29 September, 2012

Sound Sultan confesses: Beautiful girls tempt me


Widely known for his lyrical creativity, Olanrewaju Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan is a musician of a different class. The six feet tall, lanky guitarist who started music with an eight-man band about 12 years ago at the Benson and Hedges Competition Show has earned himself a place in the Nigerian music industry. 

Today, with six studio albums released and several collaborations with notable stars around the world, Sound Sultan is no doubt, one of the few respected Hip-hop crooners in the country.

Although, the Jagbajantis singer has been tagged ‘Nigeria’s Most Underrated Artiste’ by music buffs who feel he deserves a better place in the history of Nigerian Hip-hop genre. The Lagos State University graduate of Geography and Regional Planning says he is never deterred. “You can’t have it all,” he tells Entertainment Express during this encounter that lasted for about 90 minutes. 
“With the kind of music I am singing, it is not the kind of music that will suit everybody. If I have chosen that part, I should be prepared for what comes with it. I am a businessman, and if not for that and the love of the art, I wouldn’t have lasted this long and be relevant in the music industry.”

In this riveting encounter, the Ogun State-born father of two who just celebrated 12 years on stage with friends and fans at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos offers an exclusive inside-out view of his rise from musical zero to hero. His page-turner narrative is a rare expose on the life of one of Nigeria’s most talented singer.

