EncyclopediaDigital Culture & Media

Digital Culture & Media

127 entries.

Digital Culture & Media

When Creator Reach Becomes Infrastructure: The Khaby Lame Deal and What It Signals for Cameroon

Tino Foy · 27 January 2026 · Social Evolution

A major creator-economy acquisition—the sale of Khaby Lame's company for $900 million in equity rather than cash—marks a quiet shift: influe

Digital Culture & Media

The Machinery Behind Celebrity Betting Spectacle

PoiseSocial · 23 December 2025 · Local Heroes & Figures

When Francis Ngannou appears to stake millions on a Cameroon match, the post reveals this is not personal gambling but contractual brand mar

Digital Culture & Media

The Jesus Girl Case: A Lesson in Due Diligence for Influencers and Investors

PoiseSocial · 10 December 2025 · Political Culture

A TikToker known as Jesus Girl faced police custody over allegations of promoting a fraudulent financial services company that defrauded som

Digital Culture & Media

The Courage to Pause: On Standards, Noise, and the Future of Digital Media in Cameroon

Tino Foy · 24 November 2025 · Social Evolution

The founder reflects on taking PoiseSocial offline at its peak, not as failure but as a deliberate act of integrity. Faced with an internet

Digital Culture & Media

The Gray Area: Influencers and the Rot of Attention in Cameroon

Wandji Wilfred · 19 December 2024 · Social Evolution

Poise examines the Cameroonian influencer ecosystem—a sprawling, undisciplined terrain where the term means almost nothing. From beauty merc

Digital Culture & Media

Hide My I.D.: When Confession Becomes Entertainment

Wandji Wilfred · 18 August 2024 · Social Evolution

This essay examines the transformation of anonymous advice platforms—spaces initially meant for vulnerable people to seek help without shame

Digital Culture & Media

The Evolution From Skits to Short Films: Caro's Production Company and the Wider Industry Shift

Tino Foy · 21 May 2024 · Local Heroes & Figures

The announcement of Cameroonian actress and skit creator Caro's production company and five forthcoming short films marks a broader pivot in

Digital Culture & Media

NGANU and the Perils of Ambition Without Execution

Tino Foy · 15 November 2023 · Social Evolution

A critical review of Kang Quintus's second feature film, NGANU, which tells the story of a violent man who joins the military in a bid for r

Digital Culture & Media

The Certificate Trap: Why Digital Marketing Workshops Rarely Deliver What They Promise

Tino Foy · 10 May 2023 · Social Evolution

A critique of the booming digital marketing course industry in Cameroon, arguing that certificates from unaccredited academies create a fals

Digital Culture & Media

The Decline of Blogging as Cultural Curation

Tino Foy · 28 April 2023 · Social Evolution

This piece traces how Cameroonian entertainment blogging evolved from a practice of cultural discovery and curation into a fragmented creato

Digital Culture & Media

Stop Promoting Deception: Media Ethics and Misinformation in Cameroon

Tino Foy · 3 April 2023 · Social Evolution

A critical examination of how Cameroonian media outlets and bloggers have abandoned journalistic standards in pursuit of viral content, usin

Digital Culture & Media

We Have an Influencer Problem

Wandji Wilfred · 11 March 2023 · Social Evolution

The writer examines the degraded state of influence and celebrity in Cameroon, where the term 'influencer' has been stretched to encompass e

Digital Culture & Media

Zebra Comics and the Reimagining of African Storytelling

Poise (Editorial) · 29 December 2022 · Local Heroes & Figures

This piece traces the evolution of comics from dismissal as juvenile entertainment to recognition as serious art, then pivots to celebrate Z

Digital Culture & Media

When Real Talent Eclipses the Noise: Vanister at the World Cup

F.N.K · 4 December 2022 · Social Evolution

A critical reflection on how an unknown street musician from Akonolinga rose to global prominence during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, outshi

Digital Culture & Media

The Power of Cultural Reference in Cameroonian Hip-Hop

Gi Yo Ndzi · 2 November 2022 · Social Evolution

This piece examines how Cameroonian rappers use cultural references—to local history, entertainment figures, political events, and internati

