Taye Currency and the Parallel Court of Nigeria

 

By Abioye Tosin Lawrence 

The lessons every Nigerian must draw from the uproar over the “unrhymed solemn song” at the Olubadan coronation is bigger than Taye Currency himself. It is a mirror to us,  a nation that has accultured itself into waiting for a man’s slip, a single gaffe, and then using it as fuel for clout, relevance, and endless dragging.

A few months ago, it was K1 De Ultimate who was on the altar of ridicule; today it is Taye Currency. The pattern is the same: a single performance, a line, or a gesture, suddenly inflated into a national debate. And once the outrage fire is lit, the “parallel court” of social media begins its trial without lawyers, without evidence, without mercy.

We are in a state whereby those who carry the true value, those working silently to rebuild our image, those doing things genuinely and consistently, receive little or no attention. Instead, the nation waits for something bad to happen, for someone to stumble, so that every man and woman may play the role of a judge.

The way Taye Currency has become the talking point, one would imagine there are no pressing issues demanding national focus. Yet the things that truly affect us as a people, the erosion of values and more are never monitored with the same intensity.

Let this be clear: Taye Currency, like K1 before him, has simply become a beneficiary of fame by accident. This kind of fame comes not from artistic triumph but from public controversy. He will brush the trauma off, just as K1 did after the airline saga. For some, it is even a badge of survival. It is telling that some noted he even arrived with his flask - whispers say it was filled with alcohol further adding colour to the criticisms.

Yet, Taye Currency’s presence at that august and ceremonial occasion was not an accident. He was trusted by the organizers; he was tipped to carry the honour of the day. He may not have sung to everyone’s taste, but he fulfilled his role in the manner he understood it. For that alone, respect is due.

The real lesson is this: Nigerians must learn to separate artistic imperfection from national decay. Not every mistake is a scandal. Not every lyric is a crime. If we continue to measure our relevance only by who we can castigate, then the culture we claim to defend will become the very culture we destroy.