By Alex Balimwikungu
Innocent Asiimwe, popularly known by his stage name Napoleon, was a household name in the early 2000s. From obscurity (he was born and bred in the outskirts of Jinja), he hit the music scene with hype and swagger.
He had a catchy song in More Money. Under the tutelage of Steve Jean, he was one earmarked to make it to the top. Then somehow, he fell out with the recording studio and steadily fizzled into oblivion.
Years later, stories emerged from Jinja that Napoleon, frustrated, had resorted to substance abuse. There were concerted efforts to rehabilitate him. He emerged from rehab in 2008 with some important advice for fellow artistes. He went quiet again. Now he is dead.
https://youtu.be/zA3JW_JHv0E
The news of his death on February 8 shocked many. Whereas many, notably the current crop of musicians, struggled to figure out who he really was owing to his “one hit”, the dancehall greats and wannabes of the 2000s knew a gem they had lost.
“ It is such a pity Napoleon died a miserable and desolate life. Had his career been managed well, he would have been a music great,” a one Jacko observed.
By press time, burial arrangements had not yet been communicated
