Mohbad’s demise digs up the dark, ugly side of the music industry
The Nigerian music industry has been thrown into mourning with the passing of the talented Mohbad but the circumstances surrounding his death make it a tough pill to swallow.
Tributes, tears, tantrums and tempers have been flowing since the passing of popular 27-year-old artiste, Promise Oladimeji Aloba, otherwise known as Mohbad, and deservedly so.
His death was preceded by a number of fall-outs, threats, assaults, name-calling and even diss tracks. And it is sad that everything has culminated in the termination of the life of a promising, talented singer.
Unsurprisingly, fingers have been pointed at Marlian Record Label boss, Naira Marley, and his associate Sam Larry, for having a hand in the death of Mohbad following the public spat and fallout between the label and the deceased singer.
Label or cult? Mohbad’s fallout with Marlian
Leaving a record label should never be a big deal and we have seen such happen across many labels in Nigeria. Wizkid left Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), Yahoo Boy No Laptop (YBNL) released a number of stars including Adekunle Gold and Lil Kesh while Mavin has many alumni.
It is only when you want to leave a cult that your life gets threatened and it is understandably so because of the nefarious nature of their activities and the threat of exposure that comes with a member’s departure.
A music label isn’t a cult - at least on paper, but from day one, the noise and the seeming underhandedness that have greeted Mohbad’s attempt to leave the Marlian label suggests that there is more than meets the eye at the Naira Marley-lorded venture.
The viral videos of assaults and bullying led by Sam Larry and the painful confessions of Mohbad are very damning.
In a less lawless society, some arrests would have been made and serious questions asked. The sustained trend of #JusticeForMohbad is a relief. At least, if justice appears slow through legal means, social media courts will continue to sit and pass judgment.
But the blame shouldn’t be put on just the Marlian Label
If we were being holistic, every stakeholder in the music industry, including fans, security agencies and critics like myself, deserves some share of the blame.
Mohbad was never silent about his ordeal but it wasn’t until he paid the ultimate sacrifice that he started dominating social media trends. He put out tweets, released songs and wrote the Police about the threat to his life but did we take him seriously, did those steps amount to anything?
When label signees call out their boss for maltreatment or a misdeed, they are often shunned, talked down on and labelled as ingrates. If not for Mohbad’s death and the tons of videos that have been unearthed, would Marlians ever chastise their president for the alleged assaults?
In 2020 when things went sour between Temmie Ovwasa and YBNL, I wrote for YNaija then and indirectly justified why YBNL dispensed with her. Hardly did anyone empathise with her in the least. Cynthia Morgan, May D, Runtown are a few of the artistes who have come out to point fingers at how they have been treated unfairly but who has ever got the support of the public?
Do they have to meet their end like Imole before they can get our support as fans and critics?
Not everybody will be like Portable who is brash and effortlessly goes to extreme lengths to call out anybody who wants to cheat him. If Portable had resorted to doing things the amiable, tweety, legal way like Mohbad, he might have been a forgotten person today. Poco Lee and Kogbagidi won’t forget the Zazu crooner’s tantrums in a hurry.
The price to pay in a dark, powerful music industry
For every Portable and Mohbad, there are hundreds of voices that have gone down into oblivion without being heard or getting justice.
Like Mohbad tweeted in 2022, he joined the Marlian family because he thought they would be the best nursery for his street background and style and it is commonsensical to join a label that aligns with your singing style.
On music terms alone, the choice was a good one and benefitted both parties as both Mohbad and Marlian saw their stocks rise. But it’s never about just the music.
No up-and-coming artiste who is just finding their feet in life can go against a record boss. The power, influence and sheer connections are enough to silence any rebel rookie singer.
Wizkid is more or less a family friend to the Elumelus and their global connections, not to mention that he has a day dedicated to him in a US state. Burna is an African giant who smokes with global music stakeholders, Don Jazzy is a legend who commands the respect of young and old while Davido has a governor as an uncle. Olamide and Seyi Tinubu, the son of the Nigerian president, are buddies.
To now think that Naira Marley and Sam Larry do not even have the stature nor the influence of the aforementioned guys. Yet, we have seen Marley and Larry snap, smile and shake hands with NDLEA authorities and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos to mention but a few.
How can a newbie go up against such principalities? And when you consider the poverty that pervades the land and the promise that things will only get worse, anybody with talent would jump at any deal that could move them from penury to prominence.
Recently, Asake was reported to have told Olamide Baddoo that he didn’t need any lawyer to review the terms and conditions before signing a deal sign with YBNL. Such is the desperation that comes with wanting to leave the trenches.
Sadly, this is not peculiar to just the music industry, it’s everywhere.
Rest in peace, Imole! 🕊️🕊️🕊️
Mohbad made his mark with two brilliant EPs and several hit singles in which his joy, pain, and life are documented. Till the end, he fought for the music he loved. And now that he's no more, it's time for the music to fight for him.
- Adeayo Adebiyi
Hmmmmmn.....