Music has a powerful quality about it.  A good song can make hundreds of party goers put down their drinks and get to their feet.  A bad song…well, a bad song can ruin the whole damn night.

Thankfully, Green October: The Mixtape Vol 1, is a collection of feel good music you can groove to at the club and at home.  Created by Tribe X Entertainment and DJ Manixx of Naija DJs, the mixtape brings you Naija’s hottest hits from D’Banj, Olu Maintain, Timaya and 2face, to name a few.

afiivé.com had the distinct pleasure of chatting it up with Harry Baba of Tribe X Entertainment about both the company and Green October.

afiivé.com: Thanks for taking a few moments with afiivé. Before jumping right in, tell us a little about Tribe X Entertainment. How did it start?

Harry Baba: Tribe X actually started off as a T-Shirt company!  Back in 2000, a friend of mine owned a silk screen business and was making fake Fubu, Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Kani t-shirts.  He asked me to join him But I didnt want to copy to copy someone else’s’ name or design; I wanted my own name and brand.  The result was “Tribe X”. I got a graphic designer and did my research and printed a batch of 750 t-shirts. I hired two college kids to do grass roots selling from the trunks of their cars and registered the company as Tribe X. I soon moved on to other things and left the t-shirt business behind for the time being.

afiivé.com: From printing t-shirts to international music promotions, very interesting path to take! How did you get into the music?

Harry Baba: The year after I left the t-shirt business, I met my future wife Tochukwu Okasi. She was friends with Dee Dee Wellington who just so happened to have a talented brother named Banky. I, Banky, his managers Tino Bendel and Donnie Demuren hit it off right away. Before you knew it, I was putting together a concert for Banky in the heart of Washington DC’s trendy Adams Morgan.  I learned pretty much everything there was to know about marketing and promoting from Donnie and Tino. I and my wife, who also played a major role in the marketing and promotion decisions, renamed and re-registered our company Tribe X Entertainment, LLC.

Things really began to take off after working with Banky W. I loved what he was doing and wanted to help promote his music. I began to build a database and worked in promotions for four more years before moving full time in to events.  We did Nollywood events, fashion shows and picnics to major events like those for Ms. Africa International and 24/7 Africa.  We did a huge event on the National Mall in DC for the African American Family reunion. We had a tent out there, did a fashion show, had artists perform, the whole thing was amazing!  After that, we got back in to the music in 2006 and did a few shows that brought Nigerian artists to the limelight.  And then came the Green October Project.

afiivé.com: Speaking of the Green October Project, tell us a little about its evolution.

Harry Baba: Back in 2006, I put out The Green October Project Volume 1. It was strictly underground, upcoming artists residing mostly in USA/Diaspora. The goal was to expose the artists and their various styles of music (hip hop, reggae, R&B, gospel rap, etc.).  We had various unknowns from different cultures (Igbo, Yoruba, etc) & different styles, all reppin’ Naija through their music.  It wasn’t a mixtape but a compilation of their works from artist based in the US at that time. A few notables who were in the US at the time and were on that project included Banky W and Amplyfied.  {afiivé note: Haven’t checked out afiivé’s exclusive interview with Amplyfied yet? no problem, click here for it!}

afiivé.com: And the new Green October Mixtape,  – where did the idea for this come from?

Harry Baba: The mixtape is a mixed tape on purpose. You know, mixtapes are not usually sold in stores. We are giving it away for free and the goal is to expose some of our culture through music to people in the Diaspora.  Being that it is a compilation of popular super star Nigerian artists residing mostly in Nigeria. the goal here is to positively promote Nigerian culture through music.  The music itself is fast paced on purpose…to uplift the listener, encourage folks to dance, be happy and have a good time. at the same time experiencing something positive and wonderful coming straight out of Nigeria. Definitely wanted something positive- no gangster, no rims, no talking about jewelry- just good music.

Also, oftentimes people go out to party and hear all this great music, but have no idea where to go get it. Either you have to travel to get it or have someone bring it to you.  So we – DJ Manixx and I – thought why don’t we get all the hottest, latest songs from Nigeria this year and put it all together so people can bump to it in their iPods, cars, etc.

afiivé.com: I have to say, what first attracted me to finding out more about the project and the mixtape is this very unique name, “Green October.”  How did that name come about?

Harry Baba: Green stands for the people, the land, the prosperity – not the activity – but the actual people. The love. Nigerians are the happiest people on the planet – trying to bring that positive aspect of us out there.

