I’m sorry I’m only just getting to this, but here is the column I wrote in commemoration of the rising star Sazzy (Osaze Omonbude), who died too soon at age 26. You can read the article at Weekly Trust online, or you can read the hard copy here by clicking on the photo, which will take you to a large copy of the article as published with photos etc. The acknowledgements were left out of the published version, but I’d like to thank Alkassim Abdulkadir, the Coordinator of Guild of Artists and Poets, for gathering and writing the section on GAP, including the comments from Yoye and Lindsey. The photos should also be credited to Korex Calibur of Intersection Media.
While I was writing this, I listened to as many of Sazzy’s songs as possible. I thought the best way to commemorate his life would be to quote his own words, and although a lot of those quotes ended up getting cut out of the final version of the article, I thought I’d share the transcripts I made of the lyrics of at least three of his songs here.
The first one I’ll post here is the first Sazzy song I ever heard. When our mutual friend Korex posted the link to Sazzy’s music video “Doubt,” on Facebook, I spent about two hours pressing replay. The self-reflexive pidgen, the electronic electric guitar, the voice, and overall production was like no other Nigerian music I’d heard before.
Lyrics to “Doubt”:
Verse 1
Shey na me be dis or be na someone else?
Shey na me dey hear, or someone else is there?
Shey na me dey talk, or someone else dey yarn?
Shey na me dey work for here?
Shey na me dey sing or someone else dey sing?
Shey na me compose, or someone get de beat?
Shey na me dey rise, or someone’s raft discreet (CHECK)
Shey na me get this song….
Chorus:
I don dey doubt myself again, oh X 3
I don dey doubt, I don dey doubt
Verse 2
Shey I get talent, or I be just copycat?
Shey I get the skill, or I scramble like rat?
Make I come to know, or make I drop am flat?
Make I stop to chase this dream.
Shey my voice is good, or is it really bad?
Shey my style is cool, or is it really sad?
I get confidence, or shey na me dey dance?
Shey na me get this song.
Chorus:
I don dey doubt myself again oh X3
I don dey doubt, I don dey doubt
I don dey doubt myself again oh X3
I don dey doubt, I don dey doubt
Verse 3
I don really understand
Wetin dey worry me today oh
I don’t know but what I know is that
Tomorrow go be a better day.
Revised Chorus
I no go doubt myself again oh X3
I no go doubt, I no go doubt X 4
I no go doubt, doubt, doubt,
[skatting]
My next obsession was with his perfect techno breakup song “Anymore,” which you can listen to on his Myspace playlist.
Lyrics to Anymore
Verse 1
Baby, if
You ever know
The things I do
Just for you
You love me right
You treat me good
With all your heart
you say I’m cool
But if instead
you treat me wrong
You treat me bad,
black and blue
The sea is red,
my heart is far
You say it mean and that ain’t true
CHORUS:
Is it because I’m foolish in love
Is it because I’m stupid and blind
Tears from my eyes, and it feels so wrong
Baby, I can’t do this anymore
I can’t hold, I can’t hold, I can’t hold
(Doodoodoo)
This anymore
I can’t hold, I can’t hold, I can’t hold
(Doodoodoo)
This anymore
….
(Doodoodoo)
This anymore
….
(Doodoodoo)
This anymore
Verse 2
I’m back again
To the song
To my self [?]
I’m back to you
Back to my phone
To your name
To your love
Which —[?]
But it’s all a pain
You’ve made your plans
I have no name,
Nothing for you
And I’m so ashamed
We could have been
something more
something more than you…
CHORUS:
Is it because I’m foolish in love
Is it because I’m stupid and blind
Tears from my eyes, and it feels so wrong
Baby I can’t do this anymore.
I can’t hold, I can’t hold, I can’t hold
(Doodoodoo)
This anymore
I can’t hold, I can’t hold, I can’t hold
(Doodoodoo)
This anymore
….
(Doodoodoo)
This anymore X6
—
Here is his striking final piece, a music video of his hit song “Mr. Chairman,” briefly featuring Supreme Solar. His friend and creative collaborator Korex Calibur directed and edited the music video, which was finished after Sazzy’s death. The end result is very powerful. You can feel the tense energy coiled like a spring in Sazzy. He did not live long, but he seems to have crammed his short life full of music and friendship. In the increasingly rapid editing towards the end of the piece, you can also sense the grief and passion with which Korex edited this final music video.
Mr. C
Aha aha oh
Uh huh, oho (….) [skatting]
Verse 1
I’m the realest, I’m the coolest, I’m the newest, I’m the (best)
I’m the freshest, I’m the cutest of the chain
I’m the (nicest)
Ima king, Ima prince, Ima man
Ima (nigga)
You should know that I’m a (killa)
Run them over like a (trailer)
Ima note, Ima chord, I’m the keys
Ima (south)
Ima script, I’m a play, I’m a show (Entertainer)
Number 1, number 2, number 3 (….) (ten)
I’m all aboard, do you understand?
