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Dear Dagrin: 10 years feel like 10 months

Published

7 years ago

April 23, 2020

Feyijimi Emmanuel

Dear Dagrin,

Named Oladapo Olaitan Olaonipekun, born on 25th of October 1984. Died on 22nd of April, 10yrs ago.

Barack O’grin.

We celebrate you today.

Nigeria still manages to remember you, year after year.

And that’s because you were indeed an enigma.

Every 22nd of April we talk about your legendary status. How you created and made famous a genre. How Olamide took the baton.

Olamide even sang about how Nigerians say he wouldn’t have gotten to the industry peak (in Naija English, blow) if you (Dagrin) were still alive. And he went further to say, CDQ and co are alive, yet he got to the peak.

But Truth be told you paved that way. And who knows, Olamide probably got inspired by you. They are many now. Yes, many Yoruba Street Style Rappers.

You lived a short career life. Death came calling. Death killed the dream. Otherwise, we would have had a Dagrin featuring Burna Boy. And perhaps you would have even featured a Davido or Wizkid.

But I still enjoy your sound with Omawumi.

Well…I don’t have much to say. And that’s because we usually respect the dead. Can’t start opening books about some facts about your life. They are only better when documented in a Biography.

Or when screenplayed and produced in a movie. These are stories our Nollywood heads need to produce. But they won’t stop retelling us the stories of a poor boy who wants to marry the daughter of a rich man.

Your Remembrance spotter,

Ediale

#ForTheCulture

PS: Kenneth Gyang and C.J Obasi are some of the few trusted hands I feel can do justice to this kind of script. Oge Obasi how far?

PS 2: Dagrin, thanks for:

Pon Pon Pon

Ghetto Dream

If I Die

Kondo

Thank God

Idi NLa

Make Doe