Gboyega Alaka profiles the rise of entertainment executive, Ekemini Obop. The chief executive of Nextstepmusic in a brief interview on the side of a recent outing speaks of his exploits and effort at developing digital marketing strategies to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
Talk of one Nigerian music executive making waves across Africa despite the global COVID-19 restrictions and you may well be speaking of young, ebullient Ekemini Obop aka Fizzy Obop.
As a professional music digital marketing executive, A&R Representative, business developer and chief executive of Nextstepmusic, Obop has worked with notable artistes in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Jamaica and across the globe; and has headlined the likes of Alex Marley (cousin to Bob Marley, Jamaican), Mb Salone (fast rising artist in Sierra Leone).
This is in addition to Ghanaian artistes like Nero X, Bizzy Salifu, Amerado, Kwabena Kwabena & QueendarlynYurglee, Fiifi Adinkra (top Ghanaian blogger) and Biesloaded (Nigerian top blogger in Zanku Records).
To beat COVID-19, Obop is developing digital marketing strategies, penetrating Africa with his digital music business, teaming up with Nero X, Amerado Burner, Bizzy Salifu, Sugarboy; and Remy Crown’s album, which features Teni, Sugarboy, Sean Tizzle, Duncan Mighty and other top industry acts.
Having worked with more than 200 artistes worldwide in recent years, Obop, who is currently working with Ghanaian artistes, Amerado Burner & Kwabena Kwabena and producer Willis Beatz, says his driving force “is structuring and producing artistes who will take their rightful place among the committee of A-list artistes in the country and across the African continent; while master-minding digital sales and royalties recoup.”
Obop has also delivered projects for Oliver Nwagbo popularly known as Pankeeroy, Nollywood actor and owner of Miss Africa Golden in Nigeria, Sapphire Obi Ogodo; Nollywood actor and producer Anayo Kingsley Okeke and Akan Umoren aka Sugarboygww.
Asked where he is headed in the industry, the prince of the royal family of Edidem Nyong Udo Obop in Ikono LGA, Akwa Ibom, says, “My ambition is not necessarily to be on top of the industry but to achieve my goals. Wherever my result takes me, I will follow.”
At the moment, he is expanding Nextstepmusic in the U.S, Germany, Jamaica, Angola, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Algeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone and many other countries.
Obop, who recently won the ‘Fast Rising Publicist of the Year 2020 edition of Miss Africa Golden, says his “highest moments in the industry are the various recognitions and job offers I am getting around the world, some of which I turn down.”
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