If you ever get famous, don't come back to Jos.
I've chosen a rather melancholic title for this piece, because it is true that Jos can be unkind to her stars whenever they come home to drink from the green foot hills that propelled them to greatness in the first place. If you must come back home though, come on a Chariot or come on foot and go straight into hiding or better still don't come at all.
Before Jesse Jagz, we did it to Kelvin Pam, Jeremiah Gyang, Justice Christopher and the likes. But shouldn't our guys come home when the burden of Fame and the spotlight becomes too heavy to carry?
You'd be surprised who drew my attention to Jargo. On this cold winter morning, on a bus on my way to school in the Russian city of Rostov, with my ear piece tucked deep into my ears and a frown on the face, that is a characteristic look of commuters in Russia, I felt an eager nudge on my shoulders. I turned and It was a Zambian student, who enthusiastically took out my ear phones and replaced mine with hers. She was smiling and urging me to listen on.
It was a Tim Westwood BBC recording, where a voice had the lines
" ....they call me Scarface.
You can take my lines to the bank - Barclays......" It was the voice of Jesse Jagz.
The Zambian girl played another Jargo song, then Kahli Abdu, then MI. She said Jesse is the best African rapper and he is different and she likes him and was looking for me to listen because those are my Nigerian brothers. Little did she know we actually come from the same city. I proudly declared that these are my guys and we come from the same city. It felt good to come from Jos that day. I became a fan.
When I came down from that bus, I wore my hood and walked like a rapper to class with that bounce of a "Josticus Homeoboytidae". I was proud someone was putting my little city of Jos on the map.
I think it was Gurumwal Longjan, PhD who gave a succinct description of what it means to be from Jos. He said the Jos homeboy is special and adaptable but "despite the adaptability of the {Jos} creature and it's numerous successes, Homeoboytidae periodically feels nostalgia for Josticus. It longs for the peace and tranquility of it's birthplace....., Occasionally, this yearning overwhelms Homeoboytidae and the creature suddenly packs up and starts the long journey back home"
This is what happened to Jesse. After giving us "Jagz of all tradez", "Odysseus" and other incredible body of work, he returned home to breath. But because we are often not privy to the "hardships and challenges" our compatriots face in the "Savannah" , we feel they have betrayed us and let us down when they come home to catch their breath. We like them when they succeed and despise them, call them names under our breath, when they struggle.
What is wrong with Jesse? some say, Have you seen Jesse? Guy, Jargo dey fuck up? I even saw him in a keke, others will unkindly remark.......trust me, I've heard even worse. Never did I hear concern or love in those statements.
But I tell you what, Jargo is special and just like a phoenix he will rise again. Tupac was it who said, " nobody knows my struggles, all they see are my troubles..." Don't be quick to conclude until you know the full story.
something we must realise is that People working in the creative industries are confronted with unique problems; loneliness, too much expectations from fans, anxiety to impress and the risk of being different. They hardly take a sick leave, no annual leaves and sometimes the Muse for creative ingenuity deserts them, not to mention the occasional dependence on substances. That's why we must be considerate and compassionate towards them. It was this negligence that led the legendary Majek Fashek into a shadow you know. Jargo is Jostified and we should be with him on the top and on the ground.
Lenrie Peters the African poet wrote it best in his Legendary poem "We have come come"
"We have come Home
From the bloodless wars
With sunken hearts
Our booths full of pride
From the true massacre of the soul
When we have asked
WHAT DOES IT COST
TO BE LOVED AND LEFT ALONE"
I was star struck when I finally met Jesse Jagz for the first time on February 14, 2019. I had to take a picture with him. He was approachable, calm, present, friendly and a jolly good fellow. He is easy to love.
So please, When a Jos homeboy comes home, take his bag, give him some water to drink and allow him some time to catch his breath, so he can rest and go back to doing us proud again. Don't compel him to come on a Chariot because he became famous, or come on foot and go straight into hiding because he fell from grace or not come at all.
When you see Jesse Jagz, give him a hug for me and tell him we await his next body of work.
#Jostotheworld.
#Standwithyours
#JesseJagz
#theyneedourlove
Julfa A. Timkuk, PhD.
Jos, Nigeria.
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