Rapper Nsubuga Nelson commonly known by his stage name Saint Nellysade has offered a word of advise to upcoming Ugandan artistes, in the particularly hostile Ugandan music industry. While performing at the 3rd edition of Kampala’s Hip-hop Night that happens every last Thursday of the month at a one Liquorshade bar near Kololo ,the rapper also lamented how Ugandan haters thrive on bringing down musicians.
Regardless, he advised upcoming Ugandan artistes to keep their heads up above the water
“If you want to become relevant in Uganda, just claim Ugandan artistes are lazy and all that crap or Ugandan music is trash. But to the real fans who support (us), let’s keep pushing. We will rise slowly but surely and to all the aspiring musicians on the come up, don’t let them demotivate you,” Nellysade said.
“Online criticism is needed for growth but that should never give you the impression that people are not doing okay. We came into this game with nothing and used this music to change our lives. Let’s strive to make it better, so far so good” he went on.
Nellysade’s encouragement comes in the wake of ongoing criticism of Ugandan musicians who allow themselves to be optional picks to foreign artistes who have been flocking to country and getting paid handsomely to perform in concerts.
At the forefront of this criticism is art critic Jenkins Mukasa who has been calling for 75 per cent airplay of Ugandan music on Ugandan airwaves – a scene in which Western Africa and amapiano music continue to dominate.
Mukasa’s stance is that foreign artistes should not be allowed to dominate the Ugandan music scene because they would soon be heard opening lucrative businesses in Uganda while Ugandan artistes are not even renowned in other nations.
At the same time, some critics have also been accusing some Ugandan artistes of expecting loyal support from them but go on to produce subpar, unpalatable music always themed around the objectification of women and sex.
This has been the staple of Ug “kidandali” music which continues riding its death bed as more artistes embrace “cleaner” content where some of the same topics are sugarcoated with soothing/complicated words but still revolve around alcohol, partying, enjoying women and sex that is, the hip-hop music.
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