The 2015 edition of the Headies Award will best be remembered for its many controversies, especially “Egbon Olamide, if you want the car, come and carry” comment by Don Jazzy and the “Don’t come to the Mainland” reply by Olamide.
Even though my vote and support was for the eventual winner (Reekado Banks) for the most controversial award category in any music award event in Nigeria “the Next Rated category”, I think Lil Kesh has proven to a lot of us who didn’t think he deserved it wrong. After the award and the subsequent refusal of Olamide’s YBNL label to endorse him, a lot people including me thought it was over for him, especially without the guidance of his mentor, Olamide who is by far the most consistent artist in Nigeria since the turn of the decade. Lil Kesh’s YAGI wasn’t a commercial success, even though it spawned series of monster hit records like ‘Efejoku’ featuring his former label mate and friend Viktoh, Gbese and rest.
But December 2016 became some sort of a turn-around month for Keshy, with the release of Mr Eazi’s ‘Sample You’ video, Keshy released his “IBILE” remix featuring Reminisce, and my personal favorite “Kilonshele Gan Gan”. For what it’s worth, Lil Kesh has re-discovered his form, our initial fear that the music will suffer has been laid to rest, what is left is for him to prove to us that his Young and Getting It (YAGI) imprint has what it takes to survive the harsh and disloyal music industry.