Nigerian indigenous rapper, Remilekun Abdulkalid Safaru aka Reminisce, has recalled the “first major” rejection he and colleague, 9ice got in the industry.
The ‘’Daddy Mi’ crooner said a popular sports radio station two of them when they took their demo CDs to play their songs.
Reminisce who was having a chat with Zikoko said the radio hosts told him to go and learn rap from Ruggedman, while they chided 9ice for singing like a babalawo (herbalist).
According to the Hip Hop artiste; “My first major rejection was with 9ice on the Island at a radio station where we went to submit our music CDs for airplay, and the feedback we got was that we would never make it.
“They said 9ice was singing like Babalawo [native doctor] cos he sings in Yoruba. The other guy told me: ‘why am I rapping like a buffoon, can’t I see Ruggedman?
“He said that we should both go back and look for something to do with our lives and be better. That was my first major rejection. I will never forget it, even 9ice I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten it.”
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In other entertainment news…
Nigerian singer, Mr Eazi has revealed that he declined recording deals from Columbia Records, and the CEO of YBNL Nation, Olamide.
He said American singer Akon’s younger brother, Abou “Bu” Thiam, the executive vice president of Columbia Records and Olamide approached him separately, but he turned them down.
According to the artiste whose real name is Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, the deals came when he began his music career but he took a different path because he hadn’t figured out what he was doing and also wanted his “freedom”.
Mr Eazi said; “I remember going for ‘Ghana Meets Naija in Ghana. And that was where I met Olamide. He tried to sign me to his record label. He offered me a deal. Somebody else had also tried to sign me. Bu [Abou Thiam], Akon’s brother was the first person who tried to sign me. I declined because then I haven’t even figured out what I was doing. It was too early to sign.
“When Olamide gave me a deal, I knew that I hadn’t totally understood the business or what I was even doing so I declined. Everything was just happening so fast. One thing I knew was that I wanted my freedom.”
