April 22nd 2010, A Day I Will Remember Forever.
So many times life presents itself in ways you and I can't explain, fresh ends and new beginnings, all in a mystery of things whose beginning we only heard of, and the end we can predict but still can't determine because majorly, we don't know when it will happen. Even a man on a suicide mission will never know how long the last breathe will last, ask Farouq Mutallab; his suicide mission is just taking longer than he predicted or ever imagined. It goes way beyond just pulling the string and letting the pants blow.
I know they say something like "didun ni iranti olododo" in yoruba, it simply mean sweet is the memories of our precious and honest beloved. After listening to his songs tonight again and again, I can only smile at the sweet memories they bring, memories of real people in sincerity loving his good music like kids loving candy. I can still hear the sound of the beat playing on my portable DVD player, listening alone trying to follow the lyrics like a religion on the demo CD I got from Esosa (@sossick00), enjoying the music even when no radio DJ as laid their hands on the sweet music. I remember smiling at the sonorous voice of ‘Sosa flowing in it classic waves on the beat, while Oladapo's voice was all over doing lyrical justice, spitting words that I could understand without blinking and the tempo going so right. I said it to meself "this is definitely gonna go beyond a thousand miles".
I haven't met him yet and I didn't even know who he was but his music said so much about him already, I remember picking the Demo CD jacket to pick out the face of the hood boy that was spitting out those magic words, but no matter how hard I tried, all I saw was a red hood and a near faceless ugly dude in it because he was facing down and ONLY his cheeks were visible lol ...probably he was admiring his "one red shoe". I asked ‘Sosa who he was and all I could get from him was "that's my homeboy Dagrin", Banky was more helpful and quick to tell me about "ti o ba ro iro méfa mo shi ma notice" that was all he knew and he got those lines from another of his demo CD's, a song he did with "Lala" and all of it was still underground. I kept listening to his lyrics like a sermon and beyond "Gino", for me he was the next big thing. My player was always on replay, bumping my head "pon pon pon pon pon pon" and before I knew it, the whole room was infected with the mind blowing lyrics. Gentle Reuben caught the fever and with ‘Sosa they brought in a Home Theatre System and his case got worst, it became that of an Ibo boy that fell in love with the Yoruba studded lyrics of Oladapo, I bet "you know what it is, 'cos I know what it was" watching him rumble and mumble to the sick classic beat and forever green lyrics of the lyrical wërëy. Now I know how much it means to be real because his music made "Gentle" so green. A birthday party, he was there, cute looking and fresh. I saw him from afar but didn't know who he was, then ESSA night 08, in Yabatech came and he was there for his man 'Sosa giving one those many free shows he never stopped talking about on and off the MIC.
At last, the day we met. End of first semester in 2008, 'Sosa heading home, he called him to come pick him up and told me he was coming around, I didn't know him facially and didn't know what to expect so when he told me he was around to get his stuffs home, all I did was pickup Sossick's packed bags to help him move them down the stairs. We got to the car, it was open but there was no one in it, we opened the trunk and there were two massive speakers wacked in it leaving just enough space for a pair of sneakers and not enough space for the bag i was holding. Just when I was wondering where and where he was, 'Sosa broke the jinx and called the cool looking young dude that was standing by jesting with another guy like that "Dagrin abeg show, where we go put this bag?" he came around, opened the back door and helped me lay the bag on the back sit. I was surprised he was the one standing by looking very ordinary all along and I didn't even know... Immediately shoved the bag on the back sit, I called him up, shook his hands and told him how much I was loving his music, he smiled, licked his lips and said "Bros na God, I just hope say the streets go love am oo!, hope say we go get airplay before the album drops". Blushing within and managing a smile on the surface, I joked about saving money that I will use to buy my own copy when the album finally arrives. 'Sosa got back, I bade ‘em farewell wishing I could snap a picture with them but time no dey that day and even "my apo no shaka around that time". They got in the car, I left the scene and they drove off.
He came around a second and last time at the beginning of the next semester, I saw him and we spoke with him for real about music with "Alomo" in hand and the last time I saw him alive. He left that afternoon to live for two more years, one behind the scene and the 2nd of fame and glory in front of the paparazzi, his music became the national anthem and as long as Naija exists, we will sing them on... now he's gone and all I have is the mystery of the guy on the pack of the demo CD solved, his sweet music and lyrical madness, his never ending memories in my head and in my heart just like the blazing sound of a train’s horn that can't be mistaken "pon pon pon".
Now when I hear your voice on my phone or on the radio, I remember the beautiful smiles on Gentle-Rueben's face as he bumped, whined and grind, singing along and mumbling away to that chart bursting single of Dagrin that rocked Naija and the rest of the world. I hear the passion and the meaning of every word in those lyrics, I feel the rich and real heritage we shared unknowingly and unconsciously, the rich tapestry of how you coined your words in Yoruba, a language I love, cherish and understands so much, I enjoy your music every time, every day I listen to it and it's like getting high on paraga, I no longer need "sépé" in my system, you make me high already. You make me proud of who I be brother, and I follow the lyrics of your songs like the gospel and every day, your music plays in my heart. Somehow I found real music within your songs and deep within I wonder what it meant to be Ola'Dagrin Oladapo Olaitan Olanipekun …
Everytime I remember you, I smile and am happy because Na only joy you bring me so. Na true say u no hear English but "shey Oyinbo gbo Yoruba ni?.. You bring me joy... you bring us all Joy…, I miss you, Sossick does everyone and we all got love for you . We shed no tears of sorrow, all tears of joy... so you can rest as you desired, all we do is pray and you transfigure from Dagrin to Daking!.
Ajanaku subu ko le dide, a! o mase oo…. Rest in Peace brother! Sleep well brother.
