The talented musician who studied Mechanical Engineering hit the limelight when he came out with his debut album in 1999 after leaving his former group, Oxygen. The young-man spoke with Bayo Adeoye.
How rich is your background?
I was born into a music family and my dad was one of Nigeria’s music legends. My primary education was at Agege Nursery and Primary School in Lagos, I did my secondary education at IGGS Grammar School and my tertiary education was at Yaba College of Technology where I studied Mechanical Engineering.
So, why did you choose music?
Well, music runs in the family and it wasn’t really far-fetched for me. I started with a group called Calvary Singers (my father’s church) and from there I formed a band with my brother and my cousin. It was an R n B group called l’agrafe. Later, I teamed up with Slam and Swave and we formed a group called The Clan. From there, I joined Oxygen. Oxygen was a group that had me, Tonero, Slam and Swave before I decided to go solo.
What actually led to the break up?
The future was bright for Oxygen but there was a problem along the line because we had this company from South Africa that wanted to sign us; so I think there was a break down of communication at the stage of negotiation with the company. The executive producer of the group didn’t like the terms of the contract and we didn’t like the fact that he turned it down. So, everybody went separate ways. It was a huge deal and we were supposed to tour so many places as a group, as well as shoot videos. But the executive producer of the group had other thoughts like he was supposed to get a bigger cut of the cake after managing the group for four years. So, there was misunderstanding and everybody had to go different ways.
Your dad was a fantastic musician and today he could be referred to as a legend; he was even the first African musician to be honoured by Queen Elizabeth II of England. What is your perception of this great icon regardless of the fact that he gave birth to you?
I see my dad as an extraordinary gentleman. What amazes me about him is his musical dexterity. His level of talent is really second to none. I’ve actually met with so many musicians outside Nigeria; in fact, white people who had done business with him in America, when we discuss about my dad, they are always like, am I going to ever fill his shoes? Because he is just a rare talent and a rare genius. I always get amazed that people want me to do what my father used to do but I just look at myself and think about making my own shoe and step into it because his shoe is a very big one to fill, honestly.
You father was a Juju music maestro when he was alive. Why did you choose R n B and not your dad’s genre?
I didn’t choose R n B, I’ve got passion for R n B. Forget the fact that my dad was a Juju musician, my brother and I grew up listening to pop music because it’s what my brother used to buy. My brother is a music enthusiast; so, he used to buy pop album, R n B albums, Soul albums and we got the house full of all sorts. So, I grew up listening to all of that than my father’s music. It is the orientation that matters. Although I listen to my father’s music and I love his music; I still play highlife music and I still enjoy listening to it. People still see me as a highlife musician because I still play the style at parties and ceremonies generally. We still have a good number of people who certainly enjoy highlife music and Juju music which I actually do as well. So, I did not run away from highlife and Juju music; it’s still part of what I do. But R n B is my passion and it’s what I really enjoy doing.
I know your father would be one of your role models. But apart from him, who are the others?
The likes of Cool and the Gang, Beatles, Michael Jackson, The Jacksons, Dynasty, Lakeside, Whispers, Midnight Star and a whole lot of groups. You know what, music was real back then. The cost of production was very high then, so you need to know what to sing before you get into the studio unlike these days. These days, you can actually produce music from the laptop; so, it has been watered down and it’s quite unfortunate. Stevie Wonder was my greatest influence.
Critics have said that you don’t really stress yourself to write songs as your father had already taken care of that for you. This is actually true because majority of your hits came from the re-make of your father’s classics. What’s your reaction?
Well, I’ve been able to carve my own niche for myself because I’ve actually released an album that is totally English and it’s full R n B. I think the album is a true example of what R n B is all about. If you’re saying R n B, you must ignore a local language or your mother tongue. I achieved that with the album and I believe I’ve been able to create a kind of revolution for myself. I’ve been made a pioneer in that regard and people actually told me that I’ve opened the door for a way in that direction. Doing my father’s music is much fun for me. It’s something that I really enjoy and I’m not going to stop doing it. If people have said I’ve been banking on my dad’s songs; well, I’ve got an R n B album to show that, I’m not just about re-mixing my father’s music, I’ve got my own thing that I do as well. So, I think the critics wouldn’t have much to say there.
