Yellow Yellow

I bought Kaine Agary's Yellow Yellow while in Lagos recently and only got to start reading it on the tube this evening. Other bloggers who have read it have reacted in varying ways from rave reviews to the downright rude. Purchased at 500 Naira (£2) I bought the book because I understand it explores the issues around the oil industry's devastation of the environment in the Niger Delta. The first chapter certainly delivers on this.

While I will reserve my thoughts about the book as a whole till I've finished reading it, I certainly think the first chapter deserves a read. Its two pages are about 500 words and can be read at the Amazon site here. I'd previously read various articles about the Niger Delta on the bbc site that deliver an impersonal somewhat antiseptic view, with her first chapter Kaine immediately parachutes you head first into the issues from the point of view of a local resident. I strongly urge you check it out, perhaps even buy the book if you then want to see how it ends...

Is Originality dead?

Parental Advisory, Explicit Song Lyrics

Just like chocolate melts all over ice cream babe, I wanna pour myself all over you.

Ray Parker Jr

I remember hearing the lyrics of the Ray Parker Jr song above when I was younger and being horified about how explicit the lyrics were. Snoop came along and by this time I was desensitized enough that while I lamented the loss of innocence of pop to also appreciate the innovative nature of the music. Roll on to 2007 and having heard Eminem intimate that he wants to rape his own mother in a song, it is difiicult for music to shock me anymore.

Do song lyrics really matter at all? Does it matter what the artiste is saying if its got a good beat to it? Seal once said one of the reasons he never put the lyrics of his songs in the album cover was so that people could interpret a song in a personal way.

Are the lyrics in contemporary music stealing the innocence of our children or am I thinking this way just cause I'm now seriously considering taking a step that will bring little Morountodun's into the world and thus being forced to look at the world we live in?

For those of you who are Tupac fans like I am, you will recognise the name of the late Delores Tucker who was a critic of Mr Shakur's lyrics so much so that he chose to rap about her in 'How do you want it?' "Delores Tucker you's a motherf**ker / Instead of trying to help a n***a you destroy your brother".

R. Kelly in his song 'I Wish' sings "Radio, please don't take the N***a out of this song..." Should profanity have a place in popular music? (Come on Guys you know Hip Hop is not alone in being to blame for this either) .

Isn't there something else Akon could have sung about in his song "I wanna love you"? Or at least been subtle about his intentions? I don't have the answers, I am just asking the questions.

Ill advised Kidnapping...

The three-year-old daughter of a British expatriate worker has been kidnapped by gunmen in the Niger Delta, the BBC have reported. While the article reads that this is the third kidnapping of a child in the area in the last few weeks, it is the first for a young foriegn national.

Methinks this will just focus unwelcome foriegn attention on the area, however one possible positive outcome of the sadening news is the international attention may force the hand of Yar'Adua to follow up on his inauguration day promise to resolve the issues in the area...