.png)
By 
8:11 AM
where he opened up on his career and how he
plans to remain relevant. Read Excerpts After The
Cut……………
What has been happening to Olamide?
A lot of good things have been happening to me
and my crew. I have been doing what I love doing
and I am getting paid for it. That ordinarily comes
with a good feeling, I can’t deny that. I have a lot
of things that I am working on right now and we
are working day and night to meet up with the
demands of the industry. Which is staying on top
of your game while you can, having in mind that
the phase will soon pass. You have to make sure
that you make your stay worth the while.
Is this why you have featured in different
singles more than any other artiste lately
and what are you trying to achieve with
this?
You know people are very funny. When I was not
featuring in other people’s albums or singles, they
were the ones saying on twitter and other social
media platforms that Olamide is proud, he’s not
friendly and all sorts of things that you can’t
imagine. But now that I have been working with a
whole lot of artistes in the industry, they have
come out to say I should give myself a break. I
wonder what the people really want? The truth is
that you can’t live your life for the people. You
have to do what you feel is right for you to keep
your career on the right track.
So, you don’t care about what people say
about you anymore?
I didn’t mean it like that. What I am trying to say
is that if you continue to listen to what people say
every time before making your decision, you may
not make the right decision at the end of the day
and you may also make the right decision. What is
important is your attitude to what you do. It does
not mean you won’t listen to them or take to their
pieces of advice, you just have to be truthful to
yourself and make sure you are doing what you
believe is in the best interest of your career. I just
want to remain on top of my game. I know I have
what it takes to run the show for as long as God
permits me. But time will tell. I am growing by
the day and I am enjoying every bit of my
moment in the industry.
You once said that your hustling days are
over, but you don’t seem to be slowing
down. You are always at every major show
around town…
I am an ambitious young man. I love to always
push myself to the limits. We have a lot of things
going on in the industry now that would really
make you sit tight and buckle up. Asides that, I
have gone through a lot before I could arrive at
this level, to God be the glory. When I look at
where I was coming from and where I am today, it
only reminds me of one thing, never stop
dreaming big and don’t ever look down on
yourself even if nobody believes in you. You have
to make sure you have got what it takes to stand
the test of time. Olamide didn’t just arrive over
night. It has been a very rough journey, but God
has been good to me. The truth is that people
have not seen the best of Olamide.
You said one should not look down on his or
her self; it seems you have a lot beneath
that sentence. Could you share some of
those rough experiences with us?
Everybody knows my story or let me say I try to
let people know my story with the way I sing so
that you won’t come and tell me tomorrow or the
people that you did or that for me when I was this
or that. When I compose my songs, I always try to
bring my rough days into retrospect. I remember
how I waited many years for my single to be
promoted. I was always told to wait. When I
couldn’t wait anymore, I had to look for another
way round it. A lot of people turned me down
because they didn’t believe in me. I have nothing
against them because that’s life for you.
Everybody can’t believe in your dream, even if it
is the most beautiful one. Today, it is practically
difficult for anybody to come out and say what I
had already said about myself in most of my
songs.
Why did you say that?
You know people are funny. I am sure you are
aware of how some people could wake up one day
and start saying what is not true about your life.
So, in order not to be shocked when you hear or
see something like that, you have to prepare your
mind and that of your fans. I always sing about
the story of my life in my songs so that if you say
something about it tomorrow, the people would
tell you that they heard me say it before.
Now that your dream has been fulfilled and
you can also stand on your own, what’s the
feeling like?
I feel great. I feel honoured. I feel so happy. But
above all, I thank God, to whom I give all glory.
Are you surprised to have arrived at this
level?
To an extent, my rise came as a shock but at the
same time, my only wish since I was young was
to rise above my peers and make a name for
myself in whatever good I find myself doing. I
strived hard to come out with something
everybody would appreciate, plus the recognition
that has marked my career. I will say my rise to
stardom has not been a fluke. I have worked
tirelessly over the years trying to break into the
industry and studying the rules of the game so as
to become relevant. You don’t want to know how I
waited and prayed to taste fame.
How has music changed your life?
Let me say that music took me away from
wandering about the streets to doing the right
thing at the right time. It has reshaped my life and
taught me that hard work, talent and God’s grace
are very important in every man’s life. I can say it
boldly that those who never believed in me can
now see that I carry a special grace. That is why I
will remain grateful to ID Cabassa. He was one of
the good people God used to turn my life around. I
won’t say more than that because I know you
would want to probe me further.
Now that music has taken you away from
the streets, what do you miss most about
it?
I really didn’t miss anything except for the life on
the streets. I never wanted to remain on the
streets. I have learnt a lot of lessons my brother,
but one thing that readily comes to my mind each
time I remember where I was coming from is the
fact that the secret of success goes beyond
making good music. Every right-thinking artiste
must possess a good character to sustain the
success that comes his way. You must have the
character that could help you sustain the test of
time. Trust me; rising to stardom comes with a lot
of challenges, but you can only overcome them
when you have a good sense of understanding
about life itself.
Posts
0 comments