Digital Culture & Media

The Rules of Digital Creation: Starting from Fun and Finding Your Why

Wandji Wilfred · 22 September 2022 · Social Evolution

A practical guide to content creation in the age of smartphones and social media, drawing on nine years of writing experience. The author ar

Digital Culture & Media

Rinyu's Subtlety: A Lesson in Measured Response

PoiseSocial · 4 August 2022 · Social Evolution

When a misinterpreted comment online threatened to pit two female artists against each other, Rinyu's measured Facebook response—acknowledgi

Digital Culture & Media

The Arithmetic of Trust: On Auntie Felicia and the Economics of Influence

Tino Foy · 6 July 2022 · Local Heroes & Figures

A marketer examines the rapid ascent of a major Cameroonian comedy influencer and the pitfall of accepting too many brand deals at once. The

Digital Culture & Media

The Democratization of Smart Home Technology in Cameroon

Poise (Editorial) · 10 May 2022 · Local Heroes & Figures

Clay Makain Kimbi, a Cameroonian technologist and audio professional from Bamenda, challenges the Western-centric notion of smart homes by d

Digital Culture & Media

On the Ridiculous Need to Exploit Virality

Wandji Wilfred · 18 April 2022 · Social Evolution

The writer critiques the impulse to manufacture permanent internet fame from fleeting viral moments, examining how social media culture in C

Digital Culture & Media

Pressure: Is Jovi the Last of a Dying Breed?

PoiseSocial · 14 April 2022 · Social Evolution

The writer traces the evolution of Cameroonian hip-hop from the early 2000s through the early 2010s, examining how a generation shaped by We

Digital Culture & Media

Wizkid's Loss and the Problem with the Grammys

Wandji Wilfred · 6 April 2022 · Cultural Geography

Following Wizkid's loss in the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album to Angelique Kidjo, the writer examines not the merit of either arti

Digital Culture & Media

Sango Edi on the Path of Makossa

Wandji Wilfred · 22 February 2022 · Cultural Geography

A thoughtful review of producer-turned-artist Sango Edi's debut album *Engeleh Nye Poh*, which charts his evolution from behind-the-scenes w

Digital Culture & Media

Snazzy Shikena: Afro Love LP, the Artist, and Timing

PoiseSocial · 11 December 2021 · Local Heroes & Figures

Poise examines Snazzy Shikena's Afro Love LP, a ten-track project celebrating the African woman, and reflects on the artist's career traject

Digital Culture & Media

You Are in Control of How Social Media Makes You Feel

Wandji Wilfred · 20 September 2021

The writer examines Lil Nas X's use of provocative imagery—a pregnant belly prosthetic—to promote his album, and the swift social media back

Digital Culture & Media

Introducing Anyoh Fombad & Her Africa-Centric Podcast

Wandji Wilfred · 19 September 2021 · Local Heroes & Figures

A writer celebrates the launch of *Living African*, a podcast by Cameroonian diaspora figure Anyoh Fombad that addresses taboo subjects—dome

Digital Culture & Media

Canal 2'OR and the Structural Failures of Cameroon's Biggest Awards

Wandji Wilfred · 16 September 2021 · Social Evolution

A sharp critique of the Canal 2'OR awards ceremony's credibility, examining how its biennial schedule, opaque voting, vague eligibility wind

Digital Culture & Media

Facebook Programming and the Future of Our Society

PoiseSocial · 28 July 2021 · Social Evolution

The writer examines how social media, particularly Facebook, shapes public discourse in Cameroon by amplifying shock value over nuance, and

Digital Culture & Media

Six Gaps to Fill for Successful Food Blogging in Cameroon

PoiseSocial · 25 July 2021 · Social Evolution

Cameroonian food bloggers, particularly those cooking for diaspora audiences, have begun filling a cultural and practical niche on YouTube.

Digital Culture & Media

The Untold Cuisines: Gaps and Possibilities in Cameroonian Food Blogging

Wandji Wilfred · 24 July 2021 · Cultural Geography

As Cameroonian cooking channels proliferate online, the writer examines five critical gaps in how the country's cuisine is being documented

Digital Culture & Media

The Cost of Inflated Credentials: On Platform Responsibility and How We Are Named

Wandji Wilfred · 23 July 2021 · Social Evolution

The writer examines the gap between the titles platforms assign to their moderators and the qualifications they actually possess, using the

Digital Culture & Media

Tenor's Accident, Steve Fah, and the Buzz Economy

PoiseSocial · 17 July 2021 · Social Evolution

When a serious car accident involving rapper Tenor dominated Cameroon social media in July 2021, media personalities like Steve Fah quickly

Digital Culture & Media

Jovi Releases a Mixtape: But What Is It Exactly?

