Mzansi Slams NaakMusiq for his New Booking Charges:
Generations star and musician NaakMusiQ’s booking charges were recently revealed, and Mzansi is conflicted about whether or not he deserves those rates.
Popular entertainment blogger Musa Khawula recently went on Twitter to report NaakMusiq’s booking charges. According to him, the musician’s manager reports that he charges R25,000 to perform at an event.
This fee only caters for his payment, and excludes his accommodation and transportation, as well as that of the three other people he travels with to his gigs. His crew includes his DJ, his road manager and his pianist.
Social media was immediately alight with the news, as they scrambled to decide whether his charges make sense. Some tweeps thought that the figure was too high, especially since his career has not been too vibrant of late.
“Which songs have he released recently or he is going to give people throwbacks?” one wondered, and many agreed with him. They think that he could have asked for such a high figure a few years back when he was making much better music. But now that his career has “fallen off”, as they think, he should revise his pricing downwards.
His fans, on the other hand, think he has every right to charge that and more. They think he is a great performer, and fans would be honoured to watch him on stage. Others came to his defense to explain that high booking fees are about more than just whether an artist has had a recent hit song. They explained the dynamics of demand and what a gig would entail.
On another hand, though, others think that he charges too little. They are comparing him with other acts. Just recently, it was revealed that Sithelo Shozi, a DJ and Andile Mpisane’s jilted lover and baby mama, charges the same amount for her gigs.
At the time, tweeps were shocked that she was charging that high when they didn’t even know about her or what she does for a living. This is despite the fact that she has a hit song out, and many people jammed to it for a year straight.
Now they have brought this back, and are wondering how a renowned musician like Naak could be charging the same as Sithelo. Did his career really fall off that badly? Apparently, some four years back he was charging R40,000. They think he is low balling himself too much, and that he deserves more. One tweep even pointed out that Zodwa Wabantu allegedly charges R50,000 for an appearance, when she has less to offer than Naak does.
Whatever you think of the rates Naakmusiq charges, a lot of consideration must have gone into the decision. What’s clear is that there is a common sentiment that NaakMusiq needs to make a big re-entry into the music scene, as in the past few years, he has not really given his fans all that they know he is capable of giving.
