Headies Next rated :Who's right to be on the list and who's not

The headies 2019 is fast approaching as different personalities have been nominated into different categories based on their performance within the year under review which is from January 2018 to June 2019.

This year the headies Next rated category is all we will be discussing in this article, who's bigger than the category and whose not supposed to be there, who is likely to win and who might not.

I want everyone to understand this is just an opinion and not the opinion of others so I'll definitely explain what I think in the most appropriate manner without looking down on anyone or being partial.

The category
Lyta
Rema
Fireboy DML
Zlatan ibile
Joeboy

I would be talking about this artist one after the other and give my candid opinion about their position in the category I. E if they were meant to be there or not

Lyta

He had a successful break out in the year 2018 when Olamide unveiled him to the world alongside Ybnl rapper limerick, He dished out his first single 'Time' featuring Olamide on which he gave an inspirational advice and touching story about himself including his struggles and determination to never give up as he sings in his native language Yoruba that time is always ticking continously and you should always be grateful to people in your life. The song topped music charts and gained massive airplay and later got a remix featuring gel dem shuga crooner Junior boy.

He later had a follow up single titled Work and pray, Lyta stamped his presence as a promising talent in the industry as this new song got loved by music fans and declared him a talented youngster.

Fast forward to the year 2019,he had a controversial fall out with his label boss Olamide in which he claimed to have been delayed by the label in releasing his new songs. This turned out to be a bad one for the youngster as it totally ruined his relationship with the oil and gas crooner. Lyta still went ahead to release a mid tempo love inspired track titled MonaLisa produced by young John, the song gained fair acceptance from music lovers as it later gained the assistance of OBO himself Davido to finish up on a remix.

Opinion : Considering the year under review, and his performance within the period, Lyta is worthy of a nomination on the next rated list at the Headies 2019.

Joeboy

A lot of music fans got introduced to Joeboy after his 2019 hit love song titled baby got into massive airplay and became a jam to reckon with after top notch delivery from killer tunes as the producer and the youngster proving his musical ability by composing a melodious up tempo love inspired lyrics on the Song. It topped charts all over the country including music streaming platform Apple where it went almost 5 weeks being number one on the country's countdown.

Joe boy followed up with another hit banger titled beginning, a kind of similar tune and production to his previous hit baby, the song gained massive acceptance as well as music fans keep on wanting more from this youngsters musical talent.

Joeboy is a strong affiliate of Mr Eazi aka uncle London. As the later seems to be serving the role of an industry mentor to the youngster. They released an afro beat inspired tune titled faaji.

Opinion : Considering his performance in the year 2019 alone, Joeboy is worthy to be on that list but considering the year under review, it is not a safe bet to put such a new artiste in that category as he just started blossoming this year and not beginning of last year as stated under the period, therefore, rookie of the year nomination will have been a better option for Joe boy.

Fireboy

Damala aka fireboy got signed on the ybnl record label in mid 2018, he had being releasing covers and freestyles prior to his encounter with Olamide and badoo definitely saw the potential in him thereby rewarding the aspiring super with a contract deal. In fact Olamide even brags with fireboy dml talent such that he said it was only fireboy he gave a written contract at ybnl and others are just affiliate he was trying to help. For a Matter of fact, seems like Olamide is tired of just brewing up street artists and also wants a young buddy that can make nice afro beat melodies to compete with youngsters from other big record labels. Therfore fireboy came on board.

Surprisingly the youngster proved to the world the stuff he is made of as he dished out a super hit track titled jealous on which he talked about his addiction to his lover and how jealous and pained he gets when she acts a player. The song made it to the top of the Nigerian music chart on world giant music platform, apple music and stayed up for as long as weeks gaining widespread attention and fans from music lovers.

He followed up with what if I say, a mid tempo dance hall track  produced by pheelz. With this banger it is not an overstatement to say the youngster is surely a talent to watch out for.

Opinion : Considering current form of fireboy dml and the period under review, he is truly worthy of the nomination.


Zlatan Ibile

Is a Yoruba indigenous rapper who got his proper share of limelight after he went viral for frontlining a new dance step called zanku which he calls zlatan abeg no kill us in the year 2018, prior to that he had a song in the ending quarter of 2017 named my body featuring Olamide which became an instant hit on the street, but he got into the Nigerian mainstream music stage when he appeared in the video of a song by Chinko ekun titled able God on which he and Lil kesh were featured. The song was a monster hit in the year 2018 as it had this viby prayerful lyrics and melody coupled with a masterpiece production by young John. The video went viral and so as zlatan for his dance moves in the video, he gained so much fan base such that his ever cheering fans just wants to see him dance his signature dance step. Zanku which became the reigning dance move of afro beat.

