Bayanni is up next, and he’s got used to stardom, you can tell. Quick to offer his jacket to the gleeful crowd, he sets about patrolling the stage in tune to “Family” off his debut EP. With a stage presence that testifies to a wealth of experience, one could argue that Bayanni is on the precipice of his second wind, lest he risk becoming a one-hit wonder after all. And he does close with that one hit, the explicit “Ta Ta Ta” from two years ago still generates impressive reactions—one can only hope he doesn’t tire of performing the song. He may have taken steps towards a new chart-topper however, teasing ”For Where?” his recent collaboration with the enigmatic Zerry DL at the end of his set. Grabbing the hottest feature right now is good business from those backing him, whether it will translate to more sustained success remains to be seen.
Boy Spyce has had the most meteoric of rises in the past two years, his single, “Folake” being most critical to this. Within the Mavins roster, he probably is viewed as most likely to take that next step to mainstay status. His performance is distinct in terms of the crowd’s response. Lukewarm until now, they warm to the “I Don’t Care” crooner as soon as he assumes centre stage. High pitched screams ring through cannabis-tinged air, he might as well have been the headliner. Revelling in their adoration, Boy Spyce has little to do from that point, a few easy laps around the stage and he’s had enough. He’s just a chill guy. After a brief Mavin’s merchandise giveaway, Ladipoe up next is introduced as “the biggest rapper out of Africa”. I beg to differ, *cough Maison2500, *cough Deela, *cough NBA Geeboy. Okay, I may have been joking about the last one. Careless cappings aside, Ladipoe opening with the Taves collaboration, “Compose” is a masterstroke in knowing your audience. He loves Ibadan, and he wants us all to know that, emphasising his connection to the city at various points during his set. Sporting a wifebeater, it’s evident that he’s been working out, with him and Bayanni looking swole on the night, you wonder if there’s a gym situated at Mavin HQ. And between his biceps and baritone, the girls love him, my friends included. Many chaotic squeals and leaps later, Poe bows out.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if you wanna see Ayra Starr tonight, let me hear you make some noise!” The crowd is delirious. “March Am” transitions to “Ozeba”, and people are tearing off shirts at this point… and she’s here. She’s here and she’s glorious. I’ve pushed and sorryed my way to the front at this point so this is all so strange, she’s so close. Leather jacket, white crop top, and faded blue mom jeans much to the delight of Samuel Apooyin, she strides out to raucous cheers. At this point, it’s difficult for me to even keep track of the set list, I’m just trying to enjoy the moment (Allow, journo no dey go aside normally). But she does start off with “Commas”, going on to perform Giveon collaboration, “Last Heartbreak Song” and “Rush” off her debut LP. Ogba netizens did complain on Twitter that her performance lacked energy, though that could be put down to the fact that in her own words, she was powering through a cold so the show could go on. She did half-heartedly say she’d come to UI if she chose to continue school perhaps to assuage the mildly irritated crowd. Speaking to the press, Eriomala John from the 400L MB;BS class had this to say: “Ayra’s performance was a surprising let-down, to say the least. And unlike some shows, where it could be blamed on production and sound design, this was not the case. Her set-list was jumbled, not one song one was completed, and were it not for the crescendo of group performances of “Won Da Mo” and “Overloading”, it would have been one to completely forget.” A 200L medical student was similarly critical, “I’d say the performance lacked energy. I understand that she wouldn’t be on her A game just for a free uni concert but I expected more energy sha.”
In a special moment, the rest of the Mavin Records crew were invited back to the stage to perform “Overloading” and “Won Da Mo” with the headliner. Much can be said of the impact of Don Jazzy and D’Prince with Mavin Records and the Jonzing subsidiary, and in truth, that may in time require it’s own dedicated article, but an undeniable fact is that they’ve changed the Nigerian music landscape forever with the K-Pop-esque model for churning out talent. It’s difficult to imagine the potential of this movement, with it already translating to a stronger afrobeats scene. We need not forget the King of Afrobeats currently, Divine Ikubor, first of his name, is still a Mavin. Takeaway points from this exercise would be the amount of intentionality and work required to build superstars, and an appreciation for the wealth of underground talent situated around us. In our classes, our hostel blocks, seated across you in the cafetaria. You just may be living with the next popstar. Heck, you just may be the next popstar. Do you have what it takes?
Okojie Osakwe Simeon