Tuesday September 12, 2023, will forever remain one of the darkest day in the history of this country, especially in the Nigerian entertainment/music industry, following the unfortunate death of Nigerian music talent, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba better known as Mohbad.
The controversies surrounding his mysterious death has continued to spark unending mixed reactions, both on and offline, and the conversation became more controversial following all the revelations, including videos and audios, off all the young boy went through prior to his death. Especially following his decision to quit his working relationship with his former Record Label, Marlian Records owned by controversial Nigerian musician, Naira Marley.
Meanwhile, after after a careful examination and evaluation, we have come to the conclusion that the Nigerian music industry has a lot of familiarities with toxic relationship/marriages. Aside the case of Mohbad, we have witnessed lots of similar cases of artistes facing the monsters whenever they wanna quit their record labels, we saw it with Harrysong, Kizz Daniel, Wizkid, Davido (whose father Deji Adeleke, ended up buying up the remaining contract), and many others.
Many of these musicians have actually seen hell in the hands of their Record Labels, and you dare not cry out for help or attempt quitting, else hell and beast will be unleashed on you instantly. Now, tell me what’s the difference between this situation and that of a toxic relationship/marriage? And in both instances, on several occasions you are subjected to all sort of torture (physically and emotionally), you are bullied, threatened, maimed or you eventually pay with your life.
Meanwhile, like in the music industry, the Record Label bosses give these artistes contracts that only milk them dry instead of adding values to their lives, and any day you decide to challenge that evil status quo, then you have become an instant enemy, who should be eliminated at all cost. Even if you eventually leave the record label, they will continue to make life for you so miserable and hellish.
But truth be told, most of these artistes who suffers such or similar fates are the architect of their own predicaments. Yes, because of their desperation to blow, to become the next big thing, they sign whatever contract that is presented to them, and later you would want to abandon that contract, and you expect that slave master will not fight back? It is not possible, which is why upcoming artistes must be very careful with the sort of contracts they sign. Don’t end up signing your own death with your own hands, simply because of your desperation to become a star overnight.
Forget the fact that you see most of your music stars smiling in their videos, flaunting luxuries and lifestyles that makes you envy them, many of them are not really happy behind the camera, there is no difference between what you get in a toxic relationship/marriage and in most of these music record labels. Just in our Nigerian parlance, “it is only when breeze blows that you will see fowl nyash”. If not that Mohbad’s death happened, how many people were previously aware of all his trials, travails and predicaments.
We all remembered what really happened in the case of late gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, was it not after her death in April 2022 that we all began hearing all what she was going through in her marriage, especially in the hands of her husband, which eventually led to her unfortunate death. Placing Mohbad and Osinachi side by side, what’s the difference in the circumstances leading to their deaths?
Yes, no one knows what really killed Mohbad, at least for now, but information available at our disposal points to a certain direction, which in turn has a direct or indirect relationship with that of the aforementioned late gospel singer. In as much as people are advised to be very careful with the person they are marrying, same way is our music talents are equally advised to be careful of the kind of contracts they sign.
Don’t let desperation be the cause of your desperation. In other words, “all that glitters is not gold”.
(photo credit: Facebook/Nollywood Actresses)