By Usman Dambo
Nigeria as a nation has been witnessing a global acceptance and recognition for over decades, as this is attributed to the immense output of geniuses from the country.
Therefore, there is a need for Nigerians both home and abroad to embrace themselves more, of the values that come out of the country, as those are what are etching the name “Nigeria” in gold, on the international platform.
There is a need to embrace our cultural values that stem from music, entertainment, art, traditions, and drama, to mention a few.
As such, there have been a number of creatives spanning across tech companies, fashion houses, business institutions, media platforms, literary spheres, movie terrains, and music industry, among others, that have been using various mediums, (especially social media), to carry a larger community of people along in their creative outburst.
Most professionals, particularly the entertainment industry, have made cinematic films and home videos that attest to this foregoing claim. Likewise, others, too, have been successful in music productions that are immersed in African heritage and culture, as it is generally known as ‘Afrobeats’.
Other efforts that cannot go unnoticed are the entertainment lawyer and critic of these works to aid them in getting better and better. Thus, all industry’s hands are on deck in championing this course to the shore of global acceptability and for history’s sake.
Therefore, in the journey of catalyzing the African heritage and values through diverse means, Samson Jikeme has been a significant pathfinder, employing his profession and enthusiasm for art and entertainment as navigating apparatuses for the aforementioned.
To establish this fact, Samson Jikeme, fondly called “Big Sam” on Twitter Space and other relevant social spaces, is a passionate enthusiast of culture, music, literature, and everything that relates to arts.
He is also a lawyer. He has been in the forefront of developing the cultural values of Nigeria and Africa at large, which are expressed through the creative outbursts of literature books that come out of Africa; through Afrobeats genre of music; from the end of the Nollywood filmmakers; fashion; art exhibitions and dramatic plays on stages.
While his contemporaries choose to only appreciate these arts through patronages, Samson has chosen the path of critical criticism or appreciation to hone his writing skills, thereby establishing him as a rooted enthusiast of the culture.
Consequently, one could then call him a music critic or entertainment analyst, as most of his critiques span across Afrobeats.
This is backdated to when he was still an undergraduate in the South-South, Nigeria, which it is safe to say that this potential was at first a hobby before it officially became a sought-after thing for Samson, later on.
In light of the above-mentioned, Samson further exercises his passion for art as he is a Co-founder and Creative-director for a media platform called Afrocritik, as this is attributed to his love for putting African culture – which is communicated through art – on the global platforms.
Afrocritik, an online magazine and a media platform, which is officially launched in 2021 has efficiently made the effort in developing the African culture through the appreciation of arts, music, movies, literature, and fashion.
It aims to gather together writers from different parts of Africa, and also accepts critiqued works that span across the foregoing.
This media platform has also interviewed various artistes in the music industry, including the likes of Mr. Eazi, Kaycee Brown, Kcee, Yemi Alade, Konstance, Chike, and a few others.
In the growth of this online platform, Samson has been a significant prime actor. He shows his leadership skills through his immense support of up-and-coming critics in Africa; also, he has constantly been seen on the social media space, notably Facebook and X, as he daily shares works of writers on Afrocritik to his page for popular engagement and recognition alongside.
A recommendation on one of his social handles attest to his leadership skills, as he is described as “…being detailed, dedicated and dependable, and someone who takes joy in assisting team members for effective delivery on assignments”.
Additionally, Samson is the producer and co-host on Afrocritik weekly music spaces on Twitter X, themed, “AfrocritikSpaces,” where he joins others like him, who are interested in entertainment and music, in discussing trends in the African music sphere, providing a platform for open discussions on creative growth and new talent discovery.
On “AfrocritikSpaces,” participants get to chat about the showbiz among contemporary artistes, the new signees in the industry, the business of music, the beefs and feuds, latest singles, EPs, LPs, and albums.
This space, in recent times, has also featured artistes, including AQ and Ajebo Hustlers as guest speakers to talk about the culture and norms in the music industry.
Aside from being educational, the space is also entertaining and fun, and has successfully garnered thousands of participants since the launch of the program on Twitter X, under the leadership of Samson.
Thus, Samson’s insights help shape the narratives around African music, driving critical conversations that impact the industry.
Ultimately on this note, Samson is a standout entertainment lawyer in Nigeria, blending expertise, charisma, and youthful energy to deliver exceptional results.
With a strong background in contract law and intellectual property, he navigates complex legal matters with ease, safeguarding his clients’ interests in the competitive entertainment industry.
His impressive tenure as Head of E-Business and Entertainment Law at Pleiades and Craig’s LP showcased his expertise in digital business, intellectual property, and entertainment law.
Samson’s network and negotiation skills have earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor for creatives and media professionals.
He has represented multiple record labels including BlackBody Entertainment, a company famed for representing artistes like Timaya, Chykay, and Uzzi, as well as producer Pheelz.
This has further solidified his position as a leading industry expert. He continues by saying Samson has a mettle in creating multiple media enterprises, which Afrocritik, one of Africa’s leading platforms is his brainchild.
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