"You've lost your relevance!" That is the most terrifying sentence a popular musician can hear. It's a crushing reality that haunts even the most talented artists. Nobody wants to be irrelevant. Nobody wishes to hear those words. Why? It's as if all of an artist's deepest darkest fears come to life and eat their soul.

Aside from the opportunity to make money from their passion, one of the most important aspects of a superstar's life is the power and importance that fame brings. A well-known artist is a mini-god whose human experience is the contrary of normalcy. They move between worlds and social classes, with acceptance and worship accompanying them in every space they occupy, no matter how brief. Consider D'banj entering a secondary school classroom.

That surprise, ecstasy and joy from the students might seem normal for him, but it’s a huge part of his life. That’s his human experience, being fawned over and greeted with double takes as a star. It’s very important. Young artists dream of that. People work all their lives for such a reality, no matter how fleeting.

Fame is a drug that takes over your system. It reaches its hands slowly as an accessory to great music and drags you in. An artist starts out with feeling surprised at a great reception for a song. Keep that up for a year, and it becomes his life. Depending on the length of his career at the top, fame deludes everyone with the promise of permanence. The longer an artist wins or stays on a winning streak, the deeper he gets couched in that fame.

They have come to expect it and demand that for every public function, they be placed on a pedestal and adored or "feel the love." If you've ever seen a situation where an artist didn't get his due, you'll understand how important this is. Because they were treated like the rest of humanity, artists have been known to give poor performances or cancel engagements. They despise it. Give them some glitter, a little scream, and a vain selfie request. That is the ultimate narcotic.

That is why, when an artist realizes they are losing relevance, they kick harder. Have you ever met a struggling musician? Have you had the opportunity to witness what living in that state does to them? They're like bankrupt junkies in desperate need of a shot in the arm. They are restless and agitated. They sprint from one end to the other, looking for solutions to halt the process. It's a legitimate issue for which they must find a solution. At this point, you can tell the difference between a smart and a dumb artist.

I've seen a number of artists stage pathetic public feuds in order to resurface in the news. For clicks and retweets, outright lies are told, and false relationships are created and promoted. In the case of Iyanya, for example, personal lines are crossed and the public is invited to a feast of controversy. The dumb ones lack the range to comprehend their predicament. And their desperation weakens them.