By Dimeji Ogedengbe
On a sunny afternoon, Nigerian R&B newcomer, Femi Adeyinka walks into NET office, dressed in a grey T-shirt, brown pants and shoes. He comfortably sits at the reception as he prepares for his interview with chief correspondent, Dimeji Ogedengbe. The US returnee and younger brother to ace comedian Gbenga Adeyinka opens up on how his signing on to Kennis Music became a reality, his admiration for Nigerian R&B front-runners, and his emerging love life.
It’s been a long time coming. Since you returned and dropped your debut single ‘Never felt the love‘, everyone has been expecting more from you. One would have thought the Femi buzz should be everywhere by now. Why do you think it has slowed down?
Truthfully, I don’t think it slowed down in my perspective but it depends on the perspective of everyone else. I dropped ‘Never felt the love‘ and ‘Money, Money, Money‘. Another thing I would like people to understand is that dropping an R&B album is not the same thing as dropping a rap album; there is a different kind of gradient that goes into it. Also, I not dropping the album immediately is because I’m on a label where there’s an order, which determines when an artiste drops an album. For me, what played into it is the fact that we had to take time to make sure we put out the best , because I believe in the theory of ‘You got just one opportunity to do it‘ and I want to make sure I do it well.
How long have you been around in the country?
It will be two years at the end of the year.
Did you have your own plan before coming back?
Actually, when I came back to Nigeria I had no plan if I was going to sign on to a label or not. I came with an open mind to bring in what I already had. I had ‘Never felt the love‘ and some other songs recorded. My brother and I sat down to discuss ‘where is the best fit for us?‘ We did a lot of research and spoke to a lot of movers and shakers in the industry. Then we made the decision to check out Kennis Music. They were very receptive to my sound. When you are going to do something, you must have a mind for it and eyesight for the future. I notice they (Kennis Music) had that, so we had the meeting. We did not even sign immediately. It took about a few weeks and made sure everything was right, but at the end of it, it was the right marriage for Femi and till now, I have no regrets.
How many singles do you have out?
I have just dropped two new singles. One is the album title ‘CAPITAL F.E.M.I‘ and the other is called ‘Playlist‘. Added to the previously released songs, that makes four. We are trying to get radio play now and will be going on a radio tour soon. A video is also in the works and will released before the album comes out.
So far, would you say music has paid you or is paying you?
I would say music is paying me. My father says to me every morning, ‘Femi you’ve just arrived‘ and I make sure I put that in my mind. My genre is not the top genre of music in this part of the country, but I believe it’s making waves. I also feel that with an album like mine, it will unquestionably make a definition to come from R&B as a whole. We also have people like Darey and Banky W doing their stuff. You have someone like Darey who is dropping an album this year (as at the time of this interview, Darey was yet to drop his album), I’m dropping an album this year and if I’m correct, I think Banky also has something in the works. So I really feel this is the year of R&B.
Sometimes when people look down on R&B singles, do you feel discouraged?
I don’t feel discouraged. Infact I am more encouraged because it is not as bad as many people think. It’s just that not a lot of people are doing it; it’s only a few. The good thing about it is that the few who are doing it do a very good job about it. If you listen to the radio, you’ll hear Darey, Banky and Femi so it’s not played down as it seems. It’s just that there are not a lot of people doing that genre of music. Look at Dr. Frabz, some of his songs are of R&B genre. So R&B is definitely making its way. I am very encouraged and blessed to be considered as one of those people doing R&B.
What collaborations do you have on your album?
Definitely, I have Kennis Music artistes on it; I also have others who are not on Kennis Music label.
Who are they?
Don’t worry, you’ll find out.
So when is the album dropping?
We are looking at dropping it very soon. It’s one of those tricky things. The album is almost done; it’s just about playing with dates. Let’s say in less than two months. All four singles dropped will definitely make the album.
Your body is well built but you are short!
(Cuts in – laughing heartedly) Yeah, you cannot have it all. There is no way you can have it all. You can have some but not all. I wasn’t blessed with height.
