By Kachi Ekile
Nigerian rapper Odumodublvck has claimed that his female colleagues in the industry, Ayra Starr and Tems have surpassed legendary Afrobeat icon Fela in accomplishments.
Speaking in a recent episode of the ‘Cocktails & Takeaways’ podcast hosted by Madame Joyce, the ‘Picanto’ crooner revealed an encounter with Tems while he was on his way to London.
He said he told Tems that she and Ayra Starr have done more than music heavyweights Wizkid, Burna Boy and even Fela.
“When I was coming to London, I was on the same flight with Tems’ manager, Don Awon. I told Tems, ‘Big up, you did it. What you and Ayra Starr have done is bigger than anything Wizkid, Burna Boy and even Fela have done. Quote me anywhere.
“Because as a female artiste, out of every 10 show promoters, 5 want to have sex with you, out of every 10 producers, 5 want to have sex with you, out of every 10 artists that you look up to and need help from them, 5 want to have sex with you.
“I can’t imagine being in that situation. And after dodging all those things, you still make good music. Remember, the number one hardest job in this world is being a woman.
“The second hardest job is being an artiste because there are over 100 million artistes. How are you going to make it out of the thousands of songs that drop every day? Why should they listen to your own?
“It’s not like you’re doing a job that your payment is guaranteed. As an artiste, there’s no guaranteed payment, you’ve to make it for people to pay you. It took me about six years to get my first good cheque. So imagine being a babe and an artiste and you still make it. That’s impressive”, Odumodublvck stated.
Ayra Starr made history with her debut with her sophomore album ‘The Year I Turned 21’, which debuted at No. 195 on the Billboard 200 after selling 8,000 units in its first week. The feat makes her the first Nigerian artiste to debut on the aforementioned list.
Tems for her own part was honoured with the prestigious Breakthrough Award on March 6, 2024, at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards. The recognition is given to those who have left an indelible mark on the music industry.