Throughout last year, I heard the Yahooze song by Olu Maintain everywhere I went. Everybody was singing the song and doing the dance. I should have written about this a while ago but never got round to it. I came across a couple of websites that provide information about the "Nigerian Scam". A lot of these websites such as Nigeria, The 419 Coalition Website, Scambusters, Scamorama are devoted to exposing Nigerians as fraudsters. One of them even claims that the Nigerian government is on it and makes money from it since it's the 3rd largest industry in the country. Akin to Nevada and Casinos or Norway and fishing.
Nigeria has such a bad name that we've become like Italians and the Mafia. Not all Italians are mobsters/mafioso but just tell anyone you are from Sicily and they begin to shake in your presence. Which brings me to my problem with Yahooze.
Someone sings a song about scamming people out of their money and giving Nigeria a bad image and we all sing along? He goes on to glamorise the lifestyle of scam artists and we all throw fingers in the air. Come on! I've heard the argument that he doesn't condone it. He's only singing about it. I never heard a single line in the song where he talks about where 419ers end up, the damage done to victims and the bashing of Nigeria's image. He talks about it quite positively. And don't even get me started by telling me it's all satirical. If I sang a song about molesting young children would you say "he's just joking". Or if I sang a song about murdering the President, you don't think the Secret Service would knock on my door the following day? I don't care about the lyrics you say? It's still a nice song. Excerpts below from a song by So Solid Crew called 21 seconds. Note the lyrics in bold
"Some of dem are a slippin ah Some of dem begrudge me ah So Solid vampire See me on the telly ha Face gettin' popular, ha what? Some are chat ya nah No disrespect when I bus in my clique ya nah Raise up the dead an' ah Worship the devil Red is my best colour So Solid we are players, instigators Gimme a girl I'll make her famous I send her back to you she gettin' papers 21 seconds to get papers"
Here's a "good" song with a catchy beat that was popular a few years back. Would you sing a song about worshipping the devil?! Not surprised since we all sang "Why Me" by Dbanj. An excerpt of that song's lyrics are shown below
"i dont know how to say this but this girl drives me crazy cause i cruise in town with a mercedes so she said she wanna have my baby, first when i met her, she said koko master come test her, we could do it ones, twice maybe better, wanna test my skills so i let her, yes so i let her, so sexy so tempting, so pretty contemplating, how to get her love me now, make she get a taste of my heart, took her to my crib now, in my drop top, took her top off, body was a jump off, started on the floor now, to the bed now, hands on the wall, devil was the bomb now. she wouldnt leave me alone always calling my phone, feele ahh she no gree"
Singing about one night stands, promiscuity and now 419 seems to have become a national pastime. When your kids sing these songs what do you tell them?
Or maybe we all think 419 victims deserve their fate. After all, they're greedy people who should know better. If you've ever been harrassed at any airport for holding a green passport, or been asked a stupid question about Nigeria then you'll know that we all need to rid ourselves of this evil.
If a foreigner hears you listening to Yahooze and asks you what the song's about, what will you tell him? "Oh it's about scamming people out of money. You know we are all scammers in Nigeria. So much that Yahooze is now our national antherm". The foreigner asks, "so you think it's funny that people lose millions to these scammers?" What do you say? They deserve to be scammed?
We have enough problems with our image already so let's not promote things that further entrench the image of a fraudulent country.
Let's stop and think for a minute before we enjoy music just for the good tunes and beats.
PS: Just remembered this Youtube video I saw a while back of the EFCC busting some scammeers. Good to see something being done to address this scourge.
Nigeria has such a bad name that we've become like Italians and the Mafia. Not all Italians are mobsters/mafioso but just tell anyone you are from Sicily and they begin to shake in your presence. Which brings me to my problem with Yahooze.
Someone sings a song about scamming people out of their money and giving Nigeria a bad image and we all sing along? He goes on to glamorise the lifestyle of scam artists and we all throw fingers in the air. Come on! I've heard the argument that he doesn't condone it. He's only singing about it. I never heard a single line in the song where he talks about where 419ers end up, the damage done to victims and the bashing of Nigeria's image. He talks about it quite positively. And don't even get me started by telling me it's all satirical. If I sang a song about molesting young children would you say "he's just joking". Or if I sang a song about murdering the President, you don't think the Secret Service would knock on my door the following day? I don't care about the lyrics you say? It's still a nice song. Excerpts below from a song by So Solid Crew called 21 seconds. Note the lyrics in bold
"Some of dem are a slippin ah Some of dem begrudge me ah So Solid vampire See me on the telly ha Face gettin' popular, ha what? Some are chat ya nah No disrespect when I bus in my clique ya nah Raise up the dead an' ah Worship the devil Red is my best colour So Solid we are players, instigators Gimme a girl I'll make her famous I send her back to you she gettin' papers 21 seconds to get papers"
Here's a "good" song with a catchy beat that was popular a few years back. Would you sing a song about worshipping the devil?! Not surprised since we all sang "Why Me" by Dbanj. An excerpt of that song's lyrics are shown below
"i dont know how to say this but this girl drives me crazy cause i cruise in town with a mercedes so she said she wanna have my baby, first when i met her, she said koko master come test her, we could do it ones, twice maybe better, wanna test my skills so i let her, yes so i let her, so sexy so tempting, so pretty contemplating, how to get her love me now, make she get a taste of my heart, took her to my crib now, in my drop top, took her top off, body was a jump off, started on the floor now, to the bed now, hands on the wall, devil was the bomb now. she wouldnt leave me alone always calling my phone, feele ahh she no gree"
Singing about one night stands, promiscuity and now 419 seems to have become a national pastime. When your kids sing these songs what do you tell them?
