Life And Times Of Afrobeat Singer, MohBad

From humble beginnings he came and to his roots he returned without the flamboyance of fame. That’s the story of Afrobeat singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as MohBad whose life came to an end on Tuesday, September 12.

Till this moment, family, friends and fans and are yet to reconcile with the news of his death as his, is a case of a life snuffed out in its prime.

For many who jived and vibed to the late rapper, singer and songwriter’s hit tracks like “Ko po Ke”, his death remains a bitter pill to swallow and a swarm of celebrities have taken to their timelines to mourn the late singer.

The former Marlian record signee was born in the Ikorodu part of Lagos on June 8, 1996. The 27-year-old issued his first EP, Light, after agreeing to a record deal with Marlian Records World in 2019. The songs on the maiden EP include Once Debe, Holy, Father Abraham, Ponmo, Cinderella, Sorry, Marlians Anthem and Omokomo, featuring Davido, Naira Marley, and Lil Kesh.

However, in 2022, the rising star fell out with Marlian Records after MohBad alleged that he was assaulted by his management team for demanding a change of manager.

Unknown to him, this disagreement with his record label would signal the gradual decline of his promising musical career and mark the beginning of his many woes. The street-hop sensation even posted clips of the alleged assault he suffered at the hands of the Marlian Crew.

Nothing came off his allegations as other artists and celebrities who could have spoken up against management exploitation joined the vow of silence. A further blow to his fallout happened when Naira Marley shut down all allegations in an Instagram live video, where he alleged that the late MohBad had a history of laying false claims on his associates when intoxicated.

Mohbad, who left behind a five-month-old son, had reportedly attempted to take his own life several times. At one instance, his friend and close associate, Bella Shurmda, narrated how the deceased’s long-time girlfriend saved his life at one point when he almost jumped out of a window. Life became unbearable for the young artiste after his former record label allegedly stopped many show promoters from inviting him for performances.

His death is now taking a controversial turn as some of his allies are hinting that the alleged ear infection and injection administered to him at an undisclosed hospital did not lead to his death. Another set of celebrities also claim that the late singer was battling High Blood Pressure.

The fast-rising singer, in some of his lyrics, had even pointed out his struggles with poverty and possible spiritual attacks.

MohBad’s last performance was at Ikorodu, a show he was invited to by his colleague, Zlatan Ibile, who revealed on Wednesday that they had plans for the deceased to perform at Ibadan and Ado Ekiti, Oyo and Ekiti State capitals respectively.

The question at this time remains, could key players in the music industry have played any role in his death? And why are Nigerians quick to mourn the dead when they could have rendered help while they lived?

As more details unfold in the circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death, it remains to be seen if his passing would birth a movement against unfair treatment, abuse and exploitation in the entertainment industry.