Portable’s Entrance To His Concert In A Coffin Explains The Thin Line Between Geniuses And Eccentrics -By Isaac Asabor

There is no denying the fact that the connections between genius and eccentricity have important repercussions, and pose some stroppy questions.
As not a few people might have seen cartoons, watch movies, or read comic books, that have a hare-brained artist about to finish his masterpiece, the mad professor about to reveal his greatest creation, the psychotic inventor about to change the course of history, thus buttressing the fact that “madness” seems to go with creativity, discovery, and greatness.
Without resorting to denigrating anyone in this context, mental illness has always described genius, especially in the arts, such as poetry, music, literature, painting, theatre, and the rest. But why? The foregoing apt question has for centuries defied reasonable answers.

Without any iota of exaggeration, not a few scientific studies have found links between genius and mental illness, particularly bipolar disorder in which patients have violent mood swings between elation and depression.

Before beginning to ponder over the rationale and the context of this piece, it is expedient to recall that the popular street-pop artiste, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, stormed the venue of his “Portable Live In Concert Show” at the African shrine in Lagos in a coffin. The Sango-based star artiste was reported to have invited pallbearers to usher him in while in a coffin to perform for his fans.
Against the foregoing backdrop, it would be recalled that the “Zazuu-Zeh” Crooner has always found his way to the news, though for the wrong reasons, since his big break in December 2021, with his hit song ‘Zazuu Zeh’ featuring Olamide and Poco Lee.

For instance, in May 2022, the singer threatened other artists nominated along with him in two categories of the Headies Award, ‘Rookie of the Year’, and ‘Best Street-Hop Artiste’. As a result of the threat, the award organizers sent a notice of warning to the singer.

In a similar scandalous circumstance, he was in a video that surfaced on the internet in June 2022 seen ordering some boys to beat up his estranged friend, DJ Chicken, leading to the Nigeria Police Force issuing an ultimatum to him to report to any police station in Ogun State because the incident happened within their jurisdiction.

Still in the same nexus, barely had the dust settled on that, it was reported that his range Rover SUV was involved in an accident with an “Okada”, leading to the death of the motorcyclist. However, the singer’s camp quickly stated that though it was indeed the singer’s vehicle, it was one of his aides who drove.

The accident happened on the day Portable’s third child was being christened, where he ‘wedded’ his second baby mama, Bewaji, at the ceremony.

Also in July 2022, Portable had in a viral video boasted to have formed the ‘One Million Boys’ cult group, leading the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to order an investigation into the comments.

In the heat of the investigations, the singer was disqualified from the Headies as a nominee in the two categories.

As if the foregoing hullabaloos were not enough, he was in the news in November as he was reported to have impregnated his lover, known as Keji, and had introduced her to his wife Bewaji. This was even as he allegedly brought the pregnant lady to live with him and his family, thus making the 27-year-old Sango Ota-based singer welcome his fourth child with the third baby mama in December.

n fact, his latest controversy over his arrival at his concert in a coffin at Fela’s Shrine in Lagos State, on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, has further kept people guessing as to what must have motivated him to embark on the eerie stroke. Some Netizens have even ascribed his action to be spiritually inspired, and unanimous in their conclusion that it might lead to certain repercussions.

At this juncture, it is germane to urge anyone that is saying or insinuating that Portable is into fetish or ritual activities to perish the thought as it is no more news that eccentricity is a hallmark of great musicians. In fact, to my view, Portable has shown us that even a genius can be eccentric from time to time. Not only that, his entrance to his concert in a coffin explains the thin line between geniuses and eccentrics