SIR: The American musical maestro, Marilyn Mason, in one of his essays – “Is Adult Entertainment Killing Our Children? Or Is Killing Our Children Entertaining Adults?” – posed a thought-provoking question to his fellow artistes across the globe, and societies that seem unbothered about the immorality children are exposed to via music – “music that fails in ethics and ethos”.
If Marilyn’s sermon and those of well-meaning others around are making impacts, they most likely took a pause at the Nigerian borders in fear of the deafening ears and “anyhowness” of Nigerian entertainers.
“Secure the bag by all means”, which could be likened to what Author James Cook regarded as “ignoring dangers while making money” is a syndrome Nigerian entertainers, ditto some of their audience, battle.
“I don’t care if I’m doing it rightly or not, if a soul is getting healed or damaged, if my music poses grave dangers or not, if I promote decency or place immorality on the shredder; I must make my money, my purse must get filled to full. So their self-interest foments.
Cyber fraud has become latent among Nigerian youths. Nigeria loses about $500m yearly to cybercrime, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission. A major contribution to this: bad music!
Songs like ‘Cashapp’ by Bella Shmurda, ‘Living Things’ by 9ice, ‘Am I Yahoo Boy’ by Naira Marley and all sorts have all preached nothing but cyber fraud to (un)suspecting youths. The ban slammed on these songs by the National Broadcasting Cooperation (NBC) could only curtail their play over the air; the songs have done great numbers over streaming platforms.
There are hundreds of these immoral songs released weekly and monthly by Nigerian artistes, little wonder the pride of most youths now rides on cyber fraud.
Many ladies on the streets have been body shamed and assaulted; no thanks to music like “AsopÍtoyi acÍ l’¹fi bo” by Naira Marley. In November, 2019, Mr Kehinde Aremu, the Anambra State camp director, made a stealth warning to male corps members at the state’s Ummuawulu Mbauku Orientation Camp. The bitter complaints from female corps members who were being body shamed and assaulted by their male counterparts – with the then trend of “Aco pÍ toyi” – propelled his warning. This is what music is badly doing to Nigerian youths: gripping them by the scruffs and seizing them by senses – all in the name of entertainment and staying “wokè”.
Nigerian entertainers – especially musicians – should reconnect the dots of their moral sense and stem the immoral and damaging contents they dish to the society. Lucky Dube, Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, Miriam Makeba, Nico Mbarga and other legendary singers are revered till date because of how they weaponized their musical content against immorality, oppression, bad governance, apartheid, national disintegration, youthful exuberance, among other noteworthy causes. Current Nigerian entertainers can take a cut off these legendary (wo)men’s styles.
To our youths, “No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting”, posited the foremost writer, Mary Wortley. The act of seeking entertainment to pass time, or to seek a sharp ray in gloomy days, should not becloud one’s sense of uprightness. Many productive actions like reading books is entertaining and comforting too. It will make you rather than break you like entertainments do. Seek enjoyment in productive actions that might open your eyes to the immoralities you embrace from Nigerian entertainers. Before it all turns gloom, zoom off doomful songs.
- Hashim Yussuf Amao,
Ibadan, Oyo State.