Oritsefemi Majemite Ekele is arguably one of the best rising stars in the entertainment industry today. He spoke to SPECTRUM about his controversial tracks in his previous albums, his new record deal with Shiney Entertainments and about the remix of the Mercies Of The Lord track in which he features the late Dagrin. Excerpts:
Can you tell us your background?
My name is Oritsefemi Majemite Ekele from Itsekiri, Delta State. I was born and bred in Ajegunle, Lagos. I started my music career in 2002 when I was with a group called Junglist. We were two in number. We have two albums titled Money Na Time and Boys Dey Binu. We always went for shows together before I went solo to have my single album titled Flog Politicians and I won various awards with the album. I went on tour in Europe after my first solo album and later came back to Nigeria to do my second solo album titled Wicked World which includes the supernatural track called Mercies Of The Lord which is everybody’s ringtone now. I’ve a manager in order to make things work for me than before.
Are you still under your own record label?
No. I have signed under a record label, Shiney Entertainments; it is being run by the CEO, Yahaya Aneru (a.k.a. Shiney). I have my new album ready but it is not yet out. It’s titled Unfadeable. It’s a 14-tracker featuring lots of artistes like Terry G, Tuface Idibia, late Dagrin, Pasuma Wonder, Nico Gravity.
What are you planning with Shiney Entertainments at present?
My record label is presently organising a tour for me in the United States of America (USA) and it is going to be a fantastic tour projecting super star in Nigeria to America because for now we have our music industry worldwide and everybody abroad wants to hear Nigerian music. This will be an opportunity to project an artiste and Shiney Entertainments wants to project me in all the nooks and crannies of America. I also have two of my videos in my album now. Something About You and Mercies Of The Lord remix where I featured the late Dagrin, Rymzo and Shiney.
How did you cope financially when you started your musical career?
(Smile) It has not been easy. It’s been very tough and challenging because music really takes a lot of money and time despite the fact that you have zeal and enthusiasm for it. As an artiste, you have to package yourself very well and it takes a lot of money to do this when you don’t have a management or record label.
Why are you coming up with an anti-government track?
Good. My anti-government song is an inspirational track that expressed the minds of the masses to government. The leaders in our country are not helping the situation and they are not sincere over delivering the dividends of democracy. Not that the masses can’t express themselves but they don’t have the mouth to do so and that is why we musicians are the right people to express those things to our leaders that the masses are not feeling their impact at all. Then, when I was in Ajegunle, there was a lot of suffering in that area, no good roads, electricity and pipe borne water. Also in Nigeria generally, we are not living the way we are supposed to live. Since the time our government brought mobile phones to the country, we have not seen any new thing in the country and they are supposed to bring new things that will be unique and useful to the masses and these will make people think that Nigeria is great. So if we don’t express our feelings through music, government officials will be thinking that they are right and that is why I decided to add that track, Flog Politicians, because they keep doing the same thing all over. You know we need changes and we need to change, that is why I said we don’t need bad leaders and that was what inspired me to sing that song.
Black Face is popular with his anti-government stand and he does that through his music. Are you toeing the same line?
For me, I’m a versatile musician. My music goes in different ways and I don’t want people to know me as an anti-government musician only. That is why I have different styles and people know that I don’t base my music strictly on anti-government songs. When you talk of anti-government musicians, Black Face is not the originator because we had late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. I don’t want people to see me as an anti-government artiste. At times I sing anti-government songs and you know my music cuts across different areas of life. Oritsefemi’s music preaches to the ladies in the society giving them advice and I also preach to pastors. You know we have some dubious pastors in this part of the world now, even in this country. I preach to our youths through my music because sometimes they misbehave and we need to show them how to do the right things.
Two years ago, one of your tracks, Elewon, generated controversy over EFCC. What is your reaction to this?
I don’t want people to give that track another meaning because what I’m trying to say then is that the EFCC officials should get some things straight. The EFCC was established to prosecute criminals in the society but not to focus on cyber crime alone. The officials ought to arrest fraudulent politicians in the society instead of arresting our innocent citizens who went to cyber cafe to browse. It is not only about cyber crime. That was what prompted me to say something about EFCC officials, not that I’m an advocate of cyber crime. I strongly believe the track has made the EFCC officials to arrest criminals in the society and bring them to justice.
What prompted you to come up with the inspirational track known as Mercies Of The Lord in your album?
The track actually came like an intro after I had already finished my album. I actually got the inspiration for it from the streets, from the less-privileged people. I never would have gone into some kind of Lungu (any ghetto area where less privileged people reside). I overhead them saying they are tired of this country and the only thing we need now is God’s mercy. And also, when you hang out with some other big men, even they have their own problems and they will also say they need the mercies of God. So, when I see people talking about God’s mercies, they are talking from the perspectives of their problems; about what is happening to them. That was when I picked that title, Mercies Of The Lord, and it worked. Every Nigerian understands that truly, we need God’s mercies and we can’t do without God. If you like, you may have billions but you still need God’s mercies to remain prosperous and successful.
What made you think it would be suitable to feature a rapper like Dagrin in the remix of Mercies Of The Lord?
