MAGA NO NEED PAY: The Lyrics

This song was recorded for the B.L.I.N.G. project which was initiated by Ohimai Godwin Amaize as an ambassador of the Microsoft Internet Safety, Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria (MISSPIN) a joint campaign by Microsoft and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) which seeks to re-direct the energies of young Nigerians from cyber crime to positive online engagements.

The B.L.I.N.G. musical collaboration project which enjoys the sponsorship of Microsoft has the benefit of having Cobhams Asuquo as producer, and an impressive line-up of artistes who volunteered to support the B.L.I.N.G. project: Banky W, MI, Modele, Omawumi, Rooftop MCs, Bez and Wordsmith. Also, several Nigerian celebrities like Fela Durotoye, Dele Momodu, Denrele Edun, Ofunneka Molokwu, Iyanya etc turned up at the video shoot which held last week in Lagos.

The song as well as its video has been scheduled for release this February. Below are the lyrics of the song:

Intro:
Echo: Eh!...Eh!...Eh!...Eh-Eh!...
Maga no need pay!
For me to buy correct motor,
For me to take make my dough,
Maga no need pay!
Eh! Eh!
Maga no need pay!

Verse 1: Omawumi
Reminiscing as I walk to my car,
Thinking about how it used to be,
For Ekpoma, I dey ride okada and most times I dey soak garri,
I wanted to change the way I lived
But I didn’t have to do those things.
Now I’m rolling VIP
And all the girls wanna be like me, yeah...

Verse 2: Modele
You ask me how I deal with my reality,
Gotta tell you truly it ain’t easy, no!
I feel the pressure to find something wrong to do
Then I remember you reap what you sow!
Now I’m sitting staring at the screen of my computer,
I’m thinking really hard about what truly matters,
What with all these data, just to catch a maga,
It could have been my father, or someone else’s brother

Chorus: Banky W, Cobhams Asuquo & Omawumi
Maga no need pay!
For me to buy correct motor,
For me to take make my dough
Maga no need pay!
No need for me to go cafe
I hustle hard to make my pay
Maga no need pay
No need to do Yahoo-Yahoo (to do Yahoo-Yahoo)
Maga no need pay!
Eh! Eh!
Maga no need pay!
Eh! Eh!...Eh! Eh!

Verse 3: Banky W
Seven in the morning, it’s a brand new day
Eyes still swelling, still at the cafe
Hustling real hard from Sunday to Sunday
Hoping someday that maga will pay
But maga no need pay
For me to live correct
They call me Mr. Capable, I gat my self-respect
No need to do Yahoo-Yahoo for me to cash a cheque
I don’t need no maga, just work harder now

Verse 4: Bez
Tell me what a boy like me should do
Thought I heard the guys that rule do Yahoo-Yahoo
And if I do not do it I’m uncool
I’ll be a fool to the girls in school
But maga no need pay to get a good degree,
Or have a great opportunity
Don’t have to hack and attack,
Make use of CD cracks
We’re keepin’ it original, now you know my swag

Repeat Chorus

Verse 5: Rooftop MCs (Soulsnatcha & Sokleva)
Soulsnatcha:
Twale officer!
What’s the problem sir?
Or there’s a law against cruising in a Range sir?
Sokleva:
I don’t know what you think we are,
Cos we roll in fancy car?
We’re making the sweet money,
I call it the candy bar.
Soulsnatcha:
All those wey maga pay,
Where dem dey today?
I’m straight no deceit,
My money get receipt!
Sokleva:
I don’t mess with cybercrimes,
But I make the cypher rhyme.
I get paid for my time,
Don’t need to scam a dime!

Verse 6: Wordsmith
I’m your role model’s role model,
There’s no second guessing whom...
Wordsmith was made to make you change like a dressing room.
I’m living proof that there’s dignity in labour,
My bars is life imprisonment and this is hard labour.

Verse 7: MI
My father said I was a star before I ever spit a bar,
He said when you travel far,
Don’t forget who you are.
Represent Nigeria,
Represent for Africa.
Even when the things were hard,
I place my future in my God, (Yes, yeah)
See my nation’s reputation suffers much condemnation,
This’ our situation.
Are we cybercrime criminals? No!
We are the mineral resources of our fatherland,
We must rise and take the stand.
Every day heroes are born,
All stereotypes are torn.
Things we did to cause us harm,
We off that and now we on,
Hard work, positivity,
Truth, reliability
Expose your ability,
Change our reality,
That’s word! (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

Repeat Chorus 2ice

Outro with chorus in the background: MI
Cheer!
Nigeria!
Yeah, yeah...listen everybody,
Put your BLING up right now!
BLING in this case means we’re Brilliant, we’re Legitimate, we’re Inspired, we’re Nigerian and we’re Great!
It means that we do not have to do anything that we ought not to do to make money y’all!
We just gatto apply ourselves and work hard and be creative and innovative.
Be truly Nigerian.
We will get there, y’all!