Why is your brother, Baba Dee, not as big as you are?
He is quite popular also and he has done a couple of good songs. He did “Governor’s Daughter” and many more. He has not been enjoying much airplay since he travelled, but he is back now. He has his hands in many things, not just music, he directs movies and acts.
How about your other brothers?
They are not into music. One of them is a medical doctor. My sister is an architect and my elder sister is a lecturer in Lagos State University.
How did this music thing start for you?
Music was a bit more tedious back then. It was difficult to record your songs. It was difficult to get people to listen to you. At that time, there were no mobile phones to convey music like now. Now, we have things that can make your music move faster. Back then we were still recording with tape recorder (midgets). There was no way to bring your music out real fast. I remember, I formed a band back then for a competition - The Benson and Hedges competition which was an eight-man band. By that time I was doing a few shows in my neighbourhood. I used to go to Jazzville and all joints that had space for live music. I struck a deal with Diran Oyepade of Eko Reelmix Studio who gave me a session for rehearsals. He gave me free sessions and I went there with my band and recorded my rehearsals on tape. I used that tape to do my first tour. I remembered I used to mime the song on stage. After that I met with Jimmy Jatt and he was like he likes my sound, “Why don’t you perform at these shows?” That was when there was transition from tape to CD and a lot of shows didn’t have tape players. So, me and some other guys, we often bring our tapes and the organisers will say, “Sorry, we only have CD players.” So, Jimmy Jatt told me, “come to Obalende I just bought a machine that can transfer” and that was how I got my first CD. He did it for free, and that is why I always shout his name in my songs. When I got that CD, it was what I toured with for a year and half. I performed in Stermer Awards in 1998. So, when Nelson Brown saw me, he told me he liked my sound and asked where I stayed. I told him I stayed in Satellite Town. He was in Festac, he was recording Plantainshun Boiz, he told me he wouldn’t mind recording with me. We started working together and we came out with my first album. That was how everything started. The title was mtchewww (hiss sound) I wanted it to be the most used word in Lagos. It was the sound of a frustrated man, which was why I named it that way. That album won me eight awards: FAME Award, AMEN Awards. I won Best New Artiste, Best Afro Beat Song with Craze world. The following year, I had collaborations with Kennis Music and Dove Entertainment to release my second album. Kennis Music later released the third one and I released my fourth album by myself with my own record label, Naija Ninjas. My fifth album did very well in the market. Five albums running and twelve years down the line, I thank God for that.
When did you start playing the guitar?
It was in 1999. I won the Guitar from Benson and Hedges competition. I stayed with it all day and all night. The more time I spent with it, the more I began to learn.
How difficult was it learning the guitar?
It is not very difficult; I think it is by just knowing the right key and the sound it makes. Nobody taught me, I learnt by myself and by reading.
How did learning how to play a guitar change your entire music spectrum?
It would have been one sided and one dimensional if I hadn’t learnt how to play the guitar. Before I compose a song now, I just grab my guitar and inspiration will come faster. That is what people don’t know. It was what I used in composing one of my biggest songs, Motherland.
Tell us about the power of the guitar as a musical instrument.
The guitar cannot be compared with some other instruments. It is so difficult to learn. Even me, I don’t even know half of what it is for. I just use it to compose my songs.
Tell us about your experiences with collaborations.
It is a necessity in the music industry. I have had the opportunity of working with Wyclef Jean. Wyclef being a Grammy winner is a great thing for me. I have worked with him on four songs.
How was it like working with Wyclef Jean?
It made me feel that Nigerian artistes can be compared to American artistes as well. When he saw me, he told me even the American artistes we idolize cannot come up with what we came up with. That for me was a word of encouragement that till today makes me want to go international.
How do you write your songs?
Sometimes I write, sometimes I don’t write, they just come to my head naturally.
Where does the melody come from?
It comes from God.
You always talk about politics in your songs, why?
I have always told people that I use my society and environment as sources of inspiration. Whatever happens around me, I will write and sing. So, it is not just about politics, it is about anything that is happening around me. For me I take inspiration as it comes. I don’t like being predictable, so I come up with different topics and styles. It is about variety, but they must see sense in what I sing which is a constant thing with all my songs. There must be a message behind the music.
What makes a hit?
God first, because some songs, you just look at them and say, it’s not that bad, but they end up being your hit song, so it is God.
Give us an example.
I never take my songs for granted though but the last song I wrote for my first album was “Mathematics”, I wrote the song after I had compiled my album on my way to Enugu and that was the song that brought me up.
Critics still say you are one of the most underrated artistes, what is your opinion about that?
You can’t have it all. With the kind of music I am singing, it is not the kind of music that will suit everybody. If I have chosen that part, I should be prepared for what comes with it. I am a businessman, and if not for that and the love of the art, I wouldn’t have lasted this long and be relevant in the music industry.
What kind of businessman are you?
I just try to make sure I get some commercial songs in my album. There is no album of mine that comes out, and you won’t see a commercial song. I have the shows lined up.
How do you invest?
I invest in people because I have my own record label, and my own clothing line also. My own clothing line is called Naija Ninjas. I have been on the runway of Nigerian fashion show for three years. I have a studio of my own. We are just running our own business. I invest in property once in a while also. But I don’t discuss such things publicly.
Are you married?
I am a married man, I have a kid also. My wife is from the east but I still don’t discuss her publicly.
Why do you prefer an Igbo woman?
I don’t care if she is Igbo or Yoruba, all you need is a woman that gives you rest of mind, because that is what we men need.
Have you written a song for her?
I have written a song for her, but I didn’t mention her name in the song.
Are you romantic?
I try.
Have you done Marijuana before?
I don’t smoke and drink.
How do you survive the temptations?
It is just principles and discipline. Peer pressures have been something I have overcome since I was a child. I have always been the go-to-guy in my group. I have never been known to do what people do; instead people do what I do. I am a Muslim, so there are a lot of things I don’t do.
What has been your biggest temptation?
It will always be women; there is this issue of women clouding over the industry. I don’t know what they want from me or my marriage, whether it is money or bragging rights, I don’t know.
So, how have you been able to manage that?
I just keep praying and my wife understands.
How did you meet Wyclef?
