Daddy Showkey’s music put his city, Ajegunle, on the world map, as he is known to always identify with his roots in his tracks.
If you were born in the 90’s, the name John Asiemo, more popularly known as Daddy Showkey, will surely ring musical bells in your ears. The veteran Nigerian singer was born on August 4, 1970 in Ajegunle, a Lagos suburb made infamous for its poor state of living standards.
The musician, who has worn his 'dreads' identity for 26 years, in a interview with Ali Baba, had explained that the reason he has refused to cut his hair.
According to Showkey, he made a promise to God that if he is taken out of the Ghetto, he would not cut his hair again.
“That’s why I’m still carrying my dreadlocks. I have succeeded, so I won’t cut my hair. Many people do it for fashion but I don’t do it for fashion. God has kept His side of the vow, so it is left for me to keep my part of the vow,” Showkey said.
Daddy Showkey’s music put his city, Ajegunle, on the world map, as he is known to always identify with his roots in his tracks.
He calls his music the 'ghetto dance', which is accompanied with the 'galala'.
However, these days, the artiste, who released his latest song in June 2018, has combined activism with his music calling.
Sahara Entertainment has compiled a list some of his songs that remain evergreen:
Somebody call my name: This reggae jam sees the singer giving himself accolades for his ability to sing and calling on those who need to hear that he is here to stay. “Somebody call my name, Showkey. People dey call my name, Papa dem day call my name” the lyrics goes. The song was released 11 years ago.
Diana: Daddy Showkey tells the story of 'Diana', who is married for nine years but fails to bear the fruit of the womb. For her inability to bear children, her in-laws send her packing and gets another wife for her husband. Daddy Showkey sings to encourage her, saying she should wipe her tears. This music remains evergreen as expectant mothers can key into the message of hope the song presents.
Ghetto Soldier: The song is an ode to youths in the ghetto. Daddy Showkey calls for the attention of his youths, explaining to them that life in the ghetto is not easy and therefore there is the need for them to be hardworking. The song is done in patois.
Fire Fire: This song was well received by his fans. Here, Daddy Showkey is seen reflecting on the situation in Nigeria and he calls for 'fire to burn all the bad people that don’t want the country to progress'. The song became something close to a national anthem at the time.
Welcome: This song was another hit track that got his fans begging for more. The mid tempo jam was played at every major party in the country because of its celebratory lyrics.