interview where he opened up on his career, his rise to the
top and how he plans to remain relevant.
Read Excerpts below
What has been happening to Olamide?
A lot of good things have been happening to me and my
crew. I have been doing what I love doing and I am getting
paid for it. That ordinarily comes with a good feeling, I can’t
deny that. I have a lot of things that I am working on right
now and we are working day and night to meet up with the
demands of the industry. Which is staying on top of your
game while you can, having in mind that the phase will
soon pass. You have to make sure that you make your stay
worth the while.
Is this why you have featured in different singles more than
any other artiste lately and what are you trying to achieve
with this?
You know people are very funny. When I was not featuring
in other people’s albums or singles, they were the ones
saying on twitter and other social media platforms that
Olamide is proud, he’s not friendly and all sorts of things
that you can’t imagine. But now that I have been working
with a whole lot of artistes in the industry, they have come
out to say I should give myself a break. I wonder what the
people really want? The truth is that you can’t live your life
for the people. You have to do what you feel is right for you
to keep your career on the right track.
So, you don’t care about what people say about you
anymore?
I didn’t mean it like that. What I am trying to say is that if
you continue to listen to what people say every time before
making your decision, you may not make the right decision
at the end of the day and you may also make the right
decision. What is important is your attitude to what you do.
It does not mean you won’t listen to them or take to their
pieces of advice, you just have to be truthful to yourself and
make sure you are doing what you believe is in the best
interest of your career. I just want to remain on top of my
game. I know I have what it takes to run the show for as
long as God permits me. But time will tell. I am growing by
the day and I am enjoying every bit of my moment in the
industry.
You once said that your hustling days are over, but you
don’t seem to be slowing down. You are always at every
major show around town…
I am an ambitious young man. I love to always push myself
to the limits. We have a lot of things going on in the
industry now that would really make you sit tight and
buckle up. Asides that, I have gone through a lot before I
could arrive at this level, to God be the glory. When I look at
where I was coming from and where I am today, it only
reminds me of one thing, never stop dreaming big and
don’t ever look down on yourself even if nobody believes in
you. You have to make sure you have got what it takes to
stand the test of time. Olamide didn’t just arrive over night.
It has been a very rough journey, but God has been good to
me. The truth is that people have not seen the best of
Olamide.
You said one should not look down on his or her self; it
seems you have a lot beneath that sentence. Could you
share some of those rough experiences with us?
Everybody knows my story or let me say I try to let people
know my story with the way I sing so that you won’t come
and tell me tomorrow or the people that you did or that for
me when I was this or that. When I compose my songs, I
always try to bring my rough days into retrospect. I
remember how I waited many years for my single to be
promoted. I was always told to wait. When I couldn’t wait
anymore, I had to look for another way round it. A lot of
people turned me down because they didn’t believe in me. I
have nothing against them because that’s life for you.
Everybody can’t believe in your dream, even if it is the most
beautiful one. Today, it is practically difficult for anybody to
come out and say what I had already said about myself in
most of my songs.
Why did you say that?
You know people are funny. I am sure you are aware of how
some people could wake up one day and start saying what
is not true about your life. So, in order not to be shocked
when you hear or see something like that, you have to
prepare your mind and that of your fans. I always sing
about the story of my life in my songs so that if you say
something about it tomorrow, the people would tell you that
they heard me say it before.
Now that your dream has been fulfilled and you can also
stand on your own, what’s the feeling like?
I feel great. I feel honoured. I feel so happy. But above all, I
thank God, to whom I give all glory.
Are you surprised to have arrived at this level?
To an extent, my rise came as a shock but at the same time,
my only wish since I was young was to rise above my peers
and make a name for myself in whatever good I find myself
doing. I strived hard to come out with something everybody
would appreciate, plus the recognition that has marked my
career. I will say my rise to stardom has not been a fluke. I
have worked tirelessly over the years trying to break into
the industry and studying the rules of the game so as to
become relevant. You don’t want to know how I waited and
prayed to taste fame.
How has music changed your life?
Let me say that music took me away from wandering about
the streets to doing the right thing at the right time. It has
reshaped my life and taught me that hard work, talent and
God’s grace are very important in every man’s life. I can say
it boldly that those who never believed in me can now see
that I carry a special grace. That is why I will remain grateful
to ID Cabassa. He was one of the good people God used to
turn my life around. I won’t say more than that because I
know you would want to probe me further.
Now that music has taken you away from the streets, what
do you miss most about it?
I really didn’t miss anything except for the life on the
streets. I never wanted to remain on the streets. I have
learnt a lot of lessons my brother, but one thing that readily
comes to my mind each time I remember where I was
coming from is the fact that the secret of success goes
beyond making good music. Every right-thinking artiste
must possess a good character to sustain the success that
comes his way. You must have the character that could help
you sustain the test of time. Trust me; rising to stardom
comes with a lot of challenges, but you can only overcome
them when you have a good sense of understanding about
life itself.
Source : Metronaija
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