He came for a show, and he wanted to do a song with three Nigerian artistes. That was how we were chosen. After that we exchanged contacts, featured on his own track. He came back and he featured on mine. We went to Kenya, did another song, shot a video, and since then we have been friends.
Is there any other international act you are friendly with?
That should be Akon. He is somebody I must do a collaboration with. We just know we’re going to do a collaboration some day.
How did you meet him?
I met Akon before he even became popular. It was some years before his first single, although he has started picking up. We did a show together, we met again when he came to Nigeria. I am friends with his DJ. I went to Kenya some years back and met with his manager who is a Nigerian guy. He was very warm and he took me to Akon. Akon was like, ‘Yea, we’ve met before’. So, we are cool like that.
How would you describe him as an artiste?
He is a very creative person. For him to have thrived in America is a big deal, because he is on top of his game in America. Everybody wants to do something with Akon, even the great Micheal Jackson.
How was it like for him working with Micheal Jackson?
I heard one interview he did, he just said he was more star-struck and that was how Micheal Jackson makes people feel. He is the epitome of stardom.
How did you take his death?
When I heard about his death, we were supposed to go out that night, but we didn’t, we just chilled in the hotel, watching CNN all night. It was sad, I was in Abuja for a show.
How do you see the Nigerian music industry today?
I see the industry as a rapid growing industry and at the same time, it is worrisome. It is not about the growth, it is about what it is going into. The foundation itself, something that is growing on a feeble foundation is worrisome. We don’t have the proper structure yet, there is still the issue of piracy, we don’t have our royalty returns, and there is nothing worth retiring to in the Nigerian music industry. When you work for money, money should start working for you at a time. Bob Marley’s family still make lots of money from franchise, the album sales, and likewise Fela’s children.
What is music to you, how do you define music?
Music is a tool for the mind, to clear all your worries. To pass a message as well. If you see people going to war, they chant music. It can be used to express emotions in different ways. So, it is a way of losing that seriousness and escaping from the serious context of life.
How will you describe your type of music?
No style. That is why I don’t blame them when they say they don’t know the category to put me when they are giving awards.
Don’t you feel frustrated when you don’t get these awards?
For me I don’t see it like that. I know myself, I performed with Wyclef in 2008 in Calabar and he was in the hotel watching me on TV perform and he said, wow, you got 50,000 people singing and you didn’t even sing. You don’t know what that is. So not getting awards is not underrating, you don’t judge artistes based on awards. All of us are just making our money, as far as everybody knows the kind of music you put and appreciate it, that is what matters. The music industry respects me, the top players in the industry respect me also, so that is what matters to me, not awards.
When I was coming I was expecting a guy with many chains, many hair, I didn’t expect you to be this simple.
I don’t mind, I like to keep it simple.
Has music brought you fortune?
Yes, it has. It depends on what fortune means to you, to the politicians it might mean money and all that, but for me it means, being able to keep my family, being able to feed them and not being worried on what to eat tomorrow. I’ve been doing music for a long time, and over these years I have not gone to beg anybody for money. So that is fortune. I can never be poor again.
Do you fancy cars?
I don’t, I am not that very flashy. “People don Yab me tire”. Before I even bought Blackberry it was war, a lot of talk. It was when I saw the importance that I bought one.
What is our biggest luxury?
I think it is investment. I always love to invest every year. Taking my family for vacation also is one of them.
Have you ever had any cause to cry in life?
I think it was the death of my parents. My mum died four years after my dad. She was ill before my dad even passed. I met her in a hospital in Gbagada and went back home. I was just outside when somebody called me and said we have lost her. I had this feeling of, ‘Oh I have not bought that house I wanted to buy for her’.These kinds of people have done things in your life and they are some sort of inspiration to me that one day I will repay them. Even if you don’t say it out; you just have it at the back of your mind. When my parents passed on, my younger ones were still in school,  I said to myself, I am going to make sure they are comfortable and I have done that.
Do you still reflect on the death of your mother?
Yes, I have a song for her also, which is Flying with the Bird in my last album and it featured Essence. Like what I said my music is me, what I feel and what I see. What it means to me is that I have lost my mum and I have to be there for the family. My only consolation is that she saw me rising, she witnessed my rise to stardom.
What is your greatest fear?
I don’t fear anything; I am just conscious of some facts in life like death. I just take everyday as it comes. It is not fear; it is consciousness because we already know we must die.
What next for Sound Sultan?
Taking my music to the international scene. I want to be the next Fela, someone they can reckon with from Africa. I have hundreds of songs I have written, I want to be known as a song writer even in the international scene. Fela was the only person I saw that took his music outside Nigeria. Now they know him and celebrate him in America more than here.
Who are your favourite artistes in Nigeria?
I don’t have, I reserve my comments on that.
How do you see Asa?
Asa is a good artiste; she has always come to me before she became big. I have done a lot of shows with her, done rehearsals with her, played instruments with her. She has cried to me, she is somebody who is so passionate for music. I appreciate her music a lot and how she has grown in the Nigerian music industry.
You said she had cried to you in the past?
Yes, she had been frustrated many times, had issues and you know she is a lady. This industry is made up of a lot of people. So making and driving other people to believe in your dreams is so difficult, only you know the passion inside you, so they come out to complement you, but anytime there is no money, it is like they are doing you a favour. She is so passionate about what she wants to get and how to get it.
What is your strength in Nigerian music industry?
I am just me. If you stay being you and not copying other people, you will be very strong in this industry.
How do you see Tuface?
Tuface is a very good guy, he is a humble guy. He is talented, so for me I take this stardom thing as a blessing to some people and as a curse for some people. It depends on how you use. Some people get high with their success.
How do you see D’banj?
He is a good guy; very business minded entertainer and he will always say it that he is an entertainer. He is a very sharp boy and I like him.
Give us your discography?
From 1995, I featured on Baba Dee’s album. I did Lekki Sun splash with him in 1996. In 1999, I won Benson and Hedges’ ‘Grab the Mic’. I released my first track, which was Jamgbajastic in 2001. I released my second album in 2004. In 2005, I released my third album. In 2008, I released my fourth album. In 2010, I released Back From The Future and now E Dozen Easy
Culled from Entertainment Express

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