Author: Emeka Esogbue
Black Tribe is a duo musical group of Abdumalik Usman and Daniel Nwankwo, is an up and coming Rap, R&B and Hip-Hop and songwriters best known for ability to render fine tunes using combination of English, Yoruba and Pidgin. The group is popular among the Lagos and Nigerian music fans, and beyond.
Early Life
Both Abdumalik and Daniel were born in Lagos and have spent better part of their lives in Festac town, Lagos where the duo have been based even before setting their career in music on motion and are Nigerian nationals with splendid knowledge of the Nigerian music environment. Abdul began to show musical talents quite early in life, performing in schools and in front of audience. Daniel too developed the ability to rap at a tender age with which enabled him to entertain his peers, a phenomenon that made him the darling of music lovers in the Nigeria.
History
Abdumalik called “Abdul” and Daniel met at the annually-held Mega Jam talent Haunting Rap show often held then at 23 Road, Festac town (Opposite the present MTN office) where they singly debuted. This show was held every December 24 and meant to discover talents in music. After a very remarkable and brilliant performance at a particular edition of the show, the group the duo went to begin a brilliant career. Thus Black tribe was born.
Discography
This promising group then being courted by almost every music producer around having noticed the potential talent and the ability to record excellent breakthrough finally recorded their very first demo at Jahoha studio produced by 2face Idibia and Marvelous Benji. The outcome of the demo showed that the duo was a fledging group to work with, with a lot of success inherent in their future.
Again, the musical duo continued its successful career with the recording of its first singles in 1999 which they titled “Be My Girl” in which 2face Idibia another Nigeria’s top Hip-hop singer, Black Face of the Plantation Boyz and Sil of the Deadly Underground were featured. This particular singles was produced by Paul I. K. Dairo and was to some extent a success but still portrayed that the group had a lot of potentials for achievements in the music scene lying ahead of it. In the year following (2000), Black tribe recorded a breakthrough when the group recorded another singles which they titled “Nino” Nino proved to be the very hit Black tribe was awaiting for it was not long the singles was released that it became a household song. “Marry you and Ngozika” were other tracks released alongside the hit “Nino”. The group was thought to have made a lot of sales with the singles as produced by Nelson Brown of the Dove Entertainment. It is important to note here that Sil was part of this recording of this hit song “Nino” as he had joined the group that particular year.
Shows
The accolade that followed the major breakthrough in the Nigerian music industry was wonderfully phenomenal as everyone in the street thought of Black tribe. Someone once referred to the song as Nigeria’s national anthem for the Hip-hop world. Severally, the song echoed on radio and television stations in the country. With this development, the Black tribe, had set a precedent for other up coming musicians in the country and far county like Ghana to follow, establishing that only success and hard work guarantees success especially in the music industry in any part of the Nigeria and also demonstrated to the world at large that Nigerians and indeed the English speaking countries of West Africa could be moved by pleasant music.
This successful breakthrough and special requests from music lovers all over compelled the group to compile their songs in Compact Discs (CD) and poured into the market to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of the people a situation that further helped to promote the competence and good image of the group, thus crediting the group with absolute awareness.
Between 2002 and 2002, the group had already featured in a number of performances some of which are ‘Play Safe Campus for the Awareness of HIV/AIDS, put together by the Society for Family Health (SFH) and a peace concert between the states of Taraba and Benue in Nigeria which was organized by the then Governors of the two states.
In the year that followed, (2003) the group was saddened by the exit of one of its members, sil who peacefully left the group and the music industry in its entirety to pursue a personal career in another endeavour. Much to the surprise of the music fans and lovers, the group remained unscathed by the exit of this great individual who had contributed immensely to its success and again forged ahead. The group was to later perform at the MTN Yellow Africa. Opinions are divided as to why the group was able to quickly gather it pieces and move on but I hold that the group was able to do this because prior to Sil’s entrant into the group, Black tribe had been together and perhaps mostly because the duo of Abdu and Daniel enjoy cordial relationship outside the music scenes.
Black tribe was to record another hit in 2004, perhaps the a greater hit with an album titled “Past and Present” nine of the tracks in this album were remix, and was produced by Nelson Brown and OJB Jazrel. This album made so much impact in the music market with the video in high acceptance. This time the group had fully established itself in the eye of its lovers and admirers.
2006. Black tribe tremendously performed at the Big Brother Nigeria show where most of their fans were on ground to watch the group thrill them once again. The group drew so much fans that Black tribe was the talk all over before the commencement of the show. So anxiety thrilled this show as fans began to sing “Black tribe perhaps in anticipation of their performance or to remind the organization that they still wanted to see the group perform. This show was quickly followed by the 89th Kennis Easter show organized by Kennis Music. Again this group featured with stars from Nigeria such as 2face Idibia, VIP, Marvelous Benji, KWAM 1, Azadus, Sultan and many more.
In May 1st 2006, signed a one year contract deal with Mr Obi Nweke and his Globe Disc Music Limited. Expectedly, this contract would further enable the fans of these talented entertainers to hear from the group again.
Belief
It is the belief of Black tribe that “nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent: genius will not, unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan: press on has solved and always will solve the problems of human race”
The next time you hear “Black tribe” please stand up in all respects.
Emeka Esogbue hails from Ibusa, Delta State, Nigeria. He is is a Historian and International Relations Analyst with lots of tremendous published and unpublished works he has recently shown interest in the Nigerian music industry
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