Hip Hop music like Afrobeat has its roots in protest. It tells the story via song of different happenings all over the world with the aim of changing the average persons’ mindset and getting them to really open their eyes and see the situation happening around them. Hip Hop music aims to shake people’s complacency and hopefully get them to react. I got a chance to talk with Eldee - a Nigerian Hip Hop artist currently based in the United States about his music. It was an enlightening moment as I spoke to a man who was courageous about his convictions and not scared to go where others fear to tread. We got a chance to talk about reorientation, criminal minds and the in betweens.

Eldee born Lanre Dabiri is an artist who fuses Hip hop music with political consciousness and does it in several main linguas of the Nigerian Nation. Eldee has garnered international attention with his CD and was nominated for the SPIRIT of Africa Music Awards of 2007.

Meet Eldee – Nigerian Hip Hop artist who is not afraid to “yarn”.

Pammy: We have artists like late Tupac who started of as a poet and then later on fused music with his poetry. Do you consider yourself as one of those poets?

Eldee: No, I do not. I started off just rapping. Some say that rapping is a form of poetry on its own. But my rap music is fused with several other local traditional styles like Fuji, Afrobeat, Highlife. I blend every day Hip Hop music with African music to create a bridge between traditional African music and Mainstream music.

Pammy: When did you start performing on stage?

Eldee: I have been performing on stage since high school. I have often won awards for my performances. I was part of Trybesmen which was one of the founding groups of Hip Hop in Nigeria.

Pammy: I noticed in your album that you moved between languages. You use Pidgin English, Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba. Is there a particular reason for this?

Eldee: These languages are widely spoken in Nigeria and I wanted a complete representation of Nigeria in my music. I have noticed that many artists that come out seem to only want to perform in their own languages when many know more than that language and I do not think that is right. I am Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa. I have lived in the North, East and West and I have family in all these areas. My music is a Nigerian movement.

Pammy: I listened to your music, “I go yarn” from your album and I was depressed by the lyrics. The lyrics are quite sad and true of the Nigerian situation. Do you have any plans of doing something about the situation?

Eldee: I stay away from politics. My role is to reorientate peoples’ minds to see that the situation in Nigeria is NOT okay. The average man’s attitude is one of survival and acceptance and this is why Nigeria is not moving forward. It is this attitude that makes Nigeria what it is today.

Pammy: What will this reorientation entail?

Eldee: In Nigeria, there is a colonial mentality, many do not believe in themselves and see themselves as second and third class citizens which they should not. Nigeria has so much resources both human and otherwise and if we as a people do not recognize how much power we have, then we are done for. I have to add that the common Nigerian has a criminal mind, no one wants to work for anything, they prefer to steal. There is just a need to get people to understand that there are other options available to the average Nigerian which does not involve criminal activities.

Pammy: So you absolutely have no intentions of going on the ground, starting an organization to address these issues?

Eldee: No, I do not think so. We all have our parts to play. I am playing mine and it is up to the government to play theirs.

Pammy: So where do you get the stories that you have in your lyrics. Are they from your experiences or….

Eldee: Every single that I wrote is based on my experience. If I write a love song, it is about somebody. If I write about a situation – it really did happen.

Pammy: There is a love song on your CD,”ur the only one” is that about someone. Are you currently seeing anyone?

Eldee: I try to keep my private life private. So I cannot answer that question. But I am not married or engaged YET.

Pammy: We know that you are no longer parts of Trybesmen. Has that affected the reception of your music in any way in Nigeria?

Eldee: Not really. Being one of the founding fathers of Nigerian hip hop music – I know that my music will not be rejected. It has been received very well. My style is very distinct and I communicate in a way that the average Nigerian can understand.

eLDee on Video: ‘I go yarn’

Pammy: Have you tried pushing your music in the states yet?

Eldee: Not really. I am more focused on the African audience. Pushing my music mainstream here in the states will mean that I might have to loose some of my African element and I am not ready to do that yet. Living where I do in the states, I have had the opportunity to work with other artists but I am not quite ready to loose what makes my music fundamentally mine. But my music has been accepted by the Nigerian community here in the states. I perform multiple gigs per month and I have been doing so for the past three years. There is a huge Nigerian population here so it works for me.

Pammy: I loved the song, “ African Chiquita” on your CD. I loved how you fused humor with hip hop. It actually reminded me of my conversation with Bamboo, in which he said that he found humor to be a more intelligent way of grabbing attention than scantily clad women. Do you use humor for the same reasons?

Eldee: To a certain extent. My use of humor is because it is mind engaging talk about an exaggerated reality. Like Bamboo, I do not use scantily clad women in my videos. I do not feel that is necessary and it sometimes takes away from the message. Moreover, there are lots of children out there watching these videos. We can enjoy stuff without making it raunchy.

Pammy: I know you have worked with artists here and back home. Have you noticed anything fundamentally different about their work ethics?

Eldee: Well, at first glance it will seem that both work about the same. But I have noticed that people tend to be more serious about making money back home compared to the states. I do not know if it is because there are more options here.

Pammy: So, what exactly happened with Trybesmen?

Eldee: I am not quite comfortable talking about it. But I will say that many musicians have small minds and are not able to see the big picture.

Pammy: Will you have a different message in your next project?

Eldee: In my next CD, I am going to talk about hope and not giving up on Nigeria. In my mix tape, I rap with Oladele on a song called Hope which can be viewed as a part two to “I go Yarn”.