By Habeeb Olokooba
“It’s funny how many people want to show you love, but they just need you to die first. Same people that forsake you in the desert will bring you water after waiting for you to dry first,” – took this from one of Olakunde Kabir’s (Kabex) videos.
Who is Mohbad? Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, passed away in the late hours of Tuesday. Imole who sometime in 2022 fiercely exited his old record label, Marlians Records, was going through a hard time before death beckoned his thresholds. Rumor has it that he left Marlian records cause he couldn’t commit himself to some other dealings of the label which go beyond the Afro-beats business. The street sensation artist had called on the street, to save him from the brutality of his former boss, Naira Marley. This happened after the Tesumole crooner stood hands akimbo in a viral video of Mohbad being brutalized by street boys.
Sadly, ìmólè before his light turned off, never got the attention while here on earth. Despite dropping hits back to back, his music never got the noise it deserved. Miraculously and sadly, he kept getting the hypocritical hype a few minutes after his death. A few hours after his demise, his music started topping the charts as the world was giving him the flower he didn’t get while alive, struggling and depressed.
I was surfing through the media yesterday, and saw the hypocrisy, I can see “RIP Mohbad” almost everywhere. I was humbled. How can his death trend more than his classical hit song? Is it ‘Peace, Feel Good, KPK’ or a recent Ask About Me? No wonder someone once said, “If you know how quickly the living forgets the dead, you will never live to impress,” Well the ‘Feel good’ crooner’s case didn’t say less.
We all knew about his depression, yet we are sullen about it. Even people who don’t know Mohbad posted his pictures. Ebulliently showing mealy-mouthed love to people you don’t promote their art. Everyone saw his hurdles with his former label ‘Marlians’ Record’ but played safe. Some even thought he was chasing clouts. What a life we live.
In an interview, Bella Shmurda talked about Mohbad’s sad moments and how he wants to commit suicide. He talked about how Mohbad’s wife stopped him from jumping. And even a few months back, Mohbad talked about how concert organizers didn’t want him to perform since he left a label. Wunmi (his wife) talked about how he wanted to send her and Liam, their five-month-old kid, out of the country to the coast. But the world turned a deaf ear to all that. Now, he is gone; and remains, “a shining dead light; a bright ash.”
Ìmólè, before the light got deemed, was living fine, married with a kid. The 27-year-old street stardom was regarded as a very responsible husband by his wife.
Death is certain; for it shall come to all. But are we shining after our demise? Why not now? The total summation is that nobody cares about what you are doing. They don’t even care if you try committing suicide. The result they care about is the news of your death. Like my mother would say at death instance: “Òkú ń sunkún òkú Akówólorí ńsunkún arawọn.” Loosely translated as ‘the dead weeps for the dead.’
It is saddening how man’s light starts to beam only after his death. love?. This can never be tagged as love but cowardice and hypocrisy. The hypocrites are saying ‘RIP’ while extending no assistance and support when needed most.
In one of his lyrics, “I know there is a day, all my pains will go away…” I hope death has answered this but what of indelible pains left away; Who will look after his family and parents?
Perhaps, Liam(surviving son) is the light that remains.
Imole (Mohbad’s) has been shining brightly from the moment of his death. May our glory not come to light, only when we are gone.
See you on the other side, Ódi àrìnàkò. Till we meet again