BEYOND DR. ABATS

I’m a young, proud, patriotic, hip, unconventional and law-abiding Nigerian, born in B-side, brought up in the three towns of Abk, Wafi and Safi schooled in PH city now just relocated to Lasgidi…I love Naija 4laif!

Few years ago at the BET hip hop honors, Rev. Al Shrapton came out to acknowledge the rise and dominance of the hip hop movement as expressed through music and entrepreneurship. He and others had for years before fought the rise of the movement, elaborating the evils to the detriment of the abundant good it offered. But like everything designed to outlast its visionaries, it has thrived on; they say history is often overlooked and regarded as uncommon occurrence because we do not give it detailed introspection.

Hip hop is a life style, that finds expression in the way we sing, dance, talk, write, dress, dream, ‘toast’ and even get married. It’s business, it’s love, it’s hustle, it’s recognition, it’s glory, it’s pain, it’s loyalty, it’s beef, its struggle, it’s loyalty, it’s patriotism, it’s ego, it’s true, it’s pure; it’s in church, it’s in school, it’s in the banks, it’s in the parks, it’s in Naija, it’s in Africa, it’s world-wide, it’s God-made!

I’ve always had a problem with adults, from my growing up years even up until this day; and it is that, THEY ARE ALWAYS RIGHT! They presume their times were the best (golden generation as some would call it), they conclude without logical conclusions that we are “too excited” when we show zeal; to them, your energy has set you on a self-destruct lane; when you become aware of your path in life they criticize and try to force you into their template for your own success.

I can’t believe he is 44 – so disconnected from the generation following his, there’s real trouble! Why would I prefer that the name of my country was crafted in one moment of an explosive sexually-fulfilling encounter and that by a colonial master? This fire brigade approach has not ceased to be operated by the “golden generation”.

Lest we forget, the mindset in these climes when trying to score a cheap number is to run from the issues and attack personalities. It’s what runs our polity/politics. Despite his age, as soon as Obama became president (even before), he was already tapping Bush’s back, talking issues with him not as a man 12 years or so younger but as a smart intelligent, energetic young man with sound judgment not “a young disrespectful young man the elders nay godfathers demand absolute obeisance from in spite of his own convictions”.

There is a huge disconnect between the elders and the youth of this country. Great nations have tapped into the energy, innovation and expressive abilities of their youth population. We remain redundant in Nigeria pursuing agendas that do no future good, but what do we expect? They are old-heads, “planning a future they will not be a part of” (Toyosi Akerele). Of course they will plan for the present!

Let’s we forget, young people gave us the first black most powerful man in the world; majority of the profound ingenious inventions, revolutions and societal regeneration (like we are beginning to see in Naija), have been by some of the world’s prominent people when they were young.

While it would be foolhardy for me to insist on the “too gbasky-ness” of every member of this generation, the so-called "golden generation" cannot claim they haven’t been a colossal shame. But we have not relapsed into the dreariness that their generation created because we do not expect them to glorify our negatives. It is instructive to note that despite the shortage of role models and laid down structures, we have stepped the game up and created movements, businesses, NGO’s, an entertainment industry (no matter how crippled it may still be) etc and we are making sense by the day.

Troubles only comes to make us strong, it would seem that someone was sent to inspire passion among Naija youths for their present and future that is how id wish to see this issue. For the grossly uninformed, the hip hop movement/music industry in Naija has been on a mission to sanitize itself. Research will reveal that artistes themselves have begun campaigns at various levels to sanitize, professionalize and give structure the industry. A few weeks ago, African China on a popular radio breakfast show said he was going on tour soon to promote his new work and was going to play live, challenging every other artiste coming on the tour to play live also; this was also followed by an appeal to artistes both established and upcoming to think about the society when blurting out lyrics…this has also been the case for a lot of industry heads/practitioners voicing their opinions in papers, TV shows, blog-sphere etc for a review of our standards.

As a nation, we have always been eclectic when it comes to our taste for a whole range of things. Princess the comedienne at a show recently at the National Theater said that in Africa, it is only in Nigeria that you can have the same audience listening to performances by artistes in various genres and still get applause, love and support from them. We don’t care the style you do - just make sense; like 9ice and Dare sang “style na style”. Let’s enjoy our diversity and believe it or not, 20-30 years from now, we will still be rocking to hip hop, soul, folk, fuji, hip-life, hi-life, Afro beat, classical etc albeit on a whole new digital platform and shame unto this generation now and then, if we begrudge them.

Only those who appreciate the strength of the youth can positively impact them with knowledge, grace and vitality.

Basically, issues, issues, issues should be issues…ROOFTOP MCs? Lagimo? It is scary to see that someone I grew up on, reading his stuff will get it sooooo wrong. What is the next big blunder? Which mentor or leader will get it wrong next? I hope not mine. Let he that thinks he stands take heed...falling isn't far.

