In 1987, Michael Jackson released an album entitled ‘I’m Bad’. It was not just a phenomenal hit but a sensational revelation, a revelation of who we are as humans. There is nothing good about anyone unless God steps in.
I know that I am not good so I am not trying to be good to impress anyone. I’m just trying to be me living my life in my God-given way. That hit influenced me so much that it brought out the ‘baddest’ and darkest part of me. That’s how powerful music can be. I started weaving my hair like that of a girl and used relaxers to make it coil like that of a white man. I attended musical shows and concerts like no man’s business.
How I was able to combine academic excellence with these reveries is still something that I can’t explain till tomorrow. But that’s the extent to which I went into the realm of ‘badness’. Only God knows why I didn’t indulge in hot drinks, drugs, and illicit sex even though I had several girlfriends at my disposal and had an unusual knack for beautiful girls anywhere I went.
Unless we yield to the loving arms of Jesus, our Saviour, our badness will ruin us. I’m grateful for God’s saving grace that turned my badness into His goodness.
As much as I would have loved to keep mum over the tragic demise of Ileriayo Oladimeji Aloba because of my unique idiosyncratic way of not wanting to follow the general trend of events in any issue, I am forced to ventilate my views as an advocate of social change.
Over time I have developed the habit of looking at issues idealistically, realistically, and holistically without giving heed to sentiments. This is how by the grace of God, I have been able to carve out my niche in the field of literature. The desire to always be me has informed this. The same is true of music and musicians. Each person must discover his uniqueness and stay there. Our uniqueness is shaped by life experiences and circumstances that are usually beyond us. These are what people write and sing about. Every story and song is inspired along these lines.
The place of music in shaping the thoughts, opinions, and destinies of people can’t be overemphasized. Music generally reveals the thoughts and intentions of the musician. The same is true of writers. A cursory look at Mohbad’s songs, not the music but the lyrics reveals something queer about him. It’s as if he predicted his death. His songs were expressions of his inner pains and struggles. His, like many of us, was a life of struggles. He only used his songs to echo these struggles and that’s why everyone could easily relate with his music. It reflects our struggles and the fight against anti-success forces, hence the sensation that he got.
His song I’m Sorry, said so much about him, his parentage, his rebellion, a trend that is associated with adolescence. There comes a time in our lives when we take positions or dispositions that are at variance with institutional, societal, or parental expectations because of stereotypes or lack of foresight and hindsight into our consciousness. The converse is also true. This rebellion could also be caused by a lack of understanding of these expectations or outright unwillingness to fit into these expectations.
If such a course of action is borne out of non malevolent dispositions that are rooted in personal conviction and an unwavering belief that it will lead to success in the end, we will surely come out on top as is always the case with those who have ventured into similar pathways.
With hard work and tenacity, such people whom society had adjudged to be irresponsible eventually make it in life. But others fail, not because their endeavour is not genuine or legitimate but because they refuse to introduce the element of self-belief, diligence, tenacity, and hard work.
Mohbad went to Poly but didn’t attend class just as Fela Anikulapo the Afrobeat icon was sent to study Medicine in London but instead decided to study music. What about Bill Gates, who abandoned his lectures only to discover Microsoft inside his father’s garage? Sometimes, what we adults refer to as rebellion is not rebellion but a discovery of self, personal purpose, and direction in life.
In my younger years, I was also guilty of rebellion by refusing to go to London to do ministry but rather chose to go to a local undeveloped unknown territory like Saki. This rebellion brought painful tears out of my mum’s eyes. I tried in vain to make her understand that the path that I have chosen is my God-ordained path.
That rebellion has paid off now, not only for the kingdom of God but my humble self and everyone who is associated with me directly or indirectly. ‘Eniti koko e baye, aiye a l’on lo moo lo’. Whosoever can plant cocoa successfully to the point of fruitfulness is the one that the world will celebrate and credit.
Every one of us has a song and inside this song is our story. There is no song without a story although you can have a story without a song. The song can either be a dirge or an anthem depending on your story.
Mohbad’s songs are more of a dirge than an anthem because they reflect a sense of loss, regret, and pain. If it were an anthem, it would reflect a sense of victory, celebrations, and rejoicing over his perceived enemies, but the reverse is the case.
Generally speaking, every man’s story is woven around the struggle to be or not to be. There is the struggle to be what you want to be, and the struggle to be what God wants you to be. Interestingly, some people strive to go against what God wants them to be. What an antithesis. There’s also a struggle not to be what people want us to be.
Apart from God, we own our lives. It is every man’s responsibility to strive not to be owned by anyone. In the quest for fame, success, and wealth, so many people have made themselves slaves to Satan and his acolytes. Refuse to be owned, except by God.
In all our positive quest for survival and relevance, God must be at the center of it all if our dreams will come true without us carrying mortal and immortal wounds. Mohbad was fated to be great and famous but he veered into the wrong trajectory. Like many others, he wanted to get out of poverty through the aid of his God-given talent but fell into the hands of sharks and hawks.
Like Elimelech who lost his life after leaving the land of Promise for greener pastures in the land of Moab, Promise also left his divine base in search of success. He navigated through the worldly route which is usually a shortcut that has cut short the lives of those who pass therein.
Worldly routes are rife with compromises where Satan is the master. He enticed him with worldly fame, quick riches, not ill-gotten riches for the boy was a hard worker. However, no matter how hardworking you are, you can’t dine and wine with the devil and his cohorts and not bleed to death.
God’s route to success, fame, and prosperity is usually the uncommon route that is not meant for commoners. It’s not meant for those who have decided to live the ordinary life of a common man, a life that is characterized by self-indulgence, spiritual indolence, indiscipline, and recklessness.
Patience and the fruit of the Spirit are a premium in the school of godly success, breakthroughs, and prosperity. Unfortunately, most of today’s people don’t like that route. Despite having amazing talents and potential why should it take time for one to arrive at his destination? This may be someone’s question. This is because in the ghetto of life the forces at work there will work against you unless you bend down low and subscribe to their way of doing things.
You need patience, faith, strong will, and strong spiritual muscularity to overcome these wicked gravitational forces that tend to pull you back despite your best efforts to advance your course. There is always a spiritual dimension to achieving in life. It’s either you go through heaven’s portal or hell’s portal to garnish your efforts and make them produce according to your desires or you remain stagnated.
Whatever you get at hell’s gate may appear sweet and glamorous at the beginning but in the end, it will become bitter and sour to one’s taste. However, that which is gotten from heaven’s gate is not only sweeter and sweeter but also better and better, and it’s equally eternal.
