Today, Skales feels like a dinosaur in the industry; like this relic from the past that just won’t go away.
But back in 2016, he was doing well for himself, and all over the Nigerian entertainment industry, he was a force to be reckoned with.
The ex-EME artist is what we call a late bloomer because his career didn’t take off until later. And when it did take off, things didn’t stay the same for him for very long. But he seized that moment and made a name for himself.
Today, when you hear Skales, even if you don’t care about his music, at the very least you know who that is. And when he comes on your radio or TV and you hear that “issokay” with a high pitch, then you know whose voice it is you’re listening to.
But of all the things Skales did, the most iconic is the one most people don’t ever talk about. And that was giving us the Burna Boy we all know now.
The True Story Of Skales And Burna Boy
Before 2016, Burna Boy‘s career was different and seemed to be on a different trajectory. It didn’t seem like he was headed for that top where the likes of Olamide and WizKid reigned.
And how could he? With the kind of music he did, predominantly dancehall and reggae, even guys like Dammy Krane and Sean Tizzle gave him a run for his money.
Then in 2016, Skales did a song called “Temper.” The original which many still have never heard, was nonsense. No wonder nobody heard it. But Skales liked the song and believed it could be better and so tapped Burna Boy for a remix.
The track was a fusion of the new afrobeats and the old, with a touch of dancehall and most importantly, it was mid-tempo and that was the direction the industry was heading at the time.
Well, Burna jumped on that song and changed it completely. He sampled Fela and made “Temper” into a song everyone wanted to sing along. He made “Temper” into an “Ojuelegba.”
After that, Burna Boy’s career opened up forever and the switch to Afrobeats was already done. Six years later, he’s one of the biggest artists out of Africa, with a Grammy to his name. But it all started on a Skales song. The street remembers.
Anyway, now a quick question for y’all
Do You Think Burna Boy Would Have Made It This Far If Not For The Features He Did?
What do you think?
Drop a comment.
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