Artistes must realise they are change agents — Oyinkanade

R&B/Afro pop artiste, Oyinkanade, recently released a video series, ‘Hustler’s Tale’, which according to him, tell the story of his struggles as an up and coming musician. In this chat with ROTIMI IGE, he talks about the motives behind the shoot, and his upcoming plans in the music industry.

You are a music artiste, why did you venture into movie making?

I decided to shoot a movie not just because I wanted to act but I needed to tell my story and that was the best approach I and my team could think of. Everyone you see on the screen was once behind the scene and for every star you see, there is a scar beneath that you don’t see.

I know a lot of youths in the creative industry are depressed because of what they see on social media, especially the fame, luxury cars and houses. Every one of us has gone through difficult times. So, the moral of this short film is to encourage every creative individual to stay true to their passion because result is inevitable if they do not give up.

‘The Hustlers Tale’ describes my journey in the music industry and all I had to go through to get here.  The movie featured the likes of Mc Macaroni,  Adedimeji Lateef, Woli Arole, Mc Lively, Woli Agba, Dele Omo Woli, Lizzy Omo Ibadan, Rotimi Ige, Remote, 13th Disciple, BBO, Baba Alariya  and other top notch actors. It was produced by Charles Alade.

Since you left MTN Project Fame that brought you to lime light in 2012, what have you been doing?

I got signed by Ty Mix who was one of the judges on the show. He believed in my craft and took the risk of starting a label and we achieved some giant strides. I released a song titled ‘Adura’ where I featured Olamide. As that time, the song was one of the most listened to in the country. Invitation for shows came from everywhere and that was the beginning of fame for me.  However, at some point, one may have to leave the scene for others to shine no matter how exceptional one is. My contract got expired and I had to continue on my own.

Things were very tough, but I had gone too far to turn back so I kept pushing myself. At some point, Kolade Dominate came into the picture and we started seeing results.

Fast-forward to July 2018, an old friend, Charles Alade, called me and asked if I was interested in signing a record deal.  Your guess is right, you know my answer already. That was how God answered my prayer. Coincidently, I  had just released a song with Vector titled ‘Dahun’ which means ‘Answer me’, and that was how I became a part of this exciting and innovative family called Lead Music Original Entertainment.

What did it feel like to get a fresh deal after years of struggling as an independent artiste?

Doing music as an independent artiste is like a heavily pregnant woman that has no one to assist her; the pressure is all on you. You will have to pay for everything yourself, from recording, mixing and mastering to shooting musical videos and promoting your works.  The finances wasn’t there, and if after doing the same thing about five times and one has no breakthrough, the process may become frustrating. So, for me, signing a record deal with Lead Music Original was a dream come true, because we operate like family. My CEO is like an uncle to me and the label manager is my friend.

You have a body of work which will be released this month. What should your fans expect from you?

That’s my newest baby. It is called ‘Mentation’. It’s definitely going to blow everyone’s mind. It’s a six-track EP (Extended Play). I have a song for everyone in it. It’s almost impossible to listen to it and not fall in love with a track or two, no matter who you are.

I have decided to serve my fans all over the world nothing but the best. Amazingly, my next EP after this is also ready. It will be available for streaming on all digital stores by 21st of August 2020. I started this year with some projections and my EP was one of them, I also had some international tours lined up and if this pandemic permits us, it will happen.

What impact has the Corona virus pandemic on your music since its outbreak?

I will say both good and bad. I try to find the good in every bad situation. At first, I was worried because there were no shows, which means no invitations or money. A lot of us were on Instagram trying to keep in touch with our fans with all kinds of ideas but after a while I realised I could do something better. So, I locked myself in the studio and started making music and I can tell you that currently I have recorded enough songs that can make 10 different albums.

I think the challenge now is which of the songs will be released because as an artiste, you must be careful at this point,  a song can be good but may not be a hit.

What is the challenge with the Nigerian music industry in the global market?

I think it’s the industry itself. A few Nigerian artistes are gradually becoming international brands, but the Nigerian music industry has not been fully accepted in the global music industry and this is how I know. Most digital platforms or stores where you can sell your records as an artiste do not give you access as a Nigerian artiste except you register as a foreigner or someone abroad helps you to sign up, and that’s not too good. The other day, my label manager wanted to withdraw our earnings from our distribution platform into the company’s Nigerian bank account and it was like a tug of war. Until the payout method was changed, we had no breakthrough.  The problem isn’t far-fetched. Some of these countries have an illusion about us, but we will change the narrative and hope that our government gives necessary support by projecting us well in the global space.

What are the opportunities in the music industry that you feel others should tap into?

The opportunities in the music industry are enormous, but for me, I think what excites me the most is the influence we have as artistes. Aside from the money and fame, so many people see us as role models, and so it’s important for an artiste to be a good model, knowing fully well that what you do shapes other people’s character and way of life.

You will notice that younger people want to dress, act and look like their favorite artiste. As an artiste whose song is on different international stores, people can listen to you all over the world and you are just in your home country in a small village. That’s not an opportunity you want to blow away by singing only about drugs and money; you want to shape perceptions with your message.

Is it true that you have more of female fans? How do you manage them?

(Laughs)  I hear people say this most times and I agree it is true. I notice that when I post my contents on social media platforms, I get a lot of positive feedbacks from the female fans. The love is overwhelming and I do not take it for granted.

Talking about how I manage them, it’s just simply identifying the role of everyone in my life and the context of such relationship. Women are very powerful and highly supportive when they want to, but if you cross the line you will see their other side. For me, I respect them all in their different shapes and colours

You have recently changed your sound. Any reason for that?

Oh, that’s true. I had to change from the regular Oyinkanade known for only singing prayer songs to doing music that is  mainstream. It’s not just about me anymore.

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