SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS THE DIGITAL WAY

Christmas is fast approaching and many are looking forward to having a memorable celebration. But then, as far as many are concerned, work still goes on right up until the Christmas break. In fact, many more people see the holiday period as the season of booming sales for them. So, although they still want to have a blast of a Christmas, they can’t afford to make it happen. But then, you do not have to settle for a lifeless Christmas just because of work. You can make your Christmas come alive by shopping the digital way.

So, you need to pay your everyday bills and get your daily services in the nick of time? Then, log right on to ppp.vtpass.com on your phone or laptop. With ppp.vtpass.com, you can pay your electricity bills, airtime, data and tv subscriptions. What this means is you do not have to run around, trying to get these bills fixed. Because with your phone in your palms, you can settle your daily bills. Evidently, this reduces the slug on your shoulders and gets you going on more serious Christmas celebrations.

Now, here is a catalogue of just what you will need to brighten up your Christmas and just where you will get them the digital way. You can even bear to have a Christmas party without having to skip work or miss out on more money.

Christmas cards

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Let’s start with these. Do you know you can have your personalized Christmas cards? You get to design it yourself, pick festive fonts and themes. And then, you can as well add your favourite personal or favourite pictures. Afterwards, you go on to print it. Not only that, you can customise mugs and every other such thing. It’s easy.

Visit https://www.vistaprint.com/ to get this for yourself.

Christmas trees

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There is no way you can boast of a good Christmas without having a Christmas tree. You too busy to go hunt down one? Well, guess what? You can order this online. Go to jiji.ng to get your Christmas tree.

Christmas decorations

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To beautify your home the Christmas way, you need just the right Christmas themes to work with. You can reach out to any of these digital addresses to get your Christmas decoration ideas:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/how-to/g2203/christmas-decoration-ideas/

http://www.housebeautiful.com/entertaining/holidays-celebrations/advice/g999/christmas-home-decor-1110/

You can get any of your Christmas decoration items here:

https://www.flipkart.com/home-decor/festive-decor/christmas-decorations/pr?sid=1m7,fja,qhe

http://www.christmastreeshops.in/christmas-decorations.html

https://www.wayfair.com/holiday-decor/cat/christmas-decorations-c215431.html

Christmas gifts

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And yes, you would want to get Christmas presents for the ones you love- your kids, your friends and hubbies. Here are five good places to buy nice Christmas presents:

Amazon Prime

Best Buy

Currys PC World

Bloomingdale

Anthropologie

Kmart

Uncommon Goods

With these sites, you can have your gifts shipped down to you and delivered on time.

Santa Claus

 

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Do you know you can rent a personal Santa Claus to come home and surprise your kids? Check out this link, https://www.gigmasters.com/services/santa-claus, to find out more.

Food

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Jumia.com offers the best bet at getting all the food items you need for the Christmas season. And if you want to order already prepared food, then you would want to check out http://homebistro.dinewise.com. Then you can also look up on www.freshly.com.

Drinks

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You can order your drinks from Jumia.com.

So, you can quite see that you can have an eventful Christmas without having to leave your comfort zone. VTpass makes things even better. You can pay your everyday bills anywhere you are and at any time by logging on to ppp.vtpass.com. VTpass is your one-stop convenient online payment platform. With VTpass, you can easily pay for your MTN, GLO, AIRTEL, 9MOBILE airtime and data. You can also pay your electricity bills and tv subscriptions on ppp.vtpass.com. This Christmas, go all out to have the time of your life the digital way.

 

TEN MOST TRENDY CHRISTMAS MOVIES FOR 2017

It’s near Christmas and expectations are soaring. As always, the buildup to Christmas, for most people, means the need to make more money and settle more bills. And yes, it can be quite cumbersome trying to jostle between the many things you have to do now. And this especially concerns settling bills and paying for expenses. Well, with ppp.vtpass.com, you have got one less thing to worry about. So, VTpass is an online payment platform and by logging in to ppp.vtpass.com, you get to pay your everyday bills. And this too in just three steps. You can pay your electricity bills, tv subscriptions, airtime and data right on the platform. Really, it’s an easy, convenient way to enjoy Christmas. So, talking about enjoying Christmas, one great way to do this is to watch Christmas movies.

