2018 gives them a chance to be great. The choice here is whether they choose to share it with each other, or strive to individually dominate a scene that fosters competition, and rewards brilliance.
“My new best friend…”
Those were Davido’s words to Wizkid on stage at the 30 Billion concert which held in December 2017. Everyone was hyped to hear them cross the lips of OBO, with the intention of fostering a new friendship. So we come into this New Year, with an industry affected positively by the reconciliation of Africa’s two prominent musicians.
Deep down, as fans come to the realization that Wizkid and Davido are no longer beefing, things begin to go off in their heads. Ideas spark, light bulbs come on, and generally, there’s a potential for Wizkid and Davido to not only be friends but find common ground to work together. That’s what a huge number of fans want. It is this possibility that made fans cheer, leave their seats and applaud the reconciliation.
No one would honestly admit that they haven’t considered a world where Wizkid and Davido are collaborating on new music. In the hearts of many fans, the question now is: To what degree do they work together? The least hopeful of fans has it in their heads that there will be a Wizkid-Davido single in 2018. They believe that with the rush of goodwill and newfound energy around these singers, someone will drag them into a studio to create a monster jam, capable of ruling the year.
And yes they can. Wizkid and Davido have a lot in common to make a record. They roll in the same circles, patronize similar producers, and have a dominance in the pop scene. They have all the ingredients to make this happen.
Another set of people; the ones with either the brightest of hope, the strongest of faiths or the wildest imaginations are pushing for more than a couple of singles. They expect the new lovers to bring on a new body of work to rule the year. They expect Starboy and OBO to join forces and provide an album.
This is possible, but there are numerous obstacles to this process. The biggest of all is their ego. Anybody who can bring these stars into a studio, and create a condition where they can discuss work, and collaborate either have to be a genius, have a shitload of money that they can’t refuse, or simply have a gun to their heads. If that happens, they will also have to negotiate with Sony and find common ground to generate value. After that, the real work begins. Would Davido want to kill Wizkid on a track? Or will Starboy murder the great OBO? These are things which would run within their minds, if they finally agree to make it work.
A Wizkid-Davido album would be nice to have. But really, it will only take an effort from a supernatural being to make it happen. Let’s bin that for now. Sorry guys, not happening!
In all of our hope, we are missing out on something; Wizkid and Davido are still rivals. They might be friends now, but it isn’t lost on them that they are competing on all fronts. Their fan-bases, - Wizkid FC and 30 Billion Gang – are still up in arms, waiting for an opportunity to rekindle a contest. The only difference this year is that it will be done without the malice originating from the idols. Let’s not play ourselves. As long as Wizkid and Davido are still musicians operating in this space, they will compete against each other. It isn’t industry politics or any of that nonsense. It’s human nature.
2018 gives them a chance to be great. The choice here is whether they choose to share it with each other, or strive to individually dominate a scene that fosters competition, and rewards brilliance.
Plata o plomo!