Popular comedian and master of ceremonies Chimaraph has spoken out boldly about the current state of the Nigerian MC industry, warning that social media has opened the floodgates for untrained individuals to secure high-profile bookings without proper skills or experience.
In a recent episode of the Conversations With Kenni podcast hosted by Kehinde Ajose, Chimaraph shared candid insights into how the game has changed from the days when aspiring MCs had to learn the craft the hard way. He recalled starting out by shadowing established professionals and learning through observation rather than rushing for the spotlight.
“The inception of social media has changed how the industry works. Now, you can just wear a fine suit, look really good, and start getting some of the biggest gigs from knowing somebody that knows somebody. Just post some good videos and be in the right cliques, and before you know it, you’re getting some of the biggest gigs even if you cannot deliver well,” he said.
Chimaraph contrasted this new reality with his own journey. He credited his mentor MC Pato for shaping him properly.
“When we started, we had to actually learn the basics. We started by shadowing someone who was already doing it to learn from them. The mentor I learnt from is MC Pato and I remember I’d follow him to events sometimes and he’ll tell me to just sit down and watch him. There was a time to just observe and he wouldn’t give me the mic, but nowadays if you don’t give them mic at an event you take them to, they’ll see you as an enemy.”
He shared a recent experience with a young talent who was shadowing him.
“There was a guy who I was mentoring recently and because of making videos on social media, I asked him to help me make videos of my performances while he was following me and also observe the way I handle the ups and downs of events, and it got to a point that he started looking for a microphone by all means.”
Chimaraph acknowledged the pressure of today’s fast-paced world where many chase overnight success. He referenced popular sayings that encourage impatience, noting how some traditional quotes have been twisted. On the idea of the patient dog eating the fattest bone, he acknowledged that while patience remains valuable, the modern era allows for sudden breakthroughs.
“I understand that we live in a fast-paced world where everyone wants to make money overnight. You hear quotes like ‘hunger has killed the patient dog.’ When you look at some of these bastardized quotes, the original ones weren’t all that correct to begin with, but it doesn’t mean that some of them aren’t correct. Like the patient dog eating the fattest bone, I think it came from the need to tell people to be patient with life till things work out. It doesn’t have to be overnight, but in today’s world, you can sleep, wake up, and become a global sensation.”
Chimaraph’s honesty serves as both a warning and a call for aspiring talents to value proper training over quick visibility.