Hope it doesn’t get you into trouble with women?
No, it doesn’t because I’m very career oriented. My mind is on my career right now. My dad always tells me that women would come anyway, but when they start coming and you don’t have the right substance, you’ll be surprised at the kind of women that will come at you. He also said ‘women are coming after you now, there is nothing wrong with that, but just make sure you are focused’. Women are not my issue right now. If you see me at an event, most times I’m always with my brother or my Kennis music family. I’m just focused right now on doing what I have to do.
No matter how it is, you and I know that you must still have a woman close to your heart. Whom are you dating?
(Laughs) Someone once told me that, no matter what, a man must have a companion. I would like one person to be in my life right now. This is the time to find that right person. It just happens to be at a time when I am about to drop an album. I just want to make sure things are done correctly and that is taking so much of my time. So I’m trying to balance that.
So which lady is in the picture right now?
There is none for now. I wish. I’m always open-minded (Laughs out loud). Let me give you my criteria: She must be God-fearing, has to be able to understand what I take. At the end of the day its work and if she can understand all of those things, okay. Let me just know who she is.
Since you have given your criteria, should we be expecting Femi to walk down the aisle before the year runs out, if the perfect lady shows up?
I don’t know about the altar, but you may hear that Femi is in a relationship.
Basically, your brother has contributed immensely to your career…
My brother’s brand and the person he is, has made it comfortable for me to be in the limelight right now. The fact that he is doing well as an entertainer has also given me a lot of attention. So definitely, I don’t take anything away from that. My brother definitely paved the way for me. If he wasn’t successful at what he’s doing, you’d probably not have heard of me so he played a big role. He has done well and is still doing well in the entertainment industry.
When your album finally drops, give us five reasons why anyone should have a copy…
One, my music speaks for itself. I don’t think anyone can say my music is not good. There a difference between ‘it’s alright’ and ‘it’s just there’. It is not about cockiness. Two, you get to know who I am. Three, it is not different from the norm but it’s different from the norm, so it’s something else to listen to. Four, I’ve worked hard with my whole team, producers and Kennis music and five, it’s an album to have because it’s one of those collections you’ll want to have, like you have Terry G‘s, Timaya‘s, Jaywon‘s and some others. Also, if you want to impress your lady, you have something to relax to.
Which Nigerian artiste would you say is working for you?
I like Darey’s stuff a lot. I also like someone who people might think is crazy, Terry G; he is very talented. Although many people think he is making a lot of noise, if you are really close to him, you would know what I am saying. Another person is my label mate, Jaywon. If you listen to the airwaves, you will hear his music because he is grinding hard. Also, Goldie and I’m not just saying this because she’s my label mate but because she’s really making herself stand out when it comes to stage performances and presence. I am really enjoying those people. There are so many other people though; we have 9ice, Asa, Naeto C and so many other people doing good music.
Which international musician inspires you?
It began with the D’banj/Snoop Dogg collaboration, which I think, is a very big feat. Let’s look at the other way round; it should come to a point where International artistes want to collaborate with us because our industry is growing. Nigeria is the next biggest music industry in the world. Of course, we’re still working on some things, one of them being our structure. If you listen to the sounds in the states, you would realise that many people are using African sounds and drums. Someone I would definitely like to do collaboration with is Stevie wonder. If I get to do a song with him, I would say I’m done because he just a genius. Others include Brian Mcknight, the late Michael Jackson and Joe. These people influence me.
Are you part of the artiste coalition?
I am part of anything that is the front-runner of the ‘change’ we all desire to make the industry better. For me, it’s one of those things we’re all trying to understand. What we do is not just a hobby; it’s what we do for a living. Many artistes just want to get into a club, but it is not easy. So I’m definitely part of anything that moves what we have here in Nigeria.
Do you think the coalition would work?
I believe anything people put the right ideas together and do with the right intention would always see the light of the day, so I believe so. Coming from the states, I understand what this all means. I believe we’re moving in the right direction.
