Death of a Rapper

[smartomoge]

I am in total shock right now. Complete and total shock. Indigenous rapper Da Grin, undoubtedly one of the most talented rappers Nigeria has ever produced died today. I hate rap on a good day, but even I had to bow! His lyrical abilities, his rapping in yoruba, amazing. Very gifted! Very very gifted.

People die in Nigeria everyday, but this one was very painful. He died as a result of a car accident, ran into a stationary trailer. He was taken to the hospital reportedly by a police patrol car (because we have no emergency services in Nigeria!), and ended up in LUTH. Obviously, there is some kind of strike going on in Nigerian hospitals right now or so I hear? There were pictures taken of him in the hospital, supposedly in a coma, with basically no equipment in the room. You can check out those pictures here .

It will make you sick to your stomach to see the way we treat our citizens.
I never knew or met him, but I feel sooo sick to my stomach. This dude was going to be a star. So gifted! Sooooo gifted. Lost to the inefficiency and craziness of our system. RIP Dagrin.

For those of you who never heard of him, here is some of his music:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0MTitXASx4"]YouTube- Da Grin - Pon Pon Pon [H"]400 Bad Request[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvjRLTSK1Bs&feature=related"]YouTube- KSB ft Da Grin - Turn Me Around[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7p6inMkT9c&feature=related"]YouTube- DaGrin Da Grin Ft Omawunmi Thank God[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXl0ukGh3VM&feature=related"]YouTube- Da Grin - Ghetto dream ft. Sossick[/nomedia]



What a tragedy! What a loss! I feel so bad, just when he started to make it.
Arrrgh! Our leaders cannot know peace o. Never ever, this is what their inefficiency costs us. Lord have mercy!

[valteena]

And the man died. RIP Da Grin

[nijalaw]

Never heard of him but courtesy of Rythm this morning, his music is being played as a tribute. I am impressed.

Guru of Ganstarr also died this week after battling cancer but our own Dagrin died battling non existent pre-historic medical services.

RIP

[Dapxin]

SmartOmoge,

You couldnt put in words. I never took Nigeria hipHop seriously even If I liked Rap to the extremes growing up.

But that was Until 9ice. And I listened to all of them, without having the time and energy to figure who was who out. I never quite figured DaGrin out from the crowd but I remember reading of the crash a few days ago.

I felt comfortable, I remember soon as I read that he was taken to the hospital. Except I forgot it was Nigeria!

Where LUTH is actually sicker than the dying.

Where Healthcare is actually sadder than death...

And I remember reading thru my blogfeeds last night, and having then figured out who exactly of them daGrin was and shaking! I mean losing it exactly how I felt when MJ died...

As I woke up this morning, listening to http://bit.ly/9qnMkW ( a tribute mix) I am struggling to keep tears back.

Not so much because of a terrific gem, we just lost but how many many more and more we have already lost, and lost and will lose in this hopelessly human-made jungle we call Nigeria!

Its pathetic!

On the flipside, I hope new upstarts like him recognise that they are living in a Jungle and learn to be more careful, if a little circumspect, in the manner with which they live 'hip hop'. I mean, If only daGrin didn't travel in the middle of the night ?

And the kid is just plain handsome too.


!Sad!

[agensheku]

May the young man s soul rest in peace.Motor accidents,bad roads,drug-less hospitals,strikes,et al!are these supposed to be the lot of an oil nation?whither the future when youths are wasted?

[Dapxin]

^,

Its a human disaster. Youths ? They were wasted they were wasted into the nth generation for as long as this contraption of a jungle subsists.

But then, they share a bit of the blame too;

Just read thru the comments on the varying feeds how brain-washed Nigerian youths are, the silly idea that some god gave dagGrin and took him away....and you are wishing to try and shout, no no no, god -if he cared - gave up on nigeria a long time ago.

The docility and complacency ( a little understandable) frightens... but its another issue for another time.

still shocked!

[Big-K]

Sad. In a recent New York Times interview, Prof. Achebe said "If you were in Nigeria and had cause to go to a hospital or to see a doctor, you would then immediately understand why so many people are abroad." Apt!

[bigtruth]

RIP Da Grin.

[smartomoge]

We regret to announce the passing of our son, friend, partner and brother Mr. Olaitan Oladapo Olaonipekun A.K.A. Dagrin.

He died at 6:00pm on Thursday April 22 – exactly eight days after he was involved in a ghastly accident in front of Alakara Police station, off Agege motor road, Mushin, Lagos.

He survived a serious head injury, as a result of the crash.