Wandji Wilfred · 17 June 2021 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer traces the evolution of the mixtape from its analog origins in the 1990s—homemade cassette compilations—through its centrality in

Digital Culture & Media

The Indecency of Social Affection: On Children as Brands

Wandji Wilfred · 14 June 2021

The writer examines the trend of parents creating Instagram accounts for toddlers, questioning whether the practice stems from genuine docum

Digital Culture & Media

The Danger of Being Right for the Wrong Reasons: How Viral Stories Distort Social Truth

Tino Foy · 10 June 2021 · Social Evolution

The writer examines how unverified or fabricated stories circulating on social media—particularly those depicting extreme cases of gender-ba

Digital Culture & Media

Pressure: Is Jovi the Last of a Dying Breed?

Wandji Wilfred · 8 June 2021 · Social Evolution

This essay traces the evolution of Cameroonian urban music from the early 2000s to 2021, examining how technological shifts, media fragmenta

Digital Culture & Media

A Platform Transition: Moving Beyond Social Media Constraints

Tino Foy & Wandji Wilfred · 3 June 2021

In June 2021, Poise announced a significant shift from relying on Facebook distribution to building its own owned platform, introducing a pa

Digital Culture & Media

Strategy in the Content Age: When the Music Business Becomes About More Than Noise

Wandji Wilfred · 8 April 2021 · Social Evolution

The writer argues that while social media has made music into a content business, most Cameroonian artists create noise rather than strategy

Digital Culture & Media

Would Richard Bona Succeed in Today's Ecosystem?

Poise (Editorial) · 12 March 2021 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer reflects on Richard Bona's career arc—ten albums, no solo music videos, yet international jazz recognition—and asks whether such

Digital Culture & Media

The Silhouette Challenge and the Rhetoric of Empowerment

Wandji Wilfred · 29 January 2021

A critical examination of the viral Silhouette Challenge, questioning the gap between claims of empowerment and the actual motivations—and r

Digital Culture & Media

Paola Audrey: Building a Niche Audience on the Internet and Scaling It

Wandji Wilfred · 9 December 2020 · Local Heroes & Figures

A reflection on Paola Audrey Ndengue's trajectory as a multidisciplinary content creator and curator across entertainment, politics, and cul

Digital Culture & Media

Blueprint Hakeem and Hip Hop in Bamenda

MC Ngo' · 4 December 2020 · Cultural Geography

A celebration of Blueprint Hakeem, a Bamenda-based rapper who has maintained hip-hop's foundational values for eight years as an independent

Digital Culture & Media

Can Gasha Return to Her Former Glory?

Wandji Wilfred · 1 December 2020 · Social Evolution

A reflective essay on the Cameroonian artist Gasha's rise in 2014 as a distinctive voice in a nascent urban music movement, her absence in t

Digital Culture & Media

Why Cameroonian Food Blogging Needs Depth: Five Gaps to Fill

Wandji Wilfred · 21 October 2020 · Cultural Geography

The writer examines five critical gaps in how Cameroonian cuisine is presented online: nutritional knowledge, visual quality, adaptation acr

Digital Culture & Media

Stanley Enow's New Song and the Machinery of Relevance

Wandji Wilfred · 27 September 2020 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer examines the sharp public backlash to Stanley Enow's song "Tu Vas Lire L'Heure," acknowledging its lyrical weakness while defendi

Digital Culture & Media

Jean Miche Kankan's Shadow: Did One Comedian's Dominance Constrain an Entire Genre?

