M.I Abaga in an interview with Funsho
Arogundade of P.M News spoke on his
upcoming album, new singles, Wizkid, Ice
Prince and the artiste he signed to Loopy
Music and more!
How far gone are you in the work on your
next album?
It is almost ready and I am already excited
about the new work, especially with the
various ideas that I have managed to infuse
into the album. We are releasing some singles
very soon. I can assure my fans and music
lovers generally that they will find the new
work more interesting than my last two
albums. The album will be released in a
matter of months.
Do you have more collaboration on this new
album?
I was able to work with some people on the
new project because collaboration makes you
better. In music especially, no man is an
island. So, it is important to work with the
best people to create the best music because
without that, you might end up creating a
sub-standard product.
What are you doing to make this new album
surpass the success of your past works?
I believe in the saying that you can only do
your best and leave the rest. My own style is
to open my eyes and be attentive to
information from my surroundings. For
instance, I got the inspiration for that popular
track on my second album, My Belle, My
Head, while driving and observing hawkers
on the streets of Lagos. We have gone
through different experiences in this country
and all these will make enough materials for
my new album. Also, working with the best
can help come up with great product. The
experience I had working with great people
on my last album really helped. Working with
people like 2Face Idibia on my last album
makes a great difference in the totality of the
end product.
You floated a new label, Loopy Music. What
informed this?
At a certain point, I realised that God has
given me opportunities, resources and talent
and I want to see how best I can put all these
into use that will be helpful to others. So, I
thought it will be proper for me to put a
chunk of my investment into people. I know
that it is more of a gamble when you invest in
people. However, when the returns come,
they could be phenomenal. That was why I
decided to start this label and I am happy it
is growing well.
But you are still a director in Chocolate City?
Yes.
Won’t there be a clash of interests?
There can’t be any clash. I always tell people
that Chocolate City is my mother, while Loopy
music is my daughter. Chocolate City is
definitely where I am coming from and where
I belong. But I honestly believe that in
Nigeria, everyone has to multi-task. That is by
the way. At Loopy music, I am not the Chief
Executive Officer. I hired some professionals
to run the label. I only dash in to oversee
what goes on there. But I run the day-to-day
activities of Chocolate City alongside my
excellent team. I also have a great boss and
my own personal managers that help me at
Chocolate City.
What is the vision of Loopy?
We have an international vision and we are
working so hard to achieve it. But basically,
Loopy music will focus on those arts that
might not be getting proper props in the
Nigerian music industry now. At Loopy Music,
we want to focus on those arts that might be
forgotten in our industry now. Everybody is
concerned about party and dance music, but
what about highlife artistes? What about the
fuji artistes? What about the drummers,
keyboardists and saxophonists? Who is going
to ensure that those arts continue to remain?
Left to our industry, maybe an artiste like Asa
wouldn’t have emerged. If it was in this
present day and age, maybe an artiste like
King Sunny Ade would not have attained the
status he is enjoying now. The truth of the
matter is that we still have to focus on all
these basic elements of our music, which is
what Loopy music is all about.
How many artistes have you signed on?
Right now, we have three artistes on the
label. They are Ruby, a soul singer; Tread
Stones, a rock band; and Loose Kenyon, a
rapper.
What is your take on those who see you more
of a poet than a rapper?
First and foremost, I am a fan of poetry and I
come from a background that really
appreciates good education. But basically,
Nigerians are a very deep people. Just
listening to the way we talk will show that we
are very poetic. So, when you are writing
about deep topics, you have to take your
time to research very well. And it is natural
that when you are writing those songs that
are expected to touch the very essence of
the people, those words will come out like a
poem. That applies to me. I always compose
most of my songs as poems in my head. I will
then write out those lines as lyrics. I write
and re-write until I get to a satisfaction level
with meaningful words before I record them.
For example, for Beef on my last album, I
wrote about ten verses and eventually chose
three out of the ten. I kept trying and trying
on those songs because I believe repetition
makes perfection. This makes me work hard
on each of my songs. But for the classification
purpose, I will say I am both a poet and
rapper.
Why have you chosen to use a female deejay
during your performances at shows and
concert?
That is a very interesting question. I just
thought it would be very cool to be different.
In Nigeria, we sort of look down on deejays,
as we merely see them as CD players. But to
be honest with you, to be a deejay is a very
hard job and I was keen at encouraging
them. However, I had this old friend whom I
have lost contact with. Along the line, she
has become a deejay and very good at her
job. Her name is DJ Lamborghini. When we
met recently, I said to her let sign a deal to
work together and she agreed. Now she is
not only a deejay to me, she has also signed
as an artiste with Loopy Music. She has been
an interesting person to work with.
Don’t you get the jitters when you see some
of your prodigies rising rapidly in the
industry?
On a lighter mood, I think it is very funny
seeing all these young artistes coming to take
the shine off their bosses. There is Wizkid and
Banky W, Wande Coal and Don Jazzy, and Ice
Prince and M.I. I think we need to put a stop
to these. The truth is the best thing that can
happen to anyone is to see someone you
believed in, groomed and in whom you
invested so much time, energy and money,
becoming a success. At a point, I was
beginning to be afraid that it could be
disastrous if any of these boys cannot point
to any form of success. I was really scared.
But glory be to God, as every one that has
been part of my journey is working on his
own music and gradually coming out big.
That has been my prayer. Right now, Jesse
Jagz and Ice Prince have released their
albums. Brymo recently dropped his and my
third album is also in the making. We will
soon move to another guy. In fact, Ice Prince
has become an independent artiste. He has
become one of the biggest artistes in the
country and I’m so proud of him. And I
believe that is the same with Banky W,
2Face, Don Jazzy, D’Banj and other big
artistes, who have taken one artiste or the
other for mentoring.
To what would you attribute the success you
have recorded?
I have just being saying to myself, I can’t
believe this is happening. I can’t believe that
I’m here. I am just grateful to God. I am
grateful to my fans and to the media.
Everybody has been part of this journey
because without these people, you are
nowhere and nobody. I always have it at the
back of my mind that there are many people
that have the same desire, dream and talent,
maybe even greater talent and better looking
than I am, but haven’t been able to do what I
am doing. And I sincerely know that it is not
by my power alone, though I have put in my
best, the rest is by God and the people
around me.
So, you are satisfied with where you are now?
No matter how big you get, you must always
thirst for more. I am contented but not
satisfied. I am contented and happy because
if tomorrow I am told that I can’t sing
anymore, I can easily look back at my career
and say I am so proud of what I have
achieved. I am grateful for the opportunity
God has given me. Satisfied and ready to
stop now? No.
Why?
Because I believe there are more boundaries
to be crossed and walls to be broken. There
are more shows and stages I need to conquer
and I am just looking forward to the
opportunity from God to continue to play that
part in the Nigerian music industry.
If you are to change anything about your
person, what would that be?
Maybe I should have started doing music
earlier in my life. But honestly, I have been so
blessed. But what can I change? Sometimes,
I wish I was a little bit taller. But when you
realise that you are a whole and perfect as
God has imagined you when He created you,
any other wish could best be regarded as
almost a sin.
So, you are pleased with your height as it is
now?
I do. Honestly, I am pleased. People laugh at
me whenever I tell them that I play
basketball. You need to see me on the court;
I play basketball better than some taller guys.
I am even planning a basketball competition
for my fans. So, despite my height, I still play
basketball and it is another thing that I am
very good at.
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