What have you been up to lately?
I have been busy as always doing what I
love to do best. Not with the force of people pushing me to do it, but
with the agreement that this is what I’d be doing forever and that’s why
I’m still doing it
At the time you guys started this thing did you think it would be this big?
Yeah, God told me about it. He said to me, my son, stand up and go to Lagos. Go to your brother Dr. Fresh.
Give him the needed support and make the hip-hop thing come to pass. I
listened to God and came to Lagos. I saw Dr. Fresh, met Tony, met Eddy,
and it came to pass, the birth of hip-hop in Nigeria. So, with that
happening, God made me an elder-state’s person in the business, a
revolutionary and one of the people that made the industry happen. I’ve
been very grateful to Allah because he’s the reason why I’m still here.
Looking at the state of hip-hop in Nigeria, do you think it’s still towing that dream you had for it or has it gone off-track?
No, what you see today is boys coming
out of the streets, and following a trend because that trend is bringing
in money. And the reason why they have been able to do that is because
we created that platform, but that’s not what we created the platform
for. We created the platform to use music as a tool to add value to the
society and to create employment like we have done. Most of these boys,
their parents used to insult us back then saying,’look at these OPPs that don’t have future’,
but today, the same parents are the ones sending their children to go
to the studio to record, shooting videos for them and paying big money
for promos because they found out music has now become very lucrative. ‘Food don done, everybody carry spoon, na your mama cook the food, abi na your papa cook the food?’
We made it possible for the
multinationals to respect Nigerian artistes. They didn’t treat Nigerian
artistes with respect, but we made it happen. Take music out of the
radio for one day and see what will happen. What you see today, is just
boys singing about women and other irrelevant subjects. These boys that
are coming in, doing music now, most of these dudes would have been
carrying guns. We are grateful that we have been able to create
employment for the so-called rappers on behalf of the Federal
Government.
You have managed to remain consistent through the years. How have you been able to do that?
One, because I have a strong faith with
God. If you grew up from the North and you are a Muslim, you won’t be
scared of anybody but God. I believe that if you have God in everything
you do, God’s favour and grace would always be with you. Number two, my
songs are not just songs to make you dance, or tell you a story about a
girl you have never met before. They talk about ills in the society,
education, politics, science, streets, unemployment, electricity for the
people and a lot of things. People can relate to that, and that’s why
I’m still consistent, and I’m not changing at all. My shoe size has been
there, none of them can wear it. I’m a social crusader. I talk about
what is happening in the society and that’s why I’ll always be relevant.
You
have often referred to yourself as a social crusader and even went
head-to-head with a one-time president of this country. Were there
times you were afraid for your life?
I grew up in Kano, and
we were taught in the Quran that Allah is the greatest. You’re not
supposed to be scared of anybody but Allah. So, I already made up my
mind what I wanted to do from the beginning. Because the truth is
bitter, many people would never like it. We all can’t be the same, so I
chose to speak on behalf of the people and to be the voice of the
voiceless, and I’m happy.
I remember when I sang the song
‘Jagajaga’, about 23 million Nigerian youths voted me to raise the
Olympic torch. Raising the Olympic torch is bigger than winning the Grammy awards.
The Olympic is talking about peace and love all over the world, and
it’s enough for me. My responsibility is never to disappoint the people
and to always speak for the people. Obasanjo said my
papa and my mama ‘Jagajaga’. I was so happy that my message got to the
president. The president couldn’t hide it. He came on National TV and
promoted me. Secondly, he’s my mugu because he made me a super star,
there is no song of mine that I won’t put Obasanjo’s name. So, Obasanjo
is part of my mugu and I go dey take am chop. Thirdly, I’m doing this to
speak for the people, and that’s why people will always relate to me.
Do you see changes in the society so far?
Yes. Changes from state governors who have like minds, and are radical like me. An example is the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomole. There was no good coming out of Edo State for eight years when Lucky Igbenedion
was there. Oshiomole has made it happen, and there are a few governors
out there that are doing the same thing. So there are changes, and the
revolution is on.
