Well-known rapper Tobechukwu Ejiofor, better known by his stage name Illbliss, has described an incident he had with a Lagos radio host when he was an underground performer.
Because he raps primarily in Igbo, the radio host said he wouldn’t succeed in the megacity’s music industry, according to the “Aiye Po Gan” hitmaker.
In a recent Real Shareholders podcast, Illbliss stated, “I made a record called ‘Igbo Boy’ when I came to Lagos.” Then I got a call from a radio host who said, “What are you trying to do?” You are unable to come here. You have a purpose for being here. Omo-Igbo.
Then he broke into Yoruba fluid. I could already hear Yoruba at that point. “Join them when you can’t beat them,” he said. Although the song is good, it isn’t very popular.
Even so, the music wasn’t offensive. It dealt with how Igbo people like having fun. I felt awful just by glancing at the person. And it gave me the impression that, despite our best efforts to hide the fact that we are a single country, the tribal divisions are too great to bear.