7 reasons why Portable thrives despite his uncertain brand

On Tuesday, 3rd January 2022, Nigerian Street-pop star Portable performed in the creeks of Port Harcourt, River State, Nigeria.

While there might have been some Yorubas in the crowd who turned out in mass to watch the star perform on water, the majority can be presumed to be indigenes. It's this wide acceptance such as the impressive language barrier defiling appeal of his music that captures Portable's success.

Despite his many antics that are abundantly sufficient to sink other artists, Portable hovers at an impressive level similar to the podium on which he performed in the slums of Port Harcourt.

This article seeks to present 7 reasons why Portable continues to thrive despite his uncertain brand. 

1 His music identifies with the street 

Portable is an artist influenced by Fuji music which is the soundtrack of street life in Southwestern Nigeria. His music draws from Fuji and Hip Hop which he combines to deliver a sound rich in its street cadence, exhaustive in its unsophistication, and unabashed in its vulgarity.

His music has earned him the listening ears of the street whose realities he captures so succinctly and boldly. And while his antics are sometimes unbecoming of a reasonable person, his music endears him to an audience who can look beyond it.

2. He's a newsmaker 

While his actions present him as an artist who puts little thought into his decisions, anyone who cares to study his antics will find that perhaps they are sometimes more calculated than irrational.

Since he infamously got into his first publicized dispute with Poco Lee whose contributions to turned 'Zazzu Zeh' into a hit, Portable appears to understand the power of the media and he has continued to make the news.

Portable is a newsmaker whose actions are mindnumbing that it attracts wide attention which he channels into increasing his profile and street credibility. While the saying "Bad publicity is still publicity" might be trite, Portable has made this phrase his mantra as he would say the most ludicrous things and pick up a fight with about anyone as long as it guarantees he makes the news.

3. His personality resonates with the street

Portable his man personality was forged by his experiences on the streets. In speech, action, and style, he carries the stamp of the street which makes him resonate with people who share his reality.

That he was tapped by the ruling political party to partake in an election campaign or he's able to send fans in Port Harcourt into overdrive by simply raising his shoulders and yelling "Wahala Wahala Wahala" is a testament to his street credibility. It's credibility that resonates with people across the country whose reality he shares.

4. He possesses an obvious talent

Portable is talented and this is noticeable in his music. While his music doesn't pack mainstream appeal, he has been able to deliver a handful of singles which has raised his profile and earned him two Headies nominations which he characteristically lost after putting up a series of on-brand antics.

5 He understands his audience 

Portable makes music for the street and he doesn't bother to appeal to the mainstream by tweaking his sound or reinventing himself to become more appealing or even tolerable.

While the unrefined nature of his music has limited his audience to the street, it has allowed him to grow a fanbase that's important for the survival of his music and brand.

6 Bad behavior sells 

Let us face it, being controversial, being a non-conformist, unbearably provocative, and other such unpopular personas are somewhat attractive or at the very least captivating.

Celebrities know this and continue to deploy it. There's an entire reality tv industry built on marketing bad behavior.

Portable continues to thrive because his bad behavior is entertaining just as they are mind-numbing and undesirable.

7. The growth of the Nigerian music industry 

The Nigerian music industry is at a point where artists with sizeable followership and the music to back it up can enjoy a decent level of success.

Portable has been able to perform in Egypt, France, Italy, the UK, and other countries in spite of his uncertain brand because of the appeal of Afrobeats' international appeal.