It’s been over 72 hours, since Lionn Productions confirmed the signing of female rapper Askia. Let’s take you down a trip of memory lane. For those who don’t know, Askia had gone solo after her relationship with her former record label “Beard Gang Music” had turned sour. Before joining the Beard Gang Music label, her deal with another record label owned by a US-based Cameroonian, had quickly gone sour not long after joining the label. Prior to that, the rapper was an artist under Alpha Better Records, a label under the auspice of Salatiel, and at the time, Mr. Leo was also an artist under the same label. So you see, Mr. Leo and Askia go way back.
Back to Askia being signed with Lionn productions, a deal, that no one actually saw coming, has unsurprisingly triggered some obvious dissension. While a cross-section of music enthusiasts don’t think it’s a smart move, given Askia’s past records with record labels as mentioned above, however, others think this could be yet another opportunity for her to exploit and pilot her career beyond what it is right now. Unlike 2022, Askia had a pretty awesome 2021 to say the least. In 2021, she was on her good foot as she got to launch a couple of businesses and released a plethora of singles too. 2022 came with so much for her to deal with, which saw her fall off the pecking order.
There’s no doubt that very few female artists come close to Askia when we talk about rap music in Cameroon. She has been compared to some top African female rappers. It’s quite disappointing that, though with the talent, Africa has not been able to savor 1/4 of what is in her music bulletin. As she joins Mr. Leo who seems to be doing much better for himself than we thought with Lionn Productions, he has big shoes to fill, but right, he has been presented with a huge responsibility which is also an opportunity to unlock the hidden potential of Askia, which can in turn rejuvenate her career for the better.
Whether or not they are going to be rebranding her image, it’s worth mentioning that both artists know themselves in and out, and have come a long way, from their Alpha Better Record days, even though there might have been some gimmicks after Askia left Alpha Better Records, where both were previously signed! Knowing that Askia had been at the level at which she could have owned her own label but hasn’t been able to do so, it can be considered humility, to watch her commit under Mr. Leo who is not only going to help mentor her, but also increase her pen-game.
We can applaud this move and hope it works out for both of them. Her joining Lionn Productions could really work out well, given that there might be little or no conflicts on which artist has to go first. While Mr. Leo could be focusing on his timeless music as he continues with his “Lion of Africa” project, Askia and Mr. Sympa; who are all singed under Lionn Production, don’t do the same kind of music so no competition in that area. The winner of the last edition of the Mützig Competition is a “Bikutsi” artist while Askia might stick to rap, all depending on what project the record label intends to use her for.
To conclude, looking at Askia’s past history with other record labels she has passed through, it is hard not to join the bandwagon that finds this move (Askia joining Lionn Productions) worrisome, but also, one can not help but think that maybe Mr. Leo is THAT person who might just have the magic needed to hold Askia down for her to be serious enough to let her career grow under his guidance.
