Igbo And Cocaine Dey Scatter Brain –Majek Fashek

The year 1988 marked a water shed in
the history of reggae music in Nigeria. It
was a moment that witnessed the
meteoric rise of a young man who
mesmerized reggae buffs with a clear
vocal rendition and sonorous voice that
could have made the late reggae legend,
Bob Marley, watch his back. He is none
other than Majekodunmi Fasheke
popularly known as Majek Fashek.
His debut album, Prisoner of Conscience,
was philosophical as it was prophetic. It
called for rain with the hit track, ‘Send
Down the Rain’ and there was a deluge,
thus earning the musician the nickname,
Rainmaker. Another song, ‘Let
Righteousness Cover the Earth’ was
quintessentially Bob Marley. Within a few
weeks of its release, the album had
climbed to the top of the charts and
made it to the top five on the Jamaican
Top 10 chart – a feat never to be
recorded again by a Nigerian reggae
singer (did we have any after Majek?).

Majek soon a household name in Nigeria
as his fame grew.
However, that star that shone so bright
in the dark night would soon fade away
as the fair complexioned singer soon
got over whelmed by the pressure of
fame and fortune and found solace in
drugs.

In a four hour interview with the SUN’s
Frank Chike in TS WEEKEND, the singer
talks about his music, love life, family,
current album work, drugs among other
issues. Here’s an excerpt:

Q - You have not said much about your
experience with Igbo (India hemp)?

A- Igbo and cocaine dey scatter brain. I
don’t use cocaine.
Q- You just said something about Ras
Kimono?

A- Yes, Kimono go eat goat, dey come catch
am. Now his belly don be like that of a
pregnant woman. He is suffering for
failing the laws of the Rastas. His friend,
Black Rice did the same thing but he’s
smarter than Ras Kimono that is why his
belly has not begun to protrude (laughs).
What I am saying is that I am a true
Rastafarian, I keep the laws.
Back to what I was telling you about
India hemp. Yes, when I was young, I
was a habitual Indian hemp smoker till I
became hooked to specie of hemp
produced in Delta State, a harsh one for
that matter, which nearly ruined my life.
It’s by God’s grace that I gave up the
habit, if not I would have run mad by
now. That’s why I have been telling my
kids and other musicians around me to
drink alcohol instead of taking Indian
hemp or sniffing cocaine because
alcohol don’t damage brain like those
hard drugs would do.