Forbes’ list of the Top 10 African Acts For 2017 have been released and it features the following music acts; Akon, Black Coffee Hugh Masekela, Don Jazzy, Tinashe, Jidenna, Wizkid, Davido, Sarkodie, Mtukudzi. Forbes factored in their endorsement value, popularity, show rates, sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, influence and many more.
Profile of the top 10
1. AKON
Akon has over 35 million albums sold worldwide. He has won numerous awards including five Grammy Award nominations and has 45 Billboard Hot 100 songs under his belt. He tops the list according to Forbes Africa.
2. BLACK COFFEE, SOUTH AFRICA
The multi-award-winning artist’s real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo. He was born in South Africa’s house music province, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and raised in the Eastern Cape province, where Nelson Mandela hailed from, before moving back to KZN to study music.
3. HUGH MASEKELA, SOUTH AFRICA
Hugh was born in Witbank, east of Johannesburg. He has released more than 43 albums and performed with Marvin Gaye, Dizzy Gillespie, The Byrds, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Miriam Makeba.
4. DON JAZZY, NIGERIA
Don Jazzy is ranked fourth richest in Africa and also first in Nigeria. Like many artists, his real name is Michael Collins Ajereh, and he started playing music as a child in church before moving to the UK to pursue his career.
5. TINASHE, ZIMBABWE-AMERICAN
Tinashe was a child model by the age of three. The twenty-four-year-old sang before she could talk and made her first appearance in 2000 in the film Cora Unashamed. Her voice also starred in the cartoon feature film The Polar Express alongside Oscar-winning actor, Tom Hanks.
6. JIDENNA, NIGERIAN-AMERICAN
By the age of 10, Jidenna Theodore Mobisson knew he wanted to do music but was afraid to tell his father who wanted him to be an engineer. He is ranked sixth according to Forbes Africa.
7. WIZKID, NIGERIA
Wizkid is arguably currently the uncrowned king of African music. Grammy Award-winning artist, Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz, danced to his songs Ojuelegba and Caro, with Keys posting a video on her Instagram account with the caption, “This song makes me happy”. Kylie Jenner also posted a video of herself dancing to Wizkid’s music on Snapchat.
8. DAVIDO, NIGERIA
Davido has claimed a high status in just five years. He said it was people like P-Square and D’Banj who made him believe this was possible. He became famous for his widely acclaimed 2012 debut album “Omo Baba Olowo”.
9. SARKODIE, GHANA
Michael Owusu Addo started out as an underground rapper and through the help of Duncan Williams, his former manager, his career was launched. Staying true to his identity, he is a big advocate of Azonto, a Ghanaian genre that is said to have been born out of Kpanlogo, a traditional dance.
His first single off his fourth album, Mewu, sold almost 4,000 copies on the first day of its release in Ghana. He was also the first Ghanaian to win a BET award.
10. OLIVER MTUKUDZI, ZIMBABWE
Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi has 65 albums under his belt, more than the legendary Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. It’s a remarkable career stretching back 41 years with songs that have enlivened parties all over the world. He is ranked 10th richest musician in Africa.
Olamide, WizKid nominated for the 2016 MTV Europe Music Awards
Don't compare me with Wizkid – Reekado Banks tells fans
We are certain Wizkid’s head will never be the same again after reading Reekado Banks’ tweet.
The Mavin Records artiste disapproves of any comparison with stars mind you, not just any star but (according to him) greats like Wizkid.
Apparently he got wind of tweets by some mischievous fans that he’s on the same level as the ‘Holla At Your Boy’ crooner and he was unimpressed.
The 2015 hiptv Next Rated Award winner set the record straight on his Twitter page few minutes ago.
“Let me clear the air real quick. Wizkid isnt only my mentor but one of the GREATS who have paved way for the young ones like me…
Please dont disrespect Wizkid by comparing him to me wey just dey start abeg. “ He appealed.
Oh Weezy!
Wizkid dubbed Nigeria's best-dressed pop star by Vogue magazine
British print media outfit, Vogue Magazine has dubbed Nigerian act, Ayo ‘Wizkid’ Balogun as Nigeria’s best-dressed pop star. In an interview ‘Wizkidtoday’ published by the mag on February 19, his fashion sense was described as “trendsetting” with “a thoughtful and fun approach to wardrobe: clean lines and minimalism; a mix of fresh streetwear with traditional Nigerian clothes; and bold, bright accessories.”
Vogue writer, Alex Frank chipped in. “Wizkid is pretty much the biggest thing in Nigerian pop, which itself seems to advance on the global music stage almost as quickly as the country’s economy, one of the fastest growing in the world”
The ‘holla at your boy’ crooner confessed to have a predilection for designer wears. “Yeah, I like me some Bape, you know. But I wear anything to be honest. Adyn, Rick Owens, Givenchy, anything. I shop from everywhere. We’re talking with BBC to make clothes for my tour”
He continued, “I design everything myself, and I get them to make it. I do a little sketch; sometimes I just sit down with a tailor and describe what I want. Sometimes we go back and forth, like, for days, trying to get it right. Sometimes it’ll take a day to make it, sometimes three, four days. I have a lot of tailors. If I want something made in 12 hours, it will be made in 12 hours.”
