Jude Abaga, a Nigerian hip-hop musician and music executive better known as MI Abaga, has revealed the cause of rampant drug abuse in the entertainment industry.
MI Abaga addressed his worries in an interview, highlighting the susceptibility of creative persons to such challenges.
According to MI Abaga, creatives, including artists, are more prone to mental health difficulties owing to the relentless bombardment of rejection, pessimism, and negativity they typically experience.
He underlined that the situation worsens for successful artists, prompting many to turn to drug misuse as a coping strategy.
He said:
Creatives are generally more at risk of mental health challenges to the extent that even when we are in the middle of it, there is no support. We face a lot of rejection, hopelessness and negativity. Yet, when one becomes successful, it gets even worse.
The problem is so big and many artists are turning to drug abuse. We need to tackle the issue collectively to find ways to help creatives in Nigeria and Africa when faced with rejection,”
MI Abaga went on to discuss the necessity for decentralization in the entertainment business to promote its growth and development.
Drawing comparisons with South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom, he underlined the need of establishing strong entertainment hubs in several locations.
The entertainment industry needs to be decentralised for it to really develop. Take South Africa for instance, if I want to shoot a film, it is probably better to go to Cape Town, and if I want to shoot a music video, I would go to Johannesburg. The more we develop in different areas, the better the country gets.
“Also, in the United States of America, there are places like Atlanta, New York, Texas that have thriving entertainment hubs, and in the United Kingdom, there are places like London and Liverpool.
“But, in Nigeria, we only have Lagos and there is a drop off. However, places like Plateau State can really develop and be a part of the industry. For people like me, who have been in the industry for a while, and have had the opportunity to learn, this is a great time to give back, and I’m starting from Jos,” he added.
In other news, Singer Ikuforiji Olaitan, often known as Oxlade, has praised fellow singer, Odumodublvck.
This is as he revealed some fascinating information regarding him.
According to him, the artist has been in the music industry for a long time without achieving success.
Oxlade stated that Odumodublvck started as a manager before becoming renowned.
Oxlade confirmed this in an interview with Joey Akan on the Afrobeats Intelligence show, where he indicated that he tweeted about the rapper at the 2019 first block party.
The ‘Ku Lo Sa’ singer defined himself as an industry newcomer who observes and admires the growth of other musicians.
He said:
“Small Doctor men don dey mount before men believe say dem dey mount. Vector, Falz, there are even new generation people, Psych0 YP, Odumodublvck. There are people that have been holding this thing before they even got their recognition.“Odumodu has been in this game, [Joey; ‘For Over 10 years] as a manager first of all. I tweeted Odumodu in 2019, first block party, Alhaji Popping can testify.”
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