Ten years ago, the video for the song ‘Ki ni big deal?’ by Naeto C and Ikechukwu was released on Mtv Base.
In a few days, the video was all over entertainment channels. The song does not possess the best of lyrics but it is a feel good song and it’s jivy instrumental easily gets the listener dancing. The video was the definition of ‘cool’. In my opinion, it raised the bar in the business of the Nigerian music video.
The gentlemanly idiosyncrasies that Naeto C have come to be known for, coupled with an awesome picture quality from the director and technical crew, a classy fashion sense that reflected wealth and pretty camera phones(which at that time was a luxury item in Nigeria) helped the song leave a mark of love in our hearts.
The suits most especially were to die for.
Today? They no longer strike the eye with longing. The ties? I can bet on it, Deeper life brothers wouldn’t even rock them.
Well, time has traveled far since then and we only play that song on Throwback Thursdays.
In 64AD, Emperor Nero of Rome was accused of arson after the great fire that left seventy percent of the city’s architecture in rubles. This was largely based on speculation because he chose to build a much bigger palace for himself under the guise of rebuilding Rome. If the accusations were true and Nero had lived longer, he would have committed the crime a second time and built himself a more magnificent palace within another twenty years. We are insatiable beings, it is humanity’s biggest flaw.
The world we live in today is largely materialistic and we are often tempted to show off wealth and our latest acquisition, especially on social media as a way of seeking validation, massaging our bloated egos, measuring up with others or to simply feel good about ourselves.
You see, time, they say, changes everything. Majority of the material things we clamour for and strive towards today would be outdated and probably irrelevant in ten years or less. I am not condemning hedonistic pursuits outrightly neither do I belong to the school of thought that believes that the acquisition of wealth and property is vanity, but in the end do they really matter in the fulfillment of our life’s purpose?
With or without the flashy cars, expensive clothes and jewelries, ‘we go still deh alright lass lass’.
I’d love to hear from you, tell me, what do you think?
Originally published on Agog.ng (May, 2018)
