“God willing, I have like eight to ten weeks more to get the transplant done. It’s strange; I still walk around a little. I can’t eat much though. I trust God and Nigerians for their financial support.”
The above, were the words of ace musician and master producer Babatunde Okungbowa popular as OJB Jezreel, when he was first diagnosed of a kidney-related disease in 2013.
After a kidney transplant, he got back on his feet for three years before the unwholesome happened at Isolo General Hospital, Lagos.
Music fans woke up to the sad news of the death of OJB Jezreel, who died at the age of 49, on Tuesday, June 14.
According to information issued by his manager Moses, and corroborated in a statement released by his management and signed by Moradeyo Folajaiye, the beat maker who worked with some of the best artistes in Nigeria, and churned out lovely songs such as Searching, Shitta Anthem and Jah Is My Life died as a result of a failure in his kidney transplant.
Moses, who first confirmed OJB Jezrel’s death, revealed that the singer had been undergoing daily dialysis for two weeks at Isolo General Hospital, Lagos State, where he had also been receiving treatment since his successful kidney transplant in India.
The dialysis for the period it lasted was sucking as much as N30,000 daily from the already weak pocket of the late entertainment icon.
In 2013, to get back on his feet, OJB Jezreel got a transplant following the donation of a kidney by his wife Mabel, and a surgery in India, sponsored by Rotimi Amaechi, the current Minister of Transportation, who was then Governor of Rivers State. No doubt, his death at this period will come as a surprise to even Amaechi.
While reactions have been pouring in with tributes after tribute coming in the wake of the singer’s death, one question which probably nobody is asking is how did it all begin? What was the road to OJB’s death like, and what led to his relapse?
The answer to these questions might be far and in-between, but those who know the music producer intimately before his health initially took a nose dive paint a messy picture peculiar with entertainers.
Talk of steady consumption of brandy is not new with a lot of musicians, as was with OJB Jazreel.
As with most producers, there is a unique drive that helps them work. With Terry G, it’s a bottle of Jack Daniel, and the rule is simply, no Jack Daniel no work. This is in spite of the fact that the talent still pays for the service rendered.
OJB Jezreel who passed on a month to his 50th birthday is also known to have had his fair share of alcohol mostly brandy.
Asides this, he was no saint when it comes to issues of the other sex, as he also played fairly well there too.
His mastery of the field earned him eight children from three wives namely Mabel, June, Korede.
Medical experts have revealed that to enjoy a good health after a transplant a clean and healthy lifestyle is very necessary. However, a return to the old life is likely to end up in a relapse and subsequently death.
This summation brings to memory the story of Steve Kadiri and Akeem Sodeinde. Both individuals loved life and enjoyed it to the hilt. They had both undergone kidney transplant, but returned to alcohol and cigarette and died a couple of years after the surgery. Interestingly, the donors of the aforementioned names are alive today. While Kadiri died five years after his surgery, Sodeinde passed on a couple of years after his surgery third transplant. But did OJB Jezreel return to his old ways?
Born Babatunde Okungbowa on June 1966, he started making beats in back room studios, first in his Surulere neighbourhood in 1986.
OJB Jezreel was inspired by music made by legendary producers like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis; Dallas Austin; LA Reid & Babyface; Teddy Riley and later R. Kelly, he and his friends, Micheal Richman and the three Dairo brothers, Henry, Banji and Paul Play formed a production crew called Playground, House n Effects (PHE) and started making Hip Hop/R&B beats to popular Nigerian artistes at the time.
The singer has been a creative force behind the hits of a countless number of artistes such as Ruggedman, 2Face Idibia, Jazzman Olofin, the late Nomoreloss, Raskie, K-Show & Six-O, C-mion, Abounce, Jafaar, Amah and more.
OJB Jezreel’s fans await the announcement of his burial so they can at least pay their final respect.
Until then, his remain await burial in the morgue of Isolo General Hospital in Lagos, State. Adieu OJB Jezreel
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