WE CAN HELP MAKE HIS POINT THOUGH, THE 'WEAK' LINKS IN THE INDUSTRY NEED TO STAND UP!

I think this generation has got to rise up on every side and look above for inspiration…the earth has been eroded of prophets or maybe the real ones need to speak up louder…




YOMA

is it...or was it!

There's a young married woman not taking her hubby too seriously

There's a girl who's twenty-two and never been asked out

There's a guy dying to tell his neighbor she's all he wants

There is a father too scared to re-marry because of his daughters

There's too much girls in my life

There's a colleague who married too early

There's two friends too close to marry themselves, yet too close to have others yet they foolishly remain close

There's a girl admired by the choicest guy but too scared to give in..

There’s a guy scoffing at a pregnant friend because he didn't carry his own pregnancy...it was his after all - his.

Should you get married because he got you pregnant?

What God did not call marriage why do we claim He joined?

Is love enough? Will it ever be enough?

Am i here because i feel safer pointing my fingers?

There are too many people thought to be living other people's dream lives...

What is the motivation for love? Why did it exist if it was so complicated?

Do i really even understand why am here? In your face?

There’s a girl id love if only i can guarantee am not dreaming...and on a wild goose chase!

Delta state....

I just came back to the "big heart" for the first time since relocating to Lagos in late March.
While on the journey, we had people chatting on a variety of issues. But you know as far as Nigeria is concerned, no politics or government gist, then basically the gist hadn’t begun...

In the course of time, I realized to my amazement, that at this time in our life as a nation, people still define development in terms of good roads (that were actually overlaid), decoration of roundabouts and painting of schools etc

How does a place that needs a port which will attract allied businesses, promote a culture of entrepreneurship and attract foreign investors claim that building a few roads is development?

I believe sincerely that we attract the leaders we deserve. When we start to demand more? We will get more. So let the road overlaying continue...

WE NEED TO WAKE UP?

If being in love means loosing your senses...

If being Hip Hop means you can not have symphony in your beat...

If being a Christian means you can not have a life…

If being a guy means you can not cry...

If being hip means you have to be a drunk...

If being poor means you can not be neat...

If being a pastor means you can not be fly...

If being on Top means you are out of touch...

If being truthful means you are a traitor...

If being, suggests loosing your meaning?

Then being isn’t worth it!


If being truthful means you are a traitor...

If...

NIGERIA POLICE AGAIN ?? Uzoma Okere...now a busload of women and children...when shall we grow up?

As a young concerned youth growing up in this country, it is perplexing to see the status quo just remaining the status quo in spite of the fact that we know we are so messed up, because we still do not grasp what it will take to be successful, pretty much, we don’t care. Some people have told me to just look for something to be happy about and stop trying to change the world; hmm…what if changing the world is what makes me happy?

It is painful that despite the efforts of the government (though I don’t believe there’s been much effort there) but more importantly, in spite of the complaints of the populace, the NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE has remained a leprous thumb in the corruption-ravished psyche of the Nigerian state.

Why do you have to be a VIP in a cute car not to get harassed by the police (most times)? Why do you have to be 35 years old before the police would believe you own the car? Why do the police not get it that all young men aren’t criminals? Why should a policeman be with a gun and four empty bottles of beer on duty? Why do I have to be treated like a criminal just because I’m young, hip and happy? If you are in need, you ask. You don’t have to harass people because all you want is scare them into being afraid and then getting to drop something. It’s crass!

TBS on Sunday 31st May, 2009 would be forever etched on my psyche as I saw the symbol of our nation’s security and the standard for discipline slide to the slum of barbarism, words will fail me in describing everything I saw because it happened too…fast…

With the incidence of Uzoma Okere still on the national front burner, we would expect the security agencies in Nigeria to pretend for now to be a disciplined apparatus but it’s unlikely.

Yesterday at midday, a MOPOL agent assaulted a busload of women and children in the full glare of the public. While people were returning from church, he stopped the bus driver obviously to intimidate him for cash but it seemed like there was verbal exchange between him and a woman in the bus, in anger he punched the side wind shield, got his hand hurt and in anger, a shot was fired into the air. Imagine the commotion with people stooping/lying down to save their lives from stray bullets only to see the policeman that took the shot smashing all the windshields around the blue bus with the mouth of his gun with not less than eight children under four years and at least eight women inside the bus screaming and wailing in fear for their lives.

In the commotion that ensued, the women began to scamper out of the bus with the kids when a kid fell and the bus rolled over her as the bus driver tried to get off the range of the officer-Olukunle Oyewunmi.

Thank God later we realized that it was the child’s leg that was rolled over but she couldn’t walk right there. I pray for healing as she gets treated.

All I kept and keep thinking about is what if it had rolled over her head? What if?