Rap singer, MI, is yet to recover from the shock he first felt when he heard about the gruesome killing of four promising students of the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, last October.
As a mark of honour, he has released a song titled – Ashes – to immortalise the four who were murdered in Aluu, close to Choba, and who were later found to have been innocent of the robbery claims by their assailants.
Just like a preacher’s son that he is, MI, in the song, cried out to Nigerians to shun violence and embrace peace. He condemned the killings carried out by a mob, describing it as evil.
In his reflections, he noted that at a point in their adventure, the boys appeared hopeful that they could be rescued, but that was not to be until they breathe their last.
He says, “What happened was an evil lynching and murder of four bright young men. When I first watched the clip, the horror was too much to bear. I wondered what these young men would have been thinking; how they must have been hoping that at a point, the madness would stop, that someone would come to their rescue. For me, that’s the most painful part of it all; that the hope, which they must have clung to at some point, eluded them.
“The message that I am trying to pass is never again. In Ashes, there is a part that goes: ‘As long as we live in a country where no one is safe, no one is safe. We all need to be our brothers’ keeper; we need to speak up to wrong and say NO. As a people, have we come to the point when we don’t realise that human life is sacred and untouchable?”
The rap artiste expressed his amazement about his nomination as the United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for the Smuggling of Migrants. Among many other responsibilities, MI will be involved in advocating against smuggling of migrants, especially people who take illegal routes abroad, only to face the humiliation of being deported.
He said he couldn’t take the trust reposed in him for granted, describing the appointment as a way to influence people looking up to him in the right path.
An elated MI said, “They had contacted me and we were speaking for a while. It’s a responsibility that is as big as it sounds. Internationally, we have icons like JayZ, who was appointed a UN Ambassador. I’m honoured for the privilege to be chosen here.”
He added, “Everyday hundreds of Nigerians attempt to go to Europe through illegal means. It is incredibly tortuous to embark on such journey that eventually ends in death for so many of them. Many of them die along the way in the desert, through gunshot wounds, through drowning and so on.
“My job here to is to tell them, ‘Hey, this is not the way to make it to Spain,’ which is usually their desired destination. For many of these young people, it is usually deportation and back to starting point. For many others, it is a call to live life as fugitives, unable to get good jobs, while many other end up as beggars. Sadly, many never even make it to Spain alive.”
The multiple award winning artiste stated that he combined the role of a producer and director. He said that his motivation was his love and passion for music.
He added that he initially started his record label, Loopy Records, when he was in Jos, Plateau State. However, MI declined to say if Soul singer, Waje, is signed on his record label.
He says, “When you grow up loving and playing music as I have been doing, it will work simply because it is in your blood. Loopy started in Jos and has some of the best artistes with some of the best sounds around. This includes, Ruby, an Afro-Soul musician.
“Her new single, Okay is on the airwaves and video. There is also Treadstone, a rock band in every sense of the word.”
Giving his opinion on the Nigerian entertainment industry and the flashy lifestyle of his counterparts, MI said the industry was still growing and was blessed with talents.
He advised his colleagues to invest wisely because things may not be always as rosy as they currently were.
“Our industry is growing. There are many young people coming up with great talents. That’s a wonderful place to be for Nigerian hip-hop. Many are here today but would be gone tomorrow.
“Critics say that many of us ride flashy cars and have no investments. Everyone, whether celebrity or not, should have investments although it is not easy, it is something we should do,” he says.
On his scandal free lifestyle, the artiste said it had been possible because he was a private person though he acknowledged that it wasn’t easy.
“I am a private person. It is not easy, but it is the first step. Business is business and my life is life,” says MI.
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