Some years ago, when the hype about the secret cult called illuminati was in full swing in Nigeria, I was amazed at the conclusions some young Nigerians were making about this organization. The conclusions were that most of the successful celebrities within and outside Nigeria are members of the illuminati and their success is an outcome of their membership. Then, I felt this was gross foolishness because the success of the likes of Michael Jackson, Ronaldo, Bill Clinton, and others were accredited to one secret organization or the other. From Free Mason to Pirate Confraternity, many youngsters believed that for you to be successful in a big way, you need the help and networking of these organizations. Timaya even released a song titled illiminati where he spoke about being called a member of the illuminati because he was making money from his hits. In the last few days, I have been listening and enjoying the music of the super-rising Star Ckay and the hype about secret cults and their usefulness came back to my mind.
Ckay whose real name is Chukwuka Ekweani was born in Kaduna State on the 16th of July 1995 to Dr. and Mrs. Ekweani who are indigenes of Anambra State. Ckay discovered his love for music through his father who was the Choir Coordinator of their local church from the tender age of seven. He started writing and producing his own music at 13 years of age before relocating to Lagos in 2014. A year later due to his prowess as a multi-instrumentalist, he got an internship at Loopy Music that later merged with Chocolate City Music. His songwriting and vocal skills soon singled him out and he was signed on as an artist with the assistance of M.I. Abaga who believed and prophesied about his talent and rise to fame. Today, his monster hit Love Nwantiti is a certified global hit. Love Nwantiti has gotten to No.1 multiple times on the World Digital Song Sales chart. The song which has undergone many remixes was nominated for the 2022 Brits Award. According to statistics credited to YouTube and Tik Tok, CKay has racked up more than 1 billion views and 15 billion streams on both platforms respectively, making him the highest for any African artist. His latest single Emiliana debuted on the Billboard top 200 chart at number 190, making it the first Afrobeats song to make the Billboard chart without an official video. His milestones continue daily at a breathtaking pace. If you believe his rise to fame and fortune is not talent and hardwork based, you are probably the most gullible individual on Earth.
Ritual killings by youths lately have left many Nigerians wondering what does the future holds. Politicians have blamed Nollywood’s storylines as one of the major reasons for these killings. Nollywood actors like Yul Edochie have responded by saying poverty is the culprit, which is a direct consequence of the past and present leadership in Nigeria. I believe the reasons are multifaceted. Art imitates life and life imitates art, so Nollywood is guilty. Poverty can push the poor to do the unthinkable. And good governance can direct the people in a good direction, hence, politicians are guilty. Ckay’s success is a vivid example of how to become successful. Discover and develop your talents continually and you will be found by the right people while deploying them either for free in person, or through the many free online platforms from Facebook to Tik Tok. Your talent can be in fashion as a tailor or sports as a boxer. It can be as a businessman or woman whose strength is in sales and marketing. No ritual killer can live a happy and successful life. If you kill either as an armed robber, cultist, ritualist, or yahoo+, you will never know peace. There are many legit ventures you can use your youthful ideas and strength to do. It might take time, but the time to be successful from legit pursuits or businesses are becoming shorter if you take into consideration the time it took Ckay to become a global superstar.
Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers