The country Nigeria was once again shaken on the 12th September, 2023 with the announcement of the news of Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known Mohbad. A hip-hop rising star under the Marlian record label, Mohbad’s death sent sadness and gloom down the spines of even those who didn’t know him before his demise and those who are not hip-hop music fans.
Going by the popularity of this young star in death, listening to some of his lyrics and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his death, we could refer to his death as one-death-too- costly. Consequently, it will not be out of place to draw some lessons from his life and death.
In this edition of musings around Mohbad’s death, we’ll be considering why and how glory shines for some people only after their passage.
To the best of my knowledge and in recent times, this is the second of such glowing glories in grave, Dagrin being the first. It’s noteworthy that this is the same way that Dagrin’s death brought shrills to town. The only difference in the case of Mohbad is that Naira Marley, Sam Larry and some people are being pointed as root cause of his death, this sparking protests and agitation for justice for the deceased.
Now, to the main concern of this article- I AM SUGGESTING PRAYERS (only for those who will believe it, though).
It’s not a bad thing for any young person to struggle to make his/her life or that of family members better. This desperation to re-write the course of life of Mohbad’s family is what prompted him to venture into music and also to approach Naira Marley, not knowing he was embarking on a traumatic journey of no- return into the lion’s den. After all, Yoruba holds that ‘money’ (by extension, success) is found in the mouth of lion. But many have found something antithetical to their desire in the quewt for money and prosperity. In search of success, Mohbad entered into the mouth of Naira LION. What’s the outcome? Why should humans, in pursuit of success, unintentionally choose the wrong and deadly lion?
Mohbad could have made it the same way Asake is doing fine now with Olamide’s Label or others. But somehow, his chioce of Marlian records was wrong. That’s the clue to the first prayer, and leading to the second prayer. Why is it that for some people, it’s until their death that their worth is discovered and appreciated? Isn’t this what happens to a lot of people?
So, prayer 1 goes thus:
IN MY PURSUIT OF PROSPERITY, MAY I NOT MAKE A WRONG CHOICE THAT WOULD BECOME DISASTROUS AND FATAL.
This leads to the second prayer: MAY MY GLORY NOT WAIT TILL DEATH BEFORE IT GLOWS AND MANIFESTS.
As mentioned earlier, those who don’t believe in these prayers should not bother. But I think it’s real and necessary to say such prayers.
Part 2 & more are underway.
Olamisoji writes from Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Precision Online Newspaper.
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