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Kash Owakabi’s Open Letter to the Northern Music Industry

(If you haven’t read and understood, don’t say a thing.)

Ladies and gentlemen of the Northern music scene, let’s gather around and face the painful truth—our industry is in a coma, and if we don’t act fast, we’ll be out here singing for exposure and eating vibes.

Back in the golden days of 2006, when I was just cutting my teeth as an MC at Alobo and BlueMango, concerts were a whole experience. Fans came in numbers, 2,000 deep, with love in their hearts and money in their pockets. An artist could walk away with tips as fat as 300k, and getting Lumix on a show meant parting with 1.5M if he liked you! Fast forward to today, and we’re still charging 5k at the gate, but instead of growth, we’re getting more struggle and fewer fans.

Now, let’s address the real elephant in the room—poverty is waiting for us at the corner, arms wide open like a long-lost lover. How do we expect to drive Benzes when we’re still stuck on 5k entry fees? Even Rolex prices have gone up!

Let’s talk about these "all-star" posters—50 artists crammed into one event for 5k. What’s the plan? To turn concerts into charity drives? Promoters are out here feeding fans with quantity instead of quality. We’re making losses before the event even starts. Venue fees, advertising, production—by the time you count expenses, you’re already in debt before the first song drops.

Then there’s the issue of free entry squads. An artist comes with six team members who all expect VIP treatment. Do the math—if 10 artists do this, that’s 60 people who’ve contributed nothing but will still sit on the best-decorated chairs and eat the free snacks. Meanwhile, the artist funding the event is left wondering who exactly is paying who?

Here’s a simple idea: what if we actually supported each other? Imagine if 20 artists each bought a table for 500k instead of expecting free slots. That’s 5M secured without even counting fans! But no, we prefer “Bro, come support me” culture—where support means performing for free and leaving the show with nothing but exposure and a free bottle of soda.

And speaking of performing everywhere, some of you have turned into local WiFi hotspots—always available, always free. Your fans are tired. You’re draining your value. Reduce the number of random appearances and make people miss you. When you finally step on stage, let it be an event, not an everyday occurrence. Hype is built on scarcity—ask anyone in business.

Let’s also invest in professionalism. Some of you still send pixelated phone pictures for show posters—bro, are we promoting music or missing persons? Dress well, get professional photos, stop looking like your fans’ younger brother on stage.

At the end of the day, if we don’t change our mindset, we’ll keep running in circles, organizing shows that put us in debt, and blaming the economy instead of fixing our industry. Let’s serve quality and charge according to our worth. Because honestly, if we’re still charging 5k for an event with big names like Eddy Wizzy, Eezzy, and Pato Loverboy, we might as well be practicing for a free farewell tour.

I could go on, but let me restart my memory. Fans, don’t go anywhere—I’m coming for you next.

Yours truly,
BABA

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