Written by Olufadeke Florence A. Banjo
In today's blog post, I will be doing a review on the first episode of the podcast ' The How Far Podcast' hosted by the Nigerian Afro-beats singer and entrepreneur Mr Eazi and his equally famous and successful co-host and girlfriend Temilouwa Otedola who last year had her first debut in the movie 'Citation' which is on Nextflix, where she played the leading role in the Nigerian Movie.
(Trailer for the Movie Citation, starring Temi Otedola)
She is also known to be one of the daughters of a famous Nigerian Billionaire. She also has a fashion blog called JTOfashion and is a popular social media influencer with 1.2 million followers on Instagram. The couple launched the podcast last year with a total of 6 episodes for season one, which is available on streaming platforms including Apple podcast, Spotify, Youtube, Google podcast, Acast, Breaker, Google Podcast, Radio Republic, Soundcloud and TuneIn. It has been confirmed that season 2 will be coming soon.
I first came across the How Far Podcast from a post on Mr Eazi's Instagram page around November time of last year, where he posted a picture with him and his girlfriend Temilouwa, Otedola both lying down with sliver balloons spelling the name of their podcast. Reading the caption on the post, Mr Eazi firstly gave a little shoutout to his girlfriend in congratulating her on her first debut leading role in the movie 'Citation' n Nextflix (talk about couple goals right there). He then announced that he and his girlfriend Temi (who he calls T, a cute little nickname) have decided to start a podcast and when the first episode will air. The How Far? Podcast discusses topics such as relationships, entertainment, social issues and other topics that both the Co-hosts find of particular interest to discuss.
Before I get on with the review, I would like to say I am not really a podcast person. I have only properly listened to one podcast, so keep this in mind when reading this review. Something has to really pull me in, for me to keep focus for a long period of time, each episode is around 45 to 47 minutes (this is a bit longer than most podcasts, with the average podcast being 37 minutes long, however, I did really enjoy listening to this podcast).
Three things I believe make a good podcast :
1) Have an engaging voice
- People are listening to your voice for a long period of time; you want to make sure your voice is clear and engaging, you don't want to make your listeners bored.
2) Have interesting topics that you are going to discuss
3) Leave the audience wanting more as well as something they can take from each episode, e.g. some advice or tips on a particular topic that the listeners can actually use or at least ponder upon.
Now on to the actual reason why you guys are reading this blog post; let's get into the nitty-gritty of my review on the first episode of this podcast.
CONTENT
I will first start with the actual content or main themes and topics discussed in this first episode. The first episode is entitled 'You Should Always Have Vex Money', and this is exactly what the co-hosts spoke about along with other related topics (including discussing their first date, gender roles etc.). I say this because what I have come to find is when for instance, going through youtube to find a video to watch, some people like to have catchy titles, but when you actually go and click on the video they either, 1 have a long introduction before getting to the topic in hand or 2 speak about something completely off-topic that is not related to the title of the video. This was not the case with this podcast episode.
Each episode starts with Temi asking Mr Eazi How far now? (this phrase is well known Nigerian slang saying, which basically means Hello/ How is everything? ), Mr Eazi proceeded to answer this question and then asks Temi how she has been.
- Temi brought up some interesting questions during this episode; one of the questions was whether it matters if a couple is a polar opposite? Regarding their personalities
- Temi proceeded to say that she and Mr Eazi are opposite. She is Type A; she is headstrong, doesn’t like going with the flow, she has a set schedule for every hour of the day, whereas Mr Eazi is pretty laid back, go with the flow.
Mr Eazi also brought up a good point in regards to this question, he said that different personalities can often bring a lot of friction.
We have all heard the saying that opposite attracts, and this narrative has been played out throughout media, novels, the list goes on. However, according to an article from the Insider in 2018 entitled ’Opposites do not attract in relationships’, this popular saying is actually a myth. According to multiple studies, the article found that people tend to be attracted to those who are similar to them and not opposite to themselves. As explained in the article, one possible reason was that “personality contrasts tend to stand out and become bigger over time”.
