The Elephant Rope(Belief)

A gentleman was walking through an elephant camp, and he spotted that the elephants weren’t being kept in cages or held by the use of chains. All that was holding them back from escaping the camp, was a small piece of rope tied to one of their legs.

As the man gazed upon the elephants, he was completely confused as to why the elephants didn’t just use their strength to break the rope and escape the camp. They could easily have done so, but instead they didn’t try to at all.

Curious and wanting to know the answer, he asked a trainer nearby why the elephants were just standing there and never tried to escape.

The trainer replied;

“WHEN THEY ARE VERY YOUNG AND MUCH SMALLER WE USE THE SAME SIZE ROPE TO TIE THEM AND, AT THAT AGE, IT’S ENOUGH TO HOLD THEM. AS THEY GROW UP, THEY ARE CONDITIONED TO BELIEVE THEY CANNOT BREAK AWAY. THEY BELIEVE THE ROPE CAN STILL HOLD THEM, SO THEY NEVER TRY TO BREAK FREE.”

The only reason that the elephants weren’t breaking free and escaping from the camp was because over time they adopted the belief that it just wasn’t possible.

Moral of the story: No matter how much the world tries to hold you back, always continue with the belief that what you want to achieve is possible. Believing you can become successful is the most important step in actually achieving it.

DON JAZZY, WIZKID, DAVIDO, SARKODIE & MORE LISTED AS FORBES AFRICA’S TOP 10 RICHEST AFRICAN MUSICIANS

Forbes Africa has released their list of Richest African musicians. The list was put together using factors such as endorsement value, popularity, show rates, sales, awards, YouTube views, appearance in newspapers, investment, social media presence, Influence and others.


They include:

1. AKON

Akon has over 35 million albums sold worldwide. He has won numerous awards including five Grammy Award nominations and has 45 Billboard Hot 100 songs under his belt. He tops the list according to Forbes Africa.

2. BLACK COFFEE, SOUTH AFRICA

The multi-award-winning artist’s real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo. He was born in South Africa’s house music province, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and raised in the Eastern Cape province, where Nelson Mandela hailed from, before moving back to KZN to study music.

3. HUGH MASEKELA, SOUTH AFRICA

Hugh was born in Witbank, east of Johannesburg. He has released more than 43 albums and performed with Marvin Gaye, Dizzy Gillespie, The Byrds, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Miriam Makeba.

4. DON JAZZY, NIGERIA

Don Jazzy is ranked fourth richest in Africa and also first in Nigeria. Like many artists, his real name is Michael Collins Ajereh, and he started playing music as a child in church before moving to the UK to pursue his career.

5. TINASHE, ZIMBABWE-AMERICAN

Tinashe was a child model by the age of three. The twenty-four-year-old sang before she could talk and made her first appearance in 2000 in the film Cora Unashamed. Her voice also starred in the cartoon feature film The Polar Express alongside Oscar-winning actor, Tom Hanks.

6. JIDENNA, NIGERIAN-AMERICAN,

By the age of 10, Jidenna Theodore Mobisson knew he wanted to do music but was afraid to tell his father who wanted him to be an engineer. He is ranked sixth according to Forbes Africa.

7. WIZKID, NIGERIA

Wizkid is arguably currently the uncrowned king of African music. Grammy Award-winning artist, Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz, danced to his songs Ojuelegba and Caro, with Keys posting a video on her Instagram account with the caption, “This song makes me happy”. Kylie Jenner also posted a video of herself dancing to Wizkid’s music on Snapchat.

8. DAVIDO, NIGERIA

Davido has claimed a high status in just five years. He said it was people like P-Square and D’Banj who made him believe this was possible. He became famous for his widely acclaimed 2012 debut album “Omo Baba Olowo”.

9. SARKODIE, GHANA

Michael Owusu Addo started out as an underground rapper and through the help of Duncan Williams, his former manager, his career was launched. Staying true to his identity, he is a big advocate of Azonto, a Ghanaian genre that is said to have been born out of Kpanlogo, a traditional dance.