But does this sound weird or overrated to you? Then you would want to know watching movies that talk about Christmas is like experiencing it. In fact, this is usually a norm for some families, gathering together to see Christmas movies. They give you the feeling of the season. Just as they inspire various ideas on how to spend the Christmas. And yes, the best time to watch is during the weekend. So, you are thinking of gazing at one or two movies, but don’t know which one to see? Well, here are the top ten trendy Christmas movies you can watch this weekend.

A Princess for Christmas (2011)

The plot centers around a lady with two kids to take care of and a whole lot of Christmas troubles. Well, this is just until she incidentally becomes a princess for Christmas in a far far away land.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

This wholesome Christmas story is based on a novel by Charles Dickens. It is centred on a theme that is as old as time: the ghost and spirit of Christmas. And of course, there is the old miser who hates Christmas and incurs the wrath of the spirit. This film is a must watch for any one who wants to have a taste of Christmas salted with the painful reality of life.

The Polar Express (2004)

The Polar Express is also based on a novel. And it is also an animation. But rather than concentrate on an old miserly man, it focuses on a sweet, young boy who believes so much in Christmas and takes an unguided journey to the Polar Express despite the myth clouding its existence. And does he find who he is looking for?

Dr. Seuss ‘How the Grinch stole Christmas’ (2000)

Christmas becomes meaner with the Grinch threatening to break the wits of everyone he comes across. But little Sue’s wits and guts is way too solid to be broken. And in a quite innocent way, she breaks the Grinch and finds his heart. Jim Carrey, who is the Grinch, takes on a whole new character here.

Bad Santa (2003, 2016)

Now in this film, Santa is the naughty one and he is nowhere near the nice list. And who is going to put him straight? Actually, this Santa might not be any kid’s favourite. But he sure gains the admiration of one messed up kid. And yes, Bad Santa 2 hit the block last year.

Love Actually (2003, 2017)

This is a Romcom that is compact with movie stars. We have the likes of Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Keila Knightley, Liam Nesson, Andrew Lincoln, Alan Rickman etc. It’s a wonder how they all manage to fit into one film. But at the end, it all seems to fit well. Maybe too well. And yes, these all too perfect combos featured their love stories for a second time in Love Actually 2. And this time, they come with red noses.

The Holiday (2006)

An interlinked story of two women who decide to change homes and lifestyle during the Christmas. It takes all their guts for them to adjust. But with the dudes they come across, they find peace in their swapped lives.

The Spirit of Christmas

Not all spirits are spirits. Some of them have souls, a life; some can love. The Spirit of Christmas unveils this sizzling truth the Christmas way.

Arthur Christmas

Christmas becomes a way too serious affair in this animated thriller with technological gadgets, and military elves replacing the good old jolly way of giving gifts. But despite the whole mechanical goings, a child is bound to be without a present. And somebody is set to prevent that from happening in the old traditional way.

Elf (2003)

We can’t fully talk Christmas movies without mentioning this. In this movie, Will Ferrell plays an overgrown elf who grows up in the North pole. And then, in his elfy green and yellow costume, he goes to look for his real father. His real father turns out to be some Wallstreet big boy. Of course, he cannot tolerate his newly found son’s disgusting childish elfish behaviour. But then, blood is thicker than water.

Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas

You up for some Tyler Perry’s melodrama and comedy. Then, A Madea Christmas will be just what you need this weekend.

Now, this is one more reason you need VTpass. With ppp.vtpass.com, you can get as much data as you need to stream these very amazing Christmas movies. This Christmas promises to be one of the best you have ever had. With a little smile and lots of VTpass, life can only get better.

A personal guide to installing an Operating system

Any new laptop is like a tabula rasa, a clean slate. It merely contains anything that you need or want. So, for a laptop to really come alive, it needs an operating system. And to install this OS, most people consult the help of engineers and computer experts. But then, installing an OS is not really much of a tasking thing to do. In fact, anyone can do it. By following the personal guide here, you will find it easy.  VTpass, an online payment platform values convenience and speed. This is why we make it very easy for you to pay for your everyday services. In just three easy steps, you get to pay for your airtime, data, electricity bills and tv subscriptions on your laptop. You just have to log on to ppp.vtpass.com.

So, here’s one more way to get convenient: installing an OS personally. So, here’s a personal guide to installing a windows OS.

One

Image result for office 365Choose the operating system you want to install. To know which one is suitable, you have to know that the system’s requirements. For instance, an older laptop or system may not be able to handle a newer operating system. Again, the storage capacity of the laptop must be able to accommodate the OS you have in mind. Usually, most installations require a 1GB RAM and 15-20% of hard disk storage space. Basically, the requirements differ. Linux, for one, does not consume as much space as Windows.