Your dad was polygamous; how were you able to come with such a set up?
Polygamy is not a good thing. It’s like a sin. For Christians, it’s automatically a sin, but for Muslims, well, maybe it’s fine. Personally, I don’t pray to be a polygamist. On the whole, I think it has developed my idea about life. Polygamy or no polygamy, you can have siblings that you share the same blood with and they can turn around to be your worst enemy tomorrow. Polygamy is like hatred standing right at your face, if you know what I mean. I don’t think there is any man in this world that can manage polygamy no matter the religion, and that’s the bitter truth. It’s a fact that I’ve actually learnt.
I look at Paul Play and I see a great simplicity. Why are you this simple with nothing artificial?
Well, I think it’s just me and my idea. Maybe God is taking me to the level where people will appreciate me more from my music and not the way I look or my lifestyle. So, it’s a function of getting their thoughts away from who someone is and focusing on just the music. Some people could be 90% swag and 10% music; if it works for them, fine. But my strength lies in my music.
I knew you went through a turbulent time especially as regards your health when you had a kidney turmoil. How did you overcome such a big challenge?
It was God. If I say that this was how I handled it, I’ll be lying to you. It was just God that put me through everything. He saw me through from the beginning, to the operation down to the surgery. It got to a point I was hypertensive and was subsequently taken back to the Intensive Care Unit for like four days; but God just did it. There is no other way to explain it.
How was your wife able to cope at this time given the nature of women?
Well, I was in bed; I wouldn’t know how she fared (laughs). But it was hell because she could not actually come to terms with the fact that I had the sickness because she knows that I don’t drink, smoke and all those stuffs. She was really shocked. Throughout the operation, she was beside me and kept telling me that I could make it, I would not die or worry and that everything would be fine. It’s very difficult to find a wife that could stand by you in such situations. Even when I came back and couldn’t do anything because I was bedridden, she was just there for me. I’m glad I have a wife that is very caring and very supportive. So, I will always appreciate that. My wife and my children actually came to South Africa to join me and I got some people who stood by me then. Dr. Mike Adenuga was very much helpful; he actually took care of everything.
So, what of your friends in the industry?
I didn’t hear from any of them, I wouldn’t lie to you.
Did they actually neglect you or something?
I didn’t hear from anybody. I only heard from Gbenga Adeyinka and Omotola. The only musician that actually came to my house was Azadus. (Laughs) Well, there’s no hard feeling and that’s the fact.
What exactly was going through your mind when you were on that sick bed?
It’s difficult to say because I had so many people praying for me. I had loads of pastors crying unto God on my behalf. But when there’s an illness that is life-threatening, there are two things that come to your mind; it’s either you make it out alive or you don’t. It will come to that moment when you would be strong enough and you wouldn’t even care what happens at the end of the day. It got to a point that I was no longer afraid. I just told God that I want to go when He wants me to go and not through some illness, attack or anything. I made a vow with God that if I make it out of this; I’m going to do this and that.
Can you share one of the things you told God you would do?
One of the things is to release an album that is gospel and will be free. It’s going to be free download and free distribution. It’s to proclaim His name, praise Him and to show my gratitude to God for keeping me alive because I’m telling you, if one faces a life-threatening illness, you won’t even care if you don’t have a dime in your pocket. You won’t even care about your family, friends, houses, foes and what have you; because a dead man doesn’t have problems or think because it’s over. So, it was something that actually shook me and took the best part of me.
Has the experience drawn you closer to God now?
I’ve always been close to God (Laughs).
I mean closer?
It has drawn me closer to God and made me look at life from a different perspective after that surgery. Then, things that used to bother me don’t bother me anymore. No matter what; even if you acquire everything you needed in this world, when you die; where exactly do you go? So, that was in my head. As we are on earth going around having fun and doing our businesses; when it’s time to die, that question will just come up in our mind that, where am I going from here? So, nobody thinks about that until that moment comes.
Did you believe you were going to die then?
No, I didn’t believe I would die. Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die. (Laughs) I knew my conscience was just troubling me that even if there were heaven and hell, there were no chances that I was going to make heaven at that time. So, that was what really scared me the most. I’m not a pastor, so I’m not a saint. I checked through my whole life during that time and I wasn’t convinced.
So, did you pray through to salvation?