Wandji Wilfred · 12 August 2020 · Social Evolution

This reflective essay asks whether Jean Miche Kankan's overwhelming cultural dominance in Cameroon's comedy scene during the 1980s and early

Digital Culture & Media

The Kankan Question: How One Comedian Shaped—and Possibly Constrained—Cameroon's Comedy

Wandji Wilfred · 11 August 2020 · Local Heroes & Figures

This essay traces Jean-Miche Kankan's outsized cultural influence on Cameroonian comedy from the 1980s through the early 2000s, examining bo

Digital Culture & Media

On Comedy and Entertainers: What Cameroon's Comedians Are Missing

Tino Foy · 6 August 2020 · Social Evolution

This piece examines the distinction between being funny and being a comedian, prompted by a Freaky Table episode critiquing Cameroon's comed

Digital Culture & Media

Freaky Table: The Culture Conversation Cameroon Needed

Wandji Wilfred · 21 July 2020 · Local Heroes & Figures

A celebration of Freaky Table, a YouTube talk show hosted by Joan Ngomba, Kwoh Elonge, and Yana Max, which brings sharp, entertaining analys

Digital Culture & Media

The Music Business Has Become a Content Business

Wandji Wilfred · 26 June 2020 · Social Evolution

The digital transformation of music consumption—from streaming to social media—has fundamentally altered how the industry operates. Musician

Digital Culture & Media

The Attention Economy and the Collapse of Genuine Discourse

Wandji Wilfred · 25 June 2020 · Social Evolution

The writer examines how accusations of

Digital Culture & Media

Richard Bona: The Troll King and the New Music Blueprint

Wandji Wilfred · 10 June 2020 · Local Heroes & Figures

During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, bass virtuoso Richard Bona leveraged social media lives to share long-suppressed stories of mistreatment

Digital Culture & Media

The Weight of a Sound: Jovi, Mboko, and the Cost of Ownership

Wandji Wilfred · 9 June 2020 · Local Heroes & Figures

This essay examines Jovi's relationship to the mboko rap sound he created—a distinctive sonic and thematic identity that has defined his car

Digital Culture & Media

What Is an EP? A Brief History and Why It Matters for New Artists

Wandji Wilfred · 19 May 2020 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer reflects on the recent wave of young Cameroonian musicians releasing EPs—compact musical projects of 3–7 tracks—and explains the

Digital Culture & Media

On Naming: Vernyuy Tina and the Problem of Genre Classification

Wandji Wilfred · 11 May 2020 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer reflects on how artists name their music, using Vernyuy Tina's self-categorization as "Afro-Njang" as a case study. The piece arg

Digital Culture & Media

Finding Your Brand Voice Part II: How Beta Tinz Became a Trusted Hub for Information

Wandji Wilfred · 16 April 2020 · Social Evolution

This essay examines how Beta Tinz, an Instagram page centered on Pidgin English storytelling, built trust and cultural authority by combinin

Digital Culture & Media

Thank You to All the Poise Ladies

Poise (Editorial) · 31 March 2020

In March 2020, Poise celebrated its female contributors in a special themed month, and the response exceeded expectations—nearly daily publi

Digital Culture & Media

Corona Virus: Spread Information, Not Panic

Delight Alombah · 10 March 2020 · Social Evolution

Written in early March 2020 as COVID-19 began circulating globally, this post challenges what the writer sees as reckless fear-mongering by

Digital Culture & Media

Pascal's Digital Romance: What a Cameroonian Rap Song Reveals About Love in the Internet Age

Wandji Wilfred · 21 February 2020 · Social Evolution

The writer explores Pascal's song "Douala to Brazaville," which narrates the collision between online intimacy and physical meeting—a guy an

Digital Culture & Media

Taron X and the Pillar of Rap You Didn't Know About

Wandji Wilfred · 12 February 2020 · Cultural Geography

The writer examines Taron X's song

Digital Culture & Media

On Reading with Open Mind: The Writer's Motive and the Reader's Responsibility

Tino Foy · 21 January 2020

The writer reflects on publishing an article that sparked unexpected criticism, using it as a moment to articulate how readers should approa

Digital Culture & Media

Biggy 237 and the Promise of Homegrown Reality Television

Tino Foy · 12 January 2020 · Social Evolution

The writer examines Biggy 237, a reality competition show born from the Anglophone crisis as a means to occupy displaced communities, assess

Digital Culture & Media

On Media Training and the Professionalization of Public Speech

Wandji Wilfred · 11 December 2019 · Social Evolution

A Cameroon music industry figure responds critically to an entertainer's on-air remark suggesting a peer should quit music, arguing the inci

