By Chrysanthus Ikeh
In this interview, the ‘Ukwu nka’ singer criticizes the Nigerian music industry for its poor structure, reveals plans of breaking into the international market and tells us what we should expect from his upcoming album…
How did you get into music?
Basically, after high school in 2004, I developed an interest in music. It was a friend of mine that introduced me to the studio. Professionally, I started doing music in 2011 in Nsuka, Enugu
Tell us, how did the audience receive your music in the industry?
After my first single in 2011, they didn’t really understand my kind of music because the audience prefers some basic sounds when it comes to Nigerian music; I received more props from outside the country than Nigeria. After that, I released my second single ’Bigger Better Best’ which I dedicated to my Port-Harcourt fans. It was a Hip-Pop song which also had positive feedback from the fans. The next single I did was ‘Ukwu Nka’ which was a massive hit. It got me a lot of attention, although I had people criticizing me after shooting a controversial video which involved nudity. Then I went on to release a video for the song ‘Vanity’, which is presently buzzing in the music industry.
Tell us about your 10-track EP?
The 10 track EP was to back up my singles. I released it to the audience to for them to see my body of work and hear my sounds from the biggest perspective. Most times people mistake me for an Igbo rapper but I’m not. I’m just an indigenous rapper, and once in a while I rap in my mother tongue.
Should the fans expect a compilation album that will have the entire Aristokrats roster?
Yes, of course, but there are a whole lot of projects we’re working on individually, from now till the end of this year. The fans should expect an epic Aristokrats album pretty soon, but not this year.
In such a competitive music industry, how do you plan to stand out?
It has to do with my music, because I’m not that kind of artiste that can be stereotyped. If you have listened to all my songs from the onset, you will notice they all have different feels, different stories and different attitudes that will never bore the audience.
Tell us what challenges you came across before finding fame?
Firstly, I’m a street boy. I was raised in the streets of Port-Harcourt. I was one of those guys who would wake up in the morning and sit in the street with the hood guys to while away time. I grew up without my parents; my dad left when I was five years old. He just disappeared, leaving the responsibilities to my mom. Later on, my mom left for the UK around 2002, so I haven’t seen her for close to 12 years. My aunt, who is a religious woman, took care of me, and at that time, music was a serious taboo, so they didn’t want to see me do music. [They even went to] the extent of [making me] sign an agreement saying that I wouldn’t go into entertainment when I went to school which I eventually went against because of my passion for music.
I hawked my first mixtape on the streets of Owerri, I can vividly remember how I took a bus to get to FUTO in Imo state to hawk my CDs there. I It wasn’t because of the money, it was because of the love for the Music. I really wanted the audience to appreciate my songs and understand my kind of music.
At one point, I almost left music to the side to fund myself, and that was how I got into videos. A friend of mine came back from Miami and brought his camera to me, saying that he wanted to start some video production, so we left Lagos to PH to look for someone who could help us. Coincidentally, it happened to be Leriq’s elder brother, so we discussed the camera issues before I went into Leriq studio, [where] I heard a beat playing which blew my mind so I asked if he had more beats, and he kept on playing them. Eventually, I told him that our meeting was divine, and that we were gonna work together. Along the line, Aristokrat’s CEO, Piriye ‘Peedi Picasso’ Isokrari came back from America, and when I met him, I didn’t let him know I was an artiste. Eventually, I uploaded my songs on the system, so we were just chilling and my songs started playing. He heard a few songs and asked who the artist was, and Leriq told him it was me.
Along the line, we signed a contract, but he gave me a target of 50 songs to record, which I exceeded, because I wanted to be a part of the label.
What is your mom’s attitude towards your fame since she left for theUK?
My mom is so happy for me, not just because I’m buzzing in Nigeria alone; she also hears my songs playing in London. Even though she is not a TV person or social media type, she always keeps in touch to know how I’m faring in the Music Industry.
How has being an artiste changed you?
I’m not going to lie; Music has really changed my life. It’s kind of spiritual to me. Back in my university days, I used to think about boycotting music for something else, but something would tell me not to even think of doing such. I don’t think I chose music, music chose me. It opened a whole new world for me. I’m focusing on doing what no Nigerian artiste in the industry is doing; I want to break into the international market legally, where my management and the foreign management company will collaborate so my music can air on American radio stations
Who is your favorite artiste in the music industry?
The artiste that inspired me into music and is still inspiring me it even if he is not as popular anymore is 50 cent, because it was when he broke into the limelight that I started discovering what music was all about, learning how to write verses, and arrange a song. I also imitated his rap style back in school, but I was advised to stop because I was told he rapped how he did because he had an accident in the mouth. But my biggest inspiration in the Nigerian industry is 2Face, because he is one person I know who is all about his music; music is in him. I once had a chat with him at the Star Trek event where I asked him what the secret of his prominence in the industry was, and he said to me: ‘My Brother na notin o, na just the music, me I just they think about the music all this business things no concern me, na just the music.’
So can we expect a collaboration with 2Face?
Of course. When I spoke with him about his music and everything, he told me he is trying to be more business minded, in the sense that he needs to help young artistes, because he feels he has not really given back to the society, so I said ‘Baba, about giving to the society, I’m right here also’ and we both laughed. But, actually, we are almost under the same label. 360 music covers Hypertek and Aristokrat, so I don’t see it as a big deal, it will happen when it happens.
So what’s next for Pucado?
My album will be dropping next year by God’s grace, and I’m presently pushing my EP mini album and trying to shoot three videos from the EP ‘Pukie The Great’, ‘I’m Cooling’ and ,‘Okeneme’ feat Illbliss. Seriously, I don’t joke with my videos, so get ready for great stuff.
How would you rate Nigeria’s Music industry right now?
I rate Nigerian music industry at 40% right now. We still have like 60% to meet up with because we’re loud noise makers, but we lack the structure for good music. But my songs are quite different. I have fans calling me from Angola who are still feeling my song ‘UkwuNka.’ I also have fans in the UK feeling my song ‘Bigger Better Best’. The music industry needs to build a solid digital market and performances and show organization is still very poor. I want to go to a show where the stage lighting and smoke effects are properly put in place. The industry needs a lot of work so that the international market can recognize and accept us.
How do you manage your female fans?
I show them love. As a real G, I have a fan page called FAFER gang MY ‘Fans And My Friend Ever Ready’ and most of my FAFER gang chicks are very real to me. If am going to Port Harcourt for an event, [there are usually] about 12 to 15 girls waiting for me at the airport to take me to where am I going, and that’s my packaging. You need to see me when I’m going to the club; I go with 10 girls because I love the ladies around me, I’m a ladies’ man.
What were your reactions to the criticism of your sound and comparisons to Burna Boy?
I’m a different brand. I’m a leader and not a follower, I’m the FAFER guy general, I’m going to lead my people with my music and my own sound. As far as I’m concerned, I’m not going anywhere; I will be here in the music industry doing my thing. The quality of my sound is not going to change for anybody.
What plans do you have for a collaboration with Burna Boy?
The funny is thing the amount of songs I have with Burna Boy could make a collabo album if I want to, but I’m against the normal blue print. It’s too clichéd. . I will do it my own way. Though a collaboration will happen between me and Burna Boy, it will drop when the audience won’t expect it. We are under different management but we are in the same label. But if my management doesn’t want a collabo with him, I won’t do it.
I’m not trying to make anyone feel like I need help in my career, I’m too creative for that.
