In recent months, the furore between Pasuma and Taye Currency has generated all sorts of discussions, some bordering on issues of originality, imitation, betrayal, loyalty, identity formation, protectionism, and, even, longevity. Many of the fans are enraged that Taye said Pasuma borrowed from Obesere’s art in the early years. Many called for his head; not a few others called him an ingrate, a betrayer. But anyone with the faintest idea of what’s playing out beneath the surface knows that the furore isn’t necessarily about the purported claim of “imitation”.
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Fuji, in its pristine form, draws inspiration from storytelling. So we could begin with stories of the late 1980s, set in Ariya, Las Vegas and Chicago hotels, all in the inner crevices of the Lagos ghetto, Mushin, because that’s where the journey began. But it may not capture the entire story of a Lagos boy who wrestled with obscurity and later found fame and fortune by turning a masterful blend of…