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Singer’s music philosophy is not fully appreciated online

Is it our collective hypocrisy coming to play? Or is music a sweetener for reality? An euphemism of some sort, to properly pass across the message?

Artiste receives backlash over controversial tweet

But Brymo was left to his devices. His ‘career’ as a mainstream artiste was officially dead. What he wanted to pursue needed him to kill that part of him, and chase deep music, far away from the comfort of pop sounds and electro-powered fusions and beats.

His was about the lyrical depth and syncopation of traditional sounds and spaces that convey deeper meanings which skip the basic senses, and appeal to the heart, and sometimes, the soul.

Merchants, Dealers and Slaves” still stand as one of the best Nigerian albums released in the last decade. With deep-cutting imagery, and a mastery of ballads, the singer wove two stories in one. The first was the most obvious story of a village boy who leaves his town for the seducing bright lights of Lagos city, but on the other hand, "Merchant, Dealers and  Slaves" was all about broken promises, deception, hypocrisy and unfaithfulness. Such was the power of his music, and the messages shared, that two studio album later, those messages have taken on a voice via social media and have begun to comment on pressing issues.

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In all honesty, Brymo’s music does not resonate with all and sundry. His depth and melody are deeper, eluding the mass market, but reigning supreme in environments where art in its immersive form is embraced. His success stories are like brush strokes on a painting; not conspicuous, but evident on closer inspection. That’s why he is denigrated with the term ‘failure’ by many on social media.

Nigerians generally are not receptive to what they cannot fully understand. They mask this resistance in many ways, but the easiest and most recurring form is to lash out and be hostile. What they can’t understand, they fight it. They do that to his music by ignoring it, but on Twitter, they attack his comments.

This year alone, he has been off the mic, commenting on Twitter. Just like his music, his comments come with a stinging rawness and lack of political correctness. When a struggling man sought for educational financial aid, he was truthful, advising the fellow to develop other parts of himself that the classroom could not. Brymo himself is a product of extra-curricular development, far removed from the boundaries of formal education.

The singer advised the fan who tweeted at him to drop out of school, and chase his dreams, as he had done. Of course, trust Nigerians on Twitter to go in with abandon.

At the moment, the systemic extra-judicial killing of blacks by the police has risen to the fore, after the killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. Conversations about racial prejudice, discrimination, and white supremacy have come to the fore all over the world, and Brymo, who is very invested in these movements, made his mind known.

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This was the same conversation that Bob Marley was all about in ‘Redemption Song’, and inherently the same message is contained in Fela Kuti’s hit song, ‘Suffering and smiling’. But without melody, it does not go down well. Brymo was attacked from all corners, and defended by some.

See tweets below;

Some people on the other hand supported BrymO's controversial tweet.

Not fazed by the reactions his tweet caused, BrymO went on to make more controversial tweets and lash out at a few fans.

Is it our collective hypocrisy coming to play? Or is music a sweetener for reality? An euphemism of some sort, to melodiously pass across the message? Brymo will not back down. His outlook on life transcends the studio and the mic, and into discussions affecting the black nation, and life. He is sure to still offer his perspectives on everything crucial, and will not stop at it. If you follow his music, you will understand the workings of his mind.

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If you don’t, he isn’t concerned about your opinion. You don’t affect him.

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