By Westside

Ever since my secondary school days, I have always been a lover of music. Not just any kind of music but good music.

Back in those days, my number one mentor was Michael Jackson. I knew every song, every dance moves and you won’t believe that I could actually do most of those dance moves. I grew up listening and imitating that man. I went as far robbing white powder on my face just to look white like him. After a short time, I fell in love with Tupac Shakur, the popular black American rapper. The rap vibe was awesome and I was beginning to become more into music. At that very young age, I began to write my own songs, dance and also imitate other top artist in Nigerian music industry and abroad.
Now, it was time to say good bye to secondary school and that was the period in my life when I had to select what I would like to study in the university.
Finally, I wrote Jamb and was giving provisional admission into Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State to study Pharmacy.

I was just in 100 level when I continued my music carrier forgetting the fact that I was a pharmacy student too. Doing music in school was so cool, seeing that other boys and girls like me actually love doing music was encouraging. Going for music shows, parties and so on. That was a feeling that anyone in my position would pray never to go away.

I failed to understand that in the university, it is about knowing thyself. I failed to understand that I was suppose to look for a balance between my music and my carrier so as not to end up leaving pharmacy school. But what do I know, I was just a young boy trying to have fun and be a pharmacist at the same time. How difficult could that be?

My first semester results came out and my result was barely on average. When almost everyone was scoring very good grades, I found myself swinging on average. I took a step back and asked myself a question; how can I balance this whole thing together? how can I study pharmacy and still be a musician. Damn, that was a very hard question. The difficult part was that I could not even think of telling my parents because I knew they won’t be in support of that. Another problem then was that; there was no any course in school that would encourage or teach you how to do this things. Despite the fact that there were others that do music together with their various carriers like me, it was difficult to see someone who could guide and put me through the whole procedure.

Despite my average grades in school, I couldn’t stop doing my music. Infact, I went for shows and still went back home to study my books. Tired from the stress of shows and parties and most times there were tests to write the next day. Those were really difficult moments for me but at the same time, I could not stop doing both. I struggled and struggled, failed so many test, failed so many exams but still couldn’t stop doing my music.I was now in 400 level and my grade point (GP) was not looking good as I was suppose to maintain a Cummulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.4 in order to reamain in Pharmacy school. Do you want to know what my CGPA was at that time? I guess not.
I finally made a choice. Yes, you heard me right. I finally decided what I was going to do in other not to let my music and pharmacy carrier go down the drain. At 400 level, I was grown and I definitely had quiet moments to think of my future. With everything going on, I got to realize that my music carrier could actually wait. I got to understand that I could actually become a Pharmacist and continue my music carrier later.

I finally gave my studies all the attention it needed and in no time I found my GP (grad point) going up. I was happy that I didn’t make this choice when it was already too late and that was a blessing to be thankful for. So, my music was on hold and my pharmacy carrier was fully activated. I thrived and graduated from the school of pharmacy, though I added an extra semester but I didn’t see that as a problem. I love every bit of my profession and as days went by I got to understand more and more of the profession.

I got to understand that there were actually people that did both and never had any problem. My friend Muktar Pakama, poplularly known as EMKAY is one of the best dancers of my time. He did school and his dancing carrier and never had any issues.

All am trying to say is that everything balls down to understanding and knowing thyself. Once you find yourself in that circumstance, take a step back and think. So many people fail to understand that knowing thyself is very important in some important decision making. I have seen many that made their choices at the wrong time and I have also seen some that did not make any choice at all.

Presently, I am a pharmacist and an artist too. I have time for my profession and still have time to do my music. At this point, it is even better and sweeter for me.
Share this message to someone that needs it. I believe there a many people out there in their various schools thinking on how to make that important decision. Help someone before it’s too late.

You can listen to some of my songs below;

http://afrohits.com.ng/music-all-for-love-the-ep/(opens in a new tab)

Please, you guys can comment here after to listen to all the songs above.. Thank you

Case of one stone to kill two birds.

Very true

FlordFlorez:
Case of one stone to kill two birds.

Westniggur:
Very true

I loved your write up.
it was apt, brief and straight to the point.

Thanks man
@Trollkiller