Spotlight | 7 May 2010 04:29 CET

What No One Will Tell You About Dagrin’s Life, Death and Burial

By By Olanike Fagbule, ‘Biodun Ogundairo and ‘Dayo Farore
The Family Mourns as the Kasket arrives

The Family Mourns as the Kasket arrives

'There will never be another Dagrin, the street has lost another solicitor.' ——- ID Cabasa

'We are not here to mourn Dagrin, we are here to celebrate.' ——- Omobaba

'There will never be another Dagrin, the street has lost another solicitor.' ——- ID Cabasa

'Dagrin is evergreen.' ——– DJ Zeez

'Dagrin lives on.' ——- Dekunle Fuji

'He's no longer Dagrin, he's now Daking: king of the streets.' —— Oladmus (Dagrin's PA)

'Dagrin we love you, though it's too early, but you live forever.' ——- Tony Tetuila

'Nitori Dagrin, Igboro ti Daru.' ——- Kleva Jay

'Oladapo Olaitan Olaonipekun is dead, but Dagrin lives on. Promise me you'll remember Dagrin every April 22.' ——– Dagrin's father.

'YQ, he's a soldier. We need not mourn him; let's just salute the soldier boy's might.' —– KSB

'Everybody keeps saying Dagrin lives on, Dagrin lives on. I hope that after this for the next one year, you will still see them representing Dagrin. Because guy bone, most of them na lip service. After 1, 2, 3, three weeks, give them one month they will stop playing that CD of his. That's one. How many people remember Sammy Needle today, how many people remember Sunny Okosuns, but then there at that place, the wake-keep everybody said, Sunny Okosuns live on, he live on in our hearts.' —— Yaw (Wazobia FM)

'When I asked him what the Ponponpon means, he said it's a car horn, but definitely it's somebody that's got lyrics that has got the vibes in their mouth and he's got it.' ——– Yaw

'It's a great loss to Nigeria. The nation has lost not just a musician, not just a rapper; Nigerian has lost one of the bright minds she's ever produced. It's a big loss' ——– Dayo Adeneye

'Dagrin thought me that hardwork pays. I have known him for 7, 8 years back.' —— Spydaman

'Dagrin has influenced me a lot through his humility and hardwork. He's someone I picked a word from and asked why he was using it, everytime he sings he goes, 'Ahhh!!!' and he says the grace of God amazes him so everytime he goes, 'Ahh!!!,' because he can tell where he was and that's why he said, 'We know what it was and we know what it is.' You know that where he was coming from, it's something that only a miracle could have done…..Like I say, Dagrin came into this industry and made a sentence that will last a lifetime.' ——– Ali Baba

'He's incredibly humble and sweet. I was speaking to him one day that I couldn't sleep with the gen because there was no fuel and I was amazed that he turned up with a 25litre keg and I always say I will pay him back…. The parents should be very proud of their son, in short lived life he achieved so much. Some people live longer than 90 and not this loved.' —— Toni Payne

'No word. Nothing to say, my brother.' —— Tee A.

And those are just few of the many tributes friends, fans and followers of Dagrin who gathered on Thursday and Friday to honour the late rapper showered on him, while fighting hard to hold back tears. Lagos stood still last weekend, as entertainment industry's who-is-who came together to honour a man whose tragic passing remains unbelievable. Radio DJs, TV stars, producers, musicians, actresses, journalists and label CEOs – they all forgot their hectic schedules and joined thousands of mourners who took to the streets on Thursday and Friday.

And, we now understand why Dagrin said he had followers, not fans. Thousands of young men and women trooped out last week, with sorrow written all over their faces like Dagrin was their brother. They joined the candle light procession. They visited his parents. They joined the corpse from LUTH to Atan, and stayed back to watch over his grave, long after his real friends and family had gone. In life and in death, Dagrin loved the streets, and he had love from the streets. For a man who left home at an early age; they were his family, his friends… If the dead could miss anyone, it's likely they're the ones he'll miss most…