CHORUS: If you see me outside, oh
Just call me Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman
Verse 2
I’m a singer, I’m a rapper, producer (extraordinaire)
I’m the bass, I’m the drums, I’m the snare, Ima (shaker)
I’m your sister, I’m your brother, I’m your mother, I’m your (father)
I’m your friend, I’m your (lover),
I’m your wife…
Ima seargent, Mr captain, Ima colonel general
Ima bullet, Ima gun, Ima tank, Ima (sub)
I’m the shit, I’m the piss, I’m your scent, I’m your (body)
I’m all aboard, do you understand?
CHORUS: If you see me outside oh
Just call me Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman,
Verse 3
I will like to suggest now, make you start to dey feel this
….
I said I would like to suggest now, make you start to dey feel this
Then feel me
CHORUS: If you see me outside oh
Just call me Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman X2
Just call me, Just call me, Mr. C, this star, […]
Finally, after his death, Sazzy’s friends, Uche the African Rockstar, Yoye, Lindsey, 5 Mics, Bugzy, and Snappy put together a tribute piece, “Yesterday, which can be listened to at NotJustOk.com.
“YesterDay”
Sazzy, always on the beat. (Not Just Ok.com)
Peace, man, ….
Chorus: Seems like yesterday I just got news you went away, but there aint no way you’ll fade away. To me, I remember how we used to be. X2
I used to think you have all the time in the world.
I feel so sorry for your girl
because she was your African Queen.
You made it in this African scene.
Oh, why?
We can’t begin to ask all these questions.
I never had a chance for me to mention
the kind of real person that you are.
No doubt that you were meant to be a star.
We’re gonna keep connecting wherever you are.
And even though you’re gone, you will never be far.
Oh Sazzy, why sazzy? I know your family, because I’m your family.
And the Almighty God has put you down to rest.
Until it is my time, I will keep you in my chest.
No matter what they say, to me, you are the best.
To me, you are the best.
CHORUS X2
You were a close friend, but now you’re so far away.
My heart bleeds, shedding tears, I kneel down and pray.
I pray the Lord your soul to keep
At heavens gate, I pray God gives you the key
We ask for his blessing, but what’s better than this?
Leaving this cruel world full of envy and greed
I shed a tear on my rhyme book
You know me Stay Positive C, the cup is half full
You always knew the answers
And if you were here
I would have asked you
Because in this wrong man, I see no good
Sazzy, you were so good.
Producer Extraordinaire
Mr. C, I salute
Never overrated, maybe underpaid
You were a trend-setter, man, you paved the way
Now much has changed, still trying to take your place,
But you were real to Death…..
CHORUS X2
Ok, it was like a joke when Gang hit me with the news
For DJ Atta said it too, and it hit me like the blues.
— tears over the phone, hearing my brother cry
Give me some broken bones
You invited me to your house, I couldn’t find my way there
Now I’m at your house, and damn you aint here
My conscious killing me. I should have been here more often.
Now the Ray Bans couldn’t stop the chairs from dropping
You kept fighting this sickness. I know you’re resting now
No more hospitals and drugs, just angels in gowns.
This boss ain’t enough to express how I feel
Sazzy, Mr. Chairman, God bless ….
CHORUS X2
Yeah, everybody put your lighters on
As we say farewell to an icon
Damn, but your music still lives on
We feel your presence in our hearts
Even though you’re gone
Yeah, I wish I never had to write this verse
I wish I never had to say “Sazzy, rest in peace”
Cuz you were loved by the streets
Forever in our hearts, Sazzy,
Rest in Peace
..
Well, well, …..
Whhhhy? Why?
…
Sazzy, (boom) Everybody feel your pain
But one day, we …
But one day, we wan make Zion…
CHORUS X2
Yo, Sazzy, we’re gonna miss you
I got all a your friends to come and talk to you
Because even though you’re gone, they’re gonna be talkin to you
Representing you
You’re the gospel, put it down.
Lindsey’s singing on the hook
And 5 Mics is doing it too.
Yo, Yoye, I know you’re feeling it, dog
Yo Bugzy, what’s up man, yo Snappy
Everybody’s in the crew man, we’re all gonna miss you,
We’re all gonna miss you, yeah
Because I’m the African Rockstar,
It’s because of you
And everytime I’m doing, we doing it for you
We’re never gonna forget you
Everybody awaits you.
Yehaw
Everything, It seems like yesterday
Whoohhi
It all seems like yesterday, ya’ll
I can’t say no more, man,
Just keep resting, dog,
You still live in our hearts
Yo, peace.
A Tunanina... 