Zlatan rounded up 2018 on a good form and ignited the fire in 2019 as he had already become the hottest indigenous rapper on the street, that helped him gain a friendly relationship with Davido to the extent of recording songs with him and other top artists like burna Boy, Tiwa savage, tekno but to mention a few and therefore becoming the most featured rapper in the country since his major breakout.

Opinion :considering his current form and period under review, zlatan is worthy of nomination but considering the influence he commands on the Nigerian music scene at this very moment. I think it is not a good idea to nominate him on that category as it is very obvious he is way bigger than that nomination presently. because to be very honest I think if headies happened last year, the nomination will have been very much okay, From my own perspective he came out the same time teni entertainer and peruzzi got into limelight.


Rema

Divine Ikubor aka Rema had a wonderful 2019 as he majorly broke out this year although he's been around the mavins for about a year before his unveiling. Rema released his debut ep to critical acclaim that he sounded much like wizkid. Dumebi one of the hit songs on the ep became an instant hit and a lot of music fans fell in love with the youngsters creativity. Rema who is known to be a good freestyler released another ep titled freestylez which is the combination of his Instagram freestyle songs. The ep got loved too by many. The songs included were bealuvard, Spiderman, trap out the submarine.

Within 6 months of his entry into the music scene he has garnered over 50 million streams on all music streaming platforms a brilliant record by a debut artist. In fact he became the first nigerian debut artist to have his song on top three apple music chart. His style and talent is surely a confirmation that the future is bright for this youngster.

Opinion ;considering his current form and accomplishments within the little time in the industry, Rema is worthy of the nomination but it would have been a better option if he was nominated for the rookie based on the fact that the period under review is far larger than the time he became present, it is not too fair to nominate a boy who just became known as at April 2019 under a category stating its period under review as January 1st 2018 to June 2019.



OVERALL  OPINION
I think headies need to get back on their feet and start organizing the awards year after year not 1 and half years any more, because this is the sort of incidence that will happen, putting singers who are already way above the nomination in the list a year after they should have won it or being nominated due to the absence of the award in the previous year they got blown.

If headies happened 2018
This will have being the nomination category
Zlatan
Teni the entertainer
Perruzi
Terri (starboy)

Because the listed artistes above first got into limelight majorly 2018 due to their performances.

Teni

Teni makanaki as fondly called, broke out with 'faajin' a melodious tune of 2017 as her debut single, the sugar mummy crooner performed impressively in 2018 as she dropped different hits like askamanya, case, and also being featured on different hit songs in 2018. She would definitely had being nominated for the next rated category if it happened last year (2018).

Peruzzi

After getting a record deal with Davido music worldwide in 2017, peruzzi unleashed hits and got featured on hit songs in the country, songs like aje a DMW combined effort, amaka a song by the legend 2baba featuring peruzzi, mind, another DMW effort and many other song writing contributions in 2018. He would definitely have been nominated for next rated category alongside teni in 2018

Terri Ryn

A young but talented kid that got signed under the star boy imprint just after his freestyle cover of dj Jimmy jat's wizkid assisted 2017 banger tune 'oshe'. He was unveiled to the world as he made his first video debut in starboy collaborative effort of 2018 'soco'. Terri proved why wizkid signed him and he did impress as he came through with his personal debut song 'bia' which became an instant hit and rocked airwaves in 2018. Definitely he would have been nominated in 2018.


If headies happens every year, this is my prediction.
This are the artistes I suggest should be in this year's 2019 next rated category
Lyta
Fireboy
T-classic.
Rema(worth it due to his form) but would have been better for the rookies category just like his fellow Mavin, crayon. After all they both have an ep and both came out few months after each other. And crayon is in the rookies category so definitely its not by ep.



T-classic aka classical boy

This is the unfair omission in this year's headies.
This brilliant youngster has been in a tremendous form of dishing out hits upon hits since his major break out after he featured the mayor of Lagos mayorkun on his 2018 hit song 'fall in love'.

