Original Copy

The first time U stumbled upon one of my posts, chances are U wondered:

1. “What sort of name is that?”
2. “How’d he get all those lovely scars?” Or,
3. Maybe U just scrolled down to check out what, and how I post.

Who really is Kuby Uyanga? A few sentences sum up my essence.

Kuby is an All-Ibibio name originated from the Uyanga clan in Ikot Ayan Ediene of Ikono Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State which means, ExceIlence – so I spend my moments trying to embody the value even though I fail at this, woefully most times. I bear the name proudly all the same, hoping someday Kuby’s meaning will finally jinx its charm into my life forever.

I’m a businessman. I own 3 planets and 8 mega-yachts. I’m a multi-billionaire by nature.

The paragraph above is my friend, Akaninyene Essien’s Twitter bio. I’m revealing my plagiarism immediately because I want to get to the point at once. Whatever U do, your work has the tendency to be better, if U know who to copy, what to copy, and have a template of original ideas into which you’ll write your copied idea. That’s why we call it copywriting.

The best of us are all copycats. Little kids copy the adults around them, smart ladies copy Kim Kardashian’s fashion choices, and I copied Akan’s line. Yes, I’m one of the best. And I’m also a copycat.

Henry Ford did not invent the automobile; he did not even invent the assembly line. That great pioneer of modern American motoring only copied existing automobile and assembly line technology, then fused these with his original idea of mass production. Ford’s idea was supported by his strategy of manufacturing almost everything necessary for producing his vehicles, like steel, glass, rubber, tires, etcetera, at one Ford-controlled mega factory. This sped up processes, drove down production costs and birthed the Model T. The smart man was subsequently rewarded with domination of the American auto industry and wealth, simply because he’d known what and how to copy from pioneers like Carl Benz. He ranks up there on the list as one of the best innovators of his time. He was also a copycat.

And Albert also stood on the shoulder of giants. I mean the more popular one – Einstein. That genius of a man developed one of the two pillars of modern physics, relativity. The other being quantum mechanics. He used Newton’s earlier work on mechanics as raw material. Where would E=MC² be if Albert wasn’t smart enough to study all, and copy part of Isaac’s work? Nowhere, I guess! Einstein was an exceptionally bright man, so much so that the doctor who performed autopsy on him after his death excised and preserved his brain so future advances in neuroscience could investigate what made him so smart. Albert Einstein was a smart, stylish and celebrated scientist, philosopher and yes, copycat!

Message is yet to sink? Don’t worry, pastor brings it closer home.

Was he the best vocalist? The best lyricist? A genius on the sax? Fela was fantastic if not the absolute top talent in any of these, but he emerged, and has remained the top musician ever to come out of Africa. Did he use the juju of his traditional religion to hypnotize the world and achieve this? Not at all! There was Fela, a man whose parents’ antecedents were almost impossible to trump – so he dumped their medical aspirations for him. There was Fela who decided to be a musician – so he started the band Koola Lobitos. Then there was Fela who felt he wasn’t playing the right music – so he travelled to Ghana to think. The result of this philosophic spree was the gravelly pottage of jazz (an already popular genre), tribal chants (copied from African folk music) and large a repertoire (reminiscent of rock bands) with him on vocals dispensing activism (learnt from his mum). The most original African sound to date, Afrobeat, was born – from a gestation of successful unoriginal ideas. Need I add that Fela was the proud, iconoclastic and copycat parent of Africa’s new genre?

U have almost no chance of enduring success if U fail to deeply consider, and copy part of the work of those who preceded U. Nicola Tesla was the more intelligent scientist who labored hard, but he died relatively unknown and wretched. On the other hand, Thomas Edison was smarter, and famous for allegations against him for poaching or outright theft of scientific processes. Whether these allegations were true or unfounded doesn’t matter today because a lot of those processes eventually became famous discoveries which were credited to him.

No doubt if you’ve read with an open mind, U now see reasons why U should be a gifted copycat. U will all have different unique angles on the subject but I’ll venture to state what I believe to be the most relevant and valid reason for U to shamelessly copy. Human beings lustily preach change while subconsciously, they hate change. Change is the one concept a lot of humans hate the most – just ask a PDP supporter. Humans, by God-given nature, detest change. Do U buy a new brand of toothpaste each time U visit the mall? Would U like a new husband every Christmas? How about your reaction when that fat LASTMA guy re-directed U to the alternative route, didn’t U groan and call him a stupid fatty-bum-bum under your breath?

Humans need but hate constant change. U have two options: U could join Wailers International and complain about humans’ contradictory nature, or U could get to work studying and copying already popular great ideas to wrap around your own original but newer idea(s). The Rolling Stones made great use of this tactic – they copied themselves. The ‘Stones included old fan favorite songs on new albums that were experimenting with new sounds. “Time Is on My Side”, first appeared on “The Rolling Stones 12 × 5” in 1964, but that same song also appeared on, “Rolling Stones No. 2” in 1965 and “High Tide & Green Grass” and “Got Live If You Want It” in 1966. This made an unsuspecting fan base accept the new sounds, just because they were mixed and packaged with much-loved old sounds.

 

Introducing the new while cloaked in the apparel of the copied old, gives U the opportunity to gradually warm up fans of the old to, the new – Instead of alienating them. However, be careful not to copy protected property or your lawyer will end up copying the argument of “A&M Record Inc v Napster Inc” to prepare for your defense in court.

 

In my (quickly getting to be) usual way, I have succeeded in saying a lot without actually saying what I set out to say in the beginning. It’s all fair and good since knowledge might have been passed. And if you’re very curious and want to know what copycatism means to my identity and the things I do, then get this: I am as original as the name Kuby Uyanga and only resort to the idea I have expressed above when developing products or services. Or when I want to grab your attention, like I just did!