One of the problem May D had was that he blew up just when social media started determining how we listened to music and he didn’t adapt.
There are a lot of other factors but this is one them and he wasn’t the only one who fell off.
Most artistes lose relevance once they’re no longer active because their careers were built around releasing music and not building a brand people keep interacting with outside the music. So when the releases stop, the conversations about them stops too.
Be smart as an artiste, use your active years to build things that outlive the music. A strong catalogue, a clear identity, annual events, businesses, documentaries, strategic collaborations and consistent catalogue marketing all give fans reasons to keep coming back even when there isn’t a new single.
That’s why Jay-Z can disappear for years without dropping an album and still dominate headlines. Bob Marley’s estate still introduces his music to new generations through licensing, documentaries, merchandise and partnerships. They stopped relying on new music a long time ago.
Relevance comes from remaining useful to culture.
This is one way labels in Nigeria has failed. Sometimes you don’t even need to sign a new artiste. Sometimes pick up an old catalogue and exploit it within a chosen territory.