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…says I prefer reward to award
Kenechukwu Okonkwo popularly known as Kcee is one music artist who has evolved overtime with his musical craft, stage performances among others. The Ojapiano star has stayed relevant since winning popular music reality show ‘Star Quest’ in 2012. In this interview with MUTIAT LAWORE, he spoke about his career, how Ajegunle city has produced some of the biggest celebrities, his driving force and advice to youths among others issues.
How will you say growing up in Ajegunle shaped your brand?
I think a part of my major success is the training I got in Ajegunle. The fire I have in me is still the same. When you are around lack, when you are struggling for your life, you can run with all your strength. I was in that situation; you think your own is worse but your neighbour’s own is worse than yours.
With so much going on in the industry, do you think you have actually got your crown in the last 26 years in the game?
The truth is that if you keep waiting for the industry to give you flowers you will die there. The truth is that people can’t quantify what you do and sometimes they just appreciate those that they love and believe in, even in the Grammys. There are so many people that didn’t get awards and it didn’t stop their songs from blowing up on the billboards. With due respect and love, I don’t care about flowers; I just prefer rewards to awards. I have never done anything in my life aside from music, I am raising my family with my music, doing all my investments with music and that is more than flowers. The biggest flower I need is a reward from God and he’s been doing it and I’m still consistent. For instance, so many of my colleagues who have got so much awards, 10 years after they are no longer relevant in the industry.
Are you saying the industry has some kind of cheating in it?
It’s not just the industry, life is like that. People identify with people they want to identify with, they appreciate people that they want to appreciate, the flowers are just to appreciate people and they don’t check the statistics. The number of people that vibe to my ‘Cultural Praise’ are more than the people online, if you want to judge the song, don’t just check online, go to the grassroots, how do you want to count those people and quantify them.
A lot of people believe you are too comfortable to be chasing shows?
That’s a big lie, I am not too comfortable because I have been performing on stage up till this present moment. What they don’t understand is that fact that I’m more focused chasing my passion and afterwards the reward will come. Everybody’s time differs, there are some people I have known in the industry for over 15 years and they’re just been relevant now.
What then will you say is your driving force?
My passion gets me going and this is evident because of my love and passion for music. Most people don’t know I was raised in a home of music; my father was a Disc Jockey (DJ) and when I return from school, I am usually in his record store and I began playing in parties alongside my brother as DJ. The love for the music industry started when I was little.
Tells us a bit about music in Ajegunle city?
First of all, a lot of people do know the genesis of Afrobeat music in Nigeria; people only talk based on their own personal perspective. For me, I know the story even before Daddy Showkey entered the industry in Ajegunle but he is the pioneer; most of those artistes in Ajegunle then were coming to my father’s store for signing because then it was the marketers and DJs they sign artistes. I was raised in Ajegunle and that was where it started. There was a time Ajegunle was championing Nigerian music. Nobody talks about those artistes and when the music started in Ajegunle.
But withvthe mention of Ajegunle, what comes to mind is hooliganism and all sorts, what are your thoughts when people make reference to those things?
For me, people celebrate the bad side of a place rather than focus on the good and positive side of it. Ajegunle is home to popular celebrities we all call role models today; the likes Don Jazzy, Baba Fryo, Basketmouth, Gideon Okeke, Charles Okafor, Taribo West, Oritsefemi, Odion Ighalo are some of the stars from the trenches you all call Ajegunle.
What advice will you give to people in the trenches who have low self-esteem?
The advice I have to them is to believe. Some people feel because they don’t have it now, they can’t have it again. They think because someone else is rich, they won’t get there. Even the gate man can be rich tomorrow. If you are in the trenches now, it might be a journey for you to get to wealth. All you need to do is focus, concentrate, ask yourself questions like what ‘can I give, what can I offer to the society to get what I want?’ I started with football in Ajegunle. I played for Julius Berger, Puma. The first time I went to South Africa was because of soccer as at a teenager. I thought it was going to be soccer; I was doing soccer and music until I won the Star Quest. After that I started making bigger money from the music and I dropped football. I was a really young boy so I wanted to pay attention to both. My parents didn’t want me to do any of those, they wanted me to focus on education but I was doing that for them. My eyes were on my goal. I want the people in the trenches to pay attention to themselves and their goals. What can you do? Don’t deceive yourself and sing because someone is doing it. Don’t play football because someone else is. Yours might be to paint, focus on it and it might help you get out of the trenches.
What is the secret of the bond between you and E-Money your brother?
I can say any particular things are the secret but the fact is that we share this undivided bond as brothers who support each other. Don’t forget he started out as my manager.
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