THE RISE OF HKN EMPIRE?

Davido’s shift in focus might just be a blessing in disguise for the other members of HKN, as they seek a standing in the music industry.

play (Instagram )

 

 

There’s a saying about not valuing what you have until you lose it. Not understanding that life is fleeting, and the dynamic of existence changes at every time, with change being life’s only constant. How you can get complacent in the safe space of the present, and forget to plan for the future. How complacency is the curse of comfort and the joys of today need be secured and improved upon.

That describes what the lesser artistes at HKN Music have done for the past three years, and why they are currently where they are. Long touted as a powerhouse, HKN Music was regarded a safe place for artistes looking to make it big. A family enterprise, the ties ran deeper than business, as the bond of blood came first, before terms such as merit, execution, achievement, and KPIs were brought into play, if ever they were.

Davido & dad
(Instagram)

Davido, was the golden goose, laying eggs of hits that were worth far more than their weight in gold. The young kid sped to stardom with a pacey brand of Afro-Pop and local percussion influences that made him so irresistible to the common folk. He shone like a super sun, with everyone basking in his light. The HKN boys, made up of cousins, Sina Rambo, B-Red, and the compulsory insider, Danagog, also did taste of his rays, their profiles receiving a fickle boost, not based on their achievement, but on proximity to the wonder-man. People came to reckon with them, due to the power of, and their association with the brand Davido.

Such an affiliation lacking equal distribution of power, characterized by a false sense of self and commune, rather than mutual respect and personal achievement was a faulty one. It lacked a fickle foundation. The signs of the faulty relationship were numerous. How many times did we get news that the house had driven itself to near-implosion, by ego-powered in-fighting, and a rush of adrenaline? How many episodes of family meetings were called to settle what, in an ideal setup, would have been resolved via official dispute resolution processes? How many subs did Twitter have to receive, and bitter innuendoes which gave off an unhappy air?

(Instagram )

(Instagram )

(Instagram )

  (Instagram )

All through this, a happy façade was kept up, as hugs, back-pats, gifts of jewelry, cigars and the finer things of life were packaged and commoditized on social media, to maintain a happy and prosperous narrative.

But all of that changed this year. Davido decided to alter the balance, for personal reasons, and begin a project that could separate business from blood. After his annexation to the growing empire of Sony Music, he tidied business back home by signing up Mayorkun and Dremo, setting up an ultra-modern comprehensive PR digital plan, run by Avante PR, and began work. The progress was almost evident from the start. Mayorkun’s ‘Eleko’ video raced to a million views in 10 days, which made him receive more press. Dremo began rather organically, working with L.A.X on ‘Ole’, dropping his ‘Fela’ cover of ‘Panda’, and now releasing his debut single ‘Ojere’.

Mayorkun, Davido, Dremo
(Press)

Back at the old house, B-Red and everyone else were threatened. They were no longer the apple of Davido’s eye, and their place of comfort was shaken. Davido was still a HKN member, but his light now had a new direction. DMW has become his home, and every other project was secondary.

It also didn’t help that the HKN boys were called crap by critic Osagie Alonge, who singled Danagog for the distinguished title of ‘average crap’.

This has made their position threatened, and just might have kicked them into action. Danagog has had another mixtape released since the incident, and has gone on to promote that. B-Red, three years after his signing, is putting together his first body of work, an EP titled “All The Way Up”.

B-Red All the way up EP

Singer releases second edition of mixtape "Free For Fanagogs 2"
(Press)

There will definitely be more work to come from the HKN men. Without Davido papering over the cracks, the record label is fraught with deadweights and unprofitable acts with no standing in the music industry. Perhaps they will dig deep within their pool of resources to produce hit pop singles to stimulate their growth and maturation. Davido’s shift in focus might just be a blessing in disguise, capable of inspiring moving change. 

If dem ask me make i talk true, i go talk say make Davido just focus on the two new boys e sign. Na dem sabi how  far for industry, as for Bred and co make dem turn hypeman. 

#dontakeitp