So I was on my usual social media
reconnaissance today when I stumbled on a
couple of tweets. The highlight is that today
marks Dagrin’s 5th year memorial and as is the
fashion of Nigerian Twitter, everyone is feeling
behooved to baring their thoughts as to the life
of a legend cut short at just 22. Apparently some
folks think that if he were to be alive now, he
wouldn’t have been much of the force that he is
celebrated to be in-death.
What.
Before I shoot myself in the foot, let me be very
clear right here and now. As at 2010, I wasn’t a
fan at all of Nigerian music… so no, I didn’t know
first hand who Dagrin was or what any of his
records sounded like. But since my craft tailored
towards the entertainment sect, it became
necessary for me to apprise myself of the goings-
on in the industry. And so when I started to pay
attention, I heard of Dagrin. I learned about
Dagrin. I listened to Dagrin. And in blessed
memory, I loved Dagrin. I found that he wasn’t
just a regular singer/rapper, he was an artistic
soul. Like MI was.
Whether life or death, you can’t take away some
things like the human nature and then the
beauty or darkness of one’s heart/soul. Dagrin is
no different. One can only fathom deeply the
extent to which a life was lived, when in death.
Therein lies the allures of living (or having lived).
The way people immortalize you.
How people eulogize you.
So is it surprising that his allegiances are much
stronger than when he lived?
No.
It’d be a wonder even, if it wasn’t so.
Dagrin did this. He made it so. He carried on
with life in an exemplary manner and churned
out records that spoke directly to mankind. So
good that even in death, he is still an inspiration
to many who have made it and more who are
aspiring keenly to make it. Dagrin wasn’t just a
voice, he was a mouth piece of a million other
voices who were desperately crying out to be
heard. Although the world has tilted too
differently from whence he left it but it doesn’t
eliminate the certainty that he’d have been the
360° soldier he had gradually morphed into. I’m
sure artistes don’t just lace his name on their
lyrics because it makes good for perfect rhymes
or would be a selling factor to listeners, maybe.
But I like to believe it’s because they’ve been
able to tap into a telepathic connection that
transcends mere waxing of records. They can
finally see his heart, they feel it, they experience
it, they understand his dream and they want to
relish opportunities in replicating same… to be in
the likeness of Dagrin!
Omini-knowest (thank you Waje!) doesn’t
include one of our characteristics as humans,
thus there’s no telling what would have become
the life of Dagrin were he to have lived past the
cold fate that took him. Regardless, it shouldn’t
stop us from appreciating his gift of a life
sacrifice. I could begin a count of the things that
now be since the event of his been but what’s
most worthy to note is the fact that he lives on…
not just in our hearts, he lives a cryptic nature of
this life that isn’t ours to wonder why but to do
or die.
Written by Jim Donnett
@jimancipation
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