For sometime now, Ahmedu, who would now love to be referred to as Blackface Naija, has been a scarce commodity in the music scene, making tongues to wag that he has nothing more to offer and has thus gone underground.
But speaking exclusively to nigeriafilms.com, Blackface says his critics are wrong, adding that his latest effort will shut their mouths permanently.
He also revealed for the first time the reason he went underground, why his new album is the bomb, his life with marijuana and on many more issues. It’s da bomb. Enjoy:
Growing up
Since I’ve been a kid, I have always listened to music as one of the things I found when I was growing up. I just followed it from there. I listened to a lot of people, so many singers from Bonny M to Sledge Sisters and Whispers.
Then I decided to write my own music. Overtime, I started listening to hip hop, and people like Tupac, Nas, Methodman and Redman inspired me. Then I started listening to dancehall of Sizzler, Elephant man and also R&B. That is why when I bring out my music, it’s a whole lot of musical idioms.
Environment inspires me
I derive my inspiration from the environment generally. I have a new song on radio, Gen for my Head, as you are sitting down, you can hear the sound of generator. It is constant. We don’t need that noise to create. So, I keep asking myself, what is the reason for that generator on my head? Why? There must be something wrong and whatever is wrong, we have to put it right. But it is killing me. You never thought about it until I point it out to you.
So, a musician has to be creative in his environment. The generator gives me a new sound, reasoning and melody. So, the environment basically is what I use to sing my song. If I am writing a love song, I must be feeling love and am married to the best woman in the world, and my woman gives me so much love in so many ways. I can write about it in several ways. And some friends are backbiters, that would give me another inspiration and some ladies would want to come and get your pulse and get out, I write about that also and some haters don’t want to see you, I write that also. What I see, I write about.
Dancehall Business
Before now I had an album, Me, My Music and I that has tracks like Erima, Ghetto girls, The Way You Move, and If You Leave Me. After that, I went on tour of Europe. I went to Switzerland and Italy. In Italy, I played in Modina and Torino. I also went to Palma de Mayoka and Malaga in Spain. This was one of the times that I was able to reach out to my fans in some other parts of the world.
Right now, I’m back home and since December that I came back, I have gone back to the studio. I have finished the recording of my next album, Dancehall Business. I already have some singles out on the radio and people are feeling some of the sounds and I’m feeling some of them too. I know when the album comes up that’s when they are going to feel it more. I’m just like getting ready till I put the album out and the release date is March 27. From then, I’ll start showing the videos.
What to expect
Nigerians know what to expect because it’s got to be the next stage of Blackface Naija since they have been following me for sometime. When I came out with Ghetto Child, they were there for me, I dropped Evergreen and Jungle Fever, they were there for me. I went to Me, Music and I, my fans were still there for me. After that, I gave a two-year grace before I came out with the new album. So, you can imagine how long they can wait to get a hold of some lyrics from me. It was not deliberate but I was getting ready for them like they want to hear from me and I got caught up with the tour. The new album features some artistes like Spiderman, Rocksteady, Oti and Ruffman, among others.
I discovered Tuface
I am the CEO of Loudhouz Entertainment. I have discovered a lot of talents because it is not for me to tell you that I discovered this or that. And if I tell you that I discovered Tuface Idibia, you will say it’s a joke. Most of the songs that he rendered were songs that I created and most of the songs that he delivered are songs that I have decided that this was the way it got to go for this artiste.
So, it’s just about me being the CEO and to know who’s good and who’s not but in between I still got myself as Blackface Naija. However, Tuface is my friend and brother. Sometimes you are closer to your friend more than your brother. Sometimes you are closer to your neighbour than your brother because your brother is not there but your neighbour is there, and he’s always asking you how you are doing.
You can be close to your neighbour because he is talking to you more and you are both relating more. So being my friend, being my brother has got nothing to do with it. For me Tuface is a friend, he is my buddy and we’re just moving forward.
Re-uniting Platashun Boiz
The Platashun Boiz is a group that was formed by me. Tuface and I were the ones that said it’s cool to have somebody else in the group so as to bring out a different kind of opinion, a different kind of vibes. It’s possible to get together once more. I’ve been in the Plantashun business for a very long time. We’ve had times that we were supposed to be taking decisions together and we are not doing so because of distractions from different places. I remember all the works that I did for all the time we were together as Plantashun Boyz like building the group, writing the songs that the group sang, writing the songs that made the group famous.
We never had videos but we have the sounds and that is the issue but then the video is very important. Now it’s time to get the videos done and nobody is sitting on the table, so what’s going on? I’ve been worried about that for too long and I don’t want to put my mind to it any more. So, I feel its time to do my thing. It is not that I do not have love for my brothers like Tuface and Faze but they are doing their own thing. They are the ones that have the big videos but it’s time for me to do my own thing. It’s time for me to kick start my career once again.
Celebrating 10 years in music
I have been in music for about 10 years. I don’t have to celebrate it because a lot of people have been celebrating it already. People that have my albums in their homes have been celebrating the fact that I’m still there to give them more. When we get corporate bodies that are trying to work with us, then we can showcase one or two things about ourselves. But for now, we are just getting the fan base ready. A lot of people have been doing music, enough respect for them, but we know that when the masquerade comes out, the vibe is going to be different.
Music then and now
When we started, we didn’t use to do like copycats, trying to copy somebody’s lyrics and all that. We used to create something new that if someone that is creative hears it he would know that it’s something done out lots of thinking. Right now, everybody just creates from what has been created. I got to spend sometime to create music that is mine and with a landmark that this is my song but everybody is just jumping into other people’s song, they jump into me, they jump into foreign artistes. You have to take your time as a musician to create. Nobody says you cannot dribble like Ronaldo but dribble like Ronaldo with your own style. Everybody wants to be Kaka and Gerald. But it’s better to be yourself.
Me and marijuana
Weed, marijuana, ganja, can you ask yourself a question? The most prominent people in the society do they smoke weed? If somebody as great as Malcolm X could make a change in the world so why do you think he shouldn’t. Asking me about marijuana is like asking why a footballer uses boot, because it is to prevent him from getting a bad foot. Both of us are under a building which can collapse now. Let’s just live and give praise to the Most High and stop asking ourselves questions like why are we watching TV. You drive in a car, there is hazard, you send your children to school, there is hazard, you go to your office, there’s hazard. We all live with the hazards of life.
On my dreadlocks
My dreadlocks are gone. I came back from Europe and couldn’t stand the heat. I had to cover my head all the time. My kids never really saw me without my dreadlocks. So, I guess it’s time to see what daddy looks like. It still doesn’t mean I am not a Rasta man, I am still one, I still believe in Jah. I believe that the only way to achieving good life is through revolution. I still believe in the teachings and projections of Emperor Haile Selasie.
I’m a sports freak
Aside music, I love sports. I love playing football, basketball, table tennis, badminton, handball and volleyball. I’m also a ballet dancer. Sport is just another part of me but I can only let people feel the music part of me.
Regrets
I don’t have any regret. The only regret you can have is when you have not achieved anything. I have achieved a lot that I can beat my chest and say thank God for this. Before, nobody knows me. I couldn’t have a reporter ask for my opinion but now they do. I couldn’t have people say hello to me in the streets but now they do. I didn’t have people ask me what’s up, what is the problem? Now they do, which means God has taken me to another level because of the talent He has given me.
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