Chorus till fade

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Artistes in collaboration against cyber crimes

R-L: Microsoft’s Serge Ntamack, ‘Gbenga Sesan, MI, Dr. Jummai Umar-Ajilola, Citizenship Lead, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa and Project Initiator, Ohimai Godwin Amaize shortly after MI’s recording at Cobhams Asuquo’s studio

The Most Incredible MI couching his lyrics moments before his recording at Cobhams Asuquo’s studio

R-L: Miss Queen (NEXT), Ohimai, Cobhams and Femi Ogunyomi

R-L: Templer Olaiya (The Guardian), Femi Ogunyomi, Omawumi, Modele, Sokleva, and Cobhams

MISSPIN Music Project Initiator Ohimai Godwin Amaize welcoming Banky W to the first artistes roundtable which held on 25^th August, 2009 at the Microsoft office in Victoria Island, Lagos

A typical B.L.I.N.G. teaser

Banky W, Omawumi, Modele, Rooftop MCs, MI, Wordsmith and Bez are teaming up in the studio of Cobhams Asuquo for the recording of an anti-cybercrime musical collaboration. The artistes, who started voice recording during the week are working hard to release before Christmas what may be termed Nigeria's first unofficial anthem against cybercrime.

A recent report by the Internet Crime Complaint Center (ICCC) ranks Nigeria third (after the USA and UK) in the global list of countries with the highest rate of cybercrimes. But in a bid to provide a credible response to the challenge of cybercrimes, popularly referred to as yahoo-yahoo, Microsoft and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) is partnering to launch the anti-cybercrimes musical collaboration.

Initiated by Ohimai Godwin Amaize, one of the Microsoft Internet Safety, Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria (MISSPIN) ambassadors under the supervision of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), the MISSPIN song project is quintessential of Microsoft Nigeria's long-standing commitment towards improving Nigeria standing on the list of the countries with the highest rate of cybercrimes.

The song will be projected across relevant media platforms via B.L.I.N.G. - an acronym for Brilliant. Legitimate. Inspired. Nigerian. Great. B.L.I.N.G. is a pop culture strategy designed by Ohimai Godwin Amaize specifically for the MISSPIN campaign.

According to Microsoft's Citizenship Lead for Anglophone West Africa, Dr. Jummai Umar-Ajijola, this project means a lot to Microsoft because it will help ensure that everyone has access to the tools and contents they need online to achieve their greatest dreams.

"It further demonstrates our commitment to making the Internet a safe place to work, learn and play. This strategic project also demonstrates our commitment to Nigeria as an important country as it seeks to support the government in its rebranding Nigeria campaign. We are grateful to the highly talented artistes, the renowned producer and Paradigm Initiative Nigeria who have volunteered to work with us on this non-profit campaign. We look forward to more of such collaboration in the future to the benefit of the Nigerian people," Umar-Ajijola added.

The MISSPIN campaign is premised on Microsoft's resolve to redirect the energies of young Nigerians from cybercrimes towards productive alternatives on the Internet while ensuring a safer and more secure cyberspace in a world of increasing cyber insecurity. The precursor of the B.L.I.N.G. strategy was the launch of the MISSPIN campaign, on Saturday, October 25, 2008, at a red carpet event hosted in Lagos. At the event, Microsoft Nigeria and PIN inducted 24 young Nigerians as ambassadors of the MISSPIN campaign. Ohimai Godwin Amaize was one of these young men who made a commitment to take the anti-cybercrime message to his peers.

To Ohimai, "This musical collaboration is a big dream come true. Indeed, this is unprecedented not just in the music industry, but in the entire history of Nigerian pop culture. With this new song, I see young Nigerians reawakening to the realities of harnessing their God-given potentials for positive exploits. Gone are the days when we listened and danced to songs, which glorified criminality. This is a new beginning for Nigeria and we would be glad to receive more collaborative support from other music artistes in the near future."

The Executive Director of PIN, 'Gbenga Sesan, believes that the collaboration demonstrates the willingness of various stakeholders to support the need to redirect the energy of young Nigerians towards positive ideals। "We are extremely glad to be working with some of the music industry's best hands on this campaign, and are delighted that they have added their brand value to the campaign against cybercrime. Microsoft and PIN look forward to working with other partners in delivering the objectives of the campaign," he added.

Culled from The Guardian Newspapers