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  • These Nigerian Actresses Were in Your Fave Music Videos. Did You Notice Them?

    Have you ever started watching a film or TV show and immediately thought to yourself, “I know this actress from somewhere?” I have, and while bingeing Young, Famous and African, I couldn’t help but think back to where I first saw Annie Idibia. This eventually forced me down a rabbit hole to discover where we first saw some of our Nollywood faves. Here’s what I found out. 

    Beverly Osu 

    Beverly Osu has had one of the best video-vixens-to-popular-actress transitions in Nollywood, hands down. While a lot of people assume she got her leg in through Big Brother Africa, OGs like us know that before securing roles on Chief Daddy and Oloture, our girl was busy turning up the heat on Ice Prince’s Oleku music video. An iconic babe on an iconic song. 

    Annie Idibia 

    Annie Idinia may be young, famous and African now, but before becoming a Netflix reality TV star and the drama surrounding her man, 2face (known on the streets as Guilty Idibia), Annie had already made a splash in his iconic music video for African Queen. Who can forget that smile? 

    Tonto Dikeh 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zZO1UCXgZ0

    Tonto Dikeh is a vibe abeg. When this babe is not fighting and dragging her exes (lovers and besties), she’s going Live on Instagram and giving us premium comedy. But before she became famous for the bad girl Nollywood roles and that music career we’d all like to forget, Tonto was busy dropping it low as a backup dancer for the one and only Mama G. We guess Nollywood was always in the picture for King Tonto. 

    RECOMMENDED: 5 Nigerian Musicians Who Were Actually Convincing as Actors

    Sophie Alakija 

    We might act like we don’t like it, but deep down, Assistant Madams has grown into a very entertaining guilty pleasure. While Osas Ighodaro and her crew continue to stress us out, one actress that might look very familiar to the public is Sophie Alakija who plays Tamara. Wondering where you’ve seen her? Go back and watch Wizkid’s Holla At Your Boy. You might notice a young Sophie being toasted by Starboy and his carrot jean-wearing crew. 

    Yvonne Jegede 

    Remember when Djinee gave us one of the best heartbreak songs of all time with Ego? Look at the song’s music video carefully and tell us if you spot a familiar face. Yes, that’s Ms. Yvonne Jegede showing our guy pepper. But even before this video, Yvonne also made an appearance as one of 2face Idibia’s African queens in the African Queen video that year. Guess she’s been in the game for a hot minute. 

    Venita Akpofure 

    Before stepping into the Big Brother house and becoming one of the show’s most accomplished alumna, Venita was already kicking ass on the TV show, Flatmates alongside Basketmouth. But even way before that, Venita also cut her teeth as a dancer and video vixen, stealing the scene in music videos with Skale in Mukuli  and Timaya in Shake Your Bumbum

    ALSO READ: Reimagining Nigerian Musicians as Characters in a Nollywood Horror Movie

    Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

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  • 8 Times Our Fave Nollywood Stars Turned into Video Vixens

    Crossing over from one part of Nigeria’s entertainment industry can be a major hit or miss. Last time, we successfully listed out musicians whose acting didn’t make us cringe to death. Revisiting this dynamic yet again, we’ve decided to shift focus to the actors who took their drama from film sets to some of our favorite music videos. 

    1. Funke Akindele in Wizkid’s Pakurumo 

    Back when the “kid” part of Wizkid was still valid, he dropped the video to one of the best songs off his debut album, Superstar. Featuring an ensemble cast that included Lynxx, Banky W in disguise, Mo’Cheddah and Skales, the video’s standout ended up being the one and only Funke Akindele aka Jenifa. It felt only right, considering her name is the first on the roll call when Wiz starts singing. 

    2. Adesua Etomi in everything Banky W 

    Nigeria’s celebrity “it” couple has conquered everything from the box office to the charts. When they’re not acting opposite each other, they’re singing and dancing in videos to remind us that they’re in love, and the rest of us single folks are in the ghetteaux. 