I wasn’t praying to die, I was praying to live. (Laughs) imagine if you were in a plane and the aircraft was going down, what do you do? If you were going to go through such a huge operation like that, those things would pop up in your mind.
Was it an attack?
Well, there is a saying that goes that witchcraft is not a case in court. (Laughs) The thing is that I thank God I had surgery and I’m out; that’s just it. There’s no way a man can be physical and not spiritual. A man that is not spiritual is a dead man unless you don’t believe in God and you are an atheist who believes in Dowen’s theory. For me, I believe in God and I worship God. So, I know who He is. If you have to worship God, you have to worship Him in spirit because He is a spirit. My belief as a Christian opens my mind to most of these things about life.
Your last album ‘Hero’ wasn’t as popular as your former body of works. What happened?
‘Hero’ came out when I was still battling with my illness, so there was no way I could push the promo. I wasn’t going for interviews or going to places to really push it out. People even said I wasn’t anymore into music. So, I decided to package the album and just put it out there so that people would know that I’m still alive and doing music. I would even say it’s this Star Quest reality show that killed the rumour because as at March/April 2012, it was still unclear to some people whether I’m still ill or in South Africa receiving treatment. Before I could flush that out of people’s mind, I had to come out. Last year, I wasn’t strong enough to run around and do stuffs that I supposed to have done to push the album and at the same time, the album was released as a cushion. Some of the tracks in the album are going to come out in the R n B album. So, I just did a mix of tracks and packaged them together and said okay, let’s just push this out and see the acceptance. Well, some people received it well, while some people did otherwise. But they, some of the tracks are still going to come out in the R n B album.
Seriously for me, I don’t think the reality shows we’ve been having every year have been worth it because we haven’t seen any other winners fly in recent times?
You want me to tell you why? You people at home and on the street chose them. (Laughs). First of all, the brands have done enough to create that platform. It’s a good initiative for brands to support events like that. Secondly, it’s because at the end, the winner is chosen by the audience. How did this same audience that choose them failed to buy the winner’s album when it’s out in the market? (Laughs) This is how it works, let’s use Lemar as an example; when Lemar was on the reality show in UK, he was in the 3rd position. By the time Lemar was in the finals, he already had a huge fan base. So, when the record company saw the huge fan base, they signed Lemar because he already had a huge fan base. In Nigeria, after voting, the fan base disappeared. That’s why I’m saying that people just vote because of sentiment. In America and the UK, people are able to recognize their fan base. Lemar had a very huge fan base even before the end of the show. Lemar didn’t win but the record company capitalized on the fact that Lemar already had a very huge fan base and they went straight and released his album and he became a big star.
What do you think is responsible for this Nigerian factor?
It’s because Nigerians don’t really have what we call fan culture. Let’s take for instance, a Tuface fan is a Paul Play fan, is a D’banj fan, a P Square fan, MI fan, KC Presh fan and everybody’s fan. But there are some fans in UK that it’s only Lemar that they want and they don’t want to know any other person. There are some people; it’s only Usher or only Chris Brown and so on and so forth. They wouldn’t merge two artistes and call them their fan. This problem makes it difficult in Nigeria to do headline shows. Take for instance, if Tuface wants to do headline show; MI, D’banj, P Square, Banky W would all still come. So, now tell me, can you stand 3hrs of just Paul Play and nobody? I don’t think so. It’s because the fans are everybody’s fan here in Nigeria. In the UK, you can see a Kanye West’s show, you can see a Chris Brown’s show or just R Kelly’s show for the whole day, and everybody present would be enjoying the groove. It shows you that those are what we call fans! They are real fans. You’ll see someone in Nigeria who will say, I’m your number one fan. If you find out, he’s also Tuface’s number one fan, he’s D’banj’s number one fan, he’s MI’s number one fan too. (Laughs)
So, how do you think the mentality could be corrected?
