The Best Way Street Artistes Can Level Up is Through Branding

Perhaps while we all were growing up, we had www.touristsecrets.com .  There’s a way we look at them. At the bus stops, I see touts and the road union workers as uncultured people, I don’t feel pity for them neither do most of us have respect for them. We don’t even want to associate with them too.

It’s what happens in the industry. Street artistes are pushed aside, often segregated, separated from honours, recognition and endorsement deals most times. It’s why we have an award for the best street act at the Headies. We feel they can’t compete. Or you feel with a little more branding or packaging, Lil Kesh could have won the Next Rated award that year.

Who listens to that artiste with a lot of profane words and who was always shouting skiborobo robo to a calm Reekado Banks whose words were carefully chosen, had a very good PR, good public image.

Lil Kesh could have been refined into a proper artiste with a better representation of how he creates. His songs are without profanity, his page and captions are more organised, his tweets are motivational, reflective of the local man and overall, his PR is a level up. He’s in the news for the good reasons with a sprinkle of controversy. But he lost and all that is history.

I see Rexxie going the same path. He’s had a good run, creating hits all year round but he’s disadvantaged. You feel he might miss out on the honours this year being that he’s independent, without the clout and prestige of a record label and he’s not affiliated to a big artiste.  Won’t be surprised if someone like Ozedikus or Kel P edges him at the end of the year.

Branding is perhaps the most powerful tool everyone should harness especially for people who create. Yeah it’s not a proper interpretation of what happens but ignoring this makes you miss out on the honours at the end of the day…