What are your thoughts on the state of the music industry?
You see, when the top is messed up, you
don’t expect the bottom to be any better. What the politicians have
taught Nigerians is corruption. Our music industry is not regulated.
What are the responsibilities of PMAN? Musicians are
not united because some of them feel that they have arrived, and they
fail to understand that they wouldn’t have arrived if not for people
like us who paved the way for them. Until they get into trouble that’s
when they would be looking for friends. Then they would now think to
themselves and say, ‘oh, wait a minute, Is this how the game is? So it’s
all about politics? Damn! I should have played it well’.
NCC is one of the
biggest problems we have in this industry. I’m talking about giving
space for multiple collecting society. You can’t monopolise the
industry. You can’t just bring somebody that is your friend, and
schooled in America and basically studied Accounting or Economics to
come and head the Nigerian Copyrights Commission. He doesn’t know
anything about music, copyrights and royalties. He shouldn’t be there.
Secondly, the so called COSON don’t even know what they
are doing. The Attorney General has given license to COSON to be the
only collecting society, meanwhile COSON does not have the international
right as a collecting society. It’s only MCSN that has the right. There has to be room for multiple collecting societies in the country.
The musicians themselves should also be
educated about this issue. It’s not just the shows that you should
depend on to earn revenue. Is it when your song is no longer on the
radio that you want to start knowing what copyright is all about? Thank
God the matter is currently in House of Assembly and the House has heard
from both sides. We are waiting for the House to make the final
decision. In America and in the UK, they have multiple collecting society, so, why can’t we have the same?
How was growing up for you?
I grew up with a mum. I never had a dad.
I lost my dad when I was two. She is my hero, she is my everything. She
saw me through life. I looked at myself and thought, if a mother could
do all these to bring me to where I am today and I didn’t go astray
without a father, then God has a reason in my life. I attended Army Day
nursery, primary and secondary schools. I then moved to the Nigeria
Military School (NMS). I was in the military school for about two years,
and I saw myself becoming somebody in the future that would hurt a lot
of people with guns. So, I said to myself, this is not the kind of life I
want to live. I left the military school, and I became a table-tennis
player. I represented Nigeria at the All African Games in 1985. Yinka Majekodunmi, Funke Oshunaike, Biola Odunmosun, Bose Kaffour, Atanda Musa, Hakeem Hassan, Yomi Bankole,
these are my people. At the age of 14, I was collecting my salary as a
Sport Council employee. But still, as a table tennis champion that I was
then, I still felt that this is not were God wants me to be, and I was
so happy the day God revealed to me that it’s the microphone he wants
me to carry. The microphone can speak what millions of people won’t be
able to speak for themselves.
Your former partners, Eddy Montana and Tony Tetuila, how often do you guys see or hangout?
Eddy is fine, Tony is fine, we see often. Eddy is in Delta State.
Working on a lot of other stuff and still doing music too. Together as
Remedies, we have been recording an album ‘The Promised Nigeria’ that we
will drop soon. Remedies will be back.
Many believe you have lost your relevance, how do these comments make you feel?
I don’t react; I just set it straight
the way it is because I’ve gone through a lot. If the president could
actually fight me and I’m still here and still standing, then whose
opinion will now bring me down? I’ve been there, done that and you’re
not going to get anything out of trying to bring me down. Most
importantly, when it has to do with women that you try and blackmail me
with, it’s not possible, because my marriage is already 14 years, and
they said it was going to end in three months.
There’s a rumour that you have kidney problems, how true is that?
That’s totally untrue. If I have kidney problems will I be doing this (drinking and smoking)?
Your wife is hardly in the media, is it like a home rule for her to avoid the spotlight?
I thank God that I’m enjoying a blissful
marriage. There’s simply no need for her to be out there in the media. I
have managed to keep my family private. Remember many said we were not
going to last, but here we are. We have two wonderful sons and Allah has
been faithful to us.
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