Let’s stop judging books by their covers.

Years ago, we had artists like Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Big Daddy, Puff Daddy (now known as P. Diddy), 2Pac, and many others from the United States making waves with their rap and R&B music.

That was the golden era of hip-hop and R&B.

But then, something big happened.

Afrobeats took over the global music scene like a wildfire that refused to burn out.

And I love it because Nigerians are leading this global music fever.

But this post isn't about Afrobeats or the triumph of Nigerian music.

It’s not about rap or R&B either.

This is about two legends who followed different paths in music, even though they were both creating art within the same genres, R&B and rap.

So, let me reintroduce Snoop Dogg and Puff Daddy (P. Diddy).

Back then, Snoop Dogg was seen as a “bad influence” because of his vulgar lyrics, explicit music videos, and gangster style.

Many parents, myself included, would have done anything to stop their children from becoming fans of Snoop’s music, let alone idolizing him.

If we were to compare him to a Nigerian artist today, it would probably be someone like Naira Marley.

You know how controversial his songs like “Soapy” and others have been.

As a parent, you might even consider pouring hot water on your child if you caught them dancing to such songs.

On the other hand, we all knew P. Diddy, even though there were whispers about his possible involvement in the tragic deaths of two rap legends, 2Pac and Biggie.

Despite those dark rumors, P. Diddy still appeared more of a saint compared to Snoop Dogg.

Musically, his content seemed cleaner, and his image felt more acceptable.

But here’s where things get interesting.

Fast forward to today, and it feels like life is flipping the script right before our eyes.

If you had woken me up in the middle of the night and asked me to guess who would end up incarcerated for serious crimes,

I would’ve named Snoop Dogg without hesitation.

His wild image made him the obvious suspect.

But guess what?

It turns out the one we least expected went down for something serious, and with hard evidence against him.

The point I’m trying to make is simple.

Let’s stop judging books by their covers.

Some people present themselves as saints on social media, but in reality, they’re devils behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, others who appear wild and unfiltered online are actually good-hearted, decent people when you truly get to know them.

Praising someone just because of their polished online image can be dangerous, especially if their true offline actions are harmful.

And condemning someone who seems vulgar online without understanding their real character can be equally harmful.

In fact, you might break their spirit so badly that they lose hope in being good, especially when the very people who should be guiding them are the ones judging them the most.

Let love lead.

Advise with love.

Lead by example, not just by words.

Just like "not everything that glitters is gold", "not everything that appears rough and dirty is worthless".

Let’s try to be kinder and wiser in how we judge and treat people.

Peace.