Digital Culture & Media

Fashion Blogging in Cameroon: The Case for Substance Over Mockery

PoiseSocial · 5 December 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer examines a Facebook platform styled after 'Fashion Police' that covers red carpet events in Cameroon, arguing that its reliance o

Digital Culture & Media

How Ulrich Takam Got One Step Ahead of Everybody

Wandji Wilfred · 14 November 2019 · Local Heroes & Figures

A 2019 profile of Ulrich Takam, a Cameroonian webseries creator whose *Les Delires de Takam* achieved millions of views across Francophone A

Digital Culture & Media

On Stephanie Tum, 'Saving Mbango,' and the Possibility of Cameroon's Cinema

Wandji Wilfred · 7 November 2019 · Social Evolution

A longtime skeptic of Cameroon's film industry praises Embi Productions' marketing campaign for 'Saving Mbango'—specifically its strategy of

Digital Culture & Media

The Social Resume: Building Your Personal Brand Online

Tino Foy · 1 November 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer reflects on how a consistent, public body of work on social media—a

Digital Culture & Media

Reach Without Influence: Why Social Media Metrics Mask the Absence of Purpose

Tino Foy · 31 October 2019

The writer argues that the pursuit of likes, follows, and engagement metrics has become decoupled from any meaningful intention or value cre

Digital Culture & Media

Building Credibility in the Digital Age: The Social Resume

Tino Foy · 31 October 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer reflects on how consistent, public work on social media—specifically through PoiseSocial—transformed professional opportunities t

Digital Culture & Media

The Illusion of Influence: Why Follower Count Doesn't Equal Market Power in Cameroon

Wandji Wilfred · 30 October 2019 · Social Evolution

This piece examines the gap between social media followings and actual influence, arguing that true influencers must create sustained value

Digital Culture & Media

The Bonteh Digital Media Awards: Building Legitimacy in a Young Industry

Tino Foy · 22 October 2019 · Local Heroes & Figures

A reflection on the Bonteh Digital Media Awards (BDMA), Cameroon's third-annual recognition platform for media and digital entrepreneurs, ex

Digital Culture & Media

The Mboko Gang: Herd Mentality and the Limits of Conviction

PoiseSocial · 15 October 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer examines the 'Mboko Gang'—a vocal faction organized around support for a particular African rapper—as a case study in social-medi

Digital Culture & Media

On Hype and the Inflation of Praise

Wandji Wilfred · 6 September 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer examines how social media has inverted the relationship between achievement and recognition, turning insincere flattery into curr

Digital Culture & Media

Chinjong X Chinjong: The Sound of AfroHouse

Wandji Wilfred · 26 July 2019 · Local Heroes & Figures

A reflection on the production duo Trae and Lonie Chinjong and their fusion of house music with Afropop through Mr Leo's 'Shayo'—a track tha

Digital Culture & Media

Two Years of Thought: A Letter on Writing, Anonymity, and Community

Wandji Wilfred · 18 July 2019 · Social Evolution

On PoiseSocial's second anniversary, the writer Wandji Wilfred reflects on producing over 109 articles in that span, driven by a conviction

Digital Culture & Media

Daphne and the Curious Case of Plagiarism: When PR Breaks Down

Wandji Wilfred · 17 July 2019 · Social Evolution

Following accusations of plagiarism leveled at urban musician Daphne over the song 'Doucement,' the writer examines not the legal merits of

Digital Culture & Media

Ambe: Ten Years of Sound and Soul Searching

Tino Foy · 6 July 2019 · Local Heroes & Figures

A career retrospective of the Cameroonian artist Ambe (formerly Denzyl), tracing his evolution from rap-fusion in 2008 through a series of s

Digital Culture & Media

When a Million Followers Is Not an Achievement: Influencer Marketing in Cameroon

Tino Foy · 12 June 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer examines the gap between follower counts and actual commercial viability, using the case of Arii—a major influencer who failed to

Digital Culture & Media

Numbers Are Not Everything: On Influence, Strategy, and Social Media in Cameroon

Tino Foy · 12 June 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer argues that follower count alone does not constitute influence, and that successful marketing on social media requires deliberate

