[VIDEO] 2face Idibia Performs 'One Love' Live in London

All we need is one love..... 2Baba is passionate about sharing this in style and with vigor when ever he climbs on any stage of performing art. Watch this footage of his performance in London and you will understand.
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GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT! – IYANYA INTERVIEW

His songs are played on every radio frequency. His videos are on every TV station. Heck, he probably performs at every show. He’s the man with the monster hit “Kukere” and the party banger “Your waist“. He’s one of the hottest artistes right now.
He’s also the winner of the 2008 MTN Project Fame and the guy who spent 4 years after that pursuing a career as an R&B singer. 
But what do you do when you’ve spent 4 years of your life trying to get people to listen, and all they want to do is dance?  What do you do when you’re tired of trying and seemingly on your way to being forgotten? 
You “Give the people what they want,” he says.
Iybekorect9ja had this very honest interview with him. Turns out he needed to talk.

Another time, another place, who would you be?
Some weeks before Project Fame I was to go to the UK for an engineering course. And then Project Fame just came. I remember my uncles were like, “Guy, you’re already going to the UK!” And I was like, “No let me just try this thing, I feel that it will work.” And I just did it. So if I were not a musician I would probably be in one of these oil companies. Because me, I love money die. There’s no how I wouldn’t have found myself in one of these companies. *laughs*
What’s it like being finally famous?
Bruv. It has the good days, it has the bad days, man. There are times when I’m like: this is me. This is life. This is good.
And then there are times when it’s like there’s really nobody. But there are so many people around. I mean there’s so many people with you right there. But deep inside you feel like there’s nobody really with you. You feel lonely. There are things you wish you could do, you just can’t do em anymore because you’re a star.
Your small mistakes become big mistakes. But It has its good days, especially when you get paid. It’s amazing you know…you just go on stage, spend 5 minutes- sometimes do only a song- and they pay you money. It feels good. Yeah, it feels good.
And is it worth it?
Yes it is worth it. It’s worth it. I can say boldly that musicians are making more money than bankers. I’m just saying, looking at how much bankers put into their work compared to what we do… At the same time you have to understand that being a successful artiste is really not easy. Because your creativity has to… it has to fit your environment. There’s so many people out there doing music. So for you to come out and stand out it takes a whole lot of work. For you to stand out and be unique. Especially in Nigeria where EVERYBODY wants to sing.

How long did it take for you to figure out your music style?
Me, I’m a Soul singer. If you let me, I’d just do Soul. I’ve been singing R&B for the last 4 years and it was like people were not listening. In Nigeria if you’re a singer, it’s like you don’t have talent. Some people try to brand it, calling it ‘good music’, but you end up broke, and you’ll die broke, you know what I’m saying?
But if you give the people what they want. You’ll stay. You’ll eat. You’ll survive.
About a year ago, me and my manager, we just sat and said “You know what? We’ve been doing this R&B thing and it’s not working. Let’s look for a producer who can give us a sound that’s just different.” And then we met DTunes. We made ‘Kukere’. It took us three months to complete it. Because I was still struggling. Still thinking: “Shit mehn, I’m an R&B artiste, how will people see this?” So when I did the song I didn’t even mention my name in it. I didn’t want anybody to know it was me. And I remember when we dropped the song on the internet, some people were dissing it. They were like: “Bullshit! Crap! I’m disappointed in this guy, he’s joined the band wagon.” And mehn we just kept pushing, we just kept pushing. And it’s a blessing right now to see people have accepted it.

What was it like being an R&B singer at the time?
I was doing a lot of R&B and all I was getting was “Hey bros… Nice voice, bros… Nice one.” And even when I go: “Can I be on your show?”, they’d go “Ahn ahn… For what now? What can you sing?”. Sometimes they’d say, “You’ll perform oh but I won’t pay you.”
And I was tired of just being a show starter. I craved for headlines. I craved for… You know when you walk into a crowd… And you see the place full…and they’re waiting for you, anticipating. I wanted that to be me. I was tired of just going upstage with a guitarist and  having girls just scream…and then that’s all. And even while you’re still trying to sing and run scales you can see the show organizer back there signaling you to cut it short and get off.
 What would you like to see happen?
I was telling somebody yesterday… I crave to be in a show- like in Eko hotel- and sitting down at one of those tables and 4 guys come out and do the Druhill R&B thing: harmonies and the soft choreography. Ah mehn… I couldn’t really do that. Nigerians were not ready for that. I remember when I would do campus shows. Once you start doing all those R&B things the students start shouting “Thank you, thank you…” You know, it was depressing.
So right now… I feel the pain of so many talented singers. A lot of them are finding it hard to transit from r&b to pop. It’s very hard.

