Majek Fashek Talks About The Effect Of Marijuana On His Joystick

Nigerian Music Legend Majek Fashek in a recent chat with Encomium Weekly addressed all the controversies trailing him, Read below.

It was in the news recently that Pastor Wole Oladiyun’s CLAM invited you for deliverance. Have you visited the church?

Yes, I went there yesterday (Wednesday, July 8). They said they want to help me out. That I should go to rehab, but I told them I don’t want to get depressed. Jesus is my Hero, my Lord and Saviour. He is the one that has seen me through up to this level. I told them to wait until I have released my record. I no wan enter hospital now, before somebody go inject me with bad injection.

How about the campaign to raise money for you that Monica Omorodion was doing?

Monica is my girl. I took her to United States, where she was my dancer and singer. She’s helping out, she’s trying to raise some money for me…she’s still raising the money. She’s still on it.

Tell us more about your Ogba, Lagos bungalow?

I have the bungalow already. It’s just for me to furnish it. It’s a three bedroom. There, I will be rehearsing with my musicians. If these young musicians like 2Face, Wizkid, P-Square can have mansions and their own houses, what about Majek? Am I their mates? I’m their father! I decided to get myself a bungalow. Wisdom teaches that we should cut our coats according to our fabric. So, I’m starting with a bungalow; from there, by God’s grace, I will buy a bigger house.

Is there any hope of you and your wife getting back together?

It’s up to my wife, if she loves me. She’s a woman, she won’t live forever. Nobody can, except God. If she loves her children, she will reunite with me so I can help them. It was the celestial church that confused her. They gave her wrong vision about me. The celestial church can’t try me any day, any time. I will attack them. I’m Laura, not celestial. I will burn them. I am equipped spiritually, you no see wetin I put there (points to a praying mat with a huge Bible and an Islamic talisman on it). If she’s smart, she will apologize. And when she does, I will take her back.

So, who’s taking care of your children now that she moved on?

My first son.

Shouldn’t they come to Nigeria and be with you?

Yeah, but before then I must be organized. They are now Americanized. I must have a generator in my house because they will need light. It’s what they are used to. Also, I must have cars for them to drive. They love cars. Bringing them here now is not good. But I will bring them here so they can feel the African sunshine and energy.

Do they really want to come to Nigeria?

They want to come to Nigeria very desperately.

They grew up in America?

Yes, they grew there. I baby-sitted them. My wife was working then and would come back at around six or seven in the evening. I would babysit them till she got back, after which I would go to the club. My third son really likes pizza, and I would go to the store to buy it with Coke. I took care of them, I’m a very responsible human being.

In our last interview, you said you went for rehab in America. How did that go?

Yeah, America helped me. Most American superstars go to rehab because they take cocaine, heroin and the likes which make them ‘too high’. So, they have to go to rehab. Rehab helps calm their brains, after which they go back to their business.

In your case, was it helpful?

Yes, it was helpful. I was ‘high’, but after rehab, I got my contract with Top Gun International Records, that’s Bob Marley’s label. I got it through Rita Marley (his wife) and an American woman, Cassandra. Rehab calms the brain so it won’t explode. It calmed me.

In rehab, they are normally warned not to go back to drugs, right?

Yes.

What did they say would be the repercussion?

Your brain go high again, and them go carry you go back there.

In your case, did you really quit after rehab?

I’m scared of rehab. Let me tell you what I did to escape the rehab. God gave me different knowledge of orisha, babalawo knowledge. My ancestral knowledge, which is what I’m using right now. I now drink akpeteshie. It’s the orisha idea I got.

What do native doctors use?

Akpeteshie! You don’t understand? I changed the programme of rehab to akpeteshie. That is what I drink, so, I don’t have to use foreign medication. It weakens the brain and the body. It’s medicine, but babalawos use akpeteshie.

So, you prefer akpeteshie to rehab?

I prefer akpeteshie in the sense that the white man’s drugs weakens your mind, you might not even be able to have sex.

(Cuts in) you mean during the period of the rehab?

Yes. I remember my manhood no dey raise. That’s why I went for akpeteshie. Let me tell you one truth, if you are married, you must have sex with your wife. If you cannot, she would divorce you or take her body elsewhere. So, I follow babalawo medicine.

You are saying it is better than foreign medication?

E better pass white man own. That one dey kill penis.

What do you take now?

I use African roots, ogogoro and igbo.

They help?

Yeah, they help my penis raise.

But does it calm you down like rehab would?

It calms down. It’s better than rehab. See, the white men are very dangerous. They degrade the babalawos. They claim their medicines are very good, that’s a big lie! If you have a headache now, and you take their medicine, the symptoms will still come back, am I right? But in the case of roots and herbs used by babalawos, you excrete everything. The sickness won’t come back

This is your advice to Nigerians?

Yes. What I want to tell Africans, not just Nigerians, is that they should believe in babalawo medicine. The white men’s medicine have side effects. When I was young, we used chloroquine. If you take it, your body would be itching you. All those drugs have effects. But don’t go to babalawo to kill your brother, use them for medication. They have the right medication.

What drugs were you taking?

I don’t have to tell you. That’s my personal secret.

Who’s a prisoner of conscience?

That’s the title of my first album. A prisoner of conscience is a man that has conscience and would not destroy his brother. Usman Dan Fodio once said, ‘Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it’. 

Master Jesus also said that only truth can set you free. Why would someone want to kill his brother? Or sister, or neighbours? Is it jealousy? Why not use well the talent that God gave you!

What’s the idea behind the album, Gangster Rasta?

Gangster Rasta is the album title. When I was in America, I was jailed for six months because I was hanging out with gangster Rastas. That’s why I called it gangster Rasta.

You were jailed for just hanging out with these gangster Rastas?

Gangster Rastas are hoodlums. They fight government like late Fela Anikulapo, they don’t follow the system. America has system, unlike here in Nigeria. America has law and order. But Nigeria has law, but no order. Gangster Rastas don’t follow order, they take their order from God, Eledumare.

How did you come out of that?

I was in jail for six months. I want people to know this because that corrected me. That’s why I got my ticket and left America about four years ago.

You’d be going back?

Yes, I will be going back next year to see my children. But I will be back, I won’t be staying there because they betrayed me. Instead of putting my energy into America, I will put my energy into Nigeria.

You mentioned during our last chat that you have $100,000 in an American bank, that’s a lot of money…

Yes, the money is even still multiplying. Let me tell you the story of that money. In Nigeria, it’s only COSON that’s helping artistes. In America, when they play your music on radio or TV, you’re paid royalty. So, whenever they play my music, they send it to my record company. My manager, who is a white man, keeps the cheque for me until I go to America. Unlike in Nigeria where you have to bribe your way to get your song played on radio. That’s why we have COSON. Tony Okoroji is working for us. Since I came back, he has given me more than N200,000 for my songs played on air. He’s fighting for artistes.

Why can’t the money be transferred to you here in Nigeria?

See, I’m a gambler. My manager said he won’t transfer it to me because he knows I’m a gambler. I dey dash money, I dey spend money anyhow. When I get to America, I’ll have access to the money.

Finally, what do you think of Buhari and his government?

I’m a Muslim, Christian and Buddhist and I pray for Buhari every day. He is our last hope. All these politicians are thieves, Buhari is not. I can say that after my investigation. I hated Buhari before because he arrested Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, my oga, but I investigated and found that he is righteous. I am praying for him, so that he can help us.