Five songs for which we would never forget Dagrin

Oladapo Olaitan Olaonipekun, popularly known as Dagrin, lost his dear life on this day five years ago – April 22, 2010 – after a ghastly auto crash. His death was one celebrity death that hit Nigeria’s indigenous music so hard.

Five years on, his memories and music still resonate in the consciousness of those who loved him and his music. Here are five songs from Dagrin that the world would not forget so soon.

EFIMILE (WITH YQ)

This was not Dagrin’s first song in the industry, but it was the very one that brought him to the fore in the indigenous rap music, which he helped to pioneer. It was released in 2008 in a blissful revelation of Dagrin’s Yoruba lyrical prowess, which the world later came to terms with. Efimile was indeed a hit for YQ, but much more for Dagrin.

PON PON PON

As Dagrin grew into the industry, the short black boy (not M.I.), as he was fondly called, released a song highlighting the uniqueness that comes with an average Nigerian street boy who did what the world would regard as strange, just to make a living. Produced by Sossick, Pon Pon Pon was a massive hit for Dagrin, and was eventually on Chief Executive Omoita (CEO) – the album that won him Best Rap Album at the Hip Hop World Award (HHWA) in 2010. Even in death, Dagrin was still seen as the Pon Pon Pon master.

GHETTO DREAMS 

Sometimes when I sleep and I’m dreaming, I just don’t wanna wake up, I realise that I’m married to the game and me and my b**** never break up, I put it down for the Ghetto….

Those were the opening lines of Ghetto Dream, one of Dagrin’s most celebrated songs. In this song, Dagrin narrated his road to stardom, how he was pressed to drop out of his journey to pioneering Yoruba rap. He narrated how he started his career with “free shows and one red shoe”. The lyrical content on this particular song was beautifully crafted in a melancholic mode to tell his true story. The track informed the title of a biographic movie released after his death. Interestingly, Dagrin had dreams to be Nigeria’s president.

KONDO

Kondo (Magic stick) was one of Dagrin’s explicit outings in the industry. The party banger, alongside Pon Pon Pon, was one of the songs that pushed his CEO album to winning the Best Rap Album in 2010.

The song, produced by Sas, joined the likes of Yahozee, African Queen in making its way to the Nigerian street – even to the lips of the market women. It was indeed one for the street.

IF I DIE

Dagrin’s most controversial song was undoubtedly If I die, recorded a few days to his eventual death. In the song, Dagrin urged his fans not to cry if he eventually died. And he did die.

If I die my guy, make you no cry for me… God na my creator Fela na my mentor, money no dey drive me, money na my conductor… he said in the song, which hit the airwaves only after his death.

The song was very much unlike Dagrin – he stuck strictly to English and pidgin rather than a blend of Yoruba and those two languages. The song leaves us with one question: did Dagrin know he was going to die?

Rest in Peace.