Frank Lampard “SACKED” by Chelsea

BIG news making headlines on top English sports papers is; Frank Lampard sacked by Chelsea.

The Chelsea legend that took over managerial duties at the club in 2019 has been relieved of his duties just after 18 months.

In a statement following the sack, Chelsea said, “results and performances have not met the club’s expectations, leaving the club mid-table without any clear path to sustained improvement”.

frank lampard sack

After enjoying a successful spell in his first season as manager, Lampard’s Chelsea has underperformed this season. They sit 9th on the EPL table following 5 defeat out of their last 8 matches.

Lampard, who remains Chelsea’s all-time highest goalscorer led the London club to FA Cup glory in his first season as well as securing them a Champions League spot.

Expectation rose high this season after Chelsea spent over $292 million on signings the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, and Édouard Mendy; but the big names signings have been unable to link well on the pitch.

frank lampard sack

Who’s next in for the Hot Seat?

Chelsea is known to fire managers in split-seconds show of underperformance. The BIG question after Frank Lampard’s sack remains, “who’s next in line to take the hot seat at the Blues?”

Rumors have it that formal PSG and Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is the only candidate on Chelsea’s list to take over from Lampard. While the German is yet to be contacted hours after the sack, papers report that his appointment is a strong possibility.

frank lampard sack
Source: Emirates FA Cup

Discussions are all over the internet regarding the sack. Some fans had called for Chelsea to be patient and give managers time to build teams. Others seem to agree with the sack and Chelsea’s underperformance under Lampard.

What do you think? Has Chelsea been unfair to a legend in his right, and an all-time goalscorer for this club? Has Lampard truly shown his lack of top football managerial experience?

End June 2020 With Best TV Series Showing on DStv

When it comes to enjoying great TV series entertainment, trust DStv to wows you! They sure do know how to line up pictures that keep us glued to our TV screens; and we absolutely love it!

The month of June kicked off with a list of pleasant TV dramas; from love to actions, from comedies to tragedies; entertaining millions of Nigerians 24/7. Hmmmn! If you are yet to renew your DStv subscription, trust us you’re missing a lot!

But not to worry; we have lined up a list of top shows and new series scheduled this week to end the month of June so that you don’t miss these coming boredom-busters! Subscribe your DStv now to catch all the dramas as June wraps itself up:

TV series on DStv

1. Iron Rose S2

Top of our list is the highly expected second season of Iron Rose after a spell-bound first season. Iron Rose tells the story of a powerful woman, Altagracia Sandoval, who is ruthless in her search for the truth. The second season sees her return to Mexico after the disappearance of her daughter’s husband, Saúl, and must face not only justice but also her enemies.

Catch this unbridled Telemundo passion unfold on DStv Channel 118, starting from Monday 22nd by 7 pm.

TV series on DStv

2. Will & Grace S11

An absolute rib-cracker! We have enjoyed 10 seasons of incredibly funny Will & Grace, so bring on the 11th, please! The 18-episode American comedy series kicks off June 27th on DStv Premium.

Laugh your socks off as Will plans ways to get back at Jack for years of mocking his hairline and Grace decided to prove to Mrs. Timmer she’s strong enough to handle being a single mother. Drama!

TV series on DStv

3. Betty S1 (New Series)

Another comedy series hits our lungs! Betty is an American teen comedy television series based on Moselle’s 2018 film Skate Kitchen. A blend of laughter and motivation, this series focuses on a group of teen girls and their efforts to stand out in New York’s predominantly male world of skateboarding. You just can’t miss it!

Betty starts from June 22nd on DStv channel 103.

4. Bargain Mansions S1 (New Series)

Something for real estate lovers! This new TV series, Tamara Day, strives to become a tycoon amidst the troubles of everyday life. A pro designer and shrewd businesswoman take on the dirt and gold of turning shabby pieces of real estate into amazing master crafts. Follow Tamara as she documents the “Bargain Mansions.”

Showing on DStv from June 27th, 2020.

TV series on DStv

5. Murder Comes Home S1 (New Series)

Murder Comes Home pairs actual CSI crime-scene video alongside real home videos of the same victim, home, and family to set up and unravel an intimate and emotionally powerful mystery.

If you love crime movies or tension-packed detective TV series, you would definitely love this. Sit on the edge, keep your detective instincts alive and let Murder Comes Home entertain you. Showing on DStv Compact from 29th June 2020.

6. Housekeepers S1 (New Series)

In a world behind high walls and luxury, the wealthy may believe they are powerful in the comfort of their mansions, but it is the housekeepers who see all and know all. The ones who keep our homes and tend our kids know all our secrets too.

This new series comes packed with promises of intrigue, betrayal, passion, and thrill. Watch Housekeepers on DStv Access from June 29th.