(12th Feb 2020)
However, this is not to say that couples whose personalities are completely opposite can’t work out. From just listening to this episode alone, you can sense that Temi and Mr Eazi make it work as a couple with completely different personalities.
Overall, you have got to find out what works for you, whether it’s finding someone whose personality traits are similar to yours or finding a partner who has a completely different personality to yours and being okay with that. I believe this is not limited to just romantic relationships but also friendships. I’m sure we all have a couple of our friends whose personalities are opposite to our own. I know I do, yet we still find a way to make it work. Also, sometimes you end up picking some habits from your partner or your friend. For instance, you may not have been a very outgoing person. However, since being around your partner or your friend, over time, you begin to feel more comfortable being sociable with others, going out etc.
Gender Roles
Moreover, Temi and Mr Eazi also discussed gender roles in regards to who should organise a date. Mr Eazi initially believes the women should plan the date in terms of where they are eating etc., but also said that the person who is most organised/precise with things should be the one who plans the date (in this case, it could be either the women or the man). However, when it comes to who pays for the date, Mr Eazi seems to have the more traditional view of the man paying for the date.
On the other hand, Temi believes in the 50/50 narrative/concept when paying on a date (both parties should contribute, split the bill, etc.).
'When they first met (Temi and Mr Eazi)''
Temi actually made the first move when she and Mr Eazi met for the first time. She believes that it was fate that brought them together. They exchanged numbers, started texting one another. Mr Eazi made a comment in regards to Temi taking long to reply to him when they initially first started to text one another (I low-key kind of relate to Mr Eazi in regards to being annoyed when someone, in particular, someone I like, takes ages to reply, it can be not very pleasant sometimes).
They briefly talk about their first link-up, both of them were in London at the time, Temi was at the O2, she was meant to go to a Drake concert however her friend forgot his or her's ticket at home, left on her own, no ticket. She calls one of her sister I believe and her friend tells her that Mr Eazi is also in the area. Temi calls Mr Eazi, ask if he will be down to meet up, grab some drinks at a bar. Temi, one of Mr Eazi's friend and Mr Eazi all go to a bar for drinks. When they get there, Temi goes to the toilet and when she pops out of the bathroom, Mr Eazi has left the bar, as in the left poor Temi at the bar. Mr Eazi explains his side of the story on the podcast (I will leave you guys to hear his side of the story).
*Bear in mind this first link-up was fours years ago. Temi and Mr Eazi have been together for four years now.
If you want to hear a glimpse of their actual first date, definitely check out this first episode from this podcast. I don't want to give out too many spoilers.
What is Vex money?
''Vex Money refers to the cash that one should have, so if you fall out with a potential girlfriend/boyfriend, you can leave the situation with your head held high''. Mr Eazi and Temi
Temi and Mr Eazi spoke about this during the podcast, after speaking about their first date and who should pay for certain things when it comes to dates, Mr Eazi brought up the point, about vacations, who should pay for the vacation as a couple. Temi brought up that a lot of the time, the boyfriend pays for the vacation/ the other expenses that come with a vacation (flights cost, hotel, food etc). Temi also asked Mr Eazi whether he thinks it's fear for the guy to pay for everything when it comes to vacation.
Temi also brought up that if a guy flys you out somewhere, the guy should take care of the expense; both should contribute, but if a couple is planning a vacation contribute. Mr Eazi on the other hand disagreed with the guy having to pay for everything even if the guy was the one flying/ inviting the girl out somewhere (for a holiday). Finally, Mr Eazi brought up the concept of Vex money (see the above paragraph for the definition given by the Co-hosts).
The vex money idea is actually a very logical thing. If things don't work out, you should always try to carry some money, so you can either leave the country earlier or go elsewhere (where you are not in the presence of the guy or girl who pissed you off/ misunderstanding with) whilst still enjoying the holiday.
What did I like the most from this first episode?
- I liked getting a little insight into Temi and Mr Eazi's relationship, Both Temi and Mr Eazi like to keep their relationship low-key private, like you will see some photos of them together on one another's Instagram, but it's not all in your face 24/7. Unlike the blogs, newspapers and other media outlets that might try to put a certain narrative on Temi and Mr Eazi's relationship, with the How far Podcast, the couple can control what they share with us listeners when it comes to their private life as a couple, plus this podcast helped me truly see how normal both Mr Eazi and Temi are despite their celebrity lifestyle and titles.