And October means a lot to me. First, of course we have Naija Independence day.  Second, my mother passed of Ovarian Cancer in October of 1996. Finally, in October, the leaves fall away, making way for new things. In that sense, October is a month of renewal, new and positive energy and that’s what Green October is about – beautiful, positive music  & culture proudly coming out of Nigeria. It’s like a testament – we are here, regardless of how people feel, we are great, wonderful and blessed. We are Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba. We are dynamic, always advancing. We have our faults but we’re here and proud.

afiivé.com: What can listeners expect from the Green October Mixtape?

Harry Baba: DJ Manixx wanted to make sure that the songs we had were still hot, songs that were still getting spins on Naija radio.  We took those songs and added a few up and coming artists on there to create the mixtape. The flow on the CD is mostly afro hip hop or afrobeat and it’s fast-paced on purpose Trying to keep it at 100 beats per second. At the tail end, it gets a little slower but not by much.  Green October is a CD where you can slide it in and have a party. Both listen and groove to it.

I would have to say some of the inspiration for the CD comes from people like DJ Mighty Mike in Atlanta – who put out a lot of mixtapes.  We aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel here or compete with anyone. Just trying to get the music out there as much as possible.  We want mixtapes and Naija music in general to be in as much demand as Nollywood movies, especially with the Diaspora.  Because I’m a promoter, I can get it out there, to more people.

afiivé.com: Shifting gears, what have been your most memorable projects/collaborations?

Harry Baba: I’ve got so many memorable projects/events.  The first would be Tribe X’s initial event. It was Banky’s first time performing in DC – at Adam’s Morgan  back in 2001. It’s memorable because we put that event together from scratch. It was like learning on the job.  About 50-150 people came out.  My second would be the event we did for the Filmmakers Association of Nigeria in 2003.  Tribe X was hired to promote the showing of Nollywood films in an American movie theater – the AFI Theater in Downtown Silver Spring, MD.  This event was the first time all the Nollywood actors and actresses were in the country together. Every single show – the movies were played all through Black History Month – were sold out, it was pure pandemonium. Then there was he Annual Black Family Reunion held on the National Mall I mentioned before.  Many performed including Les Belle Afrique, Madarocka, Pa J, Lil Ayo, Shoboy, TNT (who is also on the new mixtape), Damask and Tolumide. Estella Couture did the fashion show and overall, this was the first time many in the audience had ever seen anything like what we were doing. The event was great!  Finally, I would have to say that working with non-profit organizations have been memorable.  We worked with the Exclusive Women of Enugu State, helping them raise money by getting a Moneygram sponsorship.  They used that to renovate and build a motherless baby home in Enugu.  We helped feed and clothe children in Nigeria by working with organizations like Nylah Feeds The Children and Shaping Destiny.  It’s amazing to participate in that and I derive great joy from those projects and opportunities.

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afiivé.com: Seems like Tribe X has definitely moved beyond just promotions.

Harry Baba: Definitely. I look to do a lot more than throw a party and get people to come.  There’s so much stuff going on that’s being ignored; there are people who have the ability to get the positive side out to the masses but sometimes they don’t so that’s what we aim to do.  Trying to get the music out into the Diaspora. Trying to get it to non-Africans as well so hopefully they can get a different view of Nigeria. We’re all about the positive spin – great nation, good people.  You can throw as many events as you want but that doesn’t necessarily push out a positive message

afiivé.com: Bringing it back to the music, what do you see as the future of the African music scene?

Harry Baba: The future is this – if African artists – can cross over to America but be humble so they can open doors for others – we can really go far.  The problem is although there are many Nigerians in entertainment, many are selfish and close the door behind them on their way up.  And even unknowns have issues. They are so proud. If they could just get over that, cross over and help others come up, they themselves can go far.  People need to help other artists, other people in the game and not seek to steal the spotlight for themselves.

As for the future of Tribe X, I’m thinking about retiring so I’m looking around for new stable, yet exciting projects. I want long term – I want to go international with the marketing and promotions.

afiivé.com: Given Tribe X’s past success, we’re sure no matter what the next phase is, it will be amazing!  Thanks so much for sitting with us.

Harry Baba: Thank you. Big shouts to afiivé readers, DJ Manixx, Naija DJs, the Tribe X family and everyone involved in the Green October Project!  Make sure to download the free Mixtape Today! You won’t be disappointed.  Its Tribe X, baby.

Final note: Green October: The Mixtape Vol I is a compilation of Nigeria’s most popular hits from the beginning of 2008-2009. The simple goal is to share this phenomenal music with non Nigerians and Nigerians in the Diaspora who would not otherwise have the opportunity to own or readily obtain the music.
~Harry Baba, Tribe X Entertainment, LLC

So there you have it folks – the Green October Mixtape is out and reading for your listening pleasure.  Click here to download it, take a listen and COME BACK TO COMMENT! Did you like it? Any particularly favorite songs? Any songs you could do with out?  Comment, Discuss and Share here on afiivé.com.

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