As I Stood Over Da Grin’s Grave

22nd April marked the 2nd year Dagrin passed on. The only thing we could offer was to visit where his legendary remains lay. To keep this short….Anybody who has been to a cemetery before knows the inevitable feeling of appreciation for life that covers you, the reality of the vanity of life and how fragile it is. In a flash, a man once erupting so much energy like an volcano can be quenched like a useless cigarette in an ash tray. Now the question of life’s essence creeps in my mind. Why are we here if we have to end up like this? The crowd of tombstones inspired so many thoughts depending on the information inscribed on them. Many people have indeed gone under the surface of the earth I must say, each taking down history with them and giving birth to new life in various forms such as my thoughts. I saw tombstones of both the small and the mighty, some designed to immortalize their sleeping landlords in form of statues, inscriptions and other monumental “artworks”. I saw the grave of a child who lived for only a few months. Looking at the grave, I could still feel the pain the parents went through after their loss because the energy around that tombstone is so strong that you must feel something even though the child died since 1954 or there about. Almost every inscription carries the pains of the people they left going by how the way they express how much they meant to them. Entering the part where the great Da Grin lay, it was a special part of the entire cemetery. I wasn’t impressed at the dressing of the grave given the fact that he is arguably the most celebrated late artist in Nigeria and where his remains should reflect that. His name was woven with purple flowery patterns, it had two of his snap back hats on it, a symbol of his style of music – “HIP-HOP”. We said our prayers and reflected on the event as much as we could. I was meeting his sisters for the first time; it appeared God has indeed given them the fortitude to bear the loss because they were calm and very quiet. I took the advantage to introduce myself and mentioned that I never met him (DA GRIN) in person but only spoke with him on the phone as a fan who believed in him as far back as then and it is sad that the next close contact I will have with will be standing over where his body lay and giving my respect… this life!!! No man knows what the creator has planned. We meditated on the fact that whatever we accumulate through the years we spend here will have no meaning when you die. What matters is what you will be remembered for. I cannot begin to list what he young man has accomplished because his light shines bright for even the blind will still feel his presence. So everybody knows. His death gave life to so many things that I cannot begin to count; I believe most of his contemporaries are a blessing to their families and friends today because Da Grin paved the way for them to thrive and develop upon. His name will be written alongside people like Fela, Tupac, Bob Marley, Biggie Smalls and many more legends whose times (in human terms) lives were cut short tragically. There is no inscription, no number of tweets, no TV or radio documentary, no events ,no movies and all other means which lovers, fans and “leaches” alike might put together for whichever reason; that will be sufficient to express his worth or how much he will be missed. Now I took time to ask myself what I want to be remembered for. During this introspection I discovered I had a lot to do, I swear……Now ask yourself, what will you be remembered for? Rest in peace Akogun, please if the dead could read, then please tell God we still don’t know why he took you, no one has filled your filled your space..not yet..not ever. Rest in peace. Oladapo Olaitan Olanipekun (1987 -2010)a.k.a Da Grin