- I liked how they navigate from one topic to another so smoothly; it really felt like you were in the room with them as they were speaking to one another; it didn't sound scripted, although they may have some little notes to help them stay focused on the main topics they wanted to discuss.
- Normalising both partners doing chores:
Temi and Mr Eazi briefly spoke about traditional gender roles when it comes to household chores and that during the lockdown they were both living together, they usually had people who would help when it came to the house chores; however, due to the lockdown, they had both taken up the chores together as a couple. Mr Eazi brought up the point of the way you were brought up as a child is important in regards to how you view household chores and gender roles when it comes to this, Mr. Eazi mentioned that when he was younger, he saw his dad washing clothes, sweeping etc. ( Mr Eazi explained that this in no way made his dad less of a man for doing these things ) and hence this was a norm for him, and he even did these things when he was younger. Mr Eazi went on to say how he believes when it comes to chores, it should be shared out.
I also agree with this, chores should be shared out equally among both genders, it shouldn't just be or expected for the lady to do all the chores in the house and this is for both couples living together, married folks, families in regards to parents making sure their son and daughter are both equally doing chores and it shouldn't be gender-based, what I mean by this, the daughter shouldn't be the only one cooking or washing the dishes the son should also do his fair share of cooking.
I liked that the topics discussed were both lighthearted but also important and a little thought-provoking at times. I also liked how both Temi and Mr Eazi didn't take themselves too seriously during this episode. You could sense that they genuinely had fun recording this episode for their podcast, from their laughs to them teasing one another a little to the genuine chemistry between the two that you sense, which all come together and makes you want to have a real interest for not only the contents of their podcast but also wanting to get to know the couple as well as them individually on a deeper level.
What did I least like from the first episode of this podcast?
From the top of my head, there wasn't anything that I disliked about this episode. The only thing that comes to mind is that, at times, they would go off-topic or keep on one topic for a bit longer. However, I didn't mind that too much, as I was genuinely interested in what they were discussing.
What lessons or giveaways did I learn/gain from this first episode?
- 1) Opposite personalities in a relationship can work and sometimes:
- You may be able to balance one another out (but it's not for everyone, sometimes go with someone similar to you). It's really up to you and your partner to decide how you are going to work out each other's personalities and habits and also be aware that you may disagree at times or approach things differently due to your opposite personalities.
- 2) Be open to new things and meeting new people. If it's meant to be, it will be:
- A scene from Loves Jones (A classic movie, by the way :) )
Temi and Mr Eazi both met each other unexpectedly (I think it was through a mutual friend ). After their first time meeting one another, they met up a couple of times and eventually started dating and have been together for a while, four years now. Now I am not saying that every guy or girl you meet will automatically be your true love or friend f. Still, I. Still, I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. In some cases, it might just be a coincidence or so. Still, sometimes it might take you several years later after meeting someone, that you figure out why you met that person, e.g. that person you met might be a blessing in disguise, even if things did not work out with you guys. All in all, be open to new things, experiences, people etc.
- 3) Have VEX Money!
- Do not end up being stuck in a situation that isn't working for you any more, all because you decided not to bring any money with you during a holiday. Also, both parties, when it comes to couple vacation should try to contribute (Vacations can be already expensive, let alone paying for two, and if you are trying to be like those couples on youtube or Instagram, you might want to go to some Island or ride camels or something), unless one of the parties doesn't mind paying for everything. Still, even with the latter, both of you should have some extra cash, just in case you argue during the vacation or other things come up during the holiday.
Overall this first episode was a good little introduction to the podcast with some great topics discussed. I would definitely recommend you guys go and check out the episode and the podcast as a whole.
Links to the first episode:
Spotify:
Apple Music:
Youtube (How Far? with Mr Eazi and Temi Otedola):
Follow the host of this podcast on Instagram and Twitter
@mreazi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mreazi/
@temiotedola
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/temiotedola/
Twitter:
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Love, Flo, The Flo-Journal