From Marvin Gaye`s Sexual Healing to 2baba`s If Love Is A Crime, music world wide has told stories of struggling love, faithful lovers, unfaithful lovers, heartbreaks, perfect match, perfect love and sex. The Nigerian music industry has no shortage of artists when it comes to vulgarity and profanity. From lyrics heavily sexualizing women, videos of half naked ladies that need not be there to- catchy codes names and street lingua. Sex as a topic is not new to this world.

The question we attempt to answer today is- If The Nigerian Music Industry Has Helped Promote Rape Culture? While we can not dispute that some songs have given us reasons to worry, some others have helped us understand the beauty of love and appreciate sex.

We must firstly agree that sex sells but let us not mistake that phrase to mean that only sex sells. D`banj rose to fame with his hit song “Tongolo” that dubbed him as the Koko master. The koko master didn`t mean his was unique and brought a special vibrancy to the music scene, the koko master was a sex appeal. The song Lyrics, “Mo wa talented, Yes mo wa gifted…” When you listen further would see he wasn`t referring to his gifted ability to play the harmonica which was unique at the time, it was more about his sexual gifting. “Seri kini mi, o ma gbe e lifted”… Kini does not refers to D`banj`s talent, he was referring to his manhood as we see in the music video D`banj was wiggling his pe**s. “To ba sope no, maa wa persistent” is kind of offensive cos D’banj shared he would be persistent even after the ladies says no. Could it be because D`Banj is addicted like he said but then addicted to what?

Innocent looking Wizkid is not left out with songs like ”˜In My Bed`, ”˜Bombay` where he repeatedly tells us of how a certain lady`s body drives him crazy. We have to ask should a woman`s body not make her partner get sexually excited? Although we can not prove that this particular lady is his partner. Safe to say sexual objectification of women is never approved even if they are your partner.

Have there been cases where music actually portrayed men and women in great light?… YES, Let`s take a look at Faze “Need Somebody” a song where he describes the kind of man a woman should have.

“You no need a man wey dey make you cry
Wey go dey beat you every day and night
But you need a man wey go respect you
If yawa dey e go ready to fight
A good man that`s cool and humble
E no go ever lay a finger on you
Say that one man wey go respect you
When you dey cry he go stand by you ”¦”

He goes on to say you need a man that will hold you tight all through the night. It depicts love and romance as a pea in a pod and instantly you get a picture of what love should look like.

Ric Hassani is another artist that makes you explore love as a beauty. In his ”˜Number One` and ”˜Only You` hit songs, you hear him begging his love and reassuring his lover that only her could love him and deserves his love.

Timi Dakolo`s music and video is an unending tale of love and fairytale. With his wife as his number one video vixen to lyrics that makes you wonder if you are truly giving and receiving love. And how can we forget Adekunle Gold`s ‘Orente‘, that made us see love as delicate.

How do female artists contribute to this conversation?… While profanity and vulgarity can not be totally eliminated, some female artists have found ways to creatively hide vulgarity in between their lyrics. Seyi Shay’s “Right Now” explains sexual acts that she and her lover used to enjoy with lyrics like “And baby I will ride for you slow wine for you, I will touch my tippy toes, I will bounce it for you”… She goes on to tell us that this was what they do from Sunrise till Midnight.

If you read through the lyrics of Niyola`s “Love To Love You”, it is almost impossible to not think she is singing about sex although while you sing this Niyola and Seyi Shay`s song you might not be actively aware of their sexual connotation. It makes one wonder If sex is what defines love?

With great power and influence comes accompanying responsibilities. Some artists have tried to use theirs in raising awareness and while some have given us reasons to be concerned. Mc Galaxy and Slimcase in recent times are one of those that have given us a reason to be concerned with their semi-porn IG live videos. While some might be quick to jump on the ladies let`s keep in mind that the only reason why the general public could see those ladies was because a platform was created for it. Perruzi in former twitter justified date rape, if the man had spent on the lady and even mentioned something that can be easily interpreted as a rape orgy.

Olamide`s “Story For The gods” song is one that raises a lot of red flags. It doesn`t only depicts rape but also violence. First Olamide takes local Afrodisiac in preparation for a date, “Mo ti mu dogoyaro”. He has a pre concluded opinion about the day and was certain what he would do “I want to do Sina today” and the lady begins to protest…

“She say she cannot wait o
She say it’s getting late o
She says she wants to faint o”

Olamide dismisses it as a petty excuse “Haaaa Story for the gods”. Olamide now gets violent and we hear him say

“Now she say mo ro go (Now she says she is in trouble)
O ti kan mi lapa oo (He has broken my hands)
O ti kan mi leyin o (He has broken my back)…

Loud protest that Olamide dismisses again as petty with the words “Story for the gods”.

We will let Mr. Adedeji defend these parts of the lyrics
La leyi odaron
Sare saluwa la salamo
Bo ba dun e ko faramo
Cause laleyi ma kanran mo
I will show you what I got
Lori yanga
Oya dide ma joko lori aga
Lomo mii ka jo ma kuru maga
Lomo mii ka jo ma kuru maga…

It is hard not to read sex and consequently rape due to the proceeding lyrics.

It will be difficult to blame creatives for rape culture. While they talk about Sex and Love, Self Control and Self Discipline for you as an individual is paramount. When they sing about government and military oppression, we don`t move to harm military men or government officials. So why act upon the ladies. Though the New waves (Fireboy, Joeboy, Rema, Oxlade, Omah Lay, Terri) are yet to promote Sex with all their singles and I hope they stick to with their good contents, have a reputable platform as they continue to build their career.

We do appreciate that this is their platform and they have worked hard to create it and stay where they are, it is important that they use it responsibly and in a manner worthy of emulation. It shouldn’t just be about the sex and forceful love acts at all time, let our artistes give us more contents about the Hustle, cashing out and also having Self confident with Self control… My Take

Chioma Onyefuosaonu
IG kordy_rose