Barry Jhay is a striking voice in Nigerian music. His emotive melodies and poignant lyrics are a major contributor to the melancholy that has increased the use case for Afro-Adura (emo street pop).

It’s this capacity to make one feel things that have drawn him to many listeners whose reality his music documents and even to those who find comfort in his soothing melodies.

On ‘Barry Star Vol 1,’ he trades his poignant melodies for more ambitious pop flows that communicate his desire for a larger role in the Nigerian mainstream.

For his day-one fans, the album largely feels like Barry Jhay discarded the bond they share. However, some moments allow for an appreciation of his ambition and inspire these fans to follow him on his new adventure.

Like most Afrobeats stars, Barry Jhay combines indigenous language, in his case Yoruba, with English and Pidgin to convey his thoughts.

Drawing from the rich melodies of his late father, the iconic Fuji music pioneer Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Barry Jhay kicks off his new adventure by committing it into divine hands like an artist inspired by typical fuji stars whose performances open with a divine acknowledgment.

Barry Jhay’s mainstream ambition is communicated via a change in cadence and production rather than is change in thought.

He embraces an uptempo beat punctuated by log drums in ‘Eskelebebe’, whose title is coined from famous Afrobeats slang to convey the familiar desire for success.

“I no go dull,” is the message that unites young men whose realities are shaped by a society where snoozing is unforgivable.

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He restates his desire for success and trust in divine guidance on the ‘Do Not Disturb’ where his flow is reminiscent of the punchy fuji and hip-hop-infused delivery coined and popularised by Afrobeats superstar Asake.

He punches with melodic rap flows on ‘Never Stop’ where he recruits Blvk H3ro whose soothing dancehall melodies complement his message of individuality and heavy reliance on divine grace that shapes Afro Adura.

The two-song run of ‘Do Not Disturb’ and ‘Never Stop’ offers a moment that gives fans a reason to follow him in his new pop star adventure.

While Barry Jhay might be looking at the strides of Asake and Seyi Vibes, both stars who embrace indigenous Yoruba music for mainstream success, his thoughts are still strongly tethered to the Afro Adura realm than the chest-thumping, party-starting, and romance meets desire subtexts that define Afropop.

On ‘Rest,’ he embraces log drums to sing about ambition fanned by a philosophy of individuality, another famous staple from the Afro-Adura school of thought.

He tapped into his new party starter side on ‘Kilonso‘ where his uptempo flow is capable of embracing new listeners while equally alienating older ones who will struggle to find him in the track.

It’s this inability to effectively sell his new side that forms the disconnect many of his Day 1 listeners, including this writer, suffer at the album’s midpoint.

Barry Jhay’s ambition aims to embrace Afrobeats’ heavily populated UK base with the Swing cadence he displayed on ‘Same Old Shit’ which lacks a retentive part.

While his versatility shows over the Drill beat of ‘What A Life,’ the song struggles to find a balance between his singing, melodic rap flows, and the swagger needed to deliver on such a beat.

While largely being a foray into new territory, familiar parts of Barry Jhay still shine as he finds a striking balance on ‘See Me See God’, which is one of the better tracks on the album.

Nigerian rapper OdumoduBlvck has given some advice to up-and-coming artists regarding dealing with record labels at the early stages of their careers.

The rapper who was recently crowned Next Rated award at the just concluded 17th Headies Awards dropped the advice on his X page.

The ‘Wotowoto Seasoning’ singer strongly warned up-and-coming artists to take caution when dealing with record labels regarding advances.

He emphasised the need for up-and-coming artists to be patient and hardworking, urging them to focus on developing their craft until they are well and truly ready.

ALSO READ: I was talking about Jesus and they tried to shut me down – Odumodublvck

He wrote, “Dear upcoming artist, if you know your music is not ripe, stay away from an advance.

“You do not want to be owing an organisation so much money. You will die a debtor, please heed to my advice. Be patience and work hard till you are ready, please.”

Like OdumoduBlvck, singer and songwriter Wande Coal also dropped a message for up-and-coming artists on his X page.

Wande Coal’s message came in the form of a question and a message to up-and-coming artists to ensure they are very certain they want to get into the music business.

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He wrote, “Are you sure you really want to do this music business? You must be very sure oooo.”

Recall that when OdumoduBlvck won the Next Rated at the Headies last Sunday, he shared a heartfelt story about his mother’s journey, revealing that she gave birth to him in her late thirties and she always knew he was destined for greatness.

ALSO READ: Davido tells OdumoduBlvck the importance of winning the Headies Next Rated prize

He expressed his deep gratitude to his mother, dedicating the award to her and acknowledging the special bond they share as mother and son.

Terry Waya, the flamboyant Nigerian businessman and father of reality TV star Kiddwaya, has revealed his net worth to be approximately $2.2 billion.

The Benue-born billionaire made the revelation during an interview with Romanian media personality Oana Irimia, when he was directly asked about his current net worth.

Irimia asked, “What is your net worth as of today? “ Terry Waya responded, “Maybe about 2.2 billion dollars.”

Terry Waya is involved in a range of business ventures spanning agriculture, industry, and investments. He also serves as the Executive Director at GT Carbon. Known for his extravagant lifestyle, Waya frequently makes headlines for his luxurious properties and high-end fashion accessories, including expensive watches.

ALSO READ: My Dad is rich, I might just enter the music business – Kiddwaya

His son, Kiddwaya, gained fame on the Big Brother Naija reality show in 2020. He openly stated that he joined the show for fun rather than the prize money.

Terry Waya was once a flamboyant playboy who was the toast of society tales back in the mid-90s to early 2000s.

Terry Waya’s son’s appearance on the Big Brother Naija reality show in 2020 brought him back to the limelight, where he’s been a constant ever since.

Note that Terry Waya’s time in the limelight has not only been about glitz and glamour. He’s had two convictions in England for a couple of financial crimes and has also had a run-in with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

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The Kaduna Polytechnic graduate was born in Benue State. He moved to Kaduna at an early age and grew up there before relocating to Abuja.

He got his first break in the capital city when he consulted for the company that built the Transcorp Hilton in the early 1990s.

ALSO READ: I got robbed in Ibiza and 70,000 Euros was stolen – BBNaija’s Kiddwaya

From then on, he became a known fixer for top politicians from the mid-90s to early 2000s and acquired a lot of money with which he made investments in the United Kingdom and several countries in Europe.