Housekeepers

7. McDonald & Dodds S1 (New Series)

Another crime thriller mixed with a tint of romance cruises the screens for suspense lovers. Two detectives with seemingly nothing in common are thrown together. Wildly ambitious DCI McDonald and the shy DS Dodds forge a rumbustious friendship and entertaining, effective partnership as they take on puzzling cases.

McDonald & Dodds begins 29th June on DStv Compact.

There you have it, all the top shows that really excites us, see the full list here. Don’t miss all the dramas ending the month of June. Get ready for passion, action, laughter, and intrigue. Here’s how you do so:

  1. Visit ppp.vtpass.com
  2. Click on TV Subscriptions on the ribbon
  3. Click on DStv banner
  4. Select Bouquet (Access, Compact, Premium, etc.), input your Smartcard number, phone number, email address and amount
  5. Click Continue to move to Payment page
  6. Enter your card details to complete payment
  7. Once your decoder is connected, tune your favorite TV series
  8. Grab a pack of popcorn, sit back, and enjoy!

English Premier League Set to Resume

Fans of the Barclay’s Premier League are in for a treat tonight as the league official resumes; after 100 days hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 92 games left to play would be packed into 40 days which would see the current season end by 26 July. Aston Villa v Sheffield United will kick off the English top-flight’s return; however, it’s the match between Manchester City and Arsenal tonight that got fans in a frenzy.

Here are a few things you need as the action returns:

No 12th man

As with Bundesliga and La Liga, all matches would be played behind closed doors. Not more than 300 people (staff, players, tech crew, etc.) would be allowed into stadiums. However, teams are setting virtual fans in place to ensure TV viewing isn’t boring at all.

Renew your DStv subscription now. Don’t miss the action

premier league resumes

One-minute silence

To remember all those who died during the pandemic, one-minute silence would be observed before the starting of each game.

No Players’ names on shirts for a while

For the first 12 matches after resumption, players’ names on their shirts would be replaced with ‘Black Lives Matter‘ to commemorate with the death of George Floyd and the campaign against racism.

Liverpool eyes the trophy after 30 years

The Reds sits 25 points clear off second-place Manchester City and are 3 wins away from been crowned EPL Champions 2019/2020 season. Liverpool would most definitely be full of action as they campaign to clinch the trophy for the first time since 1990.

Fight for Top-4

All eyes would be fixed on Manchester United and Chelsea as each battle for a place in the top four. Ahead of both is Leicester City and Manchester City and below them, just 2 points under United is the formidable Wolves.

premier league resumes

Social distancing and other hygiene

Players would have to maintain social-distancing during goal celebrations. They are not to spit, shake hands, or come near referees. Coaching staff on the sidelines are equally under instruction not to come within two meters of the fourth official.

Catch all the actions!

Subscribe your DStv on VTpass to catch all the actions live and in HD. You don’t want to be told. Now once again, we can all tune in every weekend to watch goals and delicious passes. Click to renew your DStv subscription now! We’ll see you on the football side of life.

vtpass app

TOONAMI! Finally on DSTV and GOTV

If you are not a cartoon freak, enthusiast, or diehard Superheroes’ fan, you can very well skip this read. It’s cool, we would forgive you.

But if you’re part of us; whether as a kid who looks forward to catching all the superheroes showdowns on the weekend or as an adult who stays late at night to peep on cartoons alone when everyone is asleep (yeah, we know how you feel, it can be a bit embarrassing, but adults love cartoons too); stay tuned! You don’t want to miss the gist about DStv and GoTV new pop-up cartoon channel, TOONAMI!

Late last month, DStv and GoTV announced the launch of the new Superheroes channel, TOONAMI to air as a pop-up channel on DStv channel 300 and GoTV channel 71. TOONAMI is a WarnerMedia’s channel and has been in existence across Africa for the past three years. The channel is designed for kids especially between the ages of eight and 12, offering non-stop and 24-hour top-rated cartoon series such as DC Comics’ Batman, Superman, The Green Lantern, Young Justice, and The Justice League as well as popular animated series Teen Titans, Throne of Atlantis, Monster Mayhem, among others.  Wow! Talk of Superheroes overdose. . .

So we decided to wait a bit, enjoy the channel and review all the promises of ‘action’ and ‘pulse-raising‘ enjoyment made by DStv and GoTV when launching this new channel. Trust us, it is as entertaining as promised! There’s something for everyone across all ages of cartoon lovers, from standard 2D graphics to 3D Green Lantern cartoons. Enjoy epic throwbacks of DC Comics’ Superman or hook yourself on new series of Young Justice. The Batman storylines would keep you glued to your TV (don’t say we didn’t warn you). You simply wouldn’t be able to change the channel once you start!

TOONAMI is available on all DStv packages, GOtv Max, Jolli, and Plus packages, so you wouldn’t be left behind no matter your subscription plan. To start enjoying this channel, simply subscribe to your DStv and GoTV right away. Log on to ppp.vtpass.com to make your subscription right from your mobile phone or desktop while experiencing quality convenience. No need to step out of your house.

