‘I cried when the doctor told me that….’ – 2face

2face spoke with Weekend Groove on Tuesday, talking about their careers, the tour and other sundry issues:
By Kehinde Ajose, Anozie Egole, Maureen Nwanze

What is the secret of your staying power?

That question is difficult to answer, I think it’s people that will answer that aspect for me. But for me, I think it’s the talent, the grace of God  and then the  love and support of my fans. 

New generation artistes are known to show off their wealth on the social media, what is your take on that?

For me it’s a matter of choice. It’s a matter of what makes you happy. Some people have it and they don’t care to show it and some just do it so that people will think they have it. Some people do it so that armed robbers will come and visit them? 

What about you?

Whatever I am will speak for itself. I am not going to hide anything. 

Why did you change your name from ‘2face’ to 2baba?

I cannot run away from the name 2face though, It’s inevitable. 

You recently did a song with Joe’el; what prompted it?

It was a matter of curiosity. We just decided to do a song together so that people could compare and contrast; so people will know that we are not the same thing and also   for peaceful co-existence.

Are you a member of any political party?

Over the years I have not been associated directly with any political party, but I have been associated with people. Lately, I have been advising young Nigerians that it’s time for us to move from the fence and  take a bold step. We need to take a stand instead of always complaining, is never going to change anything.

Will you be going into politics in the nearest future?

I am not really interested in that for now. I   am only interested in the process. I am interested in peaceful elections and in advising all well-meaning Nigerians   to   get involved. I am interested in people who are already in the system that have good hearts for Nigeria. 

Has the success of your Ascension album affected your performance fee?

I don’t have a particular fixed fee, it depends on the kind of show and what it is all about. 

What is responsible for the injection of new sounds in your album Ascension?

For me, it’s all about the music and I am not afraid to experiment with some sounds. That’s just me being bold enough to do something that won’t  be a common sound. 

Your dad died of cancer , are you going to do something in  terms of public enlightenment about cancer?

In September, I didn’t celebrate my birthday, instead I teamed up with the Red Cross and  we kicked off a cancer awareness campaign. We did it for that day, but I guess it is going to be continuous process. 

How do you compose your songs?

Sometimes I write the lyrics like a poem and then change it into melody. Sometimes I create the beat and song together and then I go to the studio to programme the beat. Sometimes, the beat comes and then I work on it. It depends on the situation at hand, at that point in time.

What inspires your song?

The inspiration is life, things that happen around us.

When last did you cry?

That was when the doctor told me that my dad had just passed on. It just dawned on me that I am not going to see him again.

‘Jalabia’ is fast becoming your signature; why?

I am not really a fashionista. I just like to keep my look plain and simple. I like black so you will find me in black, most of the time. 

How are you investing your money?

I am investing my money into music business. 960 Music Group, Hypertek Entertainment and Hypertek Digital Limited are where I invest musically. I am also into a little bit of real estate and then into hospitality business. Like I said, I am not limiting myself to any business opportunity. 

If you were not doing music what would you be doing?

I would have been a goalkeeper. I love football but I am not a fanatic. 

What is your advice to young artistes who would probably want to leave school for music just because 2face did?

I don’t think you should give up school because of music. I won’t advise anyone to quit school because of music. I will just advise them to know that music business is serious business. It’s as challenging and rigorous as any other profession. 

How do you relax?

I used to read books, but lately I do more of Television; mostly Discovery channel and Animal Planet. I am a TV addict. There are lots of things I know that I learnt from watching television. I read a wide range of books like that of John Grisham   and I read encyclopedias too. 

Is any of your children taking after you?

I think three of them have natural talents in music. I will naturally be their coach. 

As a good looking man how do you handle female attention?

For me it’s a case of ‘Hello, thank you very much’, I try to make them know that what they are looking for isn’t possible. I just say ‘Let me introduce you to one of my single friends’. 

What is your experience like, working with Wizkid?

He is one young guy making things happen for himself and I have known him for about eleven years, he’s a cool guy. 

On what occasion do you lie?

I lie when the truth doesn’t need to be told. When the truth will not solve any problem.

What is your greatest fantasy?

My greatest fantasy will be for my name to be in the book of life