2021 Grammys: Why Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy ‘rivalry’ is killing Nigeria’s music industry

By Ezinwanne Onwuka

The Grammy Awards, or just The Grammys, is an award presented by the Recording Academy to recognize achievements in the music industry. The trophy depicts a gilded gramophone. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artistes and the presentation of those awards that have a more popular interest. The Grammys are the first and biggest music awards held annually.

This year’s edition of the Grammys was earlier scheduled for January but postponed amid concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards was held on Sunday night at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles. As with other award shows held during the pandemic, there was no live audience for the Grammys this year, save for a limited number of performers and nominees.

Nigerian Afrobeats stars, Burna Boy and Wizkid won their first-ever Grammy Awards. Burna Boy bagged the much-coveted Grammy award in the ‘Best Global Album’ category for his ‘Twice As Tall’ album. Wizkid, on the other hand, won a Grammy for the ‘Best Music Video’ for his song with Beyoncé; Brown Skin Girl, Beyonce’s 2019 hit song; from ‘Lion King: The Gift’ album.

As typical of Nigerians, given the feud between Burna Boy, Wizkid and Davido, fans of Burna Boy and Wizkid are calling out Davido taunting him on why he didn’t win any Grammy despite claiming to be the best in the Nigerian music industry.

This dust raised because of an award aptly describes the trend of things in the Nigerian music industry. It is no gainsaying that life is full of competition hence, the commonplace rivalry that exists among individuals who have chosen to establish their prominence in the same walk of life.

Superiority tussle has been a major cause of the rivalry that exists among Nigerian hip hop artistes. Whether it’s a battle of supremacy or superiority over wealth and riches, quality of music or other factors, there is always going to be the existence of rivalry among two or more music artistes in the Nigerian music scene; and awards are used as a factor in determining the best among the rest.

This unhealthy rivalry and competition always shake the whole industry and even cause fans to go against each other both on social media and outside of it. That’s how serious ‘beefs’ can go in the Nigerian music industry.

There is a need for Nigerian artistes to see themselves as individual contributors to the growth of the music industry, not as competitors. Every artiste must learn to appreciate the other because each person has a unique gift and talent which can never be the same with another’s; even if they play the same kind of music, it can never be the same.