Dem No Dey Telli Person: Can Music Act as A Moral Compass?

A few weeks ago, Hushpuppi, the designer-wearing, jet-flying, Dubai-dwelling braggart of social media apprehended by America’s FBI over charges of money laundering and cybercrime.

Despite his attorney protesting his innocence and claiming that he is not a flight risk, the “Billionaire Gucci Master” has been denied bail and is cooling his heels in Chicago before being transferred to Los Angeles where his trial will be held.

Before this abrupt change of living arrangements, Raymond “Hushpuppi” Abbas led a charmed life. He lived lavishly on these Instagram streets, sharing images of himself bedecked in designer gear, riding in private jets, and blowing huge amounts of money.

He did all of this showing off with no discernible means of income and no known sales of business, product or service. If you viewed Hushpuppi and his activities with some measure of suspicion, no one would blame you.

The thing is, Nigerians have a troubled relationship with the acquisition and visibility of wealth and status. We are not the type to hide our light under a bushel. If a Nigerian can comfortably afford a Mercedes Benz, his ancestors tend not to direct him towards the humbler Toyota Micra.

We like to be visible in wealth, power and status. This possibly explains why Invictus Obi was making money legitimately, chose to make a little bit more money illegitimately, and then chose the visibility of Forbes and Ted Talks to endorse his status.

This need to rise and do so visibly is why prosperity pastors have found a welcome home in Nigeria and native doctors promising wealth through rituals continue to thrive, despite scant evidence to their efficacy.

It is also why the Nigerian music industry has always had an ambivalent relationship with warning the public against ill-gotten wealth.

Banky W, Bez, Cobhams, MI, Modele, Omawumi, Rooftop MCs and Wordsmith have all sung lyrics eschewing fraud. In 2017, Timaya released ‘Telli Person’ featuring Phyno and Olamide, a song that seemed to have had Phyno’s verse written specifically for Hushpuppi:

Ebele adiro ya, imakwa n’ebele adiro ya (There is no mercy, no mercy)

Egosi gi meat, nye gi ishi fish (They show you the meat, but give you the head of a fish)

Iwelu ma n’uru adiro ya, ah (You take [fish] then realise that you have been swindled)

Akam adiro ya, lekwa abum aji adiro ya (I am not in that business, I have no hair hiding under my armpit [not involved in scam])

I choga your money and I choga your babe (Looking for the promised money or babe [in reference to money and romance scam])

Imakwa n’anyam afuro ha, eh (You know I didn’t see either of those)

All I want is what is meant for me oh

My father used to tell me “Please, my son, invest money oh”, eh

You no get work, you just dey show money oh (You don’t work, but you show money on social media)

You follow Gucci oh, wahala akuo ohh (Follow Gucci until you get into trouble)

I tell you, you no gree eh (I tell you and you don’t listen)

Dem tell you, you no hear eh (They told you and you didn’t hear)

Your mother tell you, you no gree padam (Your mother told you too, and you refused)

I warn you, you no hear eh (I warned you, you didn’t hear)

For this street, where we dey (In the streets where we are)

Ndi ogbe no dey play padam (The street people [hustlers] don’t play)

Ha ga-akokwa your way (They will leave you, and unto the next matters arising) 

Nwanne le ehh (my brother) 

If society functioned, we would not require songs to tell us not to steal. The reason why these songs exist – and usually fall on deaf ears – is because our society mandates that we make money through whatever means necessary, and it demands this in tones louder than any song possibly could.

For every Nigerian perishing in a Malaysian jail on drug charges, there are a hundred more mules who have avoided capture and have bought (now rusting) Pathfinders for family members and are hailed, heroes.

Young girls ‘tap into’ the grace covering Regina Daniels, the 19-year-old actress who married a billionaire who, at 59, is 50 years her senior. And politics, the most legitimate, most visible and most powerful hustle of them all, continues to exist to serve as something to aspire to.

Far from being an opportunity to serve, the Nigerian corridors of power are filled with people barely qualified to hold the position, managing millions of naira right into their bank accounts.

Would you like to try church for some modesty and humility? The prosperity-preaching pastors with their private jets are on hand to remind you that an encounter with God is all that is necessary for transformation. As long as tithes are paid, of course.

A few lyrics won’t do much to stem this tide.

Even as Hushpuppi fell from grace, he found supporters on social media, many confidently stating that a day in the kind of luxury that the alleged criminal enjoyed daily for so many years was worth any amount of time in prison.

Others said they would do the same, if not more, in his position. Still, others stated that his only fault was being quite so visible, not in the massive fraud he is being accused of.

For many Nigerians, Timaya’s song is just a great melody with a thumping beat. They’re prepared to blare it from their speakers as they enjoy a drive to go scam a victim.

You fit tell us o. But we no go gree.

Can Music Act As A Moral Compass?

Rachel Onamusi is the founder of VN Sync, a full-service digital agency with expertise in all aspects of digital media, with special focus on strategy development, implementation and facilitation. Her projects have ranged from marketing consulting, market research, corporate & personal brand management, product & campaign launch, media & publicity strategy development and management, to technology training and certification platforms’ management. An accomplished digital media strategist and growth facilitator for major corporate global brands, Ms Onamusi’s extensive experience spans three continents and covers both the private and public sector.

Lastly, stay up to date with all you need to know about African music at SOA, right here.

Can Music Act as A Moral Compass?