Well, I actually did that song in my previous album and the track really caught the attention of everybody. I don’t want the track to just go like that, so I decided to come up with its remix. I decided to remix it with the artistes that people really cherish their style of music. It was then I realised that Dagrin would be the best artiste to flow with the rhythm of the track because he knows how to flow very well; Dagrin normally speaks a little bit of reality. I also know that in that song, I will flow in Yoruba language like Anu Oluwa sokale, and you know Dagrin normally speaks Yoruba in his rap music and that was what made me decide that Dagrin would fit excellently because of his accent, not just his popularity. I called him and he accepted to feature in the remix. It was later that I even thought of another artiste that will also fit in because the song is very spiritual and that is why I called Rymzo. Rymzo sings spiritual music in reggae style. Rymzo sang in it and also produced it. Dagrin and the CEO of my record label were the ones that rapped in it and that is why we make it funky crunk.
How did you now shoot the video without Dagrin due to his death?
Everybody knows that death is inevitable and Dagrin’s death is an irreplaceable loss to the music industry worldwide. Dagrin actually did that audio three days before he had the accident and the most painful aspect is that we were preparing to shoot the video when we received the sad news of his death. He had told me to get him two bouncers and some caps. Dagrin really tried in the remix and how to shoot the video part of Dagrin gave my management a headache but we give thanks to the Almighty God that the video was a success.
Do you also take marijuana and alcohol before you go on stage or to the studio?
Being high is like a normal activity in life. It is just like you go to the club and drink to your satisfaction. But artistes don’t need to drink in excess, or abuse drinking. When you abuse it, it really shows on you because you will be publicly known as a notorious drunkard or smoker. We have some artistes that drink 36 bottles of beer but you wouldn’t know because they behave well. But the moment you present yourself to the public that you’re a drunkard, they will forever look at you like that. If you drink or take weed and you compose yourself well through your character or music, people will not know that you have taken something. There are many artistes out there that take weed and alcohol but they will never present themselves as ganja man or drunkard. Sometimes, it depends on what works for your body. The truth of the matter about weeds and alcohol is that most of those things are ungodly and they are not good.
Tell us about Amnesty Peace Concert by Shiney Entertainments?
The project will be unveiled soon. It is going to be focused on the Niger Delta because of the crises there. I’m from the Niger Delta, my CEO and the manager of my label are also from the Niger Delta. We just want to see how we can affect the area positively through music and good examples. The project is presently run by Shiney Entertainments because our state governments are a write-off when it comes to something like this. We look forward to partnering with non-governmental organisations. Although we hope that government should come up with their financial support in sustaining peace in Niger Delta region and I’m so confident that many non-governmental organisations are still going to buy the ideas and support us with anything they have. But for now we are starting the project with the financial capacity of my record label.
How was the Dagrin vacuum filled in the video?
Shiney Entertainments really worked assiduously to make the video have a feel of Dagrin in it. Dagrin’s part is a mirage, camera effects and editing, because without those, he wouldn’t even be in the video at all as we shot it after his death. The Shiney productions team tried their best to shoot one of the best videos for one of the top-ranked songs and it’s hitting the market now. Dagrin’s absence doesn’t affect the video but I really miss him so much and I miss him with all my heart.
Who is the lucky girl in your life?
My lucky girl ... Although I’m in a relationship, but I can’t disclose her identity to the public now except we get married. If we make it public and issues later come up, people will be accusing me wrongly or even say look at this music preacher that normally preaches to us. I want to make myself like a role model so that people can emulate my character or career. I can only disclose her identity when we are ready for marriage, thank you.
Which part of the country is your partner from?
She is Yoruba and very pretty, but, you know, my management is very careful about my affairs with ladies. They manage my affair with ladies and social life because they don’t want me to have anything like a scandal.
What should Nigerians expect in your album?
They should expect changes, uniqueness, rebranding. Oritsefemi of those days is not Oritsefemi of now. You know Oristsefemi of those days from the group known as Junglist that sing reality songs, but for now, he has re-packaged his music because most of my songs are mastered and mixed by some international producers and most of my videos are shot by Nigeria and foreign producers. What I’m doing now is international because entertainment industry requires a lot of seriousness and it is now for serious minded people.
What do you want to tell Nigerians about your forthcoming trip to USA?
I want to tell them that I will not disappoint them. I want to fly Nigeria’s green-white-green flag high. Although the Americans might not understand my language because of the barrier, but my performance is very important. It will gear up their spirit to dance along with my songs. I have the zeal and enthusiasm to perform excellently on stage, both in Nigeria and abroad, and my fans already know that Oritsefemi is now a force to reckon with in the entertainment industry.
Why did you sign with Shiney Entertainments?
Shiney Entertainments is a multinational company and it’s been in the music industry for a while. They’ve been looking forward to signing me on with their suitable offer because of the style of my music – I speak for the voiceless.
Is the label fulfilling its obligations to you?
Of course, yes. If it wouldn’t, I wouldn’t have gone into business with them. My music career with them has been productive, inspiring and great. Apart from the welfare package, there is what we call a business relationship, and I’m satisfied with the relationship we have.
Who shot the video of Something About You?
We have two singles on air, Something About You and Angel. The video of Something About You was shot and directed by Jordan Johnson from United Kingdom and he was formerly with Ben TV. That is my first video with Shiney. We are almost through with the video of Mercies Of The Lord Remix; that is one of the hottest tracks in town, bursting airplay and moving like hurricane.
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