Popular singer, Sound Sultan, has opened up on some of his life’s issues, projects so farm the way forward in his career and how his father’s death affects him. The rapper, who is regarded as one of the pacesetters of modern hip hop music in Nigeria, made this known in an interview with Glitterati. I stopped thinking like a boy when my father died – Sound Sultan.
See excerpts below…
On July 4, 2003 the music industry woke up to the shocking news that Sultan’s father, Alhaji Liadi Alarape Fasasi was dead. ‘It was very shocking to me,’ recalled Sultan.
I stopped thinking like a boy when my father died – Sound Sultan
“My father was my number one fan. I remember that I’ll be writing my songs, and he’ll be around to make contributions. In fact, one of the best songs on my first album ‘gen gen’, we wrote it together. At that point, I knew I had to be a man. I knew I had to stop thinking and acting like a boy. The boy in me died with my dad.”
Almost three years later, on March 29, 2006, he lost his mother.
I jokingly ask: ‘Do you see yourself as an orphan?’
He takes the recorder closer to his mouth, as if he doesn’t want the point to be missing. Then he smiles and says, ‘I see myself as a father.”
In an era where most of his colleagues have gone pedestrian, churning out half-baked, meaningless songs, and getting paid in full, Sultan doesn’t think he’s way too ahead of his listeners. He says he believes he can make pop songs which contain meaningful lyrics…
“I think the most important thing you need to consider is, do these songs have an impact? I’ll say yes. Take a song like ‘Motherland’; I’ve heard of loads of people who just started coming home after they heard the song. That gives me joy, because that’s why I wrote the song in the first place.
“But I understand also, that at times, the meaning of what you’re trying to say might be lost if you’re not careful. I remember when I did ‘Mathematics’. No one really understood what I was trying to say. The song would have just faded away if we didn’t make a good video that beamed light on the message in the song…it’s a sad thing, you see, that people don’t usually pay attention to what one is trying to say.
“I’m a graduate and that helps when I write. So I expect a guy in the bank or an oil company to pick up my CD and expect to hear serious, thought-provoking stuff. It hurts when people don’t pay attention to the lyrics and issues you’re trying to address with a song…”
Speaking further, he said, “I get scared when people compare me to Fela. Fela’s shoes are too big for me to wear. But when people compare me to Fela, it’s not like they’ll now start looking for me from the presidency of something. I’m not that confrontational.
“I have an animation video coming out soon. I won’t really say I haven’t made money. I’m OK. I put food on my table and I make money writing and producing songs for other artistes. But I also know that the music industry is getting better now. New money is coming in, and I’m ready to make that money with them now. Myself and Baba Dee, we’ve been working on songs. We have new materials that will surprise people when they hear them. I’m ready to make money now.
Also read Boko Haram is not about Islam – 2face reveals after visit to Sambisa [PHOTOS]
“It doesn’t mean I am selling out but knowledge of what people are doing now, that there’s a way I’ll still put my lyrics on groovy beats, there’s a way I’ll craft the lyrics that will make it appeal to more people. In a way, you can say that I want my album to sell out, not me. I think people want songs they can relax with, songs that won’t make them think too much. So I hope to achieve that from now on. Not that I don’t think this album will do that. But I’m looking into the future already. I’m looking forward to doing things my own way, taking care of the business myself.
“With Kennis Music, it’s been fun. They’ve had my back and it’s been nice having people take care of the business while you concentrate on your creativity. We’re family, and we’ve always been. I remember that I’ve been performing at their Easter fiesta long before I got signed on the label. But I’m certain that after this album, I’ll want to be more independent. I’ll want to go into more aspects of the business: publishing, fashion, merchandising and I’ll be doing more of TV too.
“After all the dancing I did on the video for ‘Mathematics’, I’m surprised when people still say they didn’t know I could dance. I think I could have won but I’m happy for the winner. It was pure fun. And I’ve already taken my fans’ advice not to let all that experience waste away.
You may also like Lady searching for guy who got her pregnant, threatens to commit suicide [PHOTOS]
“Just watch out. I’ve done a song with Pasuma already and we’re going to do a video where you’ll see all those dance moves we presented during Celebrity Takes 2. At least we’re lucky we can do a video and use all we learnt on the show, unlike Brian and Omowunmi, who can’t do a dance video, because they’re models…”
For more interesting entertainment and celebrity gists, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+.