Two

Image result for linuxPurchase or download your OS of choice: Windows OS should normally be purchased. But you can afford to download Linux.

Three

Image result for office 365Software compatibility: You should make sure the OS you want to download matches the programs you want to use.

Four

The installation disc should come with a product code upon purchase. If you have only the code, you can use it to download a copy of the disc.

Five

Image result for back up filesBack-up: If you are merely reinstalling an OS, then you would need to back up your files. And if you are installing a new OS alongside an old one, you will still need to back up. Most times, it is good to put your data on an external storage device.

Six

If it’s gonna be a dual installation, then you should always install Windows first.

Seven

Related imageInsert your installation disc into the system, switch off the laptop and reboot. But first, you have to change some settings in your BIOS to ensure your laptop reboots from the installation disc and not from the hard drive. To change this setting, go to the setup key that shows up during a reboot process. It is usually in the very place you find your manufacturer’s logo like where you get to see hp, dell, Toshiba whatever the case may be. You can also click on F1, F10, F12 or DEL/Delete.

Eight

Image result for setup menu, bootOnce you are in the setup menu, find the place where ‘boot‘ is written. Make your CD/DVD drive as the first boot option. Make sure your CD/DVD/USB Drive is well inserted.

Nine

For a Linux operating system, you get to test the OS before you install. But this is not usually the case with Windows.

Ten

Whatever the OS, it might take some time for the setup program to load as it needs to copy some files for it to work. So, you would need to wait. When it loads, you will need to fill in some basic options as language and layout.

Eleven

Before or after the installation, you will need to insert your product key. This comes with the installation disc. But this is usually common with Windows OS, not necessarily Linux.

Twelve

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Windows usually give you an option to choose your installation type. You can either choose upgrade or custom. But preferably, you should choose custom whether or not you are reinstalling or upgrading the OS. This would prevent the laptop from having issues in the future.

Thirteen

The next step is to choose the partition where you want the OS. Actually, if you installing the Windows, this happens automatically. But you can choose by deleting the partition already there. This will set in an unallocated space. Select the unallocated space and choose your new partition.

Fourteen

In a Linux installation, you will need to fill in your time zone, create a username and password, log in to Linux distribution as well as authorize system changes. The options for doing this are clearly stated. For Windows, you also have to fill in some personal information.

Fifteen

After you fill in the information and enter, you will need to wait for the installation to be complete. This might take some time depending on the speed of your laptop.

Sixteen

After the installation is complete, you can go on to fill in your login details. For one, you will need to fill in your username and/or password. You will also need to put in your product key again. If you are installing a Windows 8 or 10, you can customise the colours and display of your computer.

Well, installing an operating system is as easy as this. Looking for convenient, speedy ways to perform tasks? Then you would want to log on to ppp.vtpass.com. VTpass allows you to perform your everyday transactions in just three easy steps. You can pay your electricity bills or buy your DSTV, STARTIMES, GOTV subscriptions. You can also pay for your MTN, GLO, AIRTEL and 9MOBILE airtime and data subscriptions. With VTpass, life is always easier.

 

 

BANGERS AND FIRECRACKERS: The Sound of Christmas

Firecrackers originated in China from as early as 200 BC. But then, these firecrackers were merely bamboos. These bamboos produced the same loud bang we know now when placed near heat continuously. Soon afterwards, the invention of gunpowder changed everything. And right now, nothing beats the colourful sparkles and crackling sounds that fill the air every Yuletide season. Indeed, bangers and firecrackers make Christmas all the better and better.

But then, what’s a good sound without comfort? And what’s a good banger full Christmas without convenience? Get all the comfort and convenience you need this Yuletide period with VTpass. VTpass is comfort. Right from your comfort, you can pay for your daily services and settle your bills from your phones. So, just by logging in to ppp.vtpass.com, you can make payment for your electricity bills, data, tv subscriptions and airtime.

But come to think of it, are these blaring sounds of Christmas still heard today?

Unfortunately, nearly not. Somehow, back in the mid-90s, people began to condemn the use of bangers and firecrackers. Many saw them as noise pollutions, and threats to societal peace. In fact, some thought they posed dangers to the kids who took delights in throwing off these bangers.