Do you think Nigerians will ever care bout R&B?
Bruv. I pray for that time. I pray for that time mehn. But I don’t really know. I think the problem is that…you see, Nigerians take what you give them. The radio, TV guys play more of the pop than the R&B. Nigerians are hearing the pop on radio and watching it on TV so every time they see an R&B guy they go: “This song is nice oh, but no be wetin dey reign now.”  Nigerians will go mad if trey songs is in Eko hotel. Nigerians will die if Ryan Leslie comes… or Tyrese or Mario. The venue will be packed. Girls will be singing every song word for word. But if a Nigerian does good music like that, they’ll be like, “What’s this one, what is he feeling like?” I don’t know if that time will come but…I hope.
I think if a group comes… 4 boys who are like 18 and can sing and dance very well… I think they’ll make it. People will love them: “Cute kids. Ok,  they can sing…” and it’ll help. But if its grown men… Omo… E go hard. They will work hard.
I pray it comes. Almost 200million people. And you can’t say this is an R&B album. You can’t say this is complete pop album. We don’t even have a complete Reggae artiste. You find reggae artistes singing Alanta. Or somebody that says he is a soul artiste has an r&b song called Azonto. That’s madness now.
This is what we do in Nigeria: The label that signs an artiste says: “You have to do 2 songs. One R&B, one pop.” Every promo CD you see now has the artiste and the song for the people. But what can I say mehn. You have to give the people what they want. You see, my example of a true artiste is R Kelly. I’m inspired every time I listen to R Kelly. Every time I go back and watch his videos. The fact that he has done everything means that artistes should be able to challenge themselves.  We should be able to say this is me, for the people who love that ‘me’.  And for the other people, okay, take this one and pay me.
That’s how it’s gotta be. R Kelly has done classics. He’s done reggaeton, he’s done …there’s nothing he hasn’t done. Right now he’s on that Isley Brother level… Now appealing to the older crowd. So I would love to follow that lane. That’s what’s up.
 How are you going to stay relevant?
It’s not easy. But because of the passion I have, I see myself staying. I’ve been able to decode those small small tips. There are small things that once you get them, sound-wise, lyrics-wise: Good sound. Good producer. Simple lyrics. Nice melody, you’re good.
If you sing a song, explain too much, talk too much…people go like: “You’re not serious.”

Nigeria…I feel like there’s too many problems…too many problems…people don’t have time to sit and think… The shocking thing even the big boys that you expect to want to hear serious music…when they’re calling for there shows in banks and companies they call the guys that will make them dance.
I see myself staying. Been around for a while… I believe I’ll be around for more years.
Do you have those people that right now you’d like to rub it in their faces?
There are plenty mehn…but I don’t rub it in their faces… Everybody that looked down on me… Everybody that did not believe in me, I’m thankful to them. I’m thankful to them. You know why? They’re the reason I’m here.
All those people I did shows for, who said they were not gonna pay me. All the ones that I said you can you play my song on your station? And they were like: “mshew, people don’t listen to this music, this is crap.“
I’m more thankful because they’re the same people calling me back. The same people seeing me and taking pictures, the same people saying: yeah, I’m proud of you. So you know, it’s all good. Cuz in life yeah, when people underrate you, it’s your decision to…say, “Ok, maybe I’m really fucked and full of shit.” Or say, “I have to disappoint this guy, I have to show them there’s something in me.”

See bruv. In the last two years…all the people that looked down on me…all the people that rubbished me I can tell you that all of them, completely, all of them have called me back. Not one left out. All of them. Somebody, 2years ago, was like: “Guy you’re full of shit, anything I do for you is because of a certain person…because I just want him to help me do something.”
And the same person calls me back and says guy: “I just want you to know you’re the bomb. You’re the shit right now. I’m proud of you.”
So I’m not like: “Oh this is me. How’d you like me now?” I’m just getting challenged. And the fact that I’m only a year in the spotlight right now and those same people are back. Means that if I don’t work harder, these same people are waiting to laugh at me. Look back a few years ago. We had other artistes rocking. The same people that used to see them and go…Please can we get an interview? They see these same people and let them pass. I’m in the club an old artiste comes in. I see the way bouncers treat them…I see the bartenders look at them and go mchew..this one.
So I just realized mehn its more than getting caught up in the whole hype. Nothing in this whole thing is real. It’s just hype. It’s just entertainment. There’s a whole lot of work needs to be done.
Look at me now…5 years ago…same people that would see me and wouldn’t interview me…same people that would see me and pass…same people now see me and go ahhh… Same clubs I used to go and couldn’t get into VIP, same bouncers that used to stop me and say you cant go in, and somebody has to say: you don’t know this guy, he won Project Fame now,” And they’d go, “So what? Same bouncers see me now and start to hail.
There’s no going back on this mehn. Ice prince said “We go wash their eye till they cry soap.” Whatever it’s gonna take mehn to keep moving, we do it. That’s what’s up.

[Video] MI gets fooled!

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MUSIC: Omo Akin – All The Girls (Refix) ft. Jesse Jagz

Omo Akin returns with the refix to All D Girls featuring producer extraordinaire Jesse Jagz. Download and share your thoughts.

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