After reading an article last week about how Mic Monsta has transitioned from just being an artist to a father figure, it has been echoing into the ears like a voice in an evil forest. Mic’s growth has been steady and evident, and in a Cameroonian context, everyone would admit that he’s now more than a “Mic Monsta”.
Mic Monsta is on his third album and he admitted that he needed to stay out of trouble to focus and be understood by the masses. This is so because the Cameroonian showbiz environment is quite judgemental and emotional. People can stop supporting you just because you spoke contrary to what their favorite artist or person said. You could be watered down and eventually ousted for saying what you think.
Like it is often said, ‘those who live in glass houses should not throw stones’ and that’s the reality of the Cameroonian showbiz environment.
During his just-ended live session, Mic Monsta said “It’s dumb for you to stop supporting someone just because you don’t like them. It’s wrong for you to tell me to reach Stanley Enow music, wouside I want start for teach Stanley music? Many of wouna talk say ei no be talented but why ei di be relevant all these years ?”
“It’s ok to acknowledge someone’s talent and distinguish what you don’t like about them fork their talent” he added.
This live session he had today was to clear his outing about “Support your own” which he did say he doesn’t fancy. His reason being that that it brings about entitlement.
Now, it’s not surprising that you’ll see many disagree with him and if you asked why, their reason would just be because they don’t like Mic Monsta or because they think they need to have a say about everything.
We must grow old enough to accept that “Support your own” is one of the most misused slogans or themes in this music industry. It has brought about entitlement and unexpected fights which lasted into burning everlasting bridges. This is because there’s a set of people who believe that they’re owed support which must be given.
Does this mean that Cameroonains should not support artists or their own? The answer is NO! In fact, that’s where 80-20 (80% Cameroonian music/entertainment and 20% foreign music/entertainment) should even be more emphatic where Cameroonian songs and films are streamed endlessly by Cameroonians, not some artists by-passing the needful steps to grow just because they think the fans or other artists owe them support.
If we’re misunderstanding Mic Monsta because he said what he said, then we are not ready for the truth that will explode this industry to success.
He just released his album, and it’s still available on pre-order on eNow Digital, an online African music selling platform owned and run by a Cameroonian techie. Mic Monsta could have chosen to use to a foreign digital platform but he chose eNow Digital, and that is what I call “supporting your own”.