“I live in Lekki now. There are new clubs popping up every day. We go to places like Escape, Sip, and it’s madness. December is the craziest time to be in Lagos. I just left there, so I’m pretty exhausted from going hard. Africa is the next thing right now. Talking fashion, music, anything—Africa is on top of all that.” He affirmed.
These new photos of Wizkid have got everyone talking
Etcetera shades Wizkid, Genevieve, Oritsefemi in new article
Again, I’m going to go out on a limb here to talk on a subject that may not be very popular or nice to Nigerian celebs, especially the guilty ones. I have said it severally that just because someone is a celebrity doesn’t mean they are smart.
They may have a talent or skill but many of them are not smart especially when it involves their finances. The old saying, “your lies will come back to haunt you” has never been more true than the recent cases of D’banj, Iyanya and Wizkid who are being kicked out of their homes after lying they owned the properties.
The residents of blogosphere boulevard were stunned when the news broke that D’banj got an eviction notice from his landlord and was also said to be highly indebted.
Yes, it is hard to believe that someone of D’banj’s status could actually be thrown out of his house. But for those who know that the Nigerian entertainment industry is built on lies and more lies, it didn’t come as a surprise or a case of a cranky landlord.
Entertainers are well rehearsed liars. They are not what they make you believe they are. Even the upcoming artiste with just one song on radio issues a press release that they’ve bought a mansion in Lekki Phase One and a Range Sport SUV?
There was a time when it was strongly whispered that Don Jazzy and his crew owned Club Jonzing until the truth came out. You must have also heard that D’banj owns Koko Lounge. My brothers and sisters in habit of believing everything you hear, I wish you all knew how your favourite celebs laugh in their closet seeing you swallow the lies like fufu and draw soup.
Let me give an example of how some artistes can be terrible liars, we were on a tour of five Nigerian cities with Basketmouth and his then Humour Unlimited monthly show sponsored by BAT. When we got to Enugu, a certain artiste was snoring like a broken trailer exhaust pipe in the bus on our way from the event centre to the hotel. I tapped him hoping to stir him up to reduce his noise but I was shocked when he woke up immediately swearing that he wasn’t snoring, that he was only trying to get our reaction. Our reaction? After snoring for about 20 minutes with a trail of saliva from one corner of his mouth to his shirt collar! O’boy some people can lie in Africa.
Did you hear it on breaking news when Iyanya bought a house in his dreams? His management must have thought it was a fantastic promo strategy then. If only they knew that not far into the future, Iyanya would be dragged by his balls across the floor of the internet, and that his aggrieved brother would take to twitter to inform everyone that Iyanya had been evicted (not from Project shame) from his dream mansion.
Yes, it is double wahala for deadi-bodi and the owner of deadi-bodi but won’t it be tripple wahala for Oritsefemi and his management when fans eventually discovered that the N200m mansion he purportedly bought some months back was actually bought in his dreams and not in the real world?
How much does he charge per gig and how long has he been playing these gigs to be able to afford a mansion of that amount? Isn’t it wonderful how naija entertainers think their fans and everyone else is shallow and gullible? Common sense should tell every artiste that these lies won’t achieve anything but hurt their careers in the long run when the truth is eventually revealed.
Like it was revealed this week that Wizkid’s car hasn’t been paid for. True, some naija musicians make a lot of money, but not the kind of money they want you to believe. Does Oritsefemi look the part of a N200m house owner even with all his body cream? The telco brand ambassadors who are being coerced into lying about their endorsement fees can’t make such a preposterous claim not to talk of someone with no endorsement deal.
These lies are getting dumber by the day. The worst thing that can happen to any man is believing his own lies. If we had a system where entertainers are taxed for their acquisitions, the ridiculous and unnecessary lies will stop. They will speak the truth and nothing but the truth or so help them God.
Wizkid to launch line of snapbacks.
The Biggest Crossover Event In Africa Is Here! Join 2face, Olamide, Seyi Shay, others for the Lagos Count Down 2014.
Rivalry with Wizkid |HKN Gang| Family | Ladies&many more. Davido speaks The Truth with Olisa Adibua
Episode 3: “The Truth” with Olisa Adibua as he keeps it 100% with arguably one of Africa’s most successful musical talent in 2014, Davido aka O.B.O. In this laid-back interview, the Nigerian phenom opens up on his life and early beginnings in music, family, ladies, his record label – HKN Gang and his rivalry with Wizkid.
Until next Thursday to bring to you another episode of The Truth, subscribe
now on YouTube and be the first to know THE TRUTH!
VIDEO LINK: http://youtu.be/EsIm-5gD394