Or maybe we all think 419 victims deserve their fate. After all, they're greedy people who should know better. If you've ever been harrassed at any airport for holding a green passport, or been asked a stupid question about Nigeria then you'll know that we all need to rid ourselves of this evil.
If a foreigner hears you listening to Yahooze and asks you what the song's about, what will you tell him? "Oh it's about scamming people out of money. You know we are all scammers in Nigeria. So much that Yahooze is now our national antherm". The foreigner asks, "so you think it's funny that people lose millions to these scammers?" What do you say? They deserve to be scammed?
We have enough problems with our image already so let's not promote things that further entrench the image of a fraudulent country.
Let's stop and think for a minute before we enjoy music just for the good tunes and beats.
PS: Just remembered this Youtube video I saw a while back of the EFCC busting some scammeers. Good to see something being done to address this scourge.
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14 comments:
I am totally guilty of casually enjoying songs...really,really we need to pay attention to the lyrics, cause their intent is to pass across a message...positive or otherwise they stick and become a reflection of our values whether we like it or not!
Kenny Boy, you are right on point about this subject matter. This pretty much is the same argument i've been having with friends however, no one seems to agree with me i,m glad someone like you is able to decipher the same assertion. Nevertheless, dare i say the song is exceptionally catchy one you would almost be tempted to groove to even if you were sitted with the creator in heaven but then again the question remains the same does the bang to the rythm justify the idiosyncrasy of the subject matter? No!!! I would assert, knowing that all things are lawful but not all things are expedient so once again in my opinion you are right about this. wwwDfuturegeneration.blogspot.com
Hi Kenny,
I solidly agree with you... Nkem Owoh did a track like that(I go chop your dollar) and it was pulled .. but this one gets out and like i hear from the video's director, Its gone all the way to being being celebrated in Brazil. Never actually heard anything lyrically( Aside from the pervasive hook) but i am not even disappointed.Its the spirit of our times.It's what comes out of our 'values' deficient society and judging from its success, it's going to have more 'children'. At least 2 other iterations on that theme.So brace yourself...
One question though.How did you get the lyrics ?
I feel you on this my brother. I'm unashamedly Christian and I like to use the Bible as my reference point. Phil 4:8 says 'Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.' Catchy beat or not, words are what count. The more you grove to a song about scamming, promiscuity, or all the other stuff that is acceptable nowadays, the more that is what you become...Thanks Kehinde for doing your bit to get the messgae out.
I just got the message below from Olu Maintain himself:
"evrybodys entitled 2 dr own opinion we appreciate urs but yahooozee is all bout d dance my bro nothin mor nothin less"
I'm not convinced. As a public figure he ought to be more responsible and not just be interested in moneymaking.
The message sent out to our youth is that Yahoo Yahoo is okay.
I am guilty o. I mean of dancing the yahoozee dance.
I see your point sha!
This is fabulous! I first heard the yahoo song on cool fm and i was tempted to call the station till i realized how popular it really is in Nigeria. It is such a huge disapointment that these artistes copy all the bad things in pop culture all in the name of advancement, a somg like this should not be playing on any radio or in any household. its a huge shame.
Puh-leeeeze.
As engineering students in the 90s.....we argued the same after partying at the NSBE conference at Stanford where gals jumped off their seats to sing "Bitch betta have my money".....a catchy song by Too Short, who is also from the bay area.
These same gals today are running Fortune 500 companies in America, and doing brillant well.
I believe by age 21, most of your dominant character traits are already formed. So singing Yahooze will not necessarily make you a 419er.
The world is changing, and openness and tolerance is key. Because you dont go to clubs to dance to Yahooze, doesnt mean those that do are potential criminals.
Bottom line, Olu Maintain is singing and expressing himself and making money. We are singing along, cause its popular culture, and it DOES AND SHOULD NOT be construed as supporting 419.
Stop extrapolating your lifestyle as the benchmark for upright or responsible living.
LAA
Hey, don't be self righteous... I'm sure most if not all of you listen to the beyonces, alicia keys, kelly, r kelly and JZs and also enjoy tupac, biggie, jarule, rihana, ciara n the rest. But do you ever complain about their lyrics of murder, casual and indiscriminate sex, dehumanisation of women and foul language.
