•How female students turn to video vixens to make extra cash
By Debo Popoola and Olaoluwa Mary
Nigeria’s entertainment industry over the years has grown in leaps and bounds. Many years ago, most youths would rather listen to imported songs from America, and artistes from that part of the world used to be household names then. But things have changed. Nigerian hip-hop artistes have become global brands and household names in Africa. They are winning awards on global stages and their songs are being played at global events. Recently, one of Davido’s song was played during a Spanish La Liga football match at half time.
Nigeria entertainment industry has made a lot of super stars. Tuface Idibia can be regarded as the first big export to the world. His hit song, “Africa Queen”, was used as sound track for a popular Hollywood movie, Phat Girls, and this drove global eyes on him. Aside Tuface, artists like Dbanj, Whizkid, Davido and many others have attained global recognition with their songs and their musical video are regularly played on international music televisions like Mtv, Trace, Channel O and all.
Music video does not only help to popularize a song, it also helps in projecting the artiste to the world. In fact, most hit songs are hit songs because of their videos. This is why making music video requires the inputs of many technical personals, from music directors to camera operators to location managers; other important ingredients that sweeten music videos are thevideo vixens. They are the beautiful girls that we see in many of the hip-hop music videos twerking to the rhythm of the beats and most times, they expose those sensitive parts of their bodies to give the video some sensual and sexual touches.
Like a good camera and lightings, video vixens are seen as vital tools when shooting a musical video because it will help sell the video, this is a popular conception especially by music video makers.
Because music videos are being produced daily in Nigeria, the demand for video vixens is higher and many ladies have seen this as an opportunity to make extra cash, especially students. Some have even made it their main profession.
Requirements for becoming a video vixen
Becoming a video vixen does not require any special talent; all that is needed is the willingness to do what the music video director demands. Sometimes, these demands may go beyond the boundary of moral norms. Sometimes, a music video vixen will be required to dance with only her undies in front of the camera or with swimming pants if the location is a beach.
Video vixens with big butts and boobs are at advantage if they are willing to share the sight of what they have got to the world. In fact, in most music videos, most of the vixens are the endowed ones. They easily catch the attention of men to the video and also sell the video.
How much an average vixen earns?
When supply is higher than demand, price will definitely be reduced; this best describesthe happening in the world of video vixens. Because a lot of ladies want to become one, so the artistes easily go for the cheap ones or those who just want to appear in the video for free.
An average vixen in Nigeria is paid N10,000 although there are those who have become popular and somewhat near the status of celebrity in the profession, these ones have higher prices and they are seen as visual influencers. But many will settle for anything.
When PSquare wanted to shoot the video for their song, “Do Me”, they said they only wanted a hundred ladies but hundreds of them showed up during the shooting. They had to screen out many of them before the video but compensated those screened out by appearing at the background of the video where their faces were hardly seen.
Also, many of the video vixen are students of higher institutions who want to make extra money while they study. Most times, they are the big party goers who love to have fun and star-stricken. In addition, beautiful campus girls are persuaded by their friends who are connected to an artistes or a director. As long as they will do the wish of the director, they will perfect fit into the system.
The dirty stuffs
A popular video vixen who wants to be anonymous revealed to TheCapital some of the dirty things many of them have to undergo before they are allowed to appear in musical videos these days. Because there are many girls who want to appear in music videos, the directors and artistes now have to come up with tough ways to screen them out.
“You have to know how to do some stuff in bed. The behind the scene crew do some things to you just because you want to appear in music videos. Sometimes they will ask you to do drugs so that you are energetic and you twerk boldly without being shy of what you are wearing. Sometimes they shared weeds with you and drink a lot of alcohol to get you high before shooting begins.
“Not everyone can meet all of these requirements but a large number of us will still manage to stay because this is what we do for living. Most of us are students who do not depend only on pockets monies from home. It’s part of life and life is hustling”
From the perspective of the behind the scene crew, we spoke to a camera operator, Emmanuel, and he has this to say:
“A lot of things happen beyond the twerking and smilling and popping champagne and throwing dollars in the air that we see on music videos. As a camera man, I have witnessed an occasion where the major model of music and the artiste disappeared from location when we needed to shoot. After a while, both of them appeared again. We did not need any prophet to tell us that they went to f**k. And that was the first time they will be meeting each other.
“I have also witnessed an occasion where two video vixens fought dirty because of them was flirting with the artiste. So many silly and crazy things happen behind the scenes. Personally, I believe that many of the video vixens are runs girls because from their behaviors, you will know they are prostitutes, not all of them but many of them.”
Irrespective of the personal notions about video vixens, the fact remains that it is thriving and many young ladies wish to appear in a music video someday, regardless of what it will cost them.
