Even after 17 years as an entertainer, I don’t feel threatened by other DJs —DJ Neptune

DJ Neptune, in a recent interview with journalists, spoke about his ‘Greatness’ album, the Nigerian entertainment industry, among other issues.

Why did you title your album ‘Greatness’?

I have been on this album for four years now, and trust me I took my time to make every song you have listened to on this album. The aim was to make great records, songs that will stand the test of time and  that we can still listen to in the next 5-10 years. So for me, I have made great records and looking at my career, I will say I have tried to make sure that whatever I do is perfect and if you can do that, it means whatever you do is great so I just decided to name the album ‘Greatness’.

Why did it take you four years to make an album?

It took me four years to make an album because I wanted to make sure the songs were perfect, I didn’t want to make any kind of music. And if you know me well, you will know that I don’t move with trends. I move with with I believe the people should be listening to, so that’s the main focus I had with me on this album. And another thing is that if you are making music, then you have to do it well especially in terms of collaborations and that is part of what I did. I mean it was worth the wait. You will get to know when you listen to it.

What were the yardsticks used in choosing the people to feature with , in the span of four years?

What we did was record and then listen to it and if it wasn’t sounding the way we wanted it to, we would reproduce the beats, touch up the vocals to meet with what we want. There were some key collaborations I wanted to do so I had to wait to either get the artiste, or get the right sound or know that I am doing it at the right time so it would be perfect.

But people feel that when a DJ drops a song, they don’t actually do anything, they just put their signature on the beat and all that. What do you think about that?

DJs are different from DJs. I am a different kind of DJ. When I am dropping a hit, I make sure am in charge of what I do. My contribution is going straight into the music, contribution in the sense that, I am right there in the studio, mixing tapes with the producer and right there I am already visualising which artiste that will be on it. Why all these kind of collaborations take time is that whenever I visualise a particular artiste on the song, it has to be that artiste, even if its going to take me six months to chase him/her, I will do it and that just the way I function. And at the end of the day, its a process.

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What sacrifices did you have to go through to make this album a success?

Sleepless nights in the studio, mixing tapes and mastering. That’s the hardest part of making the music, recording is not even a problem, its mixing and mastering because if the mixing and mastering doesn’t sound right then the recording will not sound good when it comes out. At the end of the day if you are going do something, you should do it well once and for all regardless of whatever time it takes you to do it.

You said you had sleepless nights, how does your wife/family take it.

I have a studio in my house so when I say sleepless nights, I am in my studio.

In the process of making the album, was there ever a time you felt like giving up?

There was never a time like that. I mean in that four years I was putting out music, I was putting out singles, so its not like in that four years I was not doing music.

Do you see yourself doing a song as in singing or rapping any time soon?

You will have to wait for the next project and find that out by yourself.

You featured Davido not Wizkid, Why?

I didn’t feature Wizkid on this album because I have an EP dropping soon at the end of the year, I don’t want everybody to be on this one so wait for that one too.

How are you able to balance all the things you do?

It was crazy but I guess that’s why I’m Neptune.

Is there ever going to be a time you will retire from being a DJ?

Yes there will be, not now. But that time will come.

There are young Djs out there that are also doing well. Do you feel threatened by them?

This is my seventeenth year in the industry so I don’t feel threatened at all and I’m planning to leave any time soon. I’m not going to do this forever but not leaving now.

17 years in the industry, don’t you feel old at times?

I started young that’s why. Do I look old?