Hype as an art or culture in Nigeria has experienced a paradigm shift! Unlike the late 1900’s and 2000’s hype as an art has become more relevant and profitable in Nigeria. What changed?
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Hype originally started in the 1970’s and 80’s. Hype-men were basically back up artistes especially in hip-hop culture. A hype man was someone who backs up a lead artiste. They used ad-libs, exclamations and other techniques to assist a lead artiste during a stage performance.
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The origin of hype at nightclubs, parties and festivals evolved from the role of the hip-hop hype man, which grew out of house party culture in the 1970s and 80s. Today, the hype man’s role has expanded beyond just hip-hop to other genres and is often seen as the “life of the party” who brings energy to a performance or event. Today hype men fill gaps in a performances, interact with the crowd, and even help highlight high-spending patrons in some clubs.
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With the invention of DJ loop technology and rise of Amapiano culture, hype men began to create sweet, relatable, relatively short, and easy to sing songs known as “Hype Songs”. These songs entertain the audience when a loop or beat is played by a DJ.
In Nigeria, hype men are known for creating hype songs to thrill their audience. Example of hype men that do this exceptionally well are:
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- Pella Iyke
- Poco Lee
- Jerry Shaffer
- Voltage of Hype
- Emmy Blaq
- Toby Shang
- Slymshady
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Now you know what to expect from a professional hype man in this era!
