The entertainment industry in Nigeria has seen a number of beefs and social media dramas over time. However, not in a long while have we seen such a long-lasting face-off as the one between Linda Ikeji and an A-list singer. We run through the way things have played out between her and the Nigerian pop super star Ayo ‘Wizkid’ Balogun in eight points. Social media drama and the entertainment industry The Nigerian entertainment industry has kind of adjusted to the long-standing social media feud between blogger Linda Ikeji and Afro pop star Wizkid. The situation has generated deep controversy to say the least, but hey, what is the entertainment industry without issues of this sort? It clearly comes with the terrain. Social media possesses strong potential in that it can make or break an individual or a corporate body. Therefore any keen observer will tell you that a brand can either leverage social media for its greater good or be buried in the dirt. Observers will also tell you that, given the bottomless nature of the internet, it is best never to ‘spread your dirty fabric’ on social media because whatever gets out there stays there for life.
Linda Ikeji and Wizkid – who stands to lose more? Over time, Linda and Wizkid have put up such ‘wonderful shows’ on the internet that there has been speculation as to the exact nature of their relationship. Some circles even say it is not just an artiste-blogger rift anymore. Their beefs, like the recent episodes between the Okoye brothers, are steeped in intrigue, garnished with real life happenings and though entertaining drive their images into a mud of shame and backlashes. Who stands to lose more in situations like this and who stands to win the long term battle? The answers are slightly confusing but let’s try to analyse further. Looking at both of them, one party has a lot more at stake. One person has more interest in a preserving a public image, and so he who has more to protect is he who is disadvantaged in a situation involving a public face off. This is the first point we must establish here today. The artiste, the celebrity, the entertainer, the brand ambassador, the one who relies on the positive feedback from the media, the patronage of the audience and the corporate clients is he who has more to lose in any public show of shame. And if you study the entertainment industry keenly, you will see that corporate funding is gigantic and a core of every successful entertainer’s business, so no one messes with brands and public image and perceptions. This is obvious given the huge sums spent on crisis management and branding the image of public figures and celebrities around the world. So anyhow you look at it today, the man who has more to gain from earnings which tie directly or indirectly into corporate funds is the loser in any form of commotion. So technically they are both public figures in the Nigerian entertainment industry and have one thing or another to do with corporate clients, even though Wizkid is the bigger figure. Given this, we look at the situation and how it’s likely going to end.
Analysing their drama in eight points Against the backdrop of the aforementioned, we summarize our discourse here in eight points viz; 1. The pen will always be mightier than the sword – So naturally he who has the platform with which to speak or write will always be the winner any day. This clearly edges Wizkid out. 2. Linda Ikeji has a platform that isn’t time specific – Music and the stardom in its wake is never forever; there will always be a shelf life. Even the biggest and brightest stars have come and gone but we can’t exactly say the same for media platforms. 3. Both figures will suffer image crisis in the long run as more dirt gets unearthed but the one who needs a ‘cleaner’ public image will suffer the more. And this is not just the celebrity here; Linda has a lot to lose as well as she is a woman and this is Africa. 4. With the way things are currently set up between both parties it appears there might be no end in sight to whatever ‘issues’ they both have.
5. Wizkid and Linda Ikeji have drama in their DNAs and it’s only a matter of time before they make a Nollywood appearance. 6. The people are looking forward to their social media feuds but will soon be bored and want something fresh, so enough with the dramas. Linda Ikeji and Wizkid need to get with the system, they both need to wake up and smell the coffee. The blogger should get back to blogging while the entertainer gets back to the thing he is best known for. 7. Wizkid is being a kid and Linda Ikeji talks too much – they both need to zip it up.
8. We have also learnt that the inner workings of social media dramas among celebs and public figures are good for the business. In other words, a little beef and uproar here and there is just fine and helps ‘spice up the stew’ nicely. In this light, think of beef as bacteria that even though harmful also helps. As we wrote earlier during the issue between Don Jazzy and Olamide, a little beef is okay for showbusiness. We can’t deny that occasional dramas have helped jolt the industry both in Nigeria and around the world. Dramas are like bacteria, they are important too. They have helped awaken the biggest, multi billion dollar showbiz industries of the world. And with a fast-growing Nigerian entertainment industry, it is not out of place to have a few shots of the stimulant called ‘drama’ every now and then. Only a few, healthy shots of this and we will be fine. Linda Ikeji is a ‘witch’ as far as blogging is concerned in Nigeria and West Africa. Her influence is pervasive, her magic exists on several planes and her acclaim is untouchable. Wizkid is a super star in every sense of the word. You think of him today and the closest thing that comes to mind is that lad who is poised to bring greatness to his people in many more ways previously unimagined. It is just sad that this has been the situation between him and Linda when he should be involved in more pressing matters like trying to make more music with strong content and bettering his Ojuelegba record among other things
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