Shaping Culture, Changing Narratives with BUDXLagos

BUDXLagos, home of good music, conversations and art kicked off its second edition on Wednesday, 26th June, with a loud bang. It was a fully packed three-day event that saw participants bond with celebrities such as Reminisce, Banky W, Ajebutter, Kemi Adetiba, DJ Obi, DJ Jillionaire and others as they discussed topics that ranged from ‘Nigerian Fashion Pushing The Boundaries of Street Culture’, ‘Women Leading the next wave of Nigerian Music’, ‘Female DJ’s Guiding Nigeria’s Club Scene’, ‘Nigerian Filmmakers Inspiring A Nation’ among other contemporary topics with participants, aimed at setting them on the right path as they strive to better their craft.

If you missed the three day Masterclass sessions, you certainly missed a lot as various celebrity guests took budding artistes and young music lovers on a journey on how they transitioned from novices to voices in the industry.

Here are some of the amazing quotes from the panellists that got us all excited and ready to take on the Nigerian entertainment industry.

“You need to reinvent yourself and grow, that’s the only way to stay relevant in this industry” – Reminisce

“It’s kind of cool to not fit in. I was one of the first artistes to drop my music on twitter and it would go mainstream. I was not well known at the time, especially because I started making music for this market outside the country. But I used the tools available to me and somehow, my lyrics hit home” – Ajebutter

“Don’t give up. If you feel strongly and passionate about what you are doing, that is going to shine through. There have been young kids on my label who have come to me asking how to get more gigs. I would listen and tell them they need to do more work on their craft. A lot of those kids have gone on to do great things” – DJ Jillonaire

“Talent over hype because the hype will always die down. Stick to your craft and you will always stand out.” – DJ Obi

“People told me I was going to hell for making clothes. I decided I was going to change the narrative. The first two years we did not sell any garments but consistency is key. I kept at it and eventually I showed in Ghana and got my first Vogue feature there, a country that was not my own.”– Adebayo Oke-Lawal.

“We can’t stop talking about gender inequality until things change. The word feminist has become an ugly word. Feminism is not a fight against the male gender. It is a demand to be treated equally. I am a feminist; I think everyone should be a feminist.” – Adesua Etomi.

“I get underestimated a lot as a woman and for me that’s power. I like it because it gives me room to show you just how great I am” – Teni.

“I would first like to conquer where I am from because I don’t think anyone will listen to me if I have not conquered my space. When the guys at Oshodi are saying Mayorkun is “bad” and everyone in Nigeria is saying same, Jay Z will come; I will not have to go looking for him. Make music for your people. If you are good here, the international audience will find you” – Mayorkun

“I did not get many opportunities to DJ because I am a woman and for women it’s really hard. For every opportunity we get, we have to prove ourselves even more than the men that we are capable. We need to make the world realize that this is not a man’s job, it’s a human being’s job.” – DJ Lambo.

“Collaboration is critical and I see a lot of it with the young people. They throw their own events and build this whole movement. So a party organizer collaborates with a DJ, who then collaborates with a venue owner. They can scale up once they achieve success in their cities. There is strength in numbers.” – DJ Jillonaire.

“I got my zeal from seeing women take over the family business when my dad died and become bosses. They grew the business to unbelievable heights despite being women.” – Teni

“We live in a society that seems to be working against women. It is poverty of the mind. You need to be
aware of the negative but not let it define you” – Toke Makinwa

Watch video below