Before then, right from December 1, it was not uncommon for kids to herald in the month with the loud sounds of these knockouts. While kids cherished the little bangers they threw on the floor, teenagers liked to deal more with firecrackers. They would throw these firecrackers to the sky and have them splash colours over people’s heads. As the days drew closer to its end, so did the sound increase. And the splashing colours too, they got brighter. Most times, it was hard to tell a street you knew earlier in the year. Because apart from the fact that there would be a lot of colourful adornments, loud banger noises usually blared from all corners.

firecrackersMost adults couldn’t stand the jeering kids who waited in corners to scare them out of their wits. And the kids, they expended all their pocket money in buying these knockouts. In time, it became evident that no one wanted much to do with these explosives. This became even more evident when these explosives, one or the other, led to the jeopardy of some people’s lives. And now, we can only hear these sounds of Christmas in trickles here and there. But even though they may not sound as gallantly and highly as they used. It is apparent that they can never die so far as there are still kids out there.

VTpass wants to offer you comfort and ease this Yuletide period. Log on to ppp.vtpass.com to pay your electricity bills and DSTV, STARTIMES and GOTV subscriptions. Also, pay for your MTN, GLO, AIRTEL and 9MOBILE airtime and data subscriptions in three easy steps. It’s simple, safe and reliable.

 

BLACK NOVEMBER IS THE NEW BLACK FRIDAY

The end of every month brings with it a new hope for the things that are yet to be. But alongside this new found hope, there are lots of pending bills to pay. It can be frustrating enough trying to balance one’s account at the end of the month. But what is more frustrating is finding a way to settle our bills right on time and with ease. VTpass settles this problem with a reputable technical acumen. By logging on to ppp.vtpass.com, you get to pay for, not just your accumulated expenses, but your daily services. Through ppp.vtpass.com, you can pay your electricity bills, cable tv subscriptions, airtime, data and so on. So, November is drawing close to its end and it would be good to examine just the sheer significance of the month. And if there is anyone word to qualify November, it would be black. Black November.

Really, there was quite a lot of Black going on in November, the most notable of which is the Black Friday. But is this the reason for the name Black November? Not quite. We can bank the meaning more on a thrilling Nigerian 2012 action drama film. This film was called Black November and it did a lot to mirror the Niger Delta’s struggle against indiscriminate pollution of their environment.

But more than this, Black November has recently come to mean more than this. It now denotes the exhilarating, cheap offers and sales discount that comes with the month. Right from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday to Black Friday, there are always cheap sales and bonuses going all over. And now, even beyond Black Friday, goods go out at cheaper rates and people buy more in preparation for the incoming days of celebration.

In fact, you would want to know that Black Friday, as a one-day shopping spree is becoming extinct, giving way to the word Black November. “Analysts are proclaiming the death of Black Friday and the rise of Black November.” And although “Black Friday still remains one of the biggest shopping days of the year, but now it shares the spotlight with Thanksgiving, Cyber Monday, and the two weekend days in between. Thanksgiving is now the third-biggest shopping day of the year, behind Black Friday and Cyber Monday”. This was a report by Dennis Green. So, Black Friday is no longer just a day, it is now a whole month. Hence the word Black November.

Even as November fades away, know that you just walked through one of the most exhilarating seasons of the year. But if you did miss some set moments in the month, do not worry. We at VTpass see every month as a celebration and are all out to make you see that too. Do you need to get good services at just the right convenient time? Then, you should partner with us. Through our stable, ppp.vtpass.com, you can get your daily services like MTN, GLO, 9MOBILE, AIRTEL airtime and data. You can also get your DSTV, GOTV and STARTIMES tv subscriptions and electricity bills. And what’s more, you get your money’s worth. VTpass is a simple and secure way to celebrate every season.

 

WAYBACK: History of Electricity in Nigeria

It is somewhat difficult to imagine a time without electricity in Nigeria. This is not to say we have a stable power hold. But, electricity is quite something that has found a place in nearly every home. And there have quite been a lot of changes in the power sector. These changes have in so many ways affected power supply in various capacities. Again, one thing that has changed over time is the payment method. Away from the manual methods of payment that characterised the yesteryears, there are now automatic ways of paying. So that, you can now pay your electricity bills from the comfort of your space and speedily too. One sure way to do this is by logging on to ppp.vtpass.com. VTpass lets you pay your electricity bills as well as for other daily services in just three easy steps.

So, what’s the history of electricity in Nigeria? Just how and when did we begin to have our lights shining?

