Happy New Week AML People! I wish for you all a healthy and highly productive week ahead.
A little over a year ago when Mo’Hits hit rock bottom and the business partners (D’banj and Don Jazzy) decided to go their separate ways, I shared with you all the various insider statements that allegedly served as a basis for the split. One such allegation was a substance abuse problem that D’banj allegedly had. Fast forward to April 7th 2013, and Celebrity Blogger Shei Funmi releases a video where D’Banj is seen dancing in a crazy manner that appears influenced by the bag of weed he later flaunts in the camera’s face. Don Jazzy is present but he does not waive a weed bag, hence my headline omitting him. Instead he is dancing with a woman that appears to be high on something. Presumably he too is high off something in the video.
The Mo’Hits era is in the past. D’banj appears to have sobered up substantially. Nevertheless, let me speak very briefly on the use of drugs in the music industry. Both from an image branding and health perspective, it is crazy to see the way drug use has become problematic in our industry. Artists, as part of their rider requirements, even ask promoters to make weed available for them. Really folks?
Who could forget the video on You Tube with Wizkid smoking the “ganja” and rapping nonsense about him getting high? Further, in recent times, we have heard about former Chocolate City Artist Jesse Jagz also having a substance abuse problem. Now, if these artists had the philosophy of Snoop Lion aka Snoop Dogg, then this would be a moot issue wouldn’t it? However, they are yet to profess such philosophy and instead, we see them marketing and promoting their music to young kids, visiting schools and putting up a clean image. I think Wizkid at some point even encouraged students to say “no to drugs.”
Needless to say, there is a contradictory message. However, even if you will be contradictory, can you keep your drug issues/use out of the limelight? Beyond the health, legal, and business implications, it is particularly embarrassing to see artists who accept and say they are role models, of many youths across Africa and in Nigeria, look stupid and act a fool via the world wide web with use of drugs.
-Ms. Uduak
Photocredit: Africamusiclaw.com
Watch the clip below.
