Once you get into the black tax pool, it’s hard to get out. Even when you tell yourself “Enough is enough. I can’t kill myself,” you keep giving and giving in to rampant demands.
But you can save yourself by self-motivating with these Afrobeats lyrics we curated against the black-tax movement.
“Sometimes you might see me looking dope but nothing’s in my bank account, the boy is broke”
This country is hard AF. People know that. But they also need to know you’re just as down as them. You’re just keeping up appearances and posting throwback pics to spark joy. The next lines go: “Trying to meet demand, I swear it’s hard to cope / Me sef I be human being o”. Black tax should not vex; you’re just a Human Being — word and song by M.I Abaga.
“I’m at a point in my life, if you understand me or not / Misunderstand me or not, me, I’m okay”
Let these words of King Promise be your declaration as you walk another day. No one will beat you if you don’t give them a chance to tax you. Whatever anyone thinks about you is their business. Everyone will be okay. Or not.
“If I dey down now, who go lift me up? If battery low, na who go charge me up?”
These are the questions you need to ask yourself sometimes. The answer helps you move accordingly. Responsibility must’ve hit Joeboy too suddenly, he had to keep screaming the track title, “Only God can save me” throughout the song. Even the artwork shows he needs help.
“Na who born, na who born, na who born the maga?”
“Maga” means “fraud victim”. And if you’re the one people black-tax, doesn’t that make you their maga? Look into the mirror every morning and recite these lyrics to yourself. You won’t be a maga IJN.
“I’m unavailable. Dem no dey see me”
Davido knows how overwhelming it is to look after other people; man had to voice out. You don’t want anyone to use their own responsibility to kill you for the LOYL, so decide who has your number and avoid posting on WhatsApp.
“Tán bá disturb, ko pa data”
Zlatan said this on Blaqbonez’s BAD TILL ETERNITY. It’s straightforward — if anyone disturbs you in order to tax you, turn off your data connection.
“Keep your eye sharpen because e get as you go move around me wey fit end up for DND”
DND by Rema is the ultimate guide on how to manage your affairs and stand your ground in the face of entitlement and manipulative bullshit. He ended the chorus with “Even egbon dey collect DND,” meaning an uncoordinated elder can get a snub or two.
“Ki lo kan boys? Ki lo kan federal?”
These rhetorical lyrics from Asake’s Joha translate to, “Why should boys care? Why should the federal (government) care?” Be the black sheep of the family. Be careless like the Nigerian government. 👀💀
“Do me, I do you. God no go vex, true religion”
If the people taxing you have done you bad or worse before, I guess it’s payback time. I didn’t write this good gospel, Ghost of Show Dem Camp did on WYW.
“Is this the motherfucking thanks I get for making my people proud?”
Say whatever you like about Burna Boy’s entitlement on his song Thank You, but it’s how you truly feel when people aren’t appreciative of what you do for them.
