Entertainment
Why Timaya Dumped MTN Contract Renewal Offer
Timaya
Bayelsa State- born
Dance Hall Music Star, Timaya, has revealed why he dumped MTN contract renewal offer. In a recent post on the social media, he said, “I have always wanted to become an ambassador to a telecommunication company. I was approached by both Globacom and MTN, I chose MTN, I am a businessman and I feel I should have a better deal this year, if the deal is not good enough for me then it is not right, because I worked very hard to get to the stage I am”.
“It could be right for other people, but I think I should do better this year. There are artistes that are brand ambassadors and they do not have any hit, song, they are just there based on pity. Every year I release a hit song and I feel if we are to renew a contract, we have to revisit the terms and conditions. Not that we will do the same thing as the last time or do it out of pity,” he stated.
He said, “being a brand ambassador makes you limited in some certain areas and I expect to be paid for such limitations, I want more, they are good people and we did not have any misunderstanding, it was purely a business decision.”
Though he did not disclose how much he was paid for the first contract or what he was offered for the renewal of the contract, it was gathered that the first contract was worth millions of naira.
It would be recalled that the hip hop and Dance hall music sensation who was born and bred in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, is among the music stars and celebrities who rose from grass to grace.
Also known as the Egberi Papa I (the peoples town crier) of Bayelsa State was born in November 29, 1977 in Port Harcourt, the award winning musician is popular for his socially conscious music that constantly references the role of God in overcoming difficult circumstances in life. He has written and produced a music track for YouTube star, Janet Holt and Eulonzo Jordan.
He started out with a couple of collaborations with some underground artistes and was a backup singer for Eedris Abdulkareen. His first major hit was the song, “Dem Mama” an account of the 1999 destruction of Odi, a riverine community in the oil producing Niger Delta by soldiers hunting down militants whom were alleged to have killed 8 policemen. The village was burnt and numerous people killed. Timaya bravely tackled the topic years later and won instant street credibility for his boldness.
Timaya is currently one of the top stars of the Nigerian music scene with a lot of other musicians interested in doing collaborations with him, he had done collabo with J. Martins and P-Square, Keffe on ‘Kokoroko’, Spyderman and others. His albums include: “True story,” (2007), “Gift and Grace” (2008),. The Rebirth 2010, Long Life and Prosperity, (2011), “Bow Down”, ‘Sanko’, “Bum-Bum”, ft Scan Paul, ‘Story’, Hold me Down’ amongst others.
His awards include: African Hip-Hop Award, (2008, 2009), Album of the year, Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) (2008), Best Dance Hall Album, Hip-Hop World Awards (2009). This year, he bought himself 2015 model Lexus SUV to add to his fleet of expensive cars.
Spotify yesterday revealed a significant surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with a 626 percent increase between 2022 and 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria by Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa Phiona Okumu.
Okumu said, “Spotify data reveals a surprising trend, a massive surge in heartbreak song streams.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to express their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024.
“This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
She said on Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362 per cent increase compared to 169 per cent among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected.
“While Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day -more than what’s publicly shown,” she said.
Nigerians will join their counterparts across the world to mark the 2025 Valentine’s today.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined MLS side San Diego FC’s ownership group as a club partner.
SDFC announced today that Tems joined the ownership group through her company, The Leading Vibe.
In the process, Tems became the first African woman to be involved in MLS ownership.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a club partner,” SDFC chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour said in a statement.
“Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which, of course, has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organisation.”
Reacting to her addition as the latest partner in SDFC’s ownership group, the singer said: “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has claimed she is enduring back pain and that her spine is degenerating.
Lawani revealed this in a video posted on social media last Tuesday.
In the clip, she opened up about her experience with epidural anesthesia, an injection administered to pregnant women in the spine to reduce pain during childbirth.
The mother of three claimed that since receiving the injection, she has not felt like herself.
She accused doctors of not fully informing women about the long-term side effects of epidurals.
According to Lawani, she received the anesthetic injection during the birth of her last two children.
She said, “When you hear ‘epidural,’ run. Doctors tell you about the side effects but do not tell you about the long-term effects on your body. I have about three friends having the same issues that I am having.
“Like, I am just 42, how did I end up with spine issues? I have a degenerating spine. I have implants in my spine. I go paralyzed. I can’t stand for a long time. I can’t even breathe properly sometimes because it affected so many things in my body when I had the surgery.
“They will not tell you because you just want the pain to go away. I have had two epidurals. I had my first as natural birth. The last two were epidural. The last one I had epidural because I had to undergo a surgery and I had no choice.
“See, the pain does not stop. My back is killing me and my spine is degenerating.”