It’s too late. You know why? It’s because it’s the fault of the music industry. The music industry in Nigeria has not deemed it fit to package headline shows. If you package headline shows of different acts, it would bring to the mind of people that I could actually sit down and enjoy this guy for this long. But we have spoilt our audience by feeding them with 100 artistes for one prize. We have spoilt our fans and pampered them too much. So, by the time we now tell them to come and watch just Paul Play with 10,000 naira, they will say why? What is he singing? Is MI going to be there or that guy going to be there? So, it becomes a problem. Our marketing strategy hasn’t created a culture of headline shows. Well, it’s still possible though to revive it because there are ways to do it but we have already spoilt our audience and it would be quite difficult for them. Take for instance, on Facebook, you might have like over 4000 friends, by the time you check the profile of one or two of them, you’ll find out that you won’t find yourself as an artiste they like on their profile. So, what are you talking about? There’s no strong attachment between the fans and the artistes. I have about 3000 to 4000 fan base mostly made up of girls in Poland. I don’t speak the language, but the guy that is handling the stuff for me always communicates to me how much these people drop messages on my wall to show their support and love. Even when I don’t speak polish and it’s my friend handling it. So, I think you can see the attachment. Imagine if Aliciakeys were to be online in US, people would rush her with messages but here, Nigerians are not like that. There’s no platform for efficient communication. I’ll always give kudos to the Fuji musicians. I think they understand what headline show means. If it’s Saheed Osupa, it is going to be Saheed Osupa’s show throughout and no influx of Pasuma or Wasiu on the same show. In majority of their shows, it’s always like that and their followers enjoy it that way. Each time I perform with Pasuma on some occasions; if you see the way the fans troop in, it’s as if there’s a war going on somewhere because these people have their own loyal fans.
So, how did they achieve that?
That’s what I’m saying; it’s because they have their own headline shows. If you enter some public buses, you’ll see the posters and pictures of Pasuma, Wasiu, Saheed Osupa and the rest of them on these buses. This had been made possible because the Fuji musicians have their own headline shows and their fans have come to love it. They run their game individually in most cases. Anytime you see a hip hop show, you must see like five or six Nigerian hip hop musicians on the same show. Why? This only gives room for divided interest. In other words, you’ll have a hall that is filled with D’Banj’s fans, Tuface fans, P Square fans and the rest of them. In Nigeria, we still have a long way to go because there is what is called stage management. You’ll package a show for two hours and you’ll hold the crowd spell-bound from the beginning of the show till the end. When you see the effects on the stage where Kanye West is performing at a show, you’ll marvel. When it appears that the crowd is getting bored, the fireworks and smoke come out and the stage is electrified once again. It’s not that the show doesn’t get boring at a stage but everything to revive the crowd is in place to get everyone’s attention back. Now, that’s packaging and technical aspect of performance. Again, let’s even say the shows have been packaged, the big question is; are Nigerians ready to put money down to watch it? The thing is; if Nigerians can actually enjoy you miming on your CD, why would you want to go any length to make them enjoy your show? I want to say here that the comedians are even doing better than we are doing because they are smarter. They will organize a show and carry a long list of artistes. It’s a very smart game, they are just being smart. They are still using music because there’s nothing in this world that wouldn’t require music. In AY’s Show, you’ll see Ice Prince, Tuface, P-Square and other A-list artistes (Laughs) it’s not just comedy again. It only shows that it is what we’ve fed our people that they are used to. I think the whole music industry needs to be re-organised.
So, what’s your advice for upcoming artistes?
They should just keep praying and working hard and hope for the best. It’s hard work. Pretty much, if you want to go into music, go into music and leave a mark that is indelible. You’ve got to make classics. 10 years down the line, your songs are still being reckoned with. Four years ago, ‘I did Angel of my Life’; Last week, I still performed it. Michael Jackson can live under the shadows of ‘Thriller’ for years, although he had other classics but ‘Thriller’ was out of this world. At least as an artiste, have one classic. Every artiste must have a classic. If you don’t have a classic, you are a dead artiste. I know a few classics in Nigeria by young musicians like myself. Few of us have classics that can be played anywhere, anytime, any day. Shina Peters has a classic that if it is played anytime, you’ll jump up. That was why he could still be called upon to represent at the last Hennesy Artistry Event. Seal has only one Classic, ‘Kiss From a Rose’. Till tomorrow, he is still doing big even when subsequent albums were flops. I don’t even know when last Seal released an album. When you have classics, it could last you a life time. Royalties alone is enough to last you for as long. International success is the real deal and once you have classics, you can just sit down and earn as much as possible. In fact, your unborn generation will enjoy the proceeds.
Culled: Globalexcellenceonline
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