WHAT NO ONE WILL TELL YOU ABOUT DAGRINS LIFE, DEATH AND BURIAL

•He was brought into the cemetery for burial with a black Ebony Escalade Cadillac ESV 2007 model.
•Candle light procession in honour of the late rapper started from his former home at Emmanuel Dada Street, off Bello road, Surulere to Ojez, National stadium, Surulere at about 6pm on Thursday April 29, 2010.
•His body was left for Twenty Four hours before embalmment.
•The late rapper was buried at the Ebony Millennium private Vault, Atan cemetery.
•He had 129 pictures in his four photo albums on Facebook.
•The late rapper was buried wearing white hand gloves, white belt and a white T-shirt; and black west coat, black bandana around his neck, a block trouser and a black face cap.
•The slabs on his tomb were four in number
•His body was brought into the cemetery 9.00am on Friday April 30, 2010.
•He was finally interned at about 10.45 am on Friday April 30, 2010.
•The late rapper's car ran into a parked lorry in front of Alakara Police station, Mushin on Wednesday April 24, 2010.
•He was Twenty Six years old.
•His ill-fated Nissan Maxima was a 2008 model.
•His father lives at number 43 Kola Oretuga Street, off Meiran Road, Iyana Meiran bus stop A.O.L.C.D.A.
•He was the fourth child in a family of nine.
•Dagrin was signed to his own label 'Missofunyin entertainment' but managed by Edlyne Records.
•He attended Meiran community primary school, Roseille Nursery and Primary School, Meiran Community high school and Egbado College.
•The bandana on the late rapper's neck for burial was the same as the one on his Manager Tunde Peters, Zeez, YQ and his close friends.
•His father's nickname is Nelly. He has a music store located at Meiran bus stop, 'House of Nelly sounds' store where he used to stay before moving to Surulere.
•His father's speech at the candle light ceremony was the rap he did to the song he was featured in by YQ titled 'Efimile'.
•His casket was coloured brown with a touch of gold.
•He died Eight days after the accident
•Doctors at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital LUTH said he survived nine attacks before he finally gave up during the 1oth attack.
•He died 6.00 pm on Thursday April 22, 2010.
•He died eight days after his car crash , and he was buried eight days after his death.
•Desperate fans almost tore down the Ebony gate at Atan, when they were initially prevented from getting in; and refused to leave his grave after his burial.
•The burial was originally designed to have only 150 people in attendance. Thousands ended up storming the cemetery to pay last respects.
•The late rapper was born Olaitan Olaonipekun to Mr. and Mrs. Olaniyi Abolaji Olaonipekun
• He got the nickname Barack O'Grin from the remix song he did with general pype 'Champion'.
•Touts were seen at the burial smoking hemp and selling Dagrin T-shirts.
• Julius Agwu and Omo Baba anchored his Candle Light ceremony held at Ojez, National stadium, Surulere on Thursday April 29, 2010.
•His ill-fated car carried the number plate DAGRIN 03. He planned to buy two other cars to be numbered Dagrin 02 and Dagrin 01.
•The accident that claimed his life happened 2.00 AM on April 14.
•He was initially admitted at Tai Sholarin Private Hospital Mushin, Baba Olosa bus stop.
•He had three videos to his credit titled Kilowale –ft PK, Rap rules and Ponponpon.
•He had two albums to his credit titled still on the matter and Chief Executive Omoita.
•Dagrin's Mother, Mrs. Olaonipekun was the second of his father's three wives.
•He was a Yoruba lyricist; just like the older but less popular Lord of Ajasa
•The last time he logged on to twitter was on Thursday April 8, 2010.
•He died of severe head injury.
•The slab were the late rapper's body was kept at the mortuary is tagged number 8.
•The late rapper has three nominations at the coming Hip Hop World Awards.
•His parents were –expectedly- both absent at his burial.
•His Twitter ID was Dagrinfimile
•Two months before his death, Dagrin moved into block 10, flat 3 at the sun shine Estate, Oko Oba in Lagos.
•Source at Ebony casket says his casket cost N150,000
•His Facebook name was Dagrin fimilejo.
•His email address was [email protected].
•Striking Doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital LUTH resumed work the same day he was buried.
•Websites like www.thenetng.com and questionmarkmag.com jammed because of huge traffic following news of the rapper's death.
•The late rapper had 4,930 friends on Facebook. There were underground speculations that Dagrin has a baby outside wedlock which he refused to accept responsibility of before he became a rap star.
•Artiste manager Sunday Are and comedian Tee A were part of logistics support team.
•At the time of his entombment, there was still a vacant tomb opened beside his vault.
•Apart from mortuary expenses, the total bill incurred during his stay at LUTH was about N800,000

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