"Iyalaya Anybody": Street Lingos and Pop Culture

(By Pius Adesanmi) - In its pristine cultural background in the Yoruba world, “iyalaya” is an obscenity hurled at your opponent in a brawl to display contempt for his or her maternal lineage. It is usually accompanied by the insulting palm and five-finger flash we call “waka” in the face of your opponent. The consequence, as you all know, is often a bloody nose and an unscheduled trip to the hospital. However, as cultures evolve across generations, new meanings emerge and old words or expressions and are sent on new errands by the human imagination. ...
          The mere mention of “iyalaya anybody” brings to mind the Nigerian musician, Olamide, and his famous spat with music industry icon, Don Jazzy. No Nigerian needs to be reminded the details of this spat which shook the African entertainment industry to its roots and set Twitter and Facebook on fire for weeks. With the whole world watching, Olamide had shot out at the audience, “iyalaya anybody”, while dissing Don Jazzy.

Don't Be A Follower, Don Jazzy

Don Jazzy

In recent interview with Yes Classics, multiple award-winning Nigerian music producer and CEO of Mavin Records, Don Jazzy advises young artistes to invest time in building their individual brands.

Yes Classics: Where do you think that most up and coming artistes get it wrong; where do you think they miss the point?

Don Jazzy: Nowadays, their [up and coming artistes'] eyes are too big (laughs). They have big eyes; they don't want to crawl before they start running. They want to jump straight from birth to university; they don't want to go to nursery school, primary school, secondary school. They just want to graduate instantly and it doesn't work like that. 

All fingers are not equal. Some people might get it right from the word go, but almost everybody they see they think that oh, they just came into the industry and made it. They don't know how much struggle they've put in behind the scene before they made it. They just assume, but it's not that easy. 

So, they should try as much as possible to study the entertainment industry a bit more before they just jump in and they should also perfect their craft. Don't try to copy people, don't be a follower, reinvent yourself--be somebody that is going to start a trend, don't just jump on another's trend. You'd just be the second best. 

What else? They believe the hype too quick. Just because you put your download link on Twitter and the people in your [housing] estate download your music and they hail you in the morning when you come outside doesn't mean the person in Surulere knows who you are. And you expect to go to the club and fight the bouncer because he doesn't recognize you. "You no know me? I'm the person that put up this download link yesterday" (general laughter).