Names are an inescapable aspect of our existence in this world and they are an incredibly important part of our identity as humans. Names carry deep personal, cultural, familial, and historical connections. They also give us a sense of who we are, the communities in which we belong, and our place in the world.
According to Mavis Himes, in her book ”The Power of Names: Uncovering the Mystery of What We Are Called”, ”Our proper name is as much a part of us as our own skin. It travels with us like a passport, testifying to our unique presence on this earth. The articulation of our name rolls off our tongue with ease and familiarity, yet we rarely turn and examine the part our name plays in what makes us who we are. Our first name reflects the hopes and dreams of our parents and family, our culture, and our own sense of self, while our surname carries our ancestral history, a branding of both affiliation and transmission.”
Mr Daniel Benson, formerly known professionally as Buju TYE and now BNXN, had a great run in 2021 from breathtaking features, smash hits, grand social and mainstream media reach to mind-recking concerts and world tours.
Some critics and aficionados have declared him the MVP of the Nigerian music industry in 2021 and his blessings can’t just stop raining in, as he is not slowing down anytime soon in his quest for grace and glory.
He has really come a long way, from his days at Babcock University to Burna’s Spaceship Records, the top-charting hit ‘Feeling’ with Ladipoe and kicking the Big ‘Mood’ with Wizkid. The Champ is truly blessed.
He has transcended to an international artist with a wilder and more demanding audience for his music, all thanks to the internet, which has without a doubt truly made the world a global village. His name is not just a name, it now encompasses so many things, as the stakes are higher for him now that he is beginning to level up. These things include trademark, IPS, image rights and other enterprising ventures.
In actuality, he is now a brand, and as a brand, you have to seize every opportunity to make things work for you and if you can’t do something as simple as trademarking your name or make use of your image and likeness, then it becomes a problem.
In this digital era, artists have to learn to diversify their streams of income, as the digital space has a lot to offer especially with the image and likeness of an artist which can be used for endorsement deals, NFTs and other associated ventures in the metaverse.
It is worthy of note, that BNXN has ventured into the NFT space. He even launched his BNXN HEADS (HeadsByBNXN) token, his website for the sale of his materials and he seems to be getting a lot of support from his HBB community. This has given him a platform to introduce his audience to the world of NFTs, engage with his fans, connect with them deeper, share good music with them, talk with him about other coming projects and finally give out merch for purchase.
Some critics have an issue with him changing his name, as they think it’s a bit late because he had released materials with the name ‘Buju TYE’ previously. They even argue that the name might be confusing for people to get on with. They feel he should have just opted for his real name in this case since BNXN (is pronounced Benson) for this rebrand.
Though BNXN is not the first artist in the Nigerian music industry to change his name nor is he going to be the last one. Some of these artists include 2Face who now dubs himself 2Baba, N***a Raw to Mr Raw, Kiss Daniel to Kizz Daniel and a host of others. There has been much success and failure at name changing and it is not just the music industry alone, other industries and sectors as well.
A typical example of a change of name success was Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, as a result of his conversion to Islam. Though critics would argue that it is easier for sports because the name of the athletes are engrained on their sportswear and the media only work with what they see on those wears but the music industry does not have such luxury.
Now a not so pleasing reference would be Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., he changed his name to Snoop Lion after discovering Rastafarianism and becoming one himself, which was reflected on his 2012 album “Reincarnated” and we all know how that worked for him, as he still bears Snoop Dogg till date.
A great example of a name change, to have a transformative effect on society outside of music was the case of former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. The 2011 elections allowed him to tell his story passionately, how the boy with no shoes was able to rise to greatness. The first line of introduction was his full name Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan. He would go on to win the elections in grand style and the media would over time adopt Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, which they stylized as GEJ, as the chosen brand for him during his presidency.
However, this run was original as he was born with those names but they became public knowledge during the build-up to the 2011 general elections in Nigeria.
It would take a while for the name to probably catch on but BNXN is still proving himself and a lot is left to be seen. So, I guess we would just have to wait and see.