Is Success Now A Crime?

The nigerian music scene has blown up over the last few years. Within the period,a countless array of artistes have sprung up with innovative, original songs that have been prominently featured on many radio & nightclub playlists, alongside american singers & rappers. For me, the special thing about this musical revolution is the fact that our musicians have become original with the lyrics, beats & general vibe in their tracks. One artiste at the forefront of this remarkable crusade is 2face Idibia, an ex-member of male group, Plantashun Boiz.Mr Idibia, with 2 critically acclaimed(& commercially successful) albums under his belt, has clearly become a favorite amongst many Nigerians for his impressive vocals & catchy, anthemic tracks. His tall frame & good looks have also drawn him to many female admirers across the nation (& the continent in general).This MTV Europe Award winner also has the admirable record of being the first artiste to have a music video (African Queen) played on MTV Base Africa. With 2face’s commercial success, his financial status predictably changed.So it was based on this that,2yrs ago in his Festac residence, men of the underworld decided to pay the hardworking musical icon a late night visit. This happened shortly after returning from Portugal where he had just received the newly introduced ‘Best African Act’ accolade due to the tremendous success of his debut solo album,'Face To Face’. The naïve crooks had probably assumed that 2face’s MTV award came with a hefty cash price which he had stored at home. Displeased with the unfruitfulness of their mission, the airheads decided to leave the young man with some physical injuries before they fled.
Fast forward time to Thursday Oct 4th, 2007.A lot has happened, career-wise, for this hugely talented crooner since that unfortunate night in Festac Town. He’s released another classic CD, Grass 2 Grace, which spun various hits like ‘For Instance’ & the nightclub special ‘See Me So’. He’s also firmly shown consistency with his vocal gift, become a household name & expectedly increased his bank balance. On this Thursday night, the one-time barber had just returned from the UK, where he had collected the MOBO Award for ‘Best African Act’. He was on his way home from the international airport when bad boys came calling once more. This time, they seemed more desperate and shot him in the thigh while he was trying to make a life-saving getaway. Apparently, word must have spread, possibly from an insider, that our musical ambassador was returning from London.Again, the robbers probably believed that he had thousands of British pounds in his possession.
The extremely lucky gentleman is currently recuperating at a renowned Victoria Island hospital where he’s being treated for his gunshot wounds.At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if he decides to relocate to a sane neighboring country like Ghana in the near future.As a massive fan of the guy’s musical ability, I wish him a speedy recovery & look forward to many more addictive CDs from this multi-award winner.

On the other hand, I have a gut feeling that Mr.Idibia’s insurance premium has just gone up.