Digital Culture & Media

How Tzy Panchak's 'Na So' Challenge Added Value to Cameroonian Music

Wandji Wilfred · 10 June 2019 · Social Evolution

A critical reassessment of music-driven social media challenges in Cameroon, arguing that Tzy Panchak's 'Na So' challenge succeeded where ot

Digital Culture & Media

KamerLyrics: A Young Entrepreneur's Gift to Cameroonian Music

Wandji Wilfred · 30 May 2019 · Local Heroes & Figures

Poise celebrates KamerLyrics, a Cameroonian lyrics app created by Minette Lontsie, that solves the frustration of finding song words to belo

Digital Culture & Media

Consistency Alone Is No Longer Enough: Why Attention Has Become the Real Currency

Tino Foy · 28 May 2019 · Social Evolution

This essay argues that the widely held belief that consistent content creation is the path to online success is now outdated, particularly o

Digital Culture & Media

Web Series as Creative Foundation: Why the Short Form Matters

Wandji Wilfred · 15 May 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer argues that web series represent not a departure from traditional filmmaking but a necessary apprenticeship—a format where Camero

Digital Culture & Media

And Then There Was Kameni

Wandji Wilfred · 26 April 2019 · Local Heroes & Figures

A portrait of an emerging Cameroonian vocalist whose command of live performance, unconventional lyricism, and genre-blending style—rooted i

Digital Culture & Media

The Mboko Question: Movement or Mirage?

Wandji Wilfred · 5 April 2019 · Social Evolution

The writer examines the claim that 'Mboko' constitutes a coherent cultural movement, finding instead a set of aesthetics and behaviors untet

Digital Culture & Media

Why You Should Listen to Podcasts

Wandji Wilfred · 27 March 2019 · Social Evolution

A guide to discovering and accessing podcasts as a democratic tool for learning. The writer argues that podcasts—serialized audio programmes

Digital Culture & Media

The Candy Standard: On the Collapse of Intellectual Rigor in Media

Seth Godin · 17 March 2019

The writer reflects on a local reference (Nyangono Du Sud) as a symptom of a broader cultural shift: the normalization of intellectual decli

Digital Culture & Media

Canal D'Or 2019: Measuring an Emerging Awards Culture

Wandji Wilfred · 10 March 2019 · Cultural Geography

Writing in March 2019, the author assesses the twelfth edition of Cameroon's Canal D'Or music awards as the best-organized yet, celebrating

Digital Culture & Media

Miracle Myths: Why Cameroonians Mistake Opportunity for Divine Intervention

Tino Foy · 28 February 2019 · Social Evolution

A Cameroonian artist's viral success after a Nigerian pencil artist caught Kevin Hart's attention sparked a wave of comments framing the out

Digital Culture & Media

Word as Weapon: Young Holiday's Worth the Wait

Poise (Editorial) · 26 February 2019 · Cultural Geography

Poise celebrates the lyrical density and verbal craft of Young Holiday's Worth the Wait EP, extracting standout bars that showcase wordplay,

Digital Culture & Media

Reach Without Influence: On Purpose in the Attention Economy

Tino Foy · 21 February 2019

The writer examines the hollow pursuit of likes, follows, and attention on social media, arguing that most users—including aspiring influenc

Digital Culture & Media

The Curious Case of Mr. Leo's Dressing

Wandji Wilfred · 4 January 2019 · Local Heroes & Figures

A reflection on public criticism of a prominent Cameroonian musician's fashion choices, prompted by a media personality's remarks and an inf

Digital Culture & Media

Comparing Two Songs That Shouldn't Be Compared: My Way vs Comme Ça

Tino Foy · 26 September 2018 · Local Heroes & Figures

This analytical piece examines Stanley's 'My Way' and Salatiel's 'Comme Ça' (featuring Daphne), rejecting the premise that one overshadows t

Digital Culture & Media

What Happened to Technology (Part One)?

