1897 is not just another rap song. It's not just another ideological song. It's a song that evokes the most tragic event in the history of my people. A song intended to officially launch the genesis of my campaign for the return of the traditional and historical artifacts that the British looted from Benin in 1897. My fundamental aim is to ensure that a huge and significant chunk of the recorded history of my people is not lost forever. In that memorable year 1897, one of the most nefarious and gruesome terrorist attacks in human history took place in my beloved city of birth, BENIN CITY. My ancestors, men, women and children were brutally and mercilessly mauled down in their thousands by the government forces of GREAT BRITAIN. They then set the city ablaze, ransacked our King's palace and looted thousands of art works which represented the very core of our cultural, traditional, historical and religious existence as a people. Back then, while Europeans recorded their major events for posterity in hieroglyphics and long-hand, my ancestors carved our major events in ivory and wood. My ancestors casted ours in bronze. To fully comprehend the magnitude of the importance of what the looted artifacts means to my people and the reason my passion to campaign for their return was deeply aroused, I kindly urge you to take five out and imagine this scenario: Imagine that hundreds of superiorly armed strangers from a far and distant land enters the United States and loot everything in the library of congress, enters Britain and Europe and clean out everything in every library, and then kill nearly everyone who has first and second hand knowledge of the important historical records kept in those libraries. Imagine that one hundred years passes by and a totally different language and method of recording events established by the looters is already deeply rooted in these societies. Imagine that there are probably less than a hundred geriatrics alive in the United States, Britain and Europe who may be able to translate their looted records into the now fully established new language and method of recording events. Imagine what it would mean to their present and future generations if the loots were to be returned before their capable but ailing geriatric translators dies out. Now imagine what will transpire if the loots are NOT returned before these geriatrics expires. A huge and significant part of their history would be completely obliterated forever, right? Now finally, please come back from the land of your imagination and think about my people a little bit. Please think about the fact that we the children of Benin don't have to imagine it. We don't have to imagine it because we are living it. It's our reality. And it's been like that for well over a hundred years. Innumerable times, my people's humble plea to the British Government for the return of the looted works of arts have been met with resolute rejection. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) passed a resolution in London in 1983 on the return of cultural property to its countries of origin pointing out the moral rights of people to recover significant elements of their heritage dispersed as a consequence of colonial or foreign occupation. The General Assembly of the United Nations has also passed numerous resolutions emphasizing the rights of people to recover such artifacts, but the British Govt. refused to comply in the case of the looted Benin artifacts. Folks, my people are in danger of not ever knowing what our ancestors were trying to convey to us in those carvings and castings as there may soon be no one left amongst our traditional intellectuals who can transcribe our ancestors uniquely recorded historical events in IVORY, WOOD and BRONZE into today's method of writing for the consumption of the present and future generations. I hereby call on all my friends, fans, and all good and justice-loving people all over the world to join me in this campaign by downloading the single and help spread the message of the return of our looted arts. And if for whatever reason you're unable to download 1897, it's okay. Just pass on this message to your friends, neighbors and colleagues. You would've already contributed immensely to the cause by so doing. Thank you and God bless.....Monday Midnite

• published: 20 Sep 2012
• views: 1109