 Before then he had released Isabella a wonderfully composed love song where he sings about being committed to his lover alone.He also released nobody fine pass you in 2019 which became an instant hit nationwide. He has bagged many features to his named including dj Kay wise song yes or no which is still buzzing hot on airwaves.

It is not an overstatement to say he deserves a place on the list of the next rated category.

Definitely this is my list of rookie of the year
Joeboy
Rema

Crayon

Got signed in June 2019 under the imprint of mavin first class producer baby fresh'blow time entertainment' after being introduced by beat maker ozidikuz a mavin producer too. Mavin serves as the grand label to blow time entertainment and joining world an imprint by d prince with Rema signed on it.

Crayon came through with an ep as his debut stamp. The self named ep has 6 banging songs on it including so fyn, bamiloke, gock am and so on. It's definitely a nice start for the youngster in 2019.


Oxlade

He's being around the corner but got known in 2019 after his collaborative effort with self acclaimed best African rapper blaqbonez 'mamiwata'. This song is still rocking airwaves and he came through on a feature with starboy official disk jockey; dj tunez on the song. He is definitely a star to watch out for.





Remember the days of reekado vs Lil Kesh.

They got into limelight in 2014. Lil Kesh dropped shoki, lyrically and reekado dropped turn it up ft Tiwa savage, chop am. They dropped other songs in that same year both got nominated in the rookie of the year category for 2014.

Kiss Daniel came on board and got blown with woju by late 2014 so they all did well in 2015 dishing out hits. Kiss Daniel laye(his follow up single). Reekado sugar baby, katapot. Lil Kesh efe joku, is it because I love you, and other hit features. They all got nominated in 2015 headies Next rated.

A good example is wizkid

 He got blown in 2010 with Holla at your boy, tease me and released his album (superstar) in 2011 and got nominated alongside Tiwa savage

and others in 2011 next rated category.

What am I trying to say, it is not by album as none of reekado, Lil Kesh, kizz daniel didn't own an album before being nominated for next rated. It is meant to be a year after their consistent performance not the exact same year they got blown.


Definitely headies need to restrategize in bringing back the awards every year so as not to cause this kind of opinion commotion of saying it's by ep. "zlatan does not have ep so therefore he is not bigger than the nomination" says who? , Wizkid had album in 2011 pic
but still got nominated in 2011.it is by performance and strictly by period under review.

Looking at period under review zlatan got blown with

'my body' featuring Olamide in mid 2017 and did well 2018. So his headies Next rated nomination already expired last year(2018). Rema is a 2019 newcommer and should be nominated for next year category alongside Joeboy, crayon and oxlade who are also freshers like himself and that is if they perform impressively.

As it stands, The favorite to win this is

Zlatan but if he is omitted, It will be;
 Fireboy.

 Wanna know why?

Let's be honest right here, I'm not trying to say anyone is cheating but this is the real truth we all are not the organizers so therefore we never can tell what is going on behind closed doors, the category has always been stated to be a voting category but has anyone of you ever collated the results for the organizers before? No. Therefore this is what I think.

Don't you think it is high time headies bury the hatches with celebrities it is not in good terms with?

Like burna Boy

He stopped attending the headies since 2013 when his fellow contender Sean tizzle

won the next rated category in which he was also nominated. I see burna Boy a big winner on that night, well deserved due to his brilliant run of performances and to appease the African giant of course in order to regain the prestige of the award.

Another person that his presence will bring back lost prestige to the award is

Olamide badoo. We all know what happened in January 2016 due to the 2015 next rated category. This really affected the award as music fans got divided over the authencity of the voting. Now here is my own logic. Check this 3 music executives

Don jazzy - His signee (reekado banks) once won (2015)

Davido - His signee (mayorkun) won (2017)

Wizkid - His signee (Mr Eazi) won (2016)

Olamide - I bet Fireboy will win this category if zlatan was not nominated

But have you ever thought of why Olamide got pissed,because he expected the award to have considered Lil Kesh performance in 2015 truly surpassing reekado banks own that year but it was stated that its a voting category. So to be honest if the organizers wants to give it to anyone they can manipulate it. I'm not saying they cheat but it's just in their veto and make it look like its by election.

Therefore if headies were to use their veto I bet it would be given to Fireboy

majorly to appease Olamide but truly Fireboy deserves it due to his impressive form since 2018 up until this moment.