We didn’t begin to generate electricity on our own. It was a development wrought at the hands of the British colonial rulers in 1896. The first power plant, was at their behest, set up in Lagos.But then, we weren’t at all ready to have them run the show just they were not ready to as well. So in 1929, electricity generation activities kicked off in full with the creation of the Nigeria Electricity Supply Company (NESCO). Alongside the Public Works Department, they had a mandate to build power plants across. This led to the construction of a hydroelectric power station at Kuru, Jos.

But then, only government officials and houses had access to electricity. However, this was to change when the newly formed Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) gave the instruction that electricity should be provided for any and all Nigerians who could afford it. This was in 1952. This led to the construction of a 132KV line linking Ijora Power Station and Ibadan Power station. Furthermore, the Niger Dams Authority, established in 1962, went on to open our eyes to the possibility of deriving power from water (hydropower transmission). And this was the beginning of a golden period in Nigeria. But this golden era was not without the amalgamation of NDA and ECN to form the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).

So, this golden period lasted all through the 1970s to the 1980s. We can say this was due to the fact that the rural areas saw no need for electricity and did not press for it. So, there were enough watts to go round. But this was set to change when the power sector started experiencing a decline in maintenance. And coupled with the fact that more people demanded electricity, the good days of good electricity faded. By 2000, power supply dropped to as low as 1,500 megawatts.

Olusegun Obasanjo, in his time, put in quite some effort to change this trend when he came up with the National Electric Power Policy in 2001. This was led to the creation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). This administration also came up with the Presidential Action Committee on Power. On and on, other administrations like the GEJ administration, have come up with several other corporations.

On the 1st of November 2013, the existing GENCOS and DISCOS were privatised and a bulk of the administration was handed over to private companies.

Really, it is evident that Nigeria has come a long way when it comes to electricity. And although we are not totally yet at that stage of total illumination, we can say we are getting there. Also, when it comes to paying your electricity bills, there is now an easier and more convenient way. And this is through VTpass. VTpass offers a convenient way of paying everyday services like airtime, data, electricity bills and tv subscriptions. Log on now to ppp.vtpass.com to make easy, fast payments for your electricity bills.

VIRTUAL TOP UP (VTU): WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW

Constantly, there is an uptrend drive in the world to effectively carry out tasks in more convenient manners. Indeed, everyone tries to find an alternative way to perform daily duties better and faster. And by implication, we harness any such resources at our disposal to ensure ease and speed in performing tasks. But then, even the supposedly fast routes to doing things have their downs. And it is as a result of this that VTpass, an online payment platform, has come to stay as a reliable way of meeting daily needs. You need to pay your electricity bills, cable tv subscriptions, phone airtime and data, then log on to ppp.vtpass.com. With ppp.vtpass.com, you can get your services in just three easy steps. And there is yet another good use you can put VTpass to, and that is the Virtual Top Up (VTU).

Virtual Top-up is a profiteering venture where you get to sell services as a VTU vendor through your mobile device and get profit. You can do an airtime top-up as low as #1 on MTN and #50 on Airtel, GLO and 9mobile. Vending and selling these services is now easier when you connect to ppp.vtpass.com. By logging on to ppp.vtpass.com, you get to easily and conveniently perform your several VTU transactions.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

 

In case you are wondering how you can make profit from this. Then think about how many active mobile users we have in Nigeria. There are over 149 million users. And these users generate a lot of income for the telecommunication company. This makes vending airtime very lucrative. Hence, you can be a successful vending agent.

However, there is a lot of stress that comes with trying to start a VTU business- Business registration, computer, a swelling capital, a certificate and a website or blog. But then, you can easily bypass all these requirements and do VTU by partnering with VTpass.

To do this,

vtu

  1. Log on to ppp.vtpass.com on your mobile device.
  2. Register with the site using your email or phone number.
  3. You automatically get a wallet which you can credit at anytime.
  4. Sell and dispense airtime to customers through your VTpass wallet.
  5. Also, sell data to customers in the same way the VTU works.
  6. It is handy and very convenient. You do not need to carry cash about. With your vtpass wallet, you can dispense airtime and data to any number anywhere anytime.
  7. And you can also be a terminal agent on ppp.vtpass.com. By being a terminal agent, you get to perform transactions for others and get a commission for it. And this doesn’t just apply to airtime and data, it applies to all the services we offer.

