The rise and ruin of P-Square
Once the powerhouse duo of African music, P-Square's rise to fame was as meteoric as their eventual fall. Behind the chart-topping hits and global success, fame sowed seeds of rivalry, leading to public feuds, bitter family disputes, and an eventual breakup that left fans heartbroken. The Flip Side explores the dark side of fame.
Transcript
00:00Have you ever dreamed of being famous? Have hundreds of thousands of people scream your name?
00:15Even if we're a bit embarrassed to admit it, fame offers some huge benefits. Wealth, access,
00:21validation, adoration. But being a celebrity can come at a huge cost. Scattered across the continent
00:29are the remnants of great musical groups that shattered at the height of their fame and success.
00:35Salty Soul, Style Plus, VIP and perhaps the most bizarre of all, P-Square.
00:42What is it about fame that make even twins want to strangle each other?
00:48I don't know, but when it comes to lust, yeah, that's for sure.
00:54Welcome to the Flipside. In the early 2000s, P-Square, comprised of twins Peter and Paul Okoyin,
01:01was selling out stadiums worldwide. However, the group split in 2016, reunited in 2021
01:09and split again this year. I know whenever I go to the airport, people say,
01:14are you the singer or the dancer? I didn't know it was touching him. But I know there's a time we've
01:19come together and say, don't allow this thing get into you. You should be proud of what you're doing.
01:24It is not just P-Square. There seems to be a growing trend in Africa's music industry.
01:29When you look at a band, there's usually a star in the band. And for some reason,
01:34it can get to a point whereby that star feels like, you know, my star is not shining as bright
01:39as I want it to shine. And then the next thing that results is saying, you know, I need to bounce.
01:44So what is it about fame that changes people?
01:47Well, I wouldn't say necessarily that the personality changes. The likelihood is that
01:52they will be influenced by, you know, the sound around them.
01:58When the Beatles broke up in the 1970s, it was not pretty, much like P-Square today.
02:04And it does not help that online, fans are trolling the other twin for being a sellout.
02:10During my research for this piece, I came across one group that appears to have thrived despite
02:16their fame. So I wanted to know what makes Lady Smith Black Mambazo different?
02:21Well, Lady Smith Black Mambazo, if I'm not mistaken, since it was founded by Ujosef Shabalala,
02:28he remained the leader of the group from the conception until he passed on.
02:34So there was no room for a person to say, I want to lead this group. I can do better
02:41because the group already belonged, had had its own identity with Ujosef Shabalala.
02:48Of course, you want to be famous, but you also don't want to say nasty things about your friends
02:54when you split. So how do you strike a balance? It's important for someone who finds themselves
03:01famous to make sure that they don't lose who they are, not forget your roots.
03:07And that's the flip side.