Use your talent and platform to motivate and inspire the people who are your fans.
It felt like redemption when I came online after a little hiatus and saw the internet overwhelmed with Falz's public display of creativity soaked in the water of i-have-to-say-it-now-or-never.
Social Media Mess
I left the internet when twitter Nigeria started trending hashtags like "#bigbumbumtwitter, #bigbreasttwitter and other big things that contributed little to the existence of humanity.
Coming back it was a breath of fresh air. Seeing the same people who trended their breasts and butt trending the sheer creativity of falz. That was good for democracy.
I've always found it funny that musicians in Nigeria who live in a country where there are no roads, no light, paralyzed healthcare system, joke of a government, body-present senators and all the evil things your mind can conceive are busy screaming in their studios "I get big banana" "30billion for the account" "coedine diet" and so on and so forth.
Awareness.
You may want to argue that they have their place in entertainment and I will totally oblige. But hey, if you can make us shaku in this economy, you will not die if you bring out 4 minutes of your time to shout at the government.
Tell them that you are aware of their madness. Use your art and tell sublime truths. Use your voice and highlight the ills of the day. Use your talent and platform to motivate and inspire the people who are your fans.
Materialism.
I see a number of Nigerian musicians and all they do on instagram is flaunt wealth. Flaunt chains. Flaunt jets and all that.
All those things are good for your self esteem and showbiz, but, you won't die if you take a short break from that triviality and do some meaningful thing that will help the next generation. Moreover, a hundred years from now, those videos of you flaunting cash will be seen as idiocy.
These musicians masquerade as people who Fela inspired. Many of them say it for formalities. The only inspiration they drew from Fela is having baby mamas anytime they are bored. But the real thing which made Fela a legend is a far cry from them.
After watching "This is America" by Childish Gambino, I shook my head and almost called out our musicians. Glad I didn't. Uncle falz did justice to that beat in less than four minutes and I am proud of him..
Truth is bitter.
There is a prize that comes with saying the truth in a system that truth is labeled a treasonable offense. Falz threw caution to the wind and said his truth. Our truth. The truth of being Nigerian. And in my opinion, this a bold step that only one person can take and watch others follow. He did it.
It is the job of other musicians to do so. Nobody is begging you money. Say our truth for us. You have a voice. Use it for the sake of your children who will ask you one day "Daddy why did you born me in this country"
Do it for the poor ! Do it for the souls of young Nigerians who are roaming the streets jobless.. Do it for my friend who died because there was no fuel in the generator for oxygen in a government hospital. Do it for all the people who died as a result of bad roads.
Say the truth for the sake of the thousands souls whose blood has been shed because they were in a certain place in Nigeria where some people feel it is their right to bomb people as a sports because the government is spelt in incompetence!
Everyday isn't for breast and yansh and popping bottles. Some days in the studio, leave breast alone. Leave nyash. Think humanity!
Think love!
Think unity!
Think freedom!
Written by Mark Anthony osuchukwu.
Mark Anthony is a young writer and social commentator. He's on instagram as onye_mark. Twitter as @markanthonyosuchukwu