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:

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

Igbo and cocaine dey scatter brain. I don’t use cocaine.

You just said something about Ras Kimono?

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.