From time immemorial Nigerians have been known to take hard lefts when the rest of the world goes right. This innate ability to stand a foot aside where the rest of the world stands together is how one Mr Evans, a serial kidnapper managed to earn the sympathy of Nigerians, and how Falz, a man who may have been branded a ‘woke’ truth teller in some parts of the world became a brunt of internet’s high-minded moral and social code.

After a video of Falz imploring fellow entertainers to stop glorifying Nigeria’s infamous Yahoo-Yahoo culture with their musics surfaced online, the internet reacted with mixed to alarming reactions. According to Falz, the future generation is taking cues from the kind of role models portrayed to them and therefore it becomes pertinent for influencers of the young to act accordingly. In a turn of events however, Falz’ message didn’t quite go down with a lot of people. And the tweets soon began to fly.

Yahoo boys are feeding most of y'all yet you'll come online and berate them because your MCM is bitter about them …

— King Of Ikorodu (@OtunbaBillz) June 23, 2017

Falz that was raised with money Femi Falana made from corrupt Nigerian politicians is condemning yahoo boys. LOL, What is my business self

— Oluyemi Fasipe ?? (@YemieFASH) June 23, 2017

Do I support scammers and yahoo? Nope. But no Nigerian has the moral right to question them. I repeat: No Nigerian has the moral right

— James (@oraeekene) June 23, 2017

https://twitter.com/onitsha_menace/status/878120939778699264

Even on his usually cheery Instagram of jokes, we glimpsed some of the vitriol that came back with speaking out against a decadent culture.

In truth the proliferation of the yahoo-yahoo culture is in part an effect of the collapse of the Nigerian middle class in the mid 90s and rise of extreme levels of poverty. It is also a direct result of stifled opportunities in a country with a few privileged and many without wherewithal to surpass economic hardships. This is perhaps why the Yahoo-Yahoo grind has seeped into the music industry, because of the similarity of motive intertwined with a hustle-till-you-drop mentality. Yahoo boys known to fund careers they have faith in, and in turn earn a symbiotic relationship with artists who can return on investment and convert fraud money to legal tender. This is the stuff of dreams.

The nightmare however, is in the fabric-level corruption in the mindset of the average Nigerian. America’s crack cocaine epidemic of the 80s, has been largely documented in black hip-hop. The narrative however has been largely in context with the effect and result of drugs on the strife of the black community. You hear this on Californian gangster rap and Atlanta’s codeine-infused trap music, what you never see however are listeners justifying these themes as any less than the social catastrophe that they are in actuality.

Music at the end of the day, is a reflection of certain socio-cultural realities. And in a country where the government is perpetually ignorant of its people’s woes, there are very few reasons to question how even music can become a criminal-minded affair. But it takes a morally bankrupt people to have morally bankrupt government and that’s perhaps what’s most glaring about the backlash Falz is facing at the moment.

Hang in there Brother Taju, truth tellers never die.