BIGLO reveals his best kept secrets with late MC LOPH - Samod Biobaku writes

Biglo posted by Samod Biobaku

Mc Loph’s buddy, Biglo reveals their best kept secret

By Samod Biobaku

Sixthsense34@yahoo.com

The day was September 19, 2011 and I was just wrapping up the day’s journalistic tasks when I received a Blackberry notification. Upon checking, I discovered it was a broadcast from an actress which read: ‘To all music artistes and entertainers in general… There will be a meeting today @ O’jez restaurant and bar at National Stadium, Surulere by 6pm. The purpose of this gathering is to plan on activities tom mark the death of our friend and colleague, MC LOPH who passed away in a tragic accident last week on the Lagos Benin Expressway. Thanks. Announcer: Mr. Biglo on behalf of the Mc Loph Committee of Friends.’

I had a busy day and was tempted to ignore the message but I was aware of the tragedy of Mc Loph’s demise barely a week ago and could not resist an opportunity to follow up on the story.

I arrived at the venue around 6:30, got a drink at the bar and was halfway into the drink when I spotted Biglo walking towards a middle-aged woman who owned a store within the stadium. Without any further prodding, I knew what I had to do.

With my drink in hand, I walked up to the popular rapper, introduced myself and a conversation ensued. Moments later, he delved into an interview where he revealed details of how he narrowly escaped death on the same road where his friend, Mc Loph recently had his life extinguished forever.

He also shared some of their most memorable moments and plans to immortalise his late friend over what he described as an avoidable tragedy.

Excerpts:

Why exactly did you convene this meeting?

I convened this meeting because Loph was a personal friend of mine. I’ve known him for more than 10 years. We attended University of Nigeria Nsuka together (UNN). This is actually the second meeting. His death was a very painful thing for me. I was shocked and I could not let him go out like that. I realized we have to make it memorable and immortalize him. In that regard, we are going to be planning a candle night procession for him in Lagos here then we are going to have a kind of musical concert in his memory. That would be in the East. That would be in conjunction with his record label because he had a record label called Morgan Entertainment. We are having this meeting to show support for MC Loph and his family for the tragic loss as he also lost his sister.

We are going to be having a press conference once all the dates have been fixed. By the end of this week, we would have the press conference. More importantly, I was us artistes and entertainers in general to come together as one and do something for this guy.

At the same time, another leg of it is that we are going to find a way to express our grievance with the government. People have been dying on that road. I have personally been involved in an accident on that road many years ago. I was going for a show and in that accident, 7 people died. I didn’t die but I still have scars on my body from that accident – I remember that seven people died in that same accident that I was involved in on the same bad road that Mc Loph had the accident and died. How can a road be perpetually bad and you still leave it like that? From Obasanjo’s days in government to Yar’Adua and now Jonathan yet the road is still like that. What is it? Which ‘winch’ dey for the road wey dem no fit do am? Is it impossible? After all, in the last four years, they have constructed new roads elsewhere so we’re working on that too. We’re going to try to get the government’s attention. It is a shame that we have to use the blood of a colleague like this to sensitise the government on this matter but his death cannot be in vain.

You would agree with me that Loph died at a point when his career was just taking a turn into the next level. Does this make his demise any more tragic?

Late rapper, MC LOPH - posted by Samod Biobaku

Of course, it makes it more tragic. Death in itself is a loss. Any death is tragic. It makes it more tragic. Here is a young man who was going for his wedding. He was supposed to get married on Saturday yet he died four days to his wedding. He was going for his traditional wedding when he died and that was why his wife was in the car with him. It was very tragic because he was on a rise. A lot of people have said DaGrin died after he just bought a car, CD John died after he just bought a car, Mc Loph died after he just bought a car. This death has nothing to do with buying a car. He died because the road was bad. The road is bad. There is no juju or spiritual factor responsible. People are only talking about his death because it was Mc Loph that died. If it was just any other person, would anybody have said anything about it?

You also mentioned that you and Mc Loph attended UNN together. Given this fact, you must have had a number of memorable moments together. Could you quickly recall some of your unforgettable moments together?

Well, I’m going to say this… A lot of people don’t know this. I grew up in Lagos and it was going to the university that took me to the East. It was when I got to the East that I started speaking Igbo. A lot of people don’t know what I’m about to say – In fact, the only people who know are insiders. Mc Loph was the person who triggered me into changing my style of music into the Igbo brand of music that I do today. People are always quick to say that Biglo was the first guy to start rapping in Igbo language. Well, I would just say Biglo was the first person that came out into limelight with it. It was Mc Loph that triggered it. While in school, I used to do the American rap – the lyrical thing. Suddenly, I met this young man who was doing this Igbo thing. Whenever we went for school shows, na him ‘dem go dey hail pass.’ I was envious of the kind of attention he was getting. This when it occurred to me that if this guy could rap in Igbo, then why couldn’t I do the same? I started doing it and as God would have it, I came out first. In fact, after I came out, Mc Loph came to me and said “Ah! Biglo, I want to be like you o.” His first track was produced in my studio. His first single ‘Bend Down Low’ was produced in my studio and I didn’t charge him a kobo for it. He’s my brother and that is why I am carrying this thing on my head.

On a final note, what’s happening with your career? The last time I spoke to you, you talked about staging a come-back. Is it still in progress?

Yes. The come back is out. I have a new single titled ‘Money Identity’ featuring Flavour. The video is out. It’s on air and on all the major stations. It’s going on MTV very soon. I’m planning another one in November. It will be another single. I’m not bringing out my album right now because I took a break from music for two years so I really want to ‘Ginjah’ my fans back before I start talking about an album. I want to create enough awareness but the new album will be titled ‘Back in Business.’