His first single off his fourth album, Mewu, sold almost 4,000 copies on the first day of its release in Ghana. He was also the first Ghanaian to win a BET award.

10. OLIVER MTUKUDZI, ZIMBABWE

Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi has 65 albums under his belt, more than the legendary Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. It’s a remarkable career stretching back 41 years with songs that have enlivened parties all over the world. He his ranked 10th richest musician in Africa.

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Cities With The Most billionaires

every city throughout the globe would want to hold the distinction of having the most billionaires.
Earlier, the United States was the exclusive domain of the rich, famous and sometimes even the infamous billionaires who had made a mark for themselves as the wealthiest individuals around the world.
Presently,however, countries in Asia and particularly where the economies are booming despite the various difficulties faced are catching up with the USA and have notwithstanding overtaken the US. Presently, Beijing in China is the home of the most billionaires of the globe. Why are billionaires choosing to live, in particular, cities and avoiding the rest? Let us look at some of the top cities with the most billionaires in the world. 

Chinese Cities With Most Billionaires 

The figures available for 2017 indicate that the cities with most billionaires are located in China. China currently has one of the fastest-growing economies within this region along with India. It has, however, left India far behind and has 6 cities with the most billionaires as compared to India where the population only exists in the financial capital of India, Mumbai.

The total number of billionaires living in Beijing alone exceed the numbers of billionaires living in Mumbai by more than half. China has six cities with billionaires and when compared with other countries throughout the globe it stands far ahead. The total wealth held by Chinese’s billionaires exceeds $290 billion, which is near twice the quantity of wealth held by billionaires in the United States. 

Why The U.S. Lags behind In Cities With the Most Billionaires 

      

There was a time when the United States had the most billionaires as compared with the rest of the world. The country was considered as the undisputed leader of the billionaires while also being identified as the land of opportunity. People who used the opportunities provided by America found, to their amazement, they could indeed become billionaires if they set their minds on doing so.

During those times the world didn’t develop as it has presently and couldn’t provide entrepreneurial individuals an opportunity to grab hold of any chances, which came their way to acquire the kind of wealth being spoken about. It is just during the past decade that countries like China, India, Russia, South Korea, Bangkok and Japan began to make a mark and expand in the same way as America was doing. America still has its share of billionaires who are holding immense wealth, but the sum total of these wealthy individuals does not come close to the figure mentioned for China. 

What Makes Chinese Cities With The Most Billionaires A Favorable Destination 

After an individual achieves the status of becoming a billionaire he or she has the freedom to live wherever they want. China despite having the most billionaires living within its cities does not have a favorable political climate within the country.

Billionaires in China possibly do not have the same level of freedom as their counterparts in the United States or other parts around the world. Conceivably, they are considering the location of their wealth, the business interests they have and the potential for further growth, which is fueling their desire to continue living in Chinese cities. With the economic conditions which are presently prevailing on one does not see a large-scale movement of billionaires from China to other countries unless the conditions become more unfavorable for them. 

Will the United States Give up Its Position Of Being The 1 Destination Of Billionaires? 

China has certainly taken over the 1 position among the cities with most billionaires. However, one cannot expect the United States to give up the prime place it had quite easily. It must be understood that among the names of the top 25 global billionaires some faces which are familiar are from the powerful Internet and technology industry, and most of them are located in the United States and Europe.

Therefore, China cannot lay claim to this position forever as the Giants from the industry of the Internet and technology have an option to move out of China at a time of their choosing. These are not people who have major business interests in China but just have a presence in the country to meet present-day requirements. Under the circumstances, the figures presently mentioned for China can be considered as a degree of skepticism because the overall statistic of cities with the most billionaires rests elsewhere.

It is certainly a major change from the past when billionaires were just located within the United States or Europe, but whether it will continue to hold its position as the country which has cities with most billionaires is a matter which will need to be reconsidered after some time.  

sorce *

http://www.qwive.com/gist/cities-with-the-most-billionaires

#ShortStory : "It Was All A Dream" (Ibrahim Skillz)

'Thump, thump, thump!!!'

His heart keeps racing, he is trying so hard to stay calm but that was proving to be no easy task. 

