Let's call him Prosper. This struggling 19 year-old trying to break into the music industry. Prosper can sing. But if you understand the music industry in Nigeria, you will know that talent contributes only twenty percent to your success. But hey, Prosper has no money nor connections to get his music out. Just an insane self-belief and an admirable work rate.
Prosper had the support of two of his childhood friends - Amaka and Joe. Amaka, Prosper's girlfriend would make videos of Prosper singing using his iPhone 6 and Joe will upload it on all social media platforms tagging every celebrity and blogger known to man. Two years of doing this, still no luck. Until one morning.
Joe woke up to realise that overnight he had gained fifty thousand followers on Instagram. He screamed in disbelief and saw that his last post of Prosper singing a cover song had been reposted by the original artiste who was a big celebrity. He rushed to his DM and truly - there, right there was a message inquiring about the singer and asking if a meeting could be set up. What?!
He informed Prosper and Amaka. Gathering around the sole flat mattress in Prosper's dimly lit room in Okokomaiko, they called the number on the message with panic and excitement. It was the label management and they will be interested in having a meeting about signing Prosper to their roster.
Long story short, the meeting went well. Prosper was signed to the label and his first single blew up. The label rented a furnished apartment from him in Lekki. His first advance was N2 million. He rolled with the big stars in Nigeria and was believed to be the future of Afrobeats.
You may be wondering where Amaka and Joe are during all this. Still in Okokomaiko, actually. Yeah. Prosper left them behind to work with 'proper management'. The last time they saw Prosper was the day he was moving out from Okokomaiko to Lekki. One week later, Amaka got a break-up text from Prosper and his line never went through again. Joe also couldn't reach him.
And Prosper? Big shot. Hottest thing in Afrobeats. Brands were coming left and right. Sign on fee was N2 million. His performance fee was N1 million. He began dating an IG model - Nira. They were the perfect young couple. Their pictures were all over the blogs - loved up, on vacation, backstage.
Prosper was making bank but also spending like crazy. His new lifestyle requires a lot of money to sustain. The label? They get eighty percent of all Prosper's earnings. Prosper's twenty percent was decent but he had run out of cash five times and the label had lent him money to keep the show going. Everyone was looking towards Prosper's EP launch - the step that will push him into global superstardom and change his financial fortunes forever.
The big boys started circling since the news of an EP surfaced - Sony Music, Warner, Columbia. Prosper's label wanted sole rights and were not open to doing business with anyone. This infuriated Prosper as these foreign labels were offering him a better deal than he is currently getting. He voiced his frustration in an interview in a bid to force the label's hand. It did not go well. He found himself on collision course with the label and went to war believing he had the backing of the foreign labels courting him.
The news of the rift with his label was everywhere. Bloggers, news outlets, everyone jumped on it. The foreign labels interests increased and they competed, trying to outdo each other as his next partners. Prosper wanted out of his contract. The label took him to court. The court case was still on when the unimaginable happened.
Everyone woke up to the news that Prosper has pushed his girlfriend, Nira out of the balcony in drunken rage. Nira was badly wounded and fighting for her life. The Nigerian public was incensed. The outrage was swift and brutal.
Within 24 hours, all hell broke loose. Prosper's song was pulled from all radio stations. Every single brand he was signed to cancelled their deals and publicly. The label? Dropped him like 'hot potatoes'. He is still owing the label N20 million which they plan to recoup from future streaming numbers of his single. Foreign labels? All gone. Prosper? The last time he was seen in public was in front of his apartment in Lekki, in handcuffs, after being arrested by Nira's parents.
Nira was in coma for 72 hours. While the nation rallied and prayed for her recovery, Prosper could not even make bail.
That evening, on their way to the State Police Headquarters, one of the Police officers gave Prosper a heavy slap. Stunned, Prosper looked at the man, his cheeks smarting in pain.
The officer shoved a smartphone into his face. "Your girlfriend don die. You are finished."