Mawelele – It Is What It Is

Everybody knows the expression. You hear it from the man whose generator has just packed up, from the lady whose transfer has not entered after three hours, and from the friend who has finally stopped arguing about a matter that cannot be settled. It is short, a bit tired and very honest. People say it when they have used up all their options.

That is what makes the idea so relatable. Life in this part of the world hands out plenty of things you cannot fix by shouting. Light goes, fuel price moves, salary comes late, a promise gets broken. After a while you learn to breathe, laugh a little and carry on. The phrase works like a small prayer for peace of mind, and many people use it daily without thinking about it.

What I find interesting is how the same words can mean two opposite things. Said one way, it is surrender, the sound of someone giving up. Said another way, it is strength, the calm of a person who has decided not to let a problem ruin their whole day. A title like placeholder

Wait—I must not leave that. Let me restate fully.

Nigerians have a way of shrugging off trouble with one line, and Mawelele builds a record around that attitude with It Is What It Is.

Everybody knows the expression. You hear it from the man whose generator has just packed up, from the lady whose transfer has not entered after three hours, and from the friend who has finally stopped arguing about a matter that cannot be settled. It is short, a bit tired and very honest. People say it when they have used up all their options.

That is what makes the idea so relatable. Life in this part of the world hands out plenty of things you cannot fix by shouting. Light goes, fuel price moves, salary comes late, a promise gets broken. After a while you learn to breathe, laugh a little and carry on. The phrase works like a small prayer for peace of mind, and many people use it daily without thinking about it.

What I find interesting is how the same words can mean two opposite things. Said one way, it is surrender, the sound of someone giving up. Said another way, it is strength, the calm of a person who has decided not to let a problem ruin their whole day. Naming a record It Is What It Is leaves that question open, and each listener will pick the reading that matches their own week.

Anyone who has had to make peace with a bad situation, a lost opportunity or a person who will never change will probably see themselves here. It is the kind of subject that fits a quiet evening after a long day, when you have stopped fighting and just want to sit with the truth for a while.