After a 8-month hiatus, head honcho of 323 Entertainment Tunji Balogun aka Tee Billz, returned to Instagram at around past midnight with a Story with the transient words, “CAN SOMEONE TEACH ME HOW TO USE THE GRAM AGAIN…DAMN!,” and the insertion of a sunglass-wearing emoji beneath to show that all was cool. His last post came on November 17, 2017, and after that nothing was heard from Billz on the platform, which he had once vigorously used to lampoon his (ex)-wife and singer Tiwa Savage.
In April, 2016, Instagram became the barometer for Billz’s mental health, culminating into an assortment of dreadful, nihilistic posts bordering on Savage’s alleged infidelity and spousal neglect, which nearly drove Billz to suicide. It was the biggest celebrity meltdown of that year, and frightening in equal measure. What’s more, it examined the unappealing glitches within the celebrity-industrial complex and our shared vulnerability and fears with celebrities.
Purging his Instagram of that dark, tumultuous period, Billz began to advocate on depression and mental health in early 2017. In one post, he wrote, “Depression is not sadness, it’s a common mental disorder,” and goes on to reel off names of creatives who have suffered depression, like John Lennon and Kanye West. But still, Billz’s Instagram still feels haunted with that 2016 spectre, so much so that we are now compelled to decipher hidden meaning in his posts, combing them for subtexts or a way to better appreciate his journey on his way to recovery.
On the minimum, eight months feels like a sizable time to recover. But this isn’t universal. Having Billz back on Instagram, whatever his reason to break off in the first place, is inspiring for those dealing with the mental health crisis that had engulfed him two years ago. If he will stay longer this time is anyone’s guess.
When Bernard Dayo isn’t writing about pop culture, he’s watching horror movies and reading comics and trying to pretend his addiction to Netflix isn’t a serious condition.
Leave a reply