It was December 2008, Christmas was around the corner and I was at that period, listening to Mode9′s Paradigm Shift CD. As a Modey fan, I was feeling the album but just out of curiosity, I searched online for the album review to see what fellow rap heads were saying about it
M. I.
People were feeling it as expected but I was shocked when I saw the following comment on a hip hop forum:
“I love Mode9. He should be the second best rapper in Nigeria right after MI”
My jaws dropped because I follow hip hop forums a lot and I have never heard anybody who loves Mode9, rate any rapper in the country above him. It must be “Personal Opinion”, I said to myself. But to my surprise, majority of the people on the forum (and most Nigerian music blogs) kept on talking about MI being the best rapper, how “Talk about it” is the best Nigerian rap album and so on.
Could this guy be that good? I asked myself. Of course I had heard his singles “Crowd Mentality” and “Safe”. They were great songs but they didn’t make him the best: or did they? I had to get “Talk about it” myself to see what all the fuss was about and as you can guess, the rest is history.
What made MI’s entrance into the game so phenomenal? Yes he is a fantastic rapper and I don’t think anyone questions that. However, a vital part of his success was his MARKETING. Believe it or not, MI (together with Choclatecity of course) is an excellent marketer. That combined with his amazing song writing skills, have led to his explosion on the Nigerian music scene. In this article, I’ll be sharing lessons learnt from MI’s success which if applied properly, would help your marketing.
Please note that marketing is not restricted to promotion of goods and services. And it’s not when a bank staff asks you to open an account -that’s outright begging (a discussion for another day). Every time you ask a girl out, you’re marketing yourself. Every time you attend a job interview, you’re marketing yourself as well. With that being said, please sit back, enjoy and take notes!
1. Differentiate Yourself
This may sound generic yet a lot of people ignore it. In marketing, this is what you’d call BRANDING.
Although MI released Crowd Mentality for about 2 years before he released Talk about it, the real single before the album dropped was “Safe”. While everyone chose to release dance hall choruses or rap with Pidgin English to penetrate the Nigerian Market, MI gave us a fresh concept: a blend of Nigerian hit songs, while retaining all the original elements of a good rap song (wordplay and punchlines). He clearly DIFFERENTIATED himself from other rappers.
No matter what you’re doing, differentiate yourself. It will ensure you stand out and get noticed.
2. Get Yourself Heard.
In marketing, we call this PROMOTION.
When MI released Crowd Mentality, he was leaving in Jos at the time. But he realised that he needed to get a larger audience: he needed to get heard. He made the smart move of relocating to Lagos where frankly, is the base of almost 70% of media outlets in the country -Radio stations, headquarters of TV and satellite networks and let’s not forget, the home of most Nigerian Bloggers.
When trying to achieve something, you need to get to the focal point of the situation: go to where your audience is. Why do you think long distance relationships are difficult or why people not living in Lagos find it hard getting white collar jobs?
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M. I.
3. Segment Your Market
When MI released Talk about it, he knew the album wasn’t totally hardcore. Yes it had good rhymes and decent metaphors but it just didn’t cater to the appetite of true rap fans as much as it did for party people and deejays. What did he do? He released “Illegal Music”, which was a kick ass rap compilation. He successfully satisfied both the party people and the rap heads.
You can’t offer the same thing to everybody: it just won’t work. You have to SEGMENT your market. That’s why recruiters advice you to tailor your CV before you apply for any job so that it meets the specific requirements of the position. Even airlines do this: they have 1st Class, Business Class and Economy Class.
4. Give Away Something Free.
MI’s Illegal Music was so good, I’m sure people would have gladly paid for it. But yet MI chose to give it free of charge even though I’m sure he was aware of how great it was.
If you have a product or service and it’s of very high quality, don’t be afraid to offer a little of it free of charge. If it’s as good as you claim, people will always come back. That’s why when some people are unemployed, they offer their services for free, knowing they’ll either amaze the employer enough to retain them or use the experience (or contacts) to get a good job. And if you’re not that confident of what you are offering, then why offer it in the first place?
5. Tell your Story
If you listened entirely to Talk about it, you’ll come away with a feeling like you know who Mr. Jude Abaga really is. I mean you would have known he resides in Jos, his father is a pastor, that he schooled in the US and you would even know he is a short black boy (just in case you haven’t met him before). He even took this a step further in his 2nd Album MI2, where he devotes an entire track to friends and family, letting them say to the whole world what they don’t like about him. This vulnerability is a good thing because it demonstrates to everyone listening that even with his acquired fame and fortune; he’s just human with flaws like everybody else.
When you let people know your story, they are inclined to trust you more and wouldn’t mind being associated with you. Be vulnerable: don’t be afraid to show people who you really are. It worked wonders for artists like Eminem already. Let people see you for who you truly are. It’ll endear them to you and they will reward you with their trust and loyalty.
There you have it. The MI guide to successful marketing. What else do you think contributed to MI’s success asides from his music itself? We’d love to know in the comments section below. On a final note, I’d like to add that knowing these lessons alone won’t solve your problem regardless of what problem it is: you have got to TAKE ACTION and make them happen. For MI, it was hopping on to an ABC bus heading for Lagos with the expectation that something must happen. So do something: TAKE ACTION! And who knows, you just might land that job or woman of your dreams.
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