Kelechi Ohia, popularly known as Kel, is a frontline rap musician. The Abia State born artiste, whose debut album, Investment, is still the talk of the town, shares her thoughts with Sulaimon Olanrewaju on a variety of issues.
SOME people have erroneously cast Kelechi Ohia in the mold of a one-album star due to the hiatus that followed her hit track, Waa Wa Alright, released about two years ago. But Kel, as she is fondly referred to, has shut the mouths of all cynics and jolted skeptics with the release of her new singles; Super Woman featuring talented vocalist, Lami; Shayo & Move and Mu Kulu, all of which are currently enjoying raving reviews. With these singles, Kel has definitely sent a message to those jostling to dethrone her that their desire is a pipe dream as she has no intention to yield her position to anyone.
Kel says one of her childhood fantasies was becoming a singer but her choice of rap was informed by a 1999 happening. “Rap for me started way back in 1999. I initially didn't like rap but at that time, there was a friend of mine who was always around me and enjoyed playing rap songs. And that influenced me because all of a sudden, I started listening to rappers like Bone Thugs, Harmony and Eminem.
Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with the rap genre of music. I was passionate about hip hop so I decided to give it a shot and here we are today.”
She adds, “Rap music for me is a means of expression and there is a way I express myself with rap music that I doubt if I can do with any other genre of music despite the fact that I listen to songs aside rap music. I'm not the kind of rapper that only listens to hip-hop all day, but it's rap all the way for me because I honestly know I can't sing. But I also listen to R&B to help me in my writing abilities.”
According to Kel, she is inspired by personal experiences, people and figments of her imagination.
Hence, she writes music people can enjoy and relate to. She makes her music how and when she wants to. That is why, she says, “Basically, life informs the theme of my music.”
Her greatest challenge in her chosen career, she says is “Looking for the next hit song. You always have to stay on top of your game no matter what. If you are successful, you have to work harder to retain the success. There is no room for errors and that is a major challenge I have had to deal with.”
Was that her reason for staying away from music production for two years?
“No,” she says, “I was sorting out issues with my former label, I was also working on my music and my brand. Generally, I was doing a lot of restructuring on the brand and my business which is my music.”
She adds that the period was not a waste as she enjoyed a successful campaign with haircare manufacturing giants, Soulmate Industries Ltd, as its ambassador, a deal which kept her in the minds of her fans.
She intones, “Now, I am back and better. The time off has paid off as I have greatly improved. I am poised to take back the spot I left two years ago and become a strong brand in the Nigerian hip-hop scene.”
Kel says she is determined to do this because as an individual, she is driven by “the need to do better, to be better. That is what keeps me going. I need to get better by the day. That is what my fans expect from me; that is what I also expect from myself.”
As a famous musician, her work has exposed her to unsolicited attention from all manners of people but she says, “I take it all in my stride. This is what I do and I have come to deal with the fact that unwanted exposure comes with the job. I try hard not to lose focus. I know what my mission is and everything else is just a temporary distraction. I try not to pay attention to the distraction. I try not to be carried away by the hype. The hype and the attention will always be there only if I remain on top of my game. So, my paramount concern is to be at my best always.”
Kel loves jeans and snickers, although she also loves formal dresses. She says she is stylish, not fashionable. But the watchword for what she wears is comfort. “I always want to be comfortable in whatever I'm wearing; stylish yet comfortable. I go for whatever looks good on me. What I tell people is that they should wear what they are comfortable with. The same thing I commend to myself.”
The rapper believes she is blessed to be sorrounded by good people. This, she says, is her reason for having limited personal challenges. “I haven't really had any personal challenges. This, I think, is in huge part because of the people I have around me. They keep me grounded and their belief in me keeps me going.”
She says she has no regrets and that is not to say things have always worked her way. When things don't go the way she wants, she learns her lesson from that experience and move on with her life. As she puts it, “I don't regard regrets or mistakes. If things don't go as planned, I try to learn from the situation. Every mistake is a lesson. Life is a school.”
Kel regards her life as her most valuable possession. She states, “My life is my most valuable possession and also my will. As long as there is life, there is a will. As long as there is a will, there is a way.”
Source : Nigerian Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment