Osh vs. Loz: Clash Of The Viral Remixes

The last couple of weeks have seen two videos break the internet, the latest in a long line of online sensations shaking up the music business. We thought we’d take a closer look at the content, the artists behind it, and give you our lowdown on what it means for the industry…

First up, @oshthisside - who posted a remix of Burna Boy’s “Ye” (released earlier this year) which has been spreading like wildfire across social media, providing inspiration for a new wave of hilarious memes.  

“My Yé is different to your Yé” has not only caught on because of his voice but also due to what the phrase means. It is fast becoming a way of declaring that you are in a lane of superiority, which is providing the ammunition for many a meme account across Instagram.

Osh is an undeniably good singer - however, the power of the internet may have taken his music career in a different direction. He is now in the spotlight of the music industry, grabbing attention from everyone - from the major labels, to festival promoters like ourselves.

Our second singing sensation, Lorraine’s (@itslozxo, former girlfriend to our boy J Hus) ZEZE remix has also caught fire and turned heads with the line “I shaku on the beat as well”.

Shaku Shaku’s origins are from the streets of Lagos, and the phrase was used to refer to the way people moved when they were drunk or high. Since being made into a dance, it has been referred to by the likes of Skepta and Wizkid - bringing it into UK urban music culture.

Through her Instagram video, Loz has been able to harness the already growing Shaku Shaku hype and Kodak’s ZEZE beat, and coin her own phrase - which has lead to her doing her first show in Birmingham this week, just like that!

This sudden success that comes from virality can lead to a number of important questions:

Firstly, what is it that makes an act go viral in the first place? Is it talent, hard work, careful industry analysis or just pure luck?

We think that it is usually a combination of a few of these factors. In the first instance with OshThisSide, talent has clearly played a factor. “My Yé is different to your Yé” is a great hook for a track by anyone’s definition. It’s catchy AF, plus he sounds great - but did he really believe the internet would take hold of the meaning behind the phrase? Let us know what you think…

Next, and very importantly for us as promoters, is it ever right to book acts like this solely from the success of their viral videos as opposed to quality/depth of musical content and on-stage talent? Michael Dapper - the comedian-turned-rapper behind Big Shaq - has performed on the biggest festival stages across the globe and gone on to release a number of other singles. But how many temporary internet sensations like this have fallen by the wayside?

There’s still 7 months until S&C 2019 and realistically it’s far too early for anyone to call if these two are still going to be relevant by the time festival season comes around. If we released them both on the line-up tomorrow, perhaps we’d see a pretty positive response. But would they come up with the goods on stage next year, and would it be worth it?

Furthermore, does being made into a meme affect their credibility as an artist going forward? Roll Safe changed his name and effectively vanished from the internet to get away from his association with the meme to pursue a credible acting career. This can go either way of course. Rapper EO (special guest at last years S&C) was a Youtube comedian before he dropped his track German. He’s a great example of an artist - in this new era where a presence on the internet can have an impact on success - who made the transition into making repeatedly credible tunes.   

And finally, does the rapid thrust into the spotlight highlight any prematurity in their skill as a performer, both live & lyrically? @itslozxo has already done her first show off the back of going viral last week but we all know what can happen if an artist is thrown in at the deep end and ends up playing to a crowd too big before they are ready (see Ramz Barking at Summertime Ball…)

Performing comes more naturally to some, however it still requires days and weeks of practice and gigging to really perfect a show. We aim to go and watch all of our artists perform before we book them, to ensure they’re able to deliver on the big day for you guys!

So, would you be happy to see a viral act on the S&C stage? Or do you feel the spotlight should be reserved for those who have honed their craft over a number of years to reach the peak performance point they are at now? Let us know in the comments!