Tino Foy · 20 September 2018 · Social Evolution

The writer examines the paradox of Cameroon's reputation for producing internet fraudsters alongside widespread vulnerability to scams, and

Digital Culture & Media

Ko-C's Gambit: When a Rapper Curates His Own List

Poise (Editorial) · 10 September 2018 · Local Heroes & Figures

After being excluded from PoiseSocial's ranking of Cameroon's most valuable rappers, Ko-C creates a WhatsApp group and invites a roster of h

Digital Culture & Media

On Building PoiseSocial: Naming, Collaboration, and Purpose

Tino Foy · 7 September 2018 · Social Evolution

The founder reflects on the deliberate choices behind PoiseSocial's name and editorial mission, the organic partnership that shaped the plat

Digital Culture & Media

Celebrity, Craft, and the Confusion of Packaging: A Cameroonian Reckoning

Tino Foy · 19 July 2018 · Social Evolution

On the occasion of the editor's first year, Poise examines how Cameroonian youth confuse celebrity with image—mistaking fashion, scarcity, a

Digital Culture & Media

Brand Safety and the Price of Representation

Mata Harri · 3 July 2018 · Social Evolution

A reflection on the backlash to a Cameroonian artist's fashion choices at a public event, and what it reveals about how local companies asse

Digital Culture & Media

Camer Rap: On the Need to Sample More

Wandji Wilfred · 20 June 2018 · Cultural Geography

The writer argues that Cameroonian rappers should embrace sampling—a foundational hip-hop practice—as a means of preserving local musical id

Digital Culture & Media

"This Is Cameroon": The Question of Who, and Why It Matters

Wandji Wilfred · 11 June 2018 · Social Evolution

Responding to social media calls for a Cameroonian adaptation of Childish Gambino's

Digital Culture & Media

This Is Cameroon: On Political Rap and the Moment We Missed

Wandji Wilfred · 6 June 2018 · Social Evolution

Following the viral success of Childish Gambino's "This Is America" and Falz's Nigerian response, Cameroonian social media called for a loca

Digital Culture & Media

KamerLyrics: A Young Entrepreneur's Gift to Cameroonian Music

Wandji Wilfred · 5 June 2018 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer celebrates KamerLyrics, a mobile app created by Minette Lontsie that makes Cameroonian song lyrics accessible in one place. The a

Digital Culture & Media

Social Media as a Tool for Accountability: Beyond Distraction

Tino Foy · 3 April 2018 · Political Culture

The writer argues that social media, despite its capacity to spread misinformation, remains the only accessible platform where ordinary Came

Digital Culture & Media

The Candy Diet: On Media Decline and the Collapse of Intellectual Standards

Seth Godin · 26 March 2018

The writer traces the shift from serious, complex media—novels, documentary programming, investigative journalism—to algorithmically-driven

Digital Culture & Media

Social Media and the Dopamine Trap: Life Behind the Filter

Tino Foy · 26 March 2018 · Social Evolution

The writer examines how social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat—have become engines of approval-seeking behavior, driven by dop

Digital Culture & Media

Maahlox and the Game of W(h)oes: On Spectacle, Complicity, and the Rhetoric of Mirror-Holding

Wandji Wilfred · 21 March 2018 · Social Evolution

A critical examination of Cameroonian musician Maahlox's claim that his sexually explicit and provocative music videos serve as societal cri

Digital Culture & Media

The Art of Positioning: Stanley, Puma, and the Logic of Strategic Visibility

Tino Foy · 19 March 2018 · Social Evolution

The writer analyzes Stanley's apparent strategic placement of the Puma logo throughout his music video for 'Elle est la,' reading it as a de

Digital Culture & Media

Why You Should Listen to Podcasts

Wandji Wilfred · 15 March 2018 · Social Evolution

The internet has democratized access to learning and made once-inaccessible people and knowledge available to all. Podcasts represent a natu

Digital Culture & Media

The Man of the Hour: Tzy Panchak

PoiseSocial · 9 January 2018 · Local Heroes & Figures

Poise examines the rapid rise of Cameroon-based artist Tzy Panchak and his label Blu Nation, crediting their efficient marketing machinery w

Digital Culture & Media

Do Cameroonian Rappers Teach Us Anything?

