Abolore Adigun, who most people refer to as 9ice, has been busy on tour of United States and Ireland promoting his songs. Segun Adebayo caught up with him recently in Lagos, where he talked about his career and cleared the air on some of the controversies trailing him. Excerpts:
From that lowest point of your life when you had nothing but undying passion to sing, obviously, passion to sing wouldn’t have been enough to make you forge ahead. What would you say was the chief reason you knew you would make it big in music?
That is not the case. The fact is that I never knew I would make it in music. Music is just one of the talents God gave me that I never gave a chance, but when I eventually did, it brought me to where I am today. I have been doing this for sometime and I thank God that people appreciate my song. It was not that I set out to become a singer, it was just a path God had prepared me for, which I never knew until I discovered myself. So, the chief reason for doing music aside the passion and the talent like you have rightly said is basically because of the fear of being a failure. My plan has always been to do everything possible to succeed in a legal way.
Your career appears to be going like a moving train since then, could you tell us about your recent tour of Europe and what you intend to achieve with it?
Thank you for the word ‘moving train’. I sincerely like the good pace, provided it doesn’t hit anything on the way. The saying is that slow but steady wins the race. Talking about the tour, it actually helped my career a great deal, whether in Europe, America and Africa, the reception over there was nice and I am actually going back in a matter days to continue the tour. I think the acceptability both home and abroad does the magic and it is the driving force that always inspires an artiste to do more.
Quite a number of your colleagues in the industry had started like you, but they fizzled out in the midst of daunting challenges, you faced yours too, but you seem to have managed to remain on top of your game till now. What do you think you have done rightly over the years?
It will surprise you to know that I look up to 2Face a lot in this generation. According to the Holy Bible, many were called but few were chosen. Some that fizzled out like you said is not their wish but somehow it happened. For me, I believe music is a call and it is spiritual. Singing, to me, goes beyond passion and talent. It is not my making that I haven’t fizzled out, I give God the glory. I think it has to do with what you’re destined to do.
Who exactly would you attribute your success in the industry to?
I owe who I am and what I have become in music to God Almighty and Idowu Ogunade (Id.Cabassa). God created the plan and Cabassa executed it.
You have experienced the sweetness that comes with being a successful musician, how would you describe those early days when you had nothing and now that you have some of the good things of life?
To God be the glory. At first, it was all about survival, but now, it is about revival and making sure one remains a pioneer; a leader and also to keep up the evergreen songs so as to remain a legend. What I noticed is that remaining there when you are there is more difficult than getting there. But with God on my side and the good people who have shown us love over the years, I believe the journey has just begun. Like I said, we are like a moving train. Nothing is stopping us.
Would you trade your being famous for something else if you look at some of the bad side of fame that you have experienced over time?
Yes, I will love to trade fame with some silent life that does not arrogate too much attention to one, but it has got nothing to do with any bad experience. No matter what you do or who you are, there’s always a difficult time and life challenges that you can’t run away from. But I will really love to trade because I wish to be a lawyer.That has always been my dream.
Do you think life would have been different for you should you have been a lawyer?
Honestly, life as a normal person is fine and more wonderful, free, fair and peaceful. But as a public figure, you enjoy more and you pay more in terms of the price you pay for being famous. If I come to this world again, I would prefer normal life.
You were said to have pulled out of your Law programme at the Lagos State University to face music. That decision paid off, but you seem not to be happy about it now?
I didn’t pull out because of music; I left school because I was unable to pay my school fees. While I was on the street, I gave hundred percent of my life to music and it paid off eventually.
When I was in school, I was just doing music for fun until I left school. At that point, I decided that I was going to face music passionately and from that point, things changed.
Why did you choose Law that time?
I chose law because of my background to fight for the less privilege, protect the interest of the masses and uphold the right of the individuals.
Your decision to leave school wouldn’t have gone down well with your parents, how did they react to it and what was constantly coming to your mind back then?