It's a massive room, exotic and tastefully furnished. No tables, just sofas and stools. There are paintings on the wall, of musical legends from different genre, race and sex. The biggest of them all, Fela, doing his signature two-fists-up pose. Typical event greenroom setting. 

He looks around him. 

All these celebrities in one place and he is in here with them. 

He feels a sense of profound happiness, but he feels a greater sense of anxiety which is overshadowing everything else and affecting his countenance and composure.

He has his phone in his right hand, he makes to press a key on it, he realizes it's covered in sweat. 

Damn! He would have to calm his nerves somehow, and soonest in his own interest. 

Seated at the far end of the room, his seat faced the exit. He has his manager to his left and his two dancers to the right. A large stool lay in front of them. On it is a bottle of table water, a few cups and a bottle of champagne, but none of them is drinking. This was by far, the farthest any of them had come in their individual careers, with all their role models in the same room as them. It is obvious to everyone, they felt inferior and out of place. 

It's the greenroom of the biggest carnival in the country. An event, even the biggest of artistes feel privileged to be a part of. There are several corners to the room, with different artistes and their individual team awaiting their turn to perform. Every now and then, the stage manager would pop in to give instructions and updates to everyone on who was next to grace the stage. 

He tries to playback his song in his head, it just isn't coming to him, at all. Of all the times for something like this to happen, it’s almost as if the song had been erased from his memory. 

What if he doesn't remember the song on stage? What if he gets on stage and loses his voice? Or he trips and falls? Or worse, the crowd boos him? He has never been here before, he has no idea on how to go about things here and sadly, he had more experience in this regard than his manager, who should have helped. 

"I wan go pee" he whispers to his manager. 

"E go better make I follow you" his manager whispers back, visibly nervous. 

"Ok"

They are almost at the entrance, marked 'convenience' when a tiny voice pierces through the noisy atmosphere of the room. 

"Jay Jay" the stage manager screams. 

They both stop in their track, stopping to look back. Colliding into each other has them scrambling for balance. It takes several long seconds for both of them to find their bearings, they scream in unison, 

"Here!!!"

"You are up next! Get your dancers ready, you go up in ten minutes. Here's you mic" she says, handing him a medium sized cordless microphone. His grip is shaky, and it falls off his hands, making a rather loud disturbing sound that echoes through all the speakers in the venue as it hits the ground. The noise sweeps across the whole room, grunts of disapproval following suit. 

"Hey! Are you trying to mess up my show?" The stage manager quips in frustration masked in anger. 

"I am sorry. Please I am so sorry" he says, bending down to pick the mic up. 

There is a long pause, all eyes on him now. 

"Did that dude just say, 'I am sorry' into the microphone cos I am sure I heard that from the speakers" Nodemine a prominent rapper in the room asks loudly. 

"Oh my goodness" Jay Jay exclaims, visibly shaken. 

"I swear I didn't know... I didn't do that on purpose" he finishes even louder into the microphone, his manager tries to take the mic from him, he wouldn't let it go. They both struggle for it, loud disturbing noise from their struggle echoes through the venue. 

"Quiet!" A familiar commanding voice breaks it all up. All eyes turn in the direction which the voice came. It's Jon Dazzy, arguably the biggest producer on the continent, and a record label CEO. 

He heaves himself off his seat, picking up his glass of champagne, walking to Jay Jay and his manager. The horrified stage manager comes to stand beside him, arms at akimbo. 

"Hi, I'm Jon Dazzy" he says, reaching out for the microphone. 

"I'm Jay Jay sir, it's nice to meet you. I'm sorry about all these, I'm just so tensed up being in the same room with all of you guys. I look up to you and I am about to face an actual crowd for the first time. Please forgive me" 

Laughter breaks out from across the room, several people making fun of the situation.

"Don't be like that Jay Jay, all of us here have experienced this same feeling at one time or the other, don't mind all these people, they have all been here too. It's ok to be nervous, just don't let it rob you of your opportunity to shine" Jon dazzy encourages, putting his arm around Jay Jay shoulders, his drink on hand almost spilling on him. He slides over the switch of the microphone to turn it off with his other hand. “Introduce me to your team”

Jay Jay introduces his manager who is still glued to his side, he beckons on his dancers to come forward. The girls by now, look like frightened kittens in their seats. 

