Born Olanrewaju Fasasi, Sound Sultan is one of the pioneer new generation music artistes in Nigeria. He is a rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, comedian and recording artiste. He is regarded as one of the pacesetters of modern hip hop music in Nigeria. With over 15 years’ experience in the entertainment industry, Sound Sultan still remains very much relevant and has never for once looked back. From ‘Jagbajantis’ to ‘Prayer’ to ‘Orobo’ and the most recent ‘Hello Baale, he has delivered over and over again. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, the Geography and Regional Planning graduate from Lagos State University reveals more on his coming project, his love for live music to mention but few.
Enjoy…
Why did you decide to be part of the One Africa Music Fest concert?
I decided to be part of the concert because I’m not a hater; because I like working for money and again, I’m African and I’m proud. I have been dreaming and fantasising about this kind of thing forever. I have my show. The first time I performed in the States was somewhere in Manhattan; they call it Soubise, I will like people to go and Google this Soubise and you will find out the best performers in the world, you will not find any of them not on that list that has not performed in that place. This form of concert is something I have been craving for and I’m glad we have one now.
How do you like performances, Live Music or the DJ mix?
I am a lover of live music performance because through that you appreciate the artiste handling the microphone so much; my love for live music cannot be measured; it makes you loosen up and connect to the audience much easy better than when you do the regular DJ Mix.
What’s your take on people who are of the opinion that live music is dead in Nigeria?
Let me say something: When you say live music is dead, it is not true. Live music will be live music forever, live music cannot be dead. If you don’t bring it to the forefront, it’s still there living somewhere. There are lot of places that if you want to listen to live music, you can get them, you know, so if you are not putting it on a major show, it’s all loss. You know for me as an artiste, I do not feel myself when I perform without my band, I do not feel myself, I’m not inspired, I’m not motivated and I feel like I’m short-changing the people listening to me. So for me, I would rather play live music.
Your kind of music is usually timeless, how have you been able to achieve that?
It all boils down to God’s blessing and favour over me and my career in the past years and now. If I say I can explain how I have been able to do it, it is all lies. Allah has been very wonderful to me.
How do you feel with the reception you have gotten since the release of your song ‘Hello Baale’?
That song is like six years old and I brought it back to life with video and that song was released on my album and that album was “Back from the Future”. So anybody that can think deep will understand that I came through 2016 in 2010 to make a song and I sold it to you in 2010 you didn’t like it and then I said I will wait for you in the future for you to gravitate towards it and understand it and that’s how my music is and here it is; everyone likes it in 2016.
What about Naija Ninjas, it’s not as vibrant as it used to be, why?
Naija Ninjas, I just feel that everybody have the time. For my artistes, everybody is working really hard, like my new artiste, Cam or Blaka. Blaka has a new video out featuring Iyanya and a young girl. It’s a very wonderful video. And I have something in the work that I don’t want to disclose yet that people will find out much later. Of course, our music production was wonderful. It’s sold, we must tell say that we made money from our music.
You are not pushing the brand as you ought to?
What brand?
The Naija Media brand especially the music brand!
The record label?
Yes, the records label….
I want you to understand that the label is more of an incubator. By the time we get the full service of what we are trying to work, you would have forgotten that you were dancing to Sound Sultan. Most of the artistes I’m grooming now, I don’t want to start making noise. Let your work speak for you; I always tell people, do not make noise but let your work speak for you. It is very delicate for the interviewer to say ‘ha I don’t know when so and so’. You have to go sieve information because if you have your DJ playing 120 songs per minute, you will never hear my music, that’s what I will say. You need to on your own make researches and for I cannot overstretch the emphasis on the fact that you already know that music is one dimensional in Nigeria right now.
After your joint movie with your brother ‘Head Gone’, any plan of another movie production?
Like I just gave people the edge on Hello Baale and people were like, wow, my brother is in Sweden. He should be back soon and we start production later in the year hopefully. Head Gone is just a stepping stone, you will definitely be getting more from us.
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