The year 2016 has been an amazing year in terms and view of the growth in the music industry with several international recognitions, collaborations and more. But several musicians have been off the radar which is pretty disturbing.

With pop stars Wizkid and Davido blazing the trail
and others following closely, the Nigerian music
industry is set to conquer new terrains and open
more doors for the next generation given the present
accomplishments. And this is remarkably sweet.
                                                                    But what we find unusual is the fact certain
musicians have been off the radar in what has been a
boisterous year, in a thriving music industry as ours
and in an era with absolute buzz and prospects for
more.

It is pretty discomforting.

While some of the names on this list may be
suffering from an unusual form of complacency
(given they’ve got only a little compared to what they
can actually achieve), other names on this list are an
embodiment of blandness characterized by flat
displays, absence when they least should and more.

The fans are the winners in all of this because
whatever the case they have interesting pieces to
listen to any day and anytime given the volume of
music currently circulating within the internet and
mainstream Nigeria.

This piece has nothing personal against anyone or
group of persons but it will have served its purpose if
it succeeds in the minimal task of nudging some of
our Nigerian musicians here so that they realize the
need to awaken from their slumber as the Nigerian
entertainment industry is on the cusp of rewriting
history on several planes.

This said, we present 15 Nigerian musicians who have
gone off the radar in 2016 and need to get their acts
together as now is the time:

1. Niyola

The 30-year-old talented R&B singer has been a bit
too quiet all year leaving us with the impression that
she is on a hiatus. We wonder who cleared her for
this sort of break on the EME management.

2. Waje

Waje is a vocal powerhouse any day but she’s been
particularly quiet when she shouldn’t, and save for
her current appearance on The Voice as a coach
there’s only so much she has done all year in terms
of releases, collaborations and activities regarding
increasing her catalogue.
 
3. Dr SID

Riding on the fame of Surulere from 2014 and the
less dominant hit song Kabiyesi in 2015, the Mavin
star hasn’t been up to much in 2016 and this leaves
us with a disquieting calmness.

4. Omawumi

Omawumi is a super star and we love that she started
2016 on a superb note with the Angelique Kidjo
collaboration for Play Na Play. But that’s been all
thus far and many believe she should be up to more
as this is possibly the turning point in the industry’s
history.

5. Vector

The year 2015 was splendid for Vector Tha Viper but
he’s failed thus far to replicate that form and magic.
What this portends is danger in the fact that his
riding on the success and acclaim of King Kong will
only take him so far.

6.De prince
D Prince just needs to sit up and take his music
more seriously than he currently is because in the
end Don Jazzy is Don Jazzy and for all the producer’s
greatness Prince will be appraised on his own
regardless of any blood ties. Think of the new Mavin
team with Korede Bello and Reekado Banks and let
that shed more light on your thought process so you
see just how much Prince is lagging behind.

7.eva

Eva has a lot to give the Nigerian music industry but
sadly she lacks the right push or whatever it is she
needs. Whatever the case, she needs to step it up
this year.

8. Neato c

Naeto-C has had an unusually quiet 2016 and needs
to put out several songs or contribute in forms of
collaborations to make another major impact in the
thriving industry.

9.Ketchup

Ketchup has what it takes to shine in the Nigerian
music industry, he is not making music or
collaborating at a time like this is as good as saying
he has called it quits when he has barely even started
the race.

10. Yung 6ix

Rapper Yung 6ix has for sometime hovered on the
brink of greatness in the Nigerian music industry but
he’s yet to cut into the top tier. There’s that missing
element, that spark, something like Tekno what
currently has, the type of fire in a Ycee or a Reekado
Banks for instance, and as long as he fails to marry
his music with that incredible element there’s not
much we can expect from the young man. But he
does need to step it up this year and modify his
sounds to reflect the dynamics of today’s consumer
tastes and the market.