It was not an easy decision to make. There were days that I had to live in the studio. Talking about my parents’ reaction, I had to lie for a while, pretended as if all was well. Before my parents knew I wasn’t in school, it was too late to complain because I was already on TVs, making money and rocking shows all around.
Would you consider going back to school someday?
I’m in school already, studying public safety and Common Law at Capella university. It is an online programme. I can’t think of any other course except law.
Sometime ago, you were said to have become wealthy that your personality couldn’t handle it anymore, how true is this?
(Laugh)... that sounds very funny. But if they say I am that wealthy, I never got myself a personal jet, get an office at V.I; I am not living in Ikoyi or get a house in Banana Island or own a street in Lekki Phase I. There was nothing like that, I’m sure it was just an exaggeration.
With the array of stars in the industry today and endorsements galore every where, you still manage to stay relevant, what’s the secret?
The only way and the hard way that I know and I have always known is staying true to yourself, put God first and believe in what you do and how you do it.
People believe that the younger generation is driving the older ones out of the business, do you see it like that?
That’s another funny question. Do you mean that? No matter how popular any new act can be, trust me, someone was there before you. Somebody had been more popular and greater than that before. If older ones are not there anymore, it is not because anyone is driving someone away from the industry. Music never stays the same forever. It changes face, style and format. As many students that are graduating from the University every year so also are many that are being admitted. That’s music for you.
A close friend of yours disclosed to me sometime ago that you were losing your voice and that you would need to work on it, what could have been responsible for that?
It is not a new thing. It happens to most artistes, Usher, R Kelly and the like. The list is just endless. I would love this voice to crack more because it means I am working hard and making money. If it is getting clearer every day, that means no shows and no busy schedule.
The wealth that you have accrued over the years, did it come as a surprise to you?
All that I am today is a surprise to me. I’m not better than anyone else. I’m just special because God Almighty made it so.
The kind of relationship that existed between you and ID Cabassa when you started was enviable, but later you decided to do your ‘things’ your way. At what point did you feel it was time to move on?
Ogun omode kole sere fogun odun (twenty children can’t be together for twenty years). We can’t be together forever. I learnt all I could from Cabassa when I had the time and when it was time for me to stand as a force, I had to go. I didn’t go because I just wanted to leave, I left because it was necessary for me to do so.
Will it be wrong to say that you hit it big when you left Coded tunes and set up Alapomeji records?
I hit it big when I was still with Cabassa. Coded tunes were a clique headed by Cabassa, consist of 9ice, Lord of Ajasa, 2phat, Alash, Jahbless, Reminisce, H Code, a studio own by Cabassa, but now a record label with all other things mentioned, now owned and run by Cabassa. And ever since I left, I have used all that I have learnt to get to where I am today.
He was said to have invited you back on several occasions, but your mind was made up, you don’t want to work with him again or what?
I am still with him. It is unfortunate that people don’t know the kind of relationship that exists between us and they find it difficult to comprehend. Lord of Ajasa left and formed Otipoju Records, no one raised an eyebrow. But I think people just make issue out of anything that I do. Don’t forget before Alapomeji Records, I had co-founded Edge Records even before founding Alapomeji Records. Cabassa and I are brothers, inseparable no matter people say or believe.
But it seems Cabassa still has your love at heart, apparently, he wishes your relationship could be as it was when you started, do you see that happening?
We are still the same. Nothing has changed between Cabassa and I. We are still the same brothers.
What role did you play in supporting ailing OJB when he was down because, reports had it that some of his friends and colleagues ditched him....
I knew nothing about that, I’m sure you do know who to direct those questions to as regards who ditched who. Also, I won’t say what I did or what I didn’t do out here. Everyone is glad that OJB is back on his feet. That’s the most important thing right now.
You were said to have parted ways with your manager, Dehinde over what some people believed was basis for you and Tony Payne’s reunion, but that was not to be, would you share with us the true picture of things?
Well, I have worked with Dehinde for many years and we had great time together. It was time to move on to the next level and so we did. Now, I have a new manager, DON T, new team (J17MGT) and we are doing great things together and I believe things will materialise.
culled:TRIBUNE
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