From your experience so far, are there things that you did and feel now that you should have done differently?
In terms of your music, how it was presented and so on… All that we’ve been doing from the beginning has been good. We’re growing; we’re learning some lessons. We give glory to God. We are learning. We will continue learning as long as we are still living. You discovered that you have interest in music at a young age of eight years.
Can one then say that also influenced your decision to identify with Imprxx by being its Brand Abassador?
I am just blessed. Like the way you put it, at a younger age. And we can see all over now, a whole lot of people that are successful today, they started so young. They had people that mentored them; they had people that handle their affairs for them. They grew up to be what we are and what they were yesterday.
That’s the essence of coming to this world, with the talent that God has given to you, and you keep enjoying the grace of the Almighty God.
Can you shed more light on why you are supporting Imprxx?
The world is changing, and each and everyone of us must be ready to join the train, because if you do not and it walks past you, you have a lot to lose in the end. And you are going to blame yourself for not taking the initiative right about the time it is neccessary.
It has nothing to do with the age, because every inovative idea either brought by a younger person or supported by an older person, the fact still remains that you want to make use of the opportunity that they’ve created, and let others see reason that if as old as this man is and he embracing such an initiative. What are you waiting for? That’s it. From what you know about Imprxx so far, to what extent will this define how we relate with and recieve live shows – music or live theatre?
Number one, it makes us understand that we should be thankful for the innovations that are available to us now. When they used to say the world is a ‘global village,’ one might not quickly recognise what we’re trying to talk about. What we are saying now is that I can be here in my office, passing music to the rest of the world, and everybody will be enjoy it. You don’t have to necessarily need to be at every venue before you get things done. We all use the innovative ideas that were brought by people. It is to tell us the world is moving; the world is not static, it is moving, and we should move. If you don’t move then you’ve lost it.
I don’t want to be one of the loosers; I want to be among those that are enjoying the benefits. Essentially, we expect that Talazo, the brand of music that you popularised will also get some kind of focus and attention… Of course, that’s my brand; Fuji is my brand. And currently, we are playing what is called classical Fuji. What do we mean by classical Fuji? We are refining it in such a way that it fits into the present day society. Everybody wants to have a feel of it; we must advance way.
This is what we re doing too. In the next five years, where do you see the Nigerian music industry, especially with the coming of Imprxx into the scene? Imprxx will define how we will receive live shows in music or live theatre. Imprxx will open a lot of eyes to what most people probably believe will be too hard and impossible to get done.
I volunteered myself, and I know that within a short period of time, a whole lot of people will follow sooth. It is said that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. So, everybody will realise that it is something good for every- body. And at the end of the day you would not only have money but you will also be counted among the first set of people that embraced quality performance. From your experience, do you think our local music genres, fuji, highlife and others are getting the kind of attention they deserve? Music all over the world is getting affected everyday, because the innovative ideas, some don’t have the opportunity to go and connect.
But when Imprxx came, he explained their mission and he gave me some notes, some sites, and I went to google on them and studied them. I saw that will it not be better, if I am performing here in Ijebu Ode and some- one in Australia, China, America can hook up. It’s going to grow the so called local music we are talking about, because if the size of your head is this, that is the same way it will serve you until it reaches this. And if by any chance it does not get to this peak and still remains like this, it will still serve you.
What I am saying in essence is that the world is changing; we should all change with the world. There are opportunities there for us, the foreign musicians, people of other nations are enjoying it. What is good for every musician in America is good for the rest of the musicians, even in the remote or lowest areas of the countries of the world. It is good; that’s why we know that the world is changing; and it has come to stay, and it will continue changing like that. Any plans for colloborations in terms of remix of some of your hit songs as a way of promoting them too?
A lot. Imprxx has come, and we’ve have started to get a new model. So, nothing stops us from opening our box to give to them what we believe will outlive us. It will outlive us; it will. What is your advice to aspiring and up-and- coming musicians in terms of the secret of your success? Number one, respect evrybody when you’re growing, and everybody you find around you, consider them important.
Don’t throw anybody off, even when you’re walking and you find a paper that was dropped, take a time to look at it, it could be a message left for you by someone to serve as a good direction on where you are heading to. Don’t overlook it. So, respect everybody, even your houseboy at home. So, for the younger ones, they keep exploiting all the goodies around them.
They don’t leave any stone unturned. Every stone must be turned. Any regrets? No. You said earlier that Imprxx is going to create over 500,000 jobs for youths. Can you talk more on this? What we are talking about now is something that is directly to our doorstep. I remembered telling them that we don’t have to wait until we have a billion naira to pursue this project.
We start from whatever we have, and the rest will meet us. When you keep walking, not running, you will discover many qualities of life that will get you to where you are going. When you are running, you won’t look at things on your own part. But when you are walking, when you take your time to walk, surely, what you’ll see will be much better of than when you are running. So, Imprxx and K1 D’Ultimate partnership has come to stay. And we’ve been able to speak to others who are ready to join.
I am just a lead, but others that are ready to join, within no time now you will see it will fly so fast more than we expected. What are the challenges you face in the music industry? The same challenge everybody faces in life… Which is? Struggling… Everybody is struggling. But specifically speaking, what are the challenges or what has been the major challenge… Struggling What has been your experience with piracy?
The era of piracy is coming to an end now. We should wait until plans unfolded, for everybody to know that that era is coming to a complete stop. Because there won’t be need for anybody to want to pirate anything. It’s possible because Imprxx is creating a dedicated interface in the space of live streaming, whereby no matter how engrossed the entertainner is on stage he can still briskly interact with people in the online space.
What that means is that if you are having a birthday elsewhere in Nigeria and KI is here in Ijebu- Ode, he will be playing from the studio. We are interfacing you with him because there’s going to be a dedicated interface in your house and his studio. As you’re in your house, you will interface with him, and he will sing for you, and everyone will see it. Your last word… I give glory to God Almighty.
I have always been a supporter of every good initiative that comes in a way of the entertainment so that every entertainer and the people we entertain can see the very best of what they expected. Like I said, Glory be God Almighty for the opportunities that come our way. I thank Imprxx for considering me worthy of being the brand Ambassador.
