Voices from the dark?

The saying “fame is fickle” is not far from the truth as celebrities look for quick means to get to the top, including joining the occult. Kevin Oguoko and Geoffrey Korio look at the rise of Illuminati in the local showbiz scene

Evoking derision suggestive of the demonic netherworld and dark undertones, newcomer rapper Raj stunned the music industry with his now controversial debut track Blood Bars.

It is nothing close to your everyday hip-hop track and, reading between the lines, self-proclaimed pundits have cast aspersions on the controversial issues the lyrics poked, spanning Internet debate on whether Raj was satanic.

“...Light a spliff, say a curse and buy a coffin, I’m back starving. I’m not fronting but the haters back stabbing, I’ll buy a morgue and be the undertaker. Tell Satan she my ex n***a please take her. I got takers, I know killers and we pagans...” so goes the first verse of the song.

The rapper even hit it harder with his harsh lyrical tone as the track slithered:

“...Slaughter all these maniacs. N***a on them skinny ass jeans. Trying f**k with devil’s genes. And uh, I don’t know nobody. Ever since I lost my sister I done. Been seeing dead bodies, yesus, demons and evils, short form devils. And all these bodies are for murdering rebels...”

The track that was recorded at MusicBank makes some Illuminati references.

Dark forces

Without restraint, the rapper talks of the seal of Solomon, which is said to be the symbol of the pentagram, one of the popular Illuminati symbols associated with Jay Z and Kanye West. He brings out what some say is the demonic 666 reference, nine eleven that symbolises the 9/11 attacks and Delilah and the Angel Michael, all apparently twisted up to depict evil as would be revealed in the Holy Book.

The Textus Receptus manuscripts cryptically asserts 666 to be “the number of a man”, a number in some scriptures associated with the beast, an antagonistic creature that appears briefly about two-thirds into the apocalyptic vision. The Beast in this case, is the Devil.

Paradoxically, 19-year-old Raj tragically lost his sister on June 6 this year through a road accident in Australia, spanning more curiosity of the 666 stance in the song and the casual way the rapper brings death into his lyrics. Was the death a sacrifice? Some eerily seem to be asking.

“I’m a hustler. I’m definitely not what they are trying to say I am. Though it sounds evident given the lyrics of the song, I am not that,” Raj told Pulse.

“We have recorded Blood Bars video and everyone who sees says it is really horrific. I have been warned by many people not to release it,” he adds.

Even though some of the most famous and prosperous, especially American musicians and actors are associated with the dark cult, the fear that Illuminati is slowly creeping into the local industry has gotten tongues wagging for the last six months.

In fact, the debate was stirred up early this year after word went out depicting CMB Prezzo as an Illuminati follower, especially due to his association with American Jay Z whom he met in New York a few weeks ago. The controversial rapper’s comeback and eventual topping of the charts with his My City My Town (seen to be a local version of Jay Z’s, Kanye West’s and Rihanna’s Run This Town chart buster) as well as the continental run during the Big Brother StarGame reality TV, got some eyebrows raised.

Conducting an interview with Prezzo on the Illuminati issue as well as the fame and fortune depicted by his larger-than-life lifestyle, which is usually associated with being an Illuminati, the For Sho For Shizzi rapper remained non committal, only alluding that “God is my source”.

As the Prezzo Illuminati rumour swept across the city, tabloid headlines went abuzz and released an alleged list of celebrity stars, politicians and millionaire business merchants believed to be Illuminati.

The buzz roped in names of fast-rising hip-hop emcee Octopizzo, loaded philanthropic radio host Shaffie Weru and celebrity deejay Crème de la Crème.

Secret organisation

All these buzz seems to be based on some general supposition — real or imagined — that whatever seems out of the ordinary, must belong to the netherworld. In fact, the association of Illuminati, a secret society of freethinkers spawned by the German Enlightenment Era in the 18th Century, with other associations like the Fellowship of the Freemason who have well-known lodges, remains fuzzy even to the very people who propound the theories.

Strangely, the fact that most people cannot exactly explain this phenomenon in detail is in itself, somehow proof of how these secret organisations are supposedly controlling the world. So discreet, they reason, are this organisations that they only mastermind events and control world affairs, unknown to ordinary mortals.

Is it just envy or a clear case of what is best captured in rapper Nas’ lyrics?

“... fear what they don’t understand, hate what they can’t conquer. Guess it’s just the fury of man.”

As if to water the already juiced-up emotions of this debaters, some of these — and other — societies are often associated with the well-to-do in society and membership is by, mostly, invite first and admission by secret voting, where you may be ‘blackballed’, thereby rejected.

In Kenya, Shaffie’s apparent rise to fame and wealth with the accompanying flaunting of a flashy lifestyle, complete with prized rides and a residence in Nairobi’s leafy suburbs was an glaring illusion to these showbiz pundits and paparazzi. Unable to find answers on the supposed meteoritic rise of wealth and seemingly unusual influence with the high and mighty, little else could assuage their minds.

Iluminating rise

“What amazes me is the fact that guys do not fully understand the whole Illuminati vibe. I love money. If this (Illuminati) is an avenue of getting more cash, then why not (be a member),” Shaffie told Pulse last week.

He remains tight-lipped about his much talked about tattoos, alleged to carry dark signs.

When it all started, Octopizzo spurred aspersions among his fans with his trademark finger signs alluded to depict some Illuminati symbols.

His sudden rise from Kibera slums to his new residence in uptown Nairobi, runaway fame and fortune as well as the influence he seems to suddenly be wielding has been questioned. In a single week, he made history by becoming the first Kenyan rapper to feature in 16 TV and radio interviews, a feat that was attributed to some ‘super power’.

It is his recent hit single Ivo Ivo Ivo that has reignited the latest round of debate. In his lyrics, Octopizzo mentions Lucifer and Illuminati and according to critics, the ‘Ivo Ivo’ phrase has been coiled to mean ‘Evil Evil’.

“Naspit evil like loo si far (Lucifer), ivo ivo ivo...Na Lucifer akiona ye ndo, ish, ntamtupa kwa choo ju loo-si-far,” Octopizzo spits, remaining mum about the pyramid signs in the song’s video, assumed to represent another new world order evil sign.

“Lucifer is just part of the attention-pushing punchlines made to span curiosity among my fans. Lucifer spits evil,” the rapper explains.

Unknown to many, Octopizzo is about to release yet another lyrically dark laced single titled God Emcee.

Common with alleged Illuminati followers, none of the local celebs said to be Illuminati followers have come out to confess whether they are members of this societies.

Other than DJ Crème who admits knowing that the hand signs he uses are associated with Illuminati, many celebs would rather dodge Pulse than have their comments featured in this piece. 

“Fans stop me on the streets and ask me about these claims. Some go to the extent of pleading to become members of this secret society,” Crème says.

“I am simply using these Illuminati hand signs for fun and people should not take it seriously,” Crème told Pulse.