👤 Adenike Lucas, Editor, DENISAURUS News

You don’t have to do yahoo-yahoo to hammer, a young upcoming artist, Moshood Abiola Osibote, has said in the DENISAURUS News big interview for this month.

Mr Osibote, who made the appealing message to fellow Nigerian youths, following the Grammy award received by two artists from the country said “things might be tough in the country right now, but it is no reason to commit crime.”

Many young people in Nigeria want to “hammer,” but with a high unemployment figure in the country, some want to turn to illegal activities to make that money.

Recent estimated figures show that an “annual financial loss in Nigeria due to cybercrime was N250 billion ($649 million) in 2017 and N288 billion ($800 million) in 2018.”

Yahoo-Yahoo, a cyber crime, has upgraded from just being a internet scam, to yahoo plus, where rituals with body parts are used.

Despite it being glamorous, Mr Osibote, the owner of MOSH Entertainment, which is based in Ogun stated that it was not worth it.”

He instead asked young people to work hard, citing Davido – a Nigerian musician who despite his father’s wealth, has carved a name for himself internationally.

Noting that “it is not easy being in the music industry, but it is possible to achieve success in there,” the young artist believes in himself.

With his four brothers, they already own a recording studio, and Mr Osibote, makes his own beats and instrumentals for other acts to jump on.

He has made a couple of tracks for his brothers to jump on, he revealed in this interview with DENISAURUS News. His greatest dream is to collaborate with Davido and Olamide.

He said: “Davido inspires me a lot, because he shows that anything is possible. You know, Davido’s father is very rich, but there are some things that your fathers money would not take you. Davido is working hard despite his father’s money and he has made a lot of achievement. If he did not work hard, he will not be where he is and there are loads of Billionaire’s sons that are not well known or where he is.”

In order words, he says: “hard work greases success.”

“Anything you can imagine is possible,” the young artist, who just graduated with a degree in History and International Study replied.

Mr Osibote is motivated by Burna boy and Wizkid’s recent award of the Grammy’s – a prestigious award ceremony held at the Los Angeles Convention Centre in Los Angeles this month.

Burna Boy, real name Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, who beat Love letters, Anoushka Shankar with his Twice as Tall album to win the Global Music Album at the prestigious occasion, said it was a big win for Africa.

“This is a big win for Africans all over the world and this should be a lesson to every African out there, no matter where you are, no matter what you plan for, you can achieve it.”

As we have it, we are still in the International Decade of the People of African Descent. The recognition to Africa, made by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights shows how far the continent has come.

African music, food, clothing has become so trendy all over the world. In this big interview, Mr Osibote agrees that with Nigeria being the giant of Africa, “we are trend setters.”

“I have noticed that wherever we (Nigerians) are, people love what we do. For example, when an Oyinbo (white person) see us in our native adire, they love it. They want to copy it.

“We should be really proud of our culture. I believe a nation that neglects its culture will be in darkness. It will not grow.”

He recognised the fact that Burna boy, spent much of his teenage years in Brixton, a place in London, however, he said the song he sang was Afrobeat.

There is something special about Africa. There is something great about Nigeria and international artists – including Beyonce, who had Brown Skin with Wizkid, are making collaborations with Nigerian artists.

He says “Nigeria is one of the third most famous country in Africa, we can not be ignored.”

But it won’t be stopping with music collaboration or Grammy’s, Mr Osibote believes that one day an African act, will be the lead opener for the American Presidential inauguration.

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