Wandji Wilfred · 3 January 2018 · Social Evolution

The writer examines whether Cameroonian rappers fulfill the educative and intellectual mission that defined hip-hop at its origins in 1970s

Digital Culture & Media

Tenor's Universal Signing: A Technical Reckoning

Wandji Wilfred · 29 November 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer celebrates Cameroonian rapper Tenor's signing to Universal Music Africa, framing it not as surprise but inevitable recognition of

Digital Culture & Media

Categorical Bias on the Clock: How I Am Voting for BDMA

PoiseSocial · 11 November 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer navigates the BDMA awards, openly acknowledging the tension between aspiring objectivity and the human tendency toward bias. Cate

Digital Culture & Media

Genres of Photography: A Practical Guide

PoiseSocial · 10 November 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

The post catalogs thirteen distinct genres of photography—from aerial and candid to conceptual and wildlife—grounded in Cameroonian practiti

Digital Culture & Media

Cool Facts Sunday

PoiseSocial · 22 October 2017

A collection of miscellaneous biological, physical, and natural-world facts ranging from human physiology to animal behavior to chemistry an

Digital Culture & Media

The Rap Thing: Cultural References as the Heart of Hip-Hop

Tino Foy · 16 September 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

Rap's power lies not in shock value but in cultural references—the people, moments, and relationships woven into lyrics that make the art fo

Digital Culture & Media

Yung Time, Mic Monsta, and Coolkid Berka: A Critical Listen to 'Tu Me Know?'

Tino Foy · 26 August 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

A measured review of a Cameroonian hip-hop collaboration that grapples with the tension between creative ambition and borrowed production. T

Digital Culture & Media

Blueprint Hakeem's 'Excuse My English': A Recalibration of Standards

Tino Foy · 25 August 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

A detailed review of Blueprint Hakeem's 'Excuse My English' EP, praising its production and vocal performance while offering pointed critici

Digital Culture & Media

The Disconnect in Cameroonian TV: On Storytelling and the Samba Trailer

PoiseSocial · 16 August 2017 · Cultural Geography

A writer new to Cameroonian cinema examines why the trailer for the award-winning series Samba fails to compel, analyzing the gap between te

Digital Culture & Media

The Wins, Evens, and Losses: Three Releases on August 6, 2017

PoiseSocial · 7 August 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

On a single day in August 2017, three major Cameroonian urban artists—Locko, Mr Leo, and Franko—released new music. The writer assesses each

Digital Culture & Media

A Message to Tenor Ebanglang: On Responsibility and the Future of Cameroonian Hip-Hop

PoiseSocial · 4 August 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

The writer celebrates Tenor Ebanglang's artistic trajectory and latest release, 'Bad Things,' as evidence of an artist choosing creative dep

Digital Culture & Media

The Evolution of Music Videos: From Free Content to Streaming Strategy

PoiseSocial · 24 July 2017

The writer observes a shift in how major artists are releasing music video content, moving away from full songs on YouTube toward shorter, d

Digital Culture & Media

Online Etiquette: Intention and Research in Social Connection

PoiseSocial · 23 July 2017

The writer argues that social media friendship should be purposeful rather than reflexive, and that meaningful connection requires basic res

Digital Culture & Media

On Ewube's Video Work with Adrenaline: Camera, Craft, and Genre

PoiseSocial · 22 July 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

A critical review of a music video collaboration between vocalist Ewube and cinematographer Adrenaline, examining both the technical executi

Digital Culture & Media

Ambe's Reste La: Consistency Over Narrative

Tino Foy · 21 July 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

A wry review of Cameroon artist Ambe's single and music video 'Reste La', released under new management in mid-2017. The writer praises the

Digital Culture & Media

Award Show Politics and the Afrimma Trophy Hunt

PoiseSocial · 21 July 2017 · Social Evolution

A wry survey of the 2017 Afrimma Awards, examining both the absurdity of celebrating African talent outside Africa and the very real stakes

Digital Culture & Media

Street Credibility and the Rap Game: A Cameroon Perspective

PoiseSocial · 20 July 2017 · Cultural Geography

This post examines how the requirement for 'street credibility' in rap has shifted over time, using the release of Skidi Boy's music video '

Digital Culture & Media

Mic Monsta EP Review: The Poise Rating System in Practice

PoiseSocial · 18 July 2017 · Local Heroes & Figures

Poise examines a recent Mic Monsta EP through a five-category scoring method (Production, Lyrics, Flow, Message/Memorability, Relativity), i