"We need to get backstage right about now" the stage manager cuts in. 

"Ok, go ahead, take a deep breath and own the stage" Jon Dazzy encourages again, patting him on his back, whilst handing him back the microphone. 

Several other people across the room offer words of encouragement as the crew of four shuffles across the room after the stage manager. All eyes, still on them. 

Jay Jay follows closely behind the stage manager with the rest of his crew, his heartbeat racing even faster. He could see someone running down the passage towards them, yelling as he gets closer. 

"Who did that?! Who the F&!&k did that?!" He screams. "The whole crowd, everyone in there from my sponsors to the f&!&king audience who bought tickets heard that!!" 

"Easy Taiye, the guy is a first timer. He is apparently nervous. Jon Dazzy has already spoken to him to boost his confidence, I'm sure everyone heard that too, he is good to go now" the stage manager explains

Jay Jay’s legs go numb, his manager and dancers feeling worse. 

"Oh, so this guy who is too nervous to handle a microphone in the greenroom is supposed to climb my stage and embarrass himself in front of my audience?!"

"Taiye calm down abeg, you are not helping matters with this your rant" 

She turns to face Jay Jay and his people, 

"Let's go guys"

Taiye moves aside as they file past him. At the end of the passage, the music gets louder, almost impossible to hear the next person speak. Jay Jay can see through the door to the stage, he gets even more nervous with the lights and cheers from the crowd and the stage itself. 

"The DJ will stop the music any moment from now and the MC will introduce you" the stage manager screams in his ears 

"Ok" he nods his reply. 

He doesn't hear the music stop, doesn't even notice when the MC starts speaking. He however hears the MC scream his name and an ensuing cheer from the crowd follows. He grabs the mic a little tight, takes a deep breath and steps into the light. 

The DJ starts playing his song, he can see his dancers had followed him on stage and are now starting to dance to it. He tries to look into the crowd for expressions but the lights hurt his eyes. Wow!!! This much light, he couldn't see beyond the stage. And he is standing directly under the brightest so everyone can see him. 

He has the mic to his mouth. The intro is over and the first verse is already on but he is yet to sing at all.

He starts to sing, but something doesn't seem right, feels like he is the only one who can hear himself, everyone else is hearing the beat the DJ is playing, his voice drowning in it all. 

F&@k!!! Jon Dazzy had slid the switch on the mic over to put it off!!!

He turns the switch back on and the mic comes alive. His singing comes alive through the speakers, he hears a new wave of cheers from the crowd. 

Oh well! That's encouraging. 

He should try to move across the stage now and dance with his girls. The performance has gone past the first verse, the chorus, well into the second verse. 

This is great, he is singing and really working the stage. 

His dancers as well have shaken off their nervousness and are doing their thing, causing a major stir amongst the males in the audience who can't take their eyes off their bodies. 

'This is where you take it to the next level' he thinks to himself.

As the chorus comes in after the second verse, he takes a deep breath and leaps of the stage into the crowd, and all of a sudden, all lights black out, the music stops, and everything pauses for a bit as he hits the ground. 

He opens his eyes to see all his roommates laughing hysterically at him. He had jumped off the top bunk in his sleep and hit the floor hard. 

Damn!!!

It was all a dream!!

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Written By: IBRAHIM “Skillz” IBRAHIM

Edited By: UNWANA UDO-OSOH

Forbes 2017 Billionaires List: Meet The Richest People On The Planet *Source* (FORBES)

It was a record year for the richest people on earth, as the number of billionaires jumped 13% to 2,043 from 1,810 last year, the first time ever that Forbes has pinned down more than 2,000 ten-figure-fortunes. Their total net worth rose by 18% to $7.67 trillion, also a record. The change in the number of billionaires — up 233 since the 2016 list — was the biggest in the 31 years that Forbes has been tracking billionaires globally. Gainers since last year’s list outnumbered losers by more than three to one.