Rap star, Olamide Adedeji, is one of the young hip-hop stars hoisting Nigeria’s flag on the continent music scene. Recently, FUNSHO AROGUNDADE spoke with the youngster at Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, headquarters of MTV Base. He speaks on his career and relationship with Fuji music czar, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall
How do you feel with all the attention and props you are getting lately?
Thank you very much. I feel good and feel happy.
Did you expect the acceptance will be as fast?
Not really because it has been so rough. Things have been very difficult but so far so good, I thank God. This is just the beginning for me. I want to go further. I want to become more successful and have a success story to tell in the future.
You recently released two new videos simultaneously.
Yes. Two new videos, Sitting On The Throne and Anifowose.
Sitting On The Throne video was a beautiful concept. Whose idea is that?
I came up with the idea and Kemi Adetiba executed it perfectly well.
Some are saying you are bragging over your success and dissing others.
I am not bragging that I have a larger fan base than anyone else because I know everyone get their own space, and all you have to do is to identify your own audience. I am just telling my people and my colleagues
that there shouldn’t be any controversy or bad feeling if someone is doing great or selling more than you. The sky is big enough for all the birds to fly. They don’t need to disturb each other. The space is big enough here, so why should you be abusing each other or beefing each other? That is why I did that track. Sitting On The Throne means Mi o ba anybody ja or du anything (I am not fighting or struggling with nobody). I am just here doing my thing, living my life and running my own world. This is my own world and you can never get it because I don’t picture anybody in my own world. I feel like I’m there alone me with my own fans.
What about those lines in the track Anifowose?
Anifowose is just telling my story, where I came from and the story of where I am today.
Why did you pick that K1’s popular hook for that track?
I love that K1 song so much and I have been trying all my best just to make sure I work something out with Daddy (Wasiu Ayinde Marshall). But he is always busy. When I was about to record that song, I just had to go online and get something from the internet and used it. After using the song, I had to call him and say: Baba, in case o, to ba drop ema binu o. Oni orin yin kan ti mo sample and all that. (In case it drops, don’t be annoyed; there’s a song of yours that I sample).
So he gave his permission?
Yes.
You are also featuring in a song in his own album too.
Yes. That’s K1 for you. He called me and said he would love to have me on one of his track. Gladly I accepted and strolled to the studio where he was recording and we did the song.
What was the experience like working with him?
I actually discovered that K1 is more hardworking than we the new generation artistes. With his generation, they went extra hard doing the whole recording in some analogue way and still get it right. It is crazy seeing the extra work they put into their production. I learnt a lot from him. On a good day, we go for recording in the studio; if there is a mistake we would cut and do the remaining part. But in their own case, they will start afresh. Their way is different. Their system is different and everything is different from our own. Once you make a mistake, you will have to start all over again. I just respect the fact that they are still keeping it real 100 per cent.
We learnt you are working on another album. Are you not being in a haste?
No, I am not in haste. I am just living my dream because my dream is bigger than what anybody can imagine. Tomorrow is not assured and life is too short. So once you have the opportunity to do the thing you have been dreaming of, you have to do it today and do it big. Use your opportunity to the limit; go in really hard 100 per cent. Do all what you can do and do all what you are capable of doing while you are still young because when you get older, you might not be strong enough to do all those things again. But now that I am still very young and fresh, I just talk to myself: ‘Common, keep up this music. It will get to a stage that my generation cannot listen to this song and the next generation may not even like this kind of song. I am like, drop this stuff right now because millions of people are dying to be where I am today. They will do anything to be where I am and I that have the opportunity, so why keep my songs to myself.
So, you are dropping the fourth album this year then?
Yes, I am working on the fourth album but it is not dropping anytime soon.
What happened as you’re no longer with ID Cabassa again?
There is nothing happening between us. I worked with ID Cabassa on Yahoo Boy No Laptop, YBNL album. We did about six tracks together. It was this new one, Baddest Guy Ever Liveth, BGEL, that he did not really work on.
What about your relationship with other Coded Tunes guys?
We are and still like a family. ID Cabassa is like a father to me and others. We are all Cabassa boys and he trained us well. The love is still there. The respect and everything is still intact. The issue is that most of us are now busier. We now communicate more on phone, Twitter, Instagram and all that. We are all good. Lord of Ajasa and I just recorded a new single some months ago. 9ice, as well, we recorded two songs together; one for him and one for me. So, we are still good together like we are a group.
What has really changed about you now?
There are some things I was ignorant about in the past but now I have grown. Now I know that being successful makes you too be very careful. You can no longer be aggressive about everything. There are different and matured ways you can go about some certain issues in life while chasing your dreams. Before, I was very aggressive and very crazy and ignorant. There were times that I will just go crazy if any little thing happened around me, but right now I have learn to keep my cool.
What would you say to those who claim Dagrin’s death paved way for your success?
But Lord of Ajasa was alive when Dagrin got his break. So that answers that
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