Funmi Iyanda

Talking about the dogged, the creative, the authentic, and the real deal. Hip Hop World Awards for music are in my opinion the best awards show in Nigeria and the most authentic. It is powered by the creative energy of Ayo Animasaun and his team of young creative anarchists. I have know, watched and admired Ayo for almost a decade right from when he laboured with the girls nite out shows. I have seen him soldier on in spite of all, regardless of put downs and lets downs from project to project and across continents using the most limited resources to achieve the highest standards.


Hip Hop world magazine is one of the few magazines I consciously and willfully buy. I have never forgotten the incredible 2 face cover. That is the one magazine where you cannot get on the cover by nepotism, fiat, cronyism or bribery. Hip Hop awards are also the awards you cannot buy. They are able to ferret out the new and exciting, they are not blinded by puerile snobbery and are not limited by self-censorship. It is the only awards I look forward to and always make sure I am in town to attend. They get most of it right and the points that need work you can tell that they recognize the need and are working on it. Best of all Ayo is not putting himself out there above the brand he is building, from the magazine to the award to the TV shows, he is quietly working away in the background. I watch Ayo speak, sometimes stuttering his words because he is overcome by the depth and power of his convictions. I feel a kindred spirit.


To that end I have bought the most fabulous dress from the fantastic Ndidi at Designers Club, I have called Tony to put me through the work out sequence to remove all traces of my addiction to lunch at yellow chilli and tomorrow I will get Ugo the magician and Bayo the sorcerer to transform me to a glittering star deserving of a walk down the yellow carpet at an award that represent the true potentials of Nigeria, the creative and resourceful energy of the music industry and the eventual triumph of substance.