I'm surprised all you folks are also getting the guilty feeling, olu maintain is simply a reflection of ourt current society - and a very good one at that, if you have any issues or feel bad about what he is saying then stop listening to him, rather than castigating the expression of his talent.
@ Teeman: I have a good ear for lyrics so I always hear what most people don't hear.You can also google "Yahooze lyrics"
@ Lou: I wonder if you are Nigerian or live in Nigeria. Have you ever had a business proposal turned down by a foreigner because you were seen as a potential 419er. I don't suggest that singing Yahooze will make you a 419er. Neither did I suggest that going to clubs and singing Yahooze will turn you into a criminal. All I'm saying is that I personally have a problem with the song. Perhaps we should export the song and make it the anthem for all anti-419 groups. Like I said in my post, if I sang a song about bombing the World Trade Centre or about assasinating the President of the US or about kidnapping and sodomising young children, would you sing along because it's popular culture? Openness and tolerance?! Of course I believe in openness and tolerance else I would have deleted your comment! 419 is a more serious problem than you make it out to be. A guy sang about smoking pot (Jogodo) last year but nobody noticed. Why? Smoking igbo is not a national problem. Other Nigerian songs touch other subjects which are not national scourges.
Dude, my lifestyle is my lifestyle. It's not the benchmark for living! I thought that's what blogs are meant for. To express your personal opinion. I respect your views but let's agree to disagree.
PS: Google "Nigeria, scam" and tell me what you get
@ blinx4real: I have a peculiar problem. I tend to listen to song lyrics with a bit more attention than most people.
NO I don't listen to any of the artists you mentioned. I'm a bit more discerning when it comes to music. The fact that all those people you mentioned are foreigners doesn't make them better than Nigerians. I also dislike Femi Kuti's bang bang bang.
If Olu Maintain had decided to sing this same song with a different twist I don't think it would have been less popular. When you're a public figure you've got the power to influence public opinion. I wonder if he has any children and how he'll defend that song some years to come.
I'm not castigating him as a person. Just the lyrics of his song. He's done songs about other things which I have no problem with. You really don't know how bad Nigeria's image is do you? I don't think Nigeria businesmen who have lost business opportunities because of 419 will share your views.
In conclusion, does popular culture shape our values or do our values shape popular culture? This one song is not the epitome of all that's wrong with Nigeria but I don't think it helps our image in anyway. Being on the fence is what has gotten Nigeria to this state. You're either a part of the problem or you're part of the solution.
Stand up and be counted!
Dude, you are way too correct! I admit I am guilty of singing along, albeit with feelings of the message being wrong! The song is very catchy but the message is terrible and has such a negative impact on us! I stand with you on this one. On point!
From Bobby.
Nothing is either good or bad but the way you think makes it soo...
At 18yrs you should be able to decide what you want to be and build yourself towards that. Nothing can influence a healthy and able bodied person except he/she lacks the fundamental provisions for life. These fundamental needs are suppose to be provided by the government, HAS NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT DONE THAT? Singers, Actors, actresses,writers and the citizens should not be blamed for any things they do when the country is not providing fundamental basic amenities and even- JOBS!!!
These people are trying to make ends meet with nothing. So they have to employs all they have and all they can get to put meals on their table. In this life we live, bad morals tend to be accepted easily and that's why they opt for that just to make it in life.
Now who told you American musicians do not sing scam song? 99% of American musician promot drugs, rubbery, prostitution, rape,duel,killiing etc, even more than we do!!! Who has nailed them??? The American citizenry buy these songs daily and the musicians are even the richest in these countries.
NOW WHY SHOULD NIGERIA BE AN EXCEPTION???
I need answers...........
From Bobby.
Nothing is either good or bad but the way you think makes it soo...
At 18yrs you should be able to decide what you want to be and build yourself towards that. Nothing can influence a healthy and able bodied person except he/she lacks the fundamental provisions for life. These fundamental needs are suppose to be provided by the government, HAS NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT DONE THAT? Singers, Actors, actresses,writers and the citizens should not be blamed for any things they do when the country is not providing fundamental basic amenities and even- JOBS!!!
These people are trying to make ends meet with nothing. So they have to employs all they have and all they can get to put meals on their table. In this life we live, bad morals tend to be accepted easily and that's why they opt for that just to make it in life.
Now who told you American musicians do not sing scam song? 99% of American musician promot drugs, rubbery, prostitution, rape,duel,killiing etc, even more than we do!!! Who has nailed them??? The American citizenry buy these songs daily and the musicians are even the richest in these countries.
NOW WHY SHOULD NIGERIA BE AN EXCEPTION???
I need answers...........
I'm curious, since you posted lyrics to numerous songs, could you please post the lyrics to Yahoozee so we can all forma better opinion?
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