It’s still hard to believe that you have left us in this world. It struck like thunder when the news of your death got to me in the early morning of the 4th of May 2015. The fact that you put a call through to me from your sick bed just about two weeks ago makes it more difficult to face the fact that you are no more here. Knowing you left on the 3rd of May for a better place, it’s still hard to take. You have fought and won many life battles. You will remain a champ.
I can still hear your voice that early morning sometime in February 2013, when you called to request for a column in Mystreetz magazine. All you wanted to do was to contribute your quota for the improvement of the Nigerian entertainment scene through the magazine. You never failed to submit your column, ‘Sly’ Music Diary’ and ‘Album review’ monthly as we hit the newsstand. As the industry mourns and celebrates all the great things they leant from you, I will like to share with the rest of the world, your first interview I ran inside Mystreetz magazine in the year 2013 prior to when you started your column. You are a great man and will remain one of the most inspiring entertainment heads I ever knew.

THE INTERVIEW

How did broadcasting start for you?
Well, my broadcasting career began quite unexpectedly as I was an ardent radio listener & lover of Classic (quality) music, but never imagined I would become an OAP because I was in Banking (surprising abi?). In the course of marketing, I met my then Program Director (Tintin Da Koolness) who harnessed my knowledge of music & innate presentation skills (I never knew I had) and turned me into what I am today. Sometimes, we need a “trigger element” in our lives & he was mine; my respect always goes out to him!

Apart from being a Broadcaster, what else do you do or intend doing?
When I’m not broadcasting; I’m a partner with a small/medium scale Branding/Image/Print & Packaging Company. I also provide consulting for Kruiz Tees (A creative T-shirt Clothing Company) who constantly quenches my desire for T-Shirts (laughs).
I’m also looking into learning more about Film & Music Production, Creative Writing & Publishing (so maybe I’ll be giving you a run for your money someday).

Tell us all you know about the state of Hip-hop in Nigeria (how it started, where it is and what to expect)?
Wow! Hip Hop; where do I begin! I’ve loved Hip-hop since secondary school. I loved it so much, I used to cram Rap songs, album names & record labels, year of release etc.

The state of Hip hop In Nigeria has indeed come a long way & I must say, we must be proud of ourselves. I remember owning a Junior & Pretty tape: Fufu Flavour but I never knew we would blow up this much. A Lot of Evolution brought crews like Swat Root, Thoroughbreds, Da Trybe etc. However, the content of the music matters a lot. Even back then, Junior & Pretty made a lot of sense with their lyrics, is it comedic or political. Real Hip hop MCs in Nigeria today have understood what lyrical content is all about, even though everybody wants to sell through a lot of mindless commercialism. MCs like Modenine, M.I Terry Tha Rapman, Vector, Show Dem Camp, Str8 Buttah (deceased MCs Dagrin; Big L & Tipsy of the Aluu4) and a few others comprehend the fundamentals of content, flow & delivery!

Due to the increasingly harsh financial terrain in the industry, we can expect a lot more commercial attempts at Hip hop mainly to make a “quick buck” which is understandable, but the fundamentals of Hip hop are beginning to take its course so more refined/quality Hip hop can be expected.
What Ingredient & level does an artiste need to get to before his/her song can be considered evergreen?
Like I mentioned earlier, the content/message behind the music goes a long way in determining the “evergreen” potential of the material.

Making music for the moment may earn the artiste good money, but is that really how the artiste wants to be remembered? Each artiste wants his/her songs to be recalled for the depth it has.

Take Asa’s debut album for instance; It’ll never be forgotten simply because there’s a message in every song & that’s what today’s artistes should learn. Life isn’t only about parties!

What are the negatives and positives in the music and broadcasting industry today?
I wouldn’t say there are negatives (because both industries have developed tremendously) more like learning points; for music; it’s mainly lack of content just to make a “quick buck”! This can be improved with deeper research processes!

Such can be said about broadcasting too. Broadcasters are agents of information & as such, proper research is needed at all times for dissemination to the public. Personal beliefs have been dispersed a lot, where FACT should prevail.

If you had first hand power, what 3 things would you change in the entertainment industry?
Given the power, I don’t think there’s really much to change because I’ve talked about content & you can’t really change that. It has to be inherent in the artiste. Other things that would be of concern however, would be (a) the copyright battle – to find a level platform for all parties and (b) Proper classification of Music to reduce exposure of indecent material to younger audiences.

A lot of ladies in the Nigerian music industry don’t have what it takes to last long and compete favorably with the men, what do you think is the problem and how can this issue be addressed?
Indeed there are more males within the industry but saying women don’t have what it takes is absolutely untrue! Women are just as enlightened as the men (in some cases, more) and should have equal opportunities at stardom. We must always recall the musical strength of people like Onyeka Onwenu, the late Christy Essien Igbokwe, Dora Ifudu, Oby Onyioha, Mandy Ojugbana to name a few.

With the presence of quality females singers & artistes in the industry such as Asa, Yinka Davies, Sasha, Blaise, Kel, Waje, Lami, Eva Alordiah, Jodie etc, and upcoming talents like Diwari; it shows the level of exposure women in music have attained & they too have shown they have a lot to offer the industry.

Give us an insight into your personal life?
About Me, Hmmmn, Let’s See! The last of 5 Kids, Husband & Father of one Daughter
I had my primary, secondary & university education in Lagos. I majored in Economics which resulted in a short career in advertising & banking. I love football; Repping Chelsea Till Death!

I like to hang out, share views & ideas with friends & generally engage in constructive and enlightening discussions.

REST IN PEACE MY FRIEND
Your voice and thoughts shared with your audience on ClassicFM and Mystreetz magazine will forever live with us.

– Sesan Adeniji

Extracted from Mystreetz Magazine( Cynthia Morgan’s edition )