Don’t miss out on this non-stop cartooning entertainment!

2018 MOVIES YOU SHOULD SEE FOR THE WEEKEND

2018 is barely yet to give its opening remark. But already, remarkable, landmark achievements are already on the trail. And this is especially with regards to the entertainment industry. New sounds are constantly in the news. And of course, quite a number of movies are getting the brand new 2018 attention. You can easily keep abreast of things as they go down in the world of entertainment with VTpass. VTpass is an online payment platform through which you can easily pay your everyday bills. So, talk about electricity bills, data, airtime and cable TV subscriptions. So, when you log on to www.vtpasss.com or download the VTpass mobile app for Android on Google Play store. You can easily keep in touch with the exciting things that go down in the entertainment industry, both home and abroad.

So, you need this weekend can be so much fun with the awesome movies that have been released this year. You can go on to watch these movies by simply getting your data from VTpass and streaming. Here are the movies you should look out for.

Proud Mary

So, Taraji P. Henson takes the lead in this movie, playing a different role from what we know her to be.

Fifty Shades Freed

This is a third of the trilogy of romance and thrilling suspense.

Black Panther

This movie, just released today, is set to blow your mind.

Maze Runner

Molly’s Game

 

Hip-hop: The story and theory

Hip-hop is one genre of music that is generally the hype and glitz of any thriving urban city. Really, it is a unique blend of sounds that make the heart throb and makes the ear bounce. And if there is any one thing a music lover will tell you. It is that Hip-hop is life with a garnish of gyrational rhythms and beats. More so, Chuck-D, a prolific rapper, music producer, author and activist, made a profound revelation in an interview. He said, “Hip-hop is about being who you are”. Really, this statement inspires some inner thought and just about explains what Hip-hop is. And more than anything, it is on this axis that we have seen lots and lots of hip-hop releases that continue to blaze the trail.

hiphopIn fact, most people live and breathe hip-hop. They listen to it for as long as they can and through any such medium available. For one, most people prefer physical contacts with hip-hop artists, paying just about any amount to watch them perform on stage. But recently, the large influx of hip-hop influences has come from the online platform. So that through YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, Worldstarhiphop and other social networking sites, people get to download, listen to and share songs. Whatever the medium might be, VTpass, an online payment platform, grants easy and speedy access to the internet, hence, enabling you to connect to your favourite hip-hop jams. By logging on to ppp.vtpass.com, you get to buy your airtime and internet data in just three easy steps. Through ppp.vtpass.com, you can also make easy payment for your electricity bills, cable TV subscriptions and so on.

There is no need questioning the continuity of hip-hop or seeing an end to it. Because there is clearly no end. Hip-hop has seeped into our daily lives so that we might be nothing without the feverish and charismatic melodies. But then, it won’t be too out of place to find its beginning and give it a root? So then, what is the story of hip-hop, especially in Nigeria?

Generally, hip-hop started out as a culture in South Bronx, one of the five boroughs in New-york. Although it seems music is all there is to hip-hop, there are actually other facets of this culture. For one, deejaying, breakdancing, beatboxing, rapping and graffiti art are other aspects of HIP-HOP. As Ronald Savage, the son of Hip-hop movement would say,

Hip is the culture, Hop is the music.

This line of art and movement started with gangs and clubs like the Puerto Rican and the Ghetto Brothers. These groups organised street events to break the prejudices and boundaries amongst African-Americans. But then, it evolved over time into something beyond space and time. What has made hip-hop hippie and popular over the years is the successful combination of styles, techniques and expertise from all over the world? For one, DJ Kool Herc, in his time, developed the key DJ techniques presently used. In the early years, there was an equally rich blend of Jamaican and other African musical styles. Also, other genres of music like R&B, Jazz, funk and disco have all come together to form the unique sound of hip-hop.

Although at first, it seemed the whole gyrational culture was done by Africans for Africans, Hip-hop is now a revving artistry that belongs to the entire world.

THE NAME

Keith cowboyKeith “Cowboy” Wiggins, a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, has been credited with coining the term in 1978 while teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army by scat singing the made-up words “hip/hop/hip/hop” in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers. Cowboy later worked the “hip hop” cadence into his stage performance. The group frequently performed with disco artists who would refer to this new type of music by calling them “hip hoppers”. At first, people used it in derogatory ways but later, they associated it with the culture.

HIP HOP IN NIGERIA

In reaching the whole world, the hip-hop culture also spread its tentacles to Nigeria. How and when cannot be easily explained? But one thing is sure, Nigeria has always been an evolving site for music, culture and life. This is especially true in light of the music lovers and talented musicians that strive endlessly to make our indigenous tunes music in the ears of a global audience.