    3. Tonto Dikeh in Mama G’s National Moi Moi

    Before she became a big name in Nollywood or the actress responsible for one of the worst actors to musician transitions, Tonto Dikeh was one of the backup dancers in Mama G’s National Moi Moi video. 

    4. Alexx Ekubo in Yemi Alade’s Johnny 

    The type of breakfast Johnny gave Yemi Alade is one for the books. Playing her and getting someone else pregnant? What a wow. Starring Alexx Ekubo in the titular role, this was the song that turned Yemi Alade into a bonafide superstar 

    5. Beverly Osu in Ice Prince’s Oleku 

    When this song dropped in 2010, we all thought we’d never hear anything better. This was it, the apex of good Nigerian music. Now, over ten years later, Oleku still gets the club super hyped. Fun fact, if you watch the video closely, you might spot a familiar face in a short blue dress. Yes, you guessed it, that’s pre-fame Beverly Osu. 

    6. Nkem Owoh in Timaya’s Money 

    If there’s one thing Nollywood has taught us, it is that one day, you’ll be uplifted from poverty and all your haters will scream “had I known”. So it only makes sense that when Timaya decided to adopt this fake theory in his music video for his 2016 video for Money, he called on one of the most iconic Nollywood stars, Nkem Owoh. 

    7. Yvonne Jegede in Djinee’s Ego 

    Once upon a time, this was the heartbreak song that had Nigerians by the neck. Djinee was serving R&B realness down to the white singlet. Starring a young Yvonne Jegede, now that we’ve watched the video again, we can totally understand why Ego walked away. Just take a look at the décor in his apartment. Ewww. Definitely cause for breaking up abeg. 

    8. Bryan Okwara in Waje and Tiwa Savage’s Onye 

    Proving once again that men are detty liars and they cannot be trusted, the video for Waje and Tiwa Savage’s collaboration shows the two women trying to outdo each other in the “pick me” race for Bryan Okwara’s heart. Tiwa goes as far as pounding yam for him. For a man? Wow. The Kemi Adetiba-directed video ends with Bryan leaving both women for sugar mummy Omawunmi and her jeep. Tragic 

    Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

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  • The Zikoko Guide To Making A Romantic Nigerian Music Video

    There are certain things to consider when making a music video but if you are a Nigerian looking to make a music video, you can just disregard all those things and do these instead. There are a lot of things to consider when making a music video, here is a guide on how to make a perfect romantic music video.

    1. Mention someone’s name

    Use a generic name like Joanna, Folake, Shade —  Make sure it’s a name people can chant. This is important for when you are performing on stage, so you can ask any girl with that name to join you on stage as the sweetheart musician you are.

    if babes don’t react like this, you are doing something wrong.

    2. A cute phone scene

    This is an important thing to consider when making a music video. There must be a scene when you and your love interest are on the phone in different rooms. You must be singing into the phone and she can sit looking cute or rolling around her bed and smiling sheepishly for no reason like people in love always do.

    3. Go on a date in the video

    Please what is a romantic music video without a romantic date? Take her to places people don’t usually go on their first date, like a paintball arena. Be creative and original. Because after shooting someone they will still love you innit? If you shoot her and she cries, we can’t assure you of a second date. Don’t blame Zikoko

    4. Order fried rice

    People don’t do this anymore but if you are shooting a restaurant scene make sure you both order fried rice. Except you are a Lagosian, then you can order creamy pasta. Don’t let this tradition die.

    5. There must be a rain scene

    Nothing says romance like a rain scene. Are you really in love if rain is not beating you like a thief? Every musician and their daddies have used this at least once. How do you think the weather for two propaganda started? Don’t sleep on this.

    6. A plot twist

    Is there a fine line between music videos and movies? Yes. Are Nigerians aware? No. It can be something small from the love interest in your video being your half-sister, to her resurrecting from the dead.

    7. There must be a bad belle

    As there are antagonists in real life, there must be a bad belle in your music video. Of all the things to consider when making a music video, this is very important. Your bad belle can be everlasting poverty, a greedy father, or even a jealous best friend.

    8. Influencer starter pack

    It is very telling of your character as a musician if you don’t have at least one influencer in your video. Who will hype it for you before everyone else watches it?

