Mfonobong Inyang: The Big Wiz – When The Stars Align

Earlier this month, Americans celebrated the 248th anniversary of the nation’s birth, better known as Independence Day. I will preface my subject by reproducing some insights I shared with my audience which I thought were instructive.

You have to respect the Americans for one thing, they are master storytellers. What makes the United States of America a superpower today isn’t merely owing to its military or economic might but its soft power – their ability to use culture to shape perception and influence behaviour is top draw. Culture is one of the four pillars upon which civilization stands on and when unboxed, you will find elements such as media, education and art therein. I discussed the four of these pillars in my book, Hope Is Not A Strategy. This is why their media houses aren’t just news channels but machineries for shaping how information is being consumed. Their academic curriculum is weaponized for purpose and their art is a veritable tool for propagating their agendas. No surprises that their government is a critical stakeholder in Hollywood.

Check these out. The Madison Square Garden in New York, colloquially known as ‘The Garden’ or simply ‘MSG’, is always referred to as the most famous arena in the world. The state of Delaware is referred to as the incorporation capital of the world. Las Vegas in Nevada is referred to as the entertainment capital of the world. American baseball matches are referred to as the “World Series” when in reality all the games are played on American soil. In global politics, their leader isn’t just called president – he or she is referred to as the leader of the free world. I can continue with a litany of examples but you know where I am going with this – the common word in all those descriptions is “world”. We may all be on the same earth but we live in different worlds; the first world countries know that culture is not just a way of life but a means of social engineering. If you don’t have this cultural intelligence, you will experience culture shock when you meet someone at the airport who is acting like he or she is on top of the ‘world’ – they may not be arrogant, they have just been programmed to think a certain way.

As you may know, I am very invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – not just for the entertainment value for the subtle cultural exchange. There is something I learned many years ago from the patriarch of the Marvel Studios, Stan Lee. He had a signature when developing his characters and describing the superheroes. He didn’t just say Spiderman, he named Peter Parker as “The Amazing Spiderman”. He didn’t just say Hulk, he named Bruce Banner as “The Incredible Hulk”. He would also name the quintessential quartet as “The Fantastic Four”. Even if these people weren’t all that, we heard the superlatives enough times to believe they were! The cultural intelligence we can extrapolate here is that the way you celebrate your stars might be the way the world does; if you loud your own – the rest of the world would have no other option than to follow suit!

Enough of the shalaye, let me bring this home. That’s where Ayo Balogun comes in: so this piece isn’t about Wiz, it’s about The Big Wiz! You gerrit now?

Woli Wiz!

It’s his confidence for me. It takes a lot of gumption to name your very first album as a recording artiste, Superstar. That for me was a statement of vision and prophecy. At this point, we have to run Bankole Wellington and Tunde Demuren their flowers, for believing in Big Wiz at the earlier part of his career. I remember that one time at the Headies Awards when Banky W boldly declared that the world should watch out for two of EME’s signees at the time – Wiz and Skales. Today, we aren’t in doubt of the talent, hard work and impact of his career. Even from humble beginnings, his drip and fashion sense was giving finesse. I recall when Big Wiz would rock his signature burgundy checkered shirt, Mohawk haircut and his Obey snapback. He was already a style icon, mirroring his wardrobe was how you showed your guys and the ladies that you were part of the big boys club – got me looking like Machala that year. In his song, Don’t Dull released in 2010, he had some aspirational lyrics therein: “if you see me sitting in a corner, don’t dull. In my Gucci and Gabbana, don’t dull.” Fast forward to 2019, he was strutting the runway alongside Naomi Campbell and other top names on the Dolce & Gabbana Fashion Show. That ‘Lil Prinz’ has now become a king!

Unbothered FC

Like DJ Tunez put it, everyone became an Essence warrior some three odd years ago but we have to put some respeck on dem day ones who have been hollering at the boy from the jump. We simply can’t talk about Big Wiz shutting down the O2 in London, United Kingdom for three nights in a row without talking about the fans who were bumping to his music more than ten years in Small London – a suburb in Lagos State, Nigeria. From Surulere, Ojuelegba, Masha-Kilo, Akerele to Shitta – you must understand why FC carry him matter for head like gele because it hits different when they see one of their own carry the city on his back and take that culture to the ends of the world. Big Wiz already knows this and you can tell that it inspired the release of Made In Lagos – an album which was certified gold by the RCAA, the very first African album to achieve such feat.

Biggest Bird

Beyond awards, music sales and recognitions – what Big Wiz did and is doing for the culture is very important in a world that is controlled by the power of narratives. Three years ago, I wrote a piece about doubling down on exporting our culture in which I submitted about Big Wiz, “we’re doing numbers but even that doesn’t do justice to the fact that our music is a certified staple in the global market.” Let me stun you with some hard fact; an unfortunate example the single story at play. There is no credible list of countries with the highest rates of cybercrime where Nigeria pops up on even the top three but the single story is that the ‘Nigerian Prince’ is the avatar for cybercrime. It’s partly our fault because our corporate information machinery as a country has been used to play Ludo and spew pedestrian propaganda when it should have been used to play chess and weaponized for global image-making. So don’t let anyone sell you that baloney of some international artiste is putting Big Wiz on, it’s Big Wiz putting that artiste on and that’s on Mary had a little lamb! At the end of the day, we have to get better at telling our own stories, regardless of whatever field we find ourselves. Nobody is going to rewrite history or tell our stories for us on our watch. Massive shout out to all the legends who blazed the trail and paved the way; we used to pray for times like these.

Ofoju Jo Wizzy!

For my love for writing and my many other talents, I don’t enjoy scribbling eulogies – especially when I had the opportunity to give flowers to that person. I don’t plug into this necrophilia thing where we only show love to people when they are dead. I believe that most, if not all the things that are said at funerals should really be said on birthdays, people should get their roses when they can still smell them. It’s beyond what they do, it’s what they represent. Great people are not perfect people – none of us are. Congratulations are in order for Big Wiz on his upcoming project, Morayo – an eponymous and truly personal homage to his dear mother who unfortunately passed on last year. As he continues to own the global music scene and dominate the charts, those of us on these streets will never stop supporting one of our own – a superstar that was truly made in Lagos!

Superstar Generation

In the end, Big Wiz is only but a synecdoche in the grand scheme of things. Unfortunately, Nigeria has become an African Giant that is not gianting. Asides from being the most populated black country on God’s green earth, we are not posting Ws on governance, currency, security, education, electricity, housing etc. The only exception to that is the uber-talented Nigerian youths. Young people are killing it in music, tech, sports, comedy, art, fashion and every other sphere where they have got their audience in a chokehold. Almost every time we get great PR as a country, we all know which demography is responsible for that. That’s why I am committed to celebrating young talents. One day, we will have leaders that get the memo.