A research paper by Dr Yomi Olusegun Joseph does justice to the delineation of hip-hop as it goes down in Nigeria. He focuses primarily on the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria. Here is an excerpt:

The engagement of Yoruba youth in Nigerian hip hop (also known as Naija hip-hop or gbedu) may be seen as deconstructive, interrogating the normative drawing of sociality and citizenry in the adult-Nigerian space. But this deconstructive engagement also incorporates the primary desire of every hip-hop artist to construct individual ‘respect’ and relevance in the area of imaginative experimentations and entertainment, and ultimately to attain stardom.

This factor emphasizes a major difference between the ideological origins of hip-hop in the United States and Nigeria, for while it commenced as a channel of social criticism with a racial bent in the United States, it took off primarily as an entertainment outlet in Nigeria. It later became a youth channel of social criticism and transcultural group expression. Thus, the Yoruba contributions to Nigerian hip-hop necessarily embraced the marriage of local and Western imaginative resources to breed what often alarms the adult world as Kayeefı `: a bewildering mystery.

This notionally becomes the case because traditional culture and its pillars are reduced to recycled commodities in which the sacrosanct becomes tabooed, the communal becomes eroded, the ethical becomes outlawed and the ethnic becomes ‘postponed’.

Being Nigerian, in this regard, becomes an identity that shifts towards a feeling of being global and being a citizen, since the postmodern cultural mediation of the NHHN introduces new socio-cultural values that imaginatively ‘free’ youth from the limiting socio-political boundaries of the Nigerian nation-state and mono-ethnicity. In this manifestation, the Yoruba intervention in Nigerian hip hop becomes an exercise in artful transgression. One of the ways in which this exercise is carried out is through the relocation of familiar native folk songs, pithy sayings and proverbs from their customary habitats of ethnic veneration to a playful, postmodern arena of identity in which the customary is artistically and ethically ruptured.

olamide,hiphopThe elements of code-switching and code-mixing in this song (also common to songs by a number of Yoruba lead artists such as 9ice, D Banj, Olu Maintain, Lord of Ajasa, Weird MC, Sound Sultan, Jazzman Olofin, (the late) Dagrin, Olamide, eLDee, Davido, Bouqui, Sasha, Ara and Tiwa Savage) are statements of postcolonial ambivalence, a site which memorizes the past but insists on a transcultural identity in order to subvert the twin grand narratives of nativism and postcolonial national affiliation. 

It is instructive to note that the aesthetic and discursive experimentations of the Yoruba intervention in Nigerian hip-hop and the concentration of this activity in Lagos, the former capital city of Nigeria and Nigeria’s most cosmopolitan city, has evoked a youth culture with an amazing hybrid character. This hybridity negotiates a globalized reinvention of the Yoruba language and culture usable even by non-Yoruba hip-hop stars.

It must be noted that the mainstream language of Nigerian hip-hop is the Nigerian pidgin. However, since the Yoruba language enjoys the reputation of being largely de-ethnicized through an array of creative experimentations and transcultural social contraptions, Yoruba may well be seen as the indigenous-tongue ‘lingua franca’ of Nigerian hip-hop. This, however, does not mean that remarkable innovations do not occur in languages such as Igbo, Hausa, Efik, Idoma, and so on. Neither does it mean that Yoruba youths do not consume songs that are code-mixed and/or code-switched in English and non-Yoruba indigenous languages.

The fact, however, that most hip-hop activities and stars are based in Lagos has informed a development in which Yoruba enjoys the status of being the next most widespread and available language, coming close to Nigerian Pidgin and English. This naturally opens it up to a globalized imaginative stream of usages, which also cements youth solidarity within the Nigerian hip-hop cultural experience. Some notable non-Yoruba stars who have been known to use Yoruba in one creative form or the other include Ruggedman, Tuface, P Square, DJ Zeez, Terry G and Jesse Jagz.

Thematically, Yoruba-oriented hip hop casts itself within a geography of illimitable possibilities, ranging from the personal to the communal, from the private to the public, from the ethnic to the (inter)national, from the religious to the secular, from the subjective to the objective. Aesthetically, it explores arresting avenues of language use, proposes a synthetic relation with non-Yoruba cultures, epistemic temperaments, worldviews. It accommodates non-Yoruba participants within an arguable commonwealth of the linguistic, folkloric and philosophical hemisphere.

So this is quite an academic paper, one that is theoretical in nature. It goes a long way to show the kind of vibe that reels around the hip-hop world. Always stay on to your favourite hippie songs with ppp.vtpass.com. VTpass allows you convenience in paying for all and any of your everyday services. You can pay your electricity bills, DSTV, GOTV and STARTIMES subscriptions through ppp.vtpass.com. And you can also pay for your MTN, AIRTEL, GLO and 9MOBILE airtimes and data subscriptions on this online payment platform.