He was initially admitted at Tai Solarin Hospital, Baba Olosha Bus stop, Mushin before he was transferred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi Araba where Doctors made serious efforts to save his life. He was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit and operated upon, and later moved to the private wing of the hospital.

Doctors worked day and night; we fasted and prayed, but all efforts to save his life proved abortive. We lost him on Thursday April 22, 2010 at 6:00PM.

Dagrin, 26, was a recording artiste, songwriter, rapper and performer. He was signed to his own label Missofunyin Entertainment and managed by Edlyne Records.

Burial arrangements will be announced by his family soonest.

While we pray the Almighty God grant him eternal rest, we wish to thank his numerous fans and supporters, as well as the media for their unflinching support at this trying period.

We ask that you please continue to pray for his family, especially his parents and siblings. And please only the details contained in this release –jointly issued by his parents and management - should be considered as fact.

BlackHouse Media
On behalf of the family

source

[VOR]

Omase o what a loss! joooooor ooo.....ti'lo.....

Smartomoge I saw the pictures of the crash and dagrin on the hospital bed and wondered if he was being treated for malaria or for a serious accident? Oro naija sumi (I am tired of Nigeria)

May his soul rest in the Lord.

[Naijax]

Hi All,

I am shocked. Guess what, it was on village square that I first saw Da Grin, in link related to the BBC Dumpland docudrama.

Da Grin was suppose to be performing with Slender featured in the Docudrama, in the Indigo concert. There is a link to his promo on the BBC/Slender facebook page.

This guy would have easily enter America Rapshere, because he is unique and he has something to offer unlike other catcopy or is it copycats.

May his soul rest in perfect peace.

[Araba]

Smartomoge,All.

• The passing of DaGrin (Olaitan Oladapo Olaonipekun) is a wake-up call. For those young budding artists (like Slender) harnessing their creative juices in the midst of adversity, they must forge on. DaGrin particularly epitomises what Rap represents; mostly protest music describing Ghetto Life. What he has done for Yoruba Rap Music is comparable to what Tupac and BiggieSmalls represented for the East and West Coast, in the United States.

• Well, like a comet, he has come and gone. But in its wake are shimmering stars left by his music (Which interestingly, I heard for the first time just last year). I leave you all with one of my favorites in his Repertoire (Jimmy Jumpoff)[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHY-YhZ-QbM"]YouTube- Dagrin Jimmy jumpoff[/nomedia]. May his soul Rest in Peace.

[iamgod]

Was really shocked to hear the news....

And even more shocked to hear educated and presumably intelligent Nigerians here on ground keep insinuating that this needless death was caused by some remote control 'jazz'

RIP brother. The fact that you have many people who didn't even know you, genuinely mourning you, means you touched more people in your brief life than you ever imagined.

[Dapxin]

Hmmmmmmmmm.

Here’s an excerpt taken from a close source;

Cause of death? internal bleeding, collapse of vital organs, loss of blood, lack of adequate medical facilities , no xray, no ct scan, no bcg machine, lack of enough information from his CABAL. May be more equipped hospital would have taken over or they tell us may be we will suggest Ghana or Europe

[superego]

If I Die- DaGrin

wow!

Ina lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun

From Allah we come and to Him is our return

[oluomo]

"Moni dream lati fi Ajah she residence, Mo ni dream lati di nigeria president, owo ta won president n je lo n encourage mi, epe ta won eyan she fun won lo n discourage mi. Mo ni dream lati believe bi pastor Chris, but mo wa carried away pelu effizy Ludacris. Moni dream lati play ball bi Kaka, bo ya to ba d 'ola won a sign mi ni Barca....."

Why did you have to die so soon Dapo?

Rest in Peace CEO

[Araba]

Oluomo,

• I Remember growing up listening to Soul, Hip Hop, Rap all from yankee. Used to wonder whether our local languages could do the same thing. (I would think some genre of Yoruba Music would be something close to this form of poetry, but the beats were hard to dance to, the lyrics sometimes esoteric).

• Like a phenomenon, over the last ten years (or so) local talent like DaGrin have risen up to the challenge. Still discovering them. Nature abhors a vacuum.

[Ewuro]

I have never been a fan of rap music......Well.....until now. Since yesterday afternoon when I read that a rapper died in Nigeria, I did not take much interest......Then in the early hours of this morning I was somewhere where the musician requested a one-minute silence for Dagrin......That aroused a bit of interest and I have listened to the wonderful music of this young man, now late, unfortunately.

Wonderful improvisation in rap music. No doubt he was going to be a real star.

May he find comfort with his maker!

[Beam]

طيب الله ثراه


May his Gentle Soul rest in peace, Gone to soon,However in a better
Place....