It started when I was 13, listening so some guy at school display in front of everyone in class. Wow! We were amazed, kind off new and strange seeing someone do stuffs like that! Little did I know that was the beginning my venture into rap, he was rapping! And when I got home that day, when I was doing the chores, I somehow just began making rhymes! And that was it! I began rapping! All thanks to that dude, although I never got the chance to tell him how he helped me discover my rapping skills which eventually turned out to be a passion. ‘They call me swift kid, cos I’m a nice kid, my mama got six kids and I’m the last kid’. Those were my very first lines, I just smile when I think about them now. I remember being punished in school for rapping in class with my friends, a lot of people in my class listened to me whenever I rapped the lyrics of some famous song then, I remember, it was titled; ‘Africa rapper number one’ by a Nigerian musician, M.I.
It was interesting and intriguing, I wanted to know and do more! Did I tell you all of this started when I was in Junior High School? Yeah, it all started in my Junior High School three (3). When I got to Senior High School, I made a vow to make my first recording before graduating, and of course, I made about four (4) recordings before I graduated. That was the start, I remember saving up my pocket money in school to make sure I recorded the songs during holidays. It wasn’t easy, watching people spend and buy things lavishly, but I just stood by the corner, waiting for who would give me a cut of whatever they bought. And as expected, we had gigs in school and I always performed.
I have been doing this for more than five (5) years now, without any support from no one. Some of my siblings did support, but lately it’s not been so, did I mention I dropped out of school because of this same passion? Yeah, I did drop out, not exactly because I wanted to, it just happened and since then I have been the black sheep of my family, sort of, at least in the eyes of my parents and relatives.
Music is expensive to do, and having no support from no one made it even more difficult and frustrating most times. In the later days, some friend of mine began supporting, helping me with what he had. Music is life, at least to me, when I do it I forget about everything else, sort of brings my sanity. It is my salvation, it’s not what I do, it’s what I am. What have I not done for it? I have done virtually everything! Crazy you might say, I have sold lots of my gadgets, even some that aren’t mine. Travelled to places for it, participated in several competitions, won just one, and that was a hundred thousand (100,000) naira only. (Laughs). I remember sleeping at the car park when I went on some of my trips, crazy right? I did of all this without minding, the passion kept me going. I jokingly tell my friends, I wouldn’t advice anyone to follow my steps, I have been through hell! (Laughs).
My dad wanted me to be a doctor, typical of every Nigerian Parent. I wouldn’t say I’m an amateur or an expert, what I can say is, it is what I am. Like I said earlier, it is expensive to run, and I have people around who wouldn’t support, or should I say, are scared to put in their money. (Smiles). But the amazing thing is, whenever I perform my art, the reception from the audience is always amazing, some even step up to me and put in the little money they have in my pocket. (Smiles)That gives me life!
I remember my very first video shoot, smiles… I never got to see it! Funny, but then the second, at least I got to see it, but then when I took it to a TV station it was rejected because of the low quality. The money was meant for school but then I used for the video shoot, and yet, got nothing from it. I almost feel as though this contest was made for me, (laughs) because I have a whole lot to tell. I even play the strings, (guitar), at least to an extent, awful it was when I started, the pains I had to endure on my fingers. I was meant to be in school writing my exams but I was somewhere in the world playing strings, learning how to play the guitar. Countless number of times my parents tried making me get rid of the guitar but all proved abortive. I was firm and had a definition of purpose, sometimes I wondered why music came to me, I mean, like, I would have been better off if it hadn’t come. I obviously said all of that because of the dark days. We all pay prices, or dues as they may be called, they come with ‘passions’ and yeah! I have paid mine.
I am still going back to school though, currently waiting to be readmitted in a better department which would give me enough room to do my craft, did I mention that the course I was reading at first wasn’t the best for me at all? Yeah! It wasn’t! I was reading biochemistry, really? What was I doing reading biochemistry? That also added to one of the reasons I couldn’t go on, I wasn’t comfortable with it. This is me! This is my life! Welcome to my world! This is who I am! And I’m sorry if you are not comfortable with it! I would rather not call it a ‘hobby’, that’s what my dad and some relatives call it, they think it’s ridiculous. (Laughs). But all I can say is, they don’t know me! I will leave you with some lines from me.
She always wana know how my week ends,
she’s always tryna come over for the weekends,
then I asked her, can you have my baby?
funny, all she told me was maybe. (Laughs)
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