Obie's "Don't Come Down" video

Have you ever watched Obie’s video « Don’t Come Down »?

Parents, moms in particular will get Obie’s touching message towards Eleanor Trice. When I saw Obie’s video, it immediately made me think about my 14 years old son and the many conflicts that have opposed us as he entered his adolescence. You might be the coolest mom in the world and even have a liberal point of view on education, share the same musical tastes, have a lot in common with your progeny , there will always be conflicts.

The words that come out of Obie’s mouths are the words of a matured man who fully understands his former mistakes. The song is an open apology towards his mom, who obviously suffered from his foolish teenage years behavior:
“I could write a book on Obie. Obie was a mess. Yes, he was.” (Eleanor Trice)

Picture Obie in front of his house in Northwest Detroit in the middle of the winter. The whole lanscape is surrounded with snow.

Obie is very conscious that he didn’t take his mom’s advice seriously when he was younger. Typical teenage behavior. Teenagers always think they know better. Now that he’s a grown man, he is perfectly conscious of it:

« As a child i was fowl
(uh) Ma, I couldn’t understand them things that came out ya mouth (daddy’s ain’t shit)
You would cuss, fuss till your blood pressure went up, then give up and slouch on the couch and drink ya liquor (fuck you dog)
A hard headed nigga I was quick temper short attention span not attending class (no) what a dummy
I would run over you honey
You confront me and say Obie you no longer have a mommy
Don’t use my phone don’t even eat my food
Matter a fact, Dont speak
It was just me and you in that house with that mouse and them traps and they gat, waitin on the day when you gon pull the
trigger back »

When our children don’t act the right way, we often reject them out of anger. That’s exactly what happens in this song. Picture Obie and Eleanor’s arguments…

Eleanor knew that her son was involved in some drug deals and it literally broke her heart:

« You tryin to kill me boy (no)
Is that what you wanna do, kill me? You wanna kill me (kill me)
Your not feelin me the beepers not that drastic
Its the B blasted, bastard
Your lyin (your lyin)
You took plastic freezer bags with dope inside of em
She knew, damn but she hated that it was true »

Sometimes as a responsible parent, you have to be your own son’s enemy in order to protect him from himself:

« I done raised two boys I can do away with you
The locks changed and the nights got colder
Im slinging bolders lookin like the bolda tolka
Fuck it im the osta
Im down for mounds ride by my corner
Like Im not gone cry (no)
Not reek the pain of watchin my youngest man (no no no)
On the corners slangin cane
Im callin the cops… »

Picture Obie being caught by the cops, probably mad at his mom.
But after all those years, after so many misunderstanding, so many hurtful situations, a son’s love for his mom will remain for ever. And that’s the wonderful part of Obie’s song and video.

Take some time to watch this moving video that is also an ode to Eleanor Trice, Obie’s one and only mom.