    9. Aesthetics 

    You must have a couple of models standing in a place that makes them stand out, like a rowdy market, wearing African designer haute couture for no reason. You can also make sure that you are wearing different shades of a particular colour in every scene for the ‘aesthetics’.

    10. Choose your producer 

    This is the most important decision of all…based on your budget. Everyone will judge you based on who you hire to produce your music video so choose wisely before you become a meme we will gladly upload it on our meme site.

     

    Malakai Bassey

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  • Oh, come on. Who else would be on this list if not them?

     

    “Isn’t it amazing how stuff can look like the best thing ever one day and then look like absolute garbage the next?”

     

    This is the question I ask myself whenever I revisit music, music videos. and movies from the late 90s/early 2000s to see if they still look as awesome as they did to me back then.

     

    Today’s edition: Music Videos.

     

     

    1. P – Square – Senorita

    What I love the most about this video is how Jude Okoye, the video’s director, memento’s the hell out of it by throwing the timeline of events all over the place. You’re never really sure of when anything is happening until the video ends. It’s weird that it’s a love song too because the video’s main character, Vivian, is a fucking horrible person. She constantly shits on the brothers for being broke and then tries to hit them up when they hammer. She’s so fucking horrible that when she eventually dies (by somehow running into the path of their car after they blow her off for being a gold digger), I let out an excited yelp.

     

    Then there’s that iconic dance break where they morph into a Michael Jackson tribute band by violently ripping off his dance moves.  Let’s not even talk about how the gravestone one of the brothers spends the entire video singing to doesn’ even have the right name on it.

     

     

    Either that or the character’s real name was Senor White. And to that, I say, “lol wot??”

     

    2. Seyi Sodimu – Love Me Jeje

    “I’m here, I’m back. I’m taking over. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. I’m mean and sober” – Seyi Sodimu, after walking into a bar.

     

    A modern day music video with this premise would’ve been set in a club. However, this video was shot in a bar, which would be fine if it wasn’t obviously daytime. Also, the bar is packed at midday, which brings up a question I’m very sure no one has asked in the 22 years since this video was released:

     

    “Isn’t being at a bar at 12 noon a telltale sign of having a drinking problem?” 

     

    That being said, what makes this video truly amazing is the extras, who seemingly received no direction on what to do or how to dress so they just shuffled about in the background at different energy levels, while dressed for completely different occasions. Like this one woman, who made the bold fashion choice to wear a pantsuit on an afternoon out to pick up men.

    Iconique!

    3. Rasqie – Ati Ready

    In a move I suspect wasn’t intentional, the video starts like a 50s vampire movie, with ominous music playing over random shots of the setting sun and full moon. Cut to Rasqie walking into a casino/night club with an enormous guitar on his shoulder (that plays no role in the plot of the video because he never plays it), then the music starts. Unlike “Love Me Jeje,” all the extras here are energetic AF and are actually dressed like clubgoers ready to rhythmically dry hump each other till the early morn.

     

    Except for the featured vocalist in the song, who’s decked out in a flowing Ankara gown and a Kelly Rowland wig.

    Tragique!

    4. Tony Tetuila – Na You Sabi

    A food vendor (played by comedienne, Princess) is chilling in her shop when Tony shows up to tell her about his plan to go to Abuja so he can make money.  The following conversation ensues:

     

    Woman: “So how are you paying for this trip?”

     

    Tony Tetuila: “Well, I was hoping you’d give me the money.”

     

    Woman: “Boy bye! Also, PAY THE MONEY YOU OWE ME!!!”

     

    This song has one verse and that’s pretty much all that happens in it. Also, it’s never revealed what exactly he owes her money for.

     

    Shaky plot aside, the pièce de résistance here is how Kaffy and her backup dancers are dressed in yellow t-shirts and blue jeans, inadvertently making the video look like a 3-minute long Blue Band advert.

     

     

     

    I get it.

    These videos are very much products of their time.

    They’re still fun to make fun of though. 😏

    Astor George