Life as a celebrity
I still relate with my guys on the street, but not as freely as I used to do. Although I still play football, I miss taking a walk with my friends and making silly jokes. I miss drinking in open bars too. I like everything about being a star, except the way people talk about you. Most of the time, they say negative things about you.
Growing up
My childhood was rough. I grew up in Ajegunle (Lagos), a very tough community where everybody hustles hard for the next meal. I grew up in my grandmother’s home. But I did not depend on her for all my needs. I had to fend for myself. I was a street boy. I hustled at the Nigeria Ports Authority where I hawked sachet water. The going was really rough at the time. I spent the little money that I made from selling sachet water on recording fees in a music studio. When I got my first record label, I did not have any deal with them because they were not based in Lagos. They were based in Kaduna. I moved from Lagos to Kaduna. When I got there and saw what their entertainment scene was like, I decided against signing a contract. I did not like what I saw. I returned to Lagos and moved straight to the studio to record a song. It was the same song that made OC Achievas sign me on to Achievas Music.
Past life on the street
Street life was tough and cool at the same time. I always got caught by the police during their constant raids in Ajegunle. Sometimes, even if you were sitting quietly in your compound and minding your business, some policemen would pick you up. They did that to me many times and I spent several nights in their cell. But it was nothing to me. I just love to be free, to walk on the streets in company with friends. I miss all those things now.
Why I’m called Solidstar
My late grandmother inspired that pseudonym. She was a prophetess. One day, she called me and said she saw a star in me and that one day it would manifest. She said that whatever I was going to do I should make sure I did it well. After I saw positive things happening to me, I concluded that the star must be a very solid one. So I decided to call it Solidstar. That was how I came up with the name. Unfortunately, Grandma is late now. She didn’t know that she inspired that name.
My relationship with Tuface Idibia
I would describe Tuface Idibia as my mentor. He is part of my success today. He has been very supportive. I met him in 2008 at FESTAC Town. My boss was celebrating his birthday on that day. He introduced me to Tuface. I could not believe my eyes because I never thought I would meet him. I had just moved from Ajegunle to FESTAC and I did not know I was going to meet Tuface, though I had been his fan ever since he was with the Plantainshun Boyz. So, meeting him was a big deal to me. When I met Tuface, I had already recorded the song titled, One in a Million. I told my boss that I wanted to feature Tuface in the track. I told him he would be the best man for the track. My boss said he would work on it. When he told Tuface about it, we were invited to his 10th anniversary in Abuja. I performed two verses and he said he loved the song. He told us to meet in Lagos. When we got to Lagos, he invited us to his house and recorded his verse. Tuface is a good guy. He doesn’t have any problem with anybody. He doesn’t like trouble and always wants to support up-and- coming artistes. I would say Tuface is one in a million.
Leaving Ajegunle
I give OC Achievas the credit for my transformation. He was the one that did everything. The turning point for me was when I relocated to FESTAC from Ajegunle. The kind of people I met in my new place and the kind of company I kept were different. Even I had a different inspiration. Everything became quite different and that includes the way I spoke and interacted with other people. Achievas worked on me. He worked on my rhymes. I sang well, but I did not know how to rhyme. He taught me many of the things that I know now.
How my career started
I was born in the church. I have been singing since I was a kid. I was a church boy and a member of the choir in my grandmother’s church. I used to play the drum set. After leaving secondary school, I decided to take up music up as a career. If I hadn’t chosen music, I would have become a footballer. I love football so much. That was my first love. I started playing football before I began to make music. I had to settle for music because I learnt that I could make it faster as a musician.
Why I left the church
Church music is good, but it is not financially rewarding. So, I decided to do what will fetch me money. Some musicians say that they make music for the fun of it. But nobody makes music for fun because they spend a lot of money producing songs. You spend so much on promoting a song and shooting its video. I decided to play the kind of music that everybody would like. I still do gospel songs. My first album had a gospel track on it and I still do gospel songs.
My first song
My first song was recorded in 2005. That was when I was still in secondary school. It was the song that got my CEO’s attention. When he listened to the song he was impressed. He told me I could sing well, but that he would change me because I was singing the kind of songs that appealed only to the residents of Ajegunle.
My folks
I grew up with my grandmother because my parents had issues with their marriage. I am from a polygamous home. My father had three different wives. Growing up with them would have been too rough for me, so I decided to stay in my grandmother’s home. I had a very good life with her. The only person that had a problem with my career was my father. Everybody else supported me. My father wanted me to learn a trade. He wanted me to learn how to make aluminum windows. However, music was my passion. I decided not to abandon my dream. I had to force my dream on my dad till he had no choice other than to accept it. Before he agreed, he would beat me, chase me from the house. It made me like the street life. Back then I hardly went home. Sometimes I would not go home for one week.
Why I wear dreadlocks
I was born with dreadlocks, but my parents cut it off when I was three years old. After they cut it off, anytime my hair grew, it would be in a tangle. I told my mother to leave it and not cut it again.
| Posted: at | |
TRENDING GISTS 
Tension Rise Again In Plateau As Bandits Attack Market, Kidnap Five And Steal Goods
Portable Reveals He Made N70M in Three Days After Fight With Speed Darlington (Video)
VIDEO: Man Caught While Waiting For a Minor he Had Solicited S£x From Online
Rapper, Phyno Unveils His Daughter, Shares Adorable Video to Mark Her Second Birthday
Ex Madrid Player, Xabi Alonso Seals Managerial Move To Real Madrid As Ancelotti Bows Out