To get more information, visit here

VTU

RIGHT INVESTMENTS THAT CANNOT GO WRONG

Ever put your money in a venture that didn’t go down well? Then, you might know a little about minding just where you put your investments. Or even worse, you might be very sardonic about investment, especially in a place like Nigeria. At VTpass, we do know how painful it can be to have one’s money go down the drain without meeting a purpose. So, we help you get your money’s worth anytime any day. You do not need to rely on getting services that will not deliver. From us, you can get all your everyday service just when you want it. To do this, log on to ppp.vtpass.com. On ppp.vtpass.com, you can pay and get your phone airtime, electricity bills, data and cable tv subscriptions.

And as for those investments that fail, it might be because you are looking in the wrong direction. Good investment prospects do not necessarily have to be something big. Most people put their money in shares and stocks and virtually other things that look promising but do not necessarily promise a win. Rather than investing your money in things that do not actually yield much, why not look at the possibility of investing in any of these:

  1. AGRICULTURE: This might look a little unsuspecting. But the agricultural sector is one good place to trade. A good investment usually works around products and services that target consumers cannot do without. And if there is any one thing like that, then it must be food. Because of this, you can always invest in something that directly or indirectly connects you with agriculture.
  2. TECHNOLOGY: Ok, this is something that is on the ebb, and virtually on the verge of exploding. There are various ways you can invest and make money from the technological realm. But then, you should look for technological opportunities that do not squeeze too much out of you. For one, through online platforms like VTpass, you can make a growing passive income that sustains you well enough. And this too for just a small investment. By being a terminal agent, an affiliate partner or trade partner, you can get commissions on the number of trades you refer or bring onto the platform. So, visit ppp.vtpass.com to find out more.
  3. AFRICAN ARTS: Ok, you are shocked at this point. But then, you would want to know that past and contemporary artworks of African artisans are in high demand. Not just that, the various factors like distance and time that were once barriers to the importing and exporting of artworks are in redress. And what is more appealing is knowing that these highly demanded artworks are bought by Africans themselves. What this means is anyone who chooses to invest in African arts either as an art collector, a curator, exhibitioner and the likes will not be at a loss. Are you an art enthusiast? Then waste no time, join in the movement.
  4. CRYPTOCURRENCY: Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin, Dogecoin etc. are opening new ways for people to make money. Although this is sometimes, you can invest in this and make quite a lot.

Investing in VTpass as a terminal agent, a business developer or trade partner puts you on par with anyone investing in any other field. This is because you not only stand to make quite a lot. But it also comes at a low risk. Visiting ppp.vtpass.com gives you more information about this. Also, you can buy and pay for your everyday services using ppp.vtpass.com. Settle your electricity bills, cable tv subscription, airtime and data easily and speedily using ppp.vtpass.com. Really, with VTpass, life can only get better.

 

2018 WORLD CUP: NEWSREEL

Every four years, several national teams unite together on several green fields across the world for one purpose. And that’s to bring home the glory and prize of the FIFA world cup. And every four years, Nigeria has participated in this memorable event. Most times, they have failed to impress a lot of Nigerians with their performance. But it seems the Nigerian football body is going all out this time to propel the Nigerian team into winning. So, you would want to get in tune with the preparations of the Super Eagles for the 2018 world cup. And you can conveniently do this by visiting ppp.vtpass.com for your data and airtime.

But in the meanwhile, the Nigerian Football Federation is showing quite as much support for the Super Eagles. For one, they intend to pay players and officials the sum of $2.4 million for the World cup in Russia. Not only that, the NFF has also agreed to remit the other benefits and due payments to the game players. So, this action is a retrospective of the 2014 world cup when issues regarding the pay row led to a poor performance on the part of the Nigerian team.

It looks like a lot is going on for the Super Eagles. This is not only in terms of the money doled out to them, but there is quite a lot going on for them on the field. On one hand, the team beat Zambia to qualify for the World cup just as they had a tie with Algeria in a recent friendly. And there is the recent victory against Argentina in an International friendly.

In appraising this match, Orji Kalu, the former governor of Abia State, had this to say:

vtpass,2018 world cup“The well-deserved victory of the Super Eagles against the Argentine team is inspiring and worth celebrating. The Super Eagles’ players have demonstrated uncommon soccer sagacity.”

It is evident that more than all these, a whole lot is going to go down for the Super Eagles as well as other teams in the 2018 world cup. You wouldn’t want to miss any of the action that is bound to unfold. Log on to ppp.vtpass.com now to make quick and convenient payment for your airtime and data. Also, you can pay your electricity bills and DSTV, GOTV and STARTIMES subscriptions by simply coming on to ppp.vtpass.com.

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.