Skales does not have it easy at all. On social media he is the most easily trolled musician in the country,Skales does not have it easy at all. On social media he is the most easily trolled musician in the country, ahead of
Vic O and Skibii.
Being Skales on social media is hard. Whatever he does gets attacked. He takes a piss, and people would attack the trajectory of his urine, he sneezes and they’ll scream HIV. When he signed a lucrative brand endorsement deal with MTN, someone said the CEO needed a high profile cleaner.
But that’s just the reactive trolls. Some people do not need a reason to attack Skales. Monday, Tuesday, his birthday, Jesus’ birthday, and the rest. When any good thing happens to any artist, it is derogatory linked to Skales. When something bad happens to another artist, he is lumped together as a culprit.
The most recent is the inclusion of his name at the finale of the Big Brother Naija reality TV show where an upcoming rapper, Efe Ejeba, emerged winner. Trolling Nigerians made senseless comparisons, naming Efe richer and more successful than Skales.
But it needn’t be so. Skales has had to endure a lot. And it’s to his credit that he has remained unfazed by social media trolling and bitterness to stay ahead of the game.
Skales has a catalogue of hits, bought a house for his previously struggling mother, and continues to make new music.
Last year, there was ‘Temper’ and its remix with Burna Boy. The songs were produced by KrisBeatz, the man who has seen his profile rise due to his work on Tekno’s 2016 mega-hit, ‘Pana’.
Featuring mellow drum arrangements, and a vacant rhythm, Skales plays with the spaces on this song to provide a minimalist delivery backed by sneaking horns, and syncopation. Inspiration from this comes from root Afrobeat, with echoes of Wizkid’s ‘Ojuelegba’ mixed with ‘Pana’ on the instrumentation. This sonic overlap is what instantly opens up the listener to this one, and sinks in at first listen.
And the remix had Burna Boy borrow from Fela's source material to create a banging song which is well on its way to being a hit.
Skales might not have a brand that effectively connects with fans, but you can’t fault his work rate. 2016 has had him produce a single in every quarter, sign up with telco brand MTN, and gone about his business in a low-key manner which enables him to celebrate his wins without media interferences.
Skales deserves all the plaudits for always dusting himself up and pushing through with music. And slowly but surely there are some new voices out there who are beginning to appreciate that he is a hardworker, and throw him some support.
And although he takes it on his chin, and sometimes blocks the offending fan, I sometimes fear for the singer. There’s only as much as a human can take. Bullying, no matter the context or dynamic under which it is being perpetuated, takes its toll on the human mind. But kudos to Skales, he has immersed himself in the work, and keeps trying to grow.
He has a new artist signed to his record label, OHK Entertainment, and his sophomore album is ready to be released. From being a poor boy in Kaduna, raised by a single parent, to a star in Africa, his story is inspirational. ahead of
Vic O and Skibii.
Being Skales on social media is hard. Whatever he does gets attacked. He takes a piss, and people would attack the trajectory of his urine, he sneezes and they’ll scream HIV. When he signed a lucrative brand endorsement deal with MTN, someone said the CEO needed a high profile cleaner.
But that’s just the reactive trolls. Some people do not need a reason to attack Skales. Monday, Tuesday, his birthday, Jesus’ birthday, and the rest. When any good thing happens to any artist, it is derogatory linked to Skales. When something bad happens to another artist, he is lumped together as a culprit.
The most recent is the inclusion of his name at the finale of the Big Brother Naija reality TV show where an upcoming rapper, Efe Ejeba, emerged winner. Trolling Nigerians made senseless comparisons, naming Efe richer and more successful than Skales.
But it needn’t be so. Skales has had to endure a lot. And it’s to his credit that he has remained unfazed by social media trolling and bitterness to stay ahead of the game.
Skales has a catalogue of hits, bought a house for his previously struggling mother, and continues to make new music.
Last year, there was ‘Temper’ and its remix with Burna Boy. The songs were produced by KrisBeatz, the man who has seen his profile rise due to his work on Tekno’s 2016 mega-hit, ‘Pana’.
Featuring mellow drum arrangements, and a vacant rhythm, Skales plays with the spaces on this song to provide a minimalist delivery backed by sneaking horns, and syncopation. Inspiration from this comes from root Afrobeat, with echoes of Wizkid’s ‘Ojuelegba’ mixed with ‘Pana’ on the instrumentation. This sonic overlap is what instantly opens up the listener to this one, and sinks in at first listen.
And the remix had Burna Boy borrow from Fela's source material to create a banging song which is well on its way to being a hit.
Skales might not have a brand that effectively connects with fans, but you can’t fault his work rate. 2016 has had him produce a single in every quarter, sign up with telco brand MTN, and gone about his business in a low-key manner which enables him to celebrate his wins without media interferences.
Skales deserves all the plaudits for always dusting himself up and pushing through with music. And slowly but surely there are some new voices out there who are beginning to appreciate that he is a hardworker, and throw him some support.
And although he takes it on his chin, and sometimes blocks the offending fan, I sometimes fear for the singer. There’s only as much as a human can take. Bullying, no matter the context or dynamic under which it is being perpetuated, takes its toll on the human mind. But kudos to Skales, he has immersed himself in the work, and keeps trying to grow.
He has a new artist signed to his record label, OHK Entertainment, and his sophomore album is ready to be released. From being a poor boy in Kaduna, raised by a single parent, to a star in Africa, his story is inspirational.
