WHAT’S UP with Kelly?

Kelly is just chilling, mehn. I’m recording new songs, producing every day. I’m just working mehn.

When did you start music?

I started singing since 1993. I was a choir boy. From Holiness Pentecostal to Overcomers days, Living Waters ministries, etc. I sang with men who have now become bishops like Bishop Ezugo, Bishop Erimoje, and others.

Who have you worked with in the industry?

As a producer, I produce all my songs. I’ve produced for Plantashun Boyz in the past, Muma Gee, Black Faze’s Ahead of the Game. 2shotz and more.  I don’t produce for artistes who are not good, or without good songs or not down to earth. No! No!

Talking about producing, what was the drama over the D’banj song you re-produced?

I did a freestyle, just playing around with a D’banj song. It wasn’t on any CD or promo album, just a freestyle song. I mean, MI did it with Mogbona Feli Feli and nothing happened. The song in question was already out there on the Internet, it had leaked so there really wasn’t a big deal. I sent it to 2face, he liked it. He came to Abuja, we played it, danced to it and just had fun. Then Don Jazzy came and tried to arrest me. He sent policemen to my friend’s studio where we produced it, he then called me that some people were holding him up and won’t let him go till they saw me. So I called my lawyer, he assigned me a lawyer and we went to the station. The policemen admitted that they were told to lock me up. Don Jazzy tried to embarrass me basically but he didn’t succeed. These guys think they are the only ones that know people in Nigeria. They think they are the only ones well connected (hisses).

What was the issue with Kennis Music exactly?

I don’t understand the stress of all these people. Kelly came from the U.S., made music, his music was big, got bigger when he came back and made mad sales. At least the songs were everywhere. I got nothing from sales, no royalties, nothing! Then they came and said I owed them N6.5 m. I’m like, are they serious at all? Where are the books from the CD sales? Whose job is it to push the sales anyway? Theirs or mine? That’s why I haven’t released any other work, because they wrote to the marketers not to deal with me claiming I owe them. They came back asking me to sign a seven-year deal with them. If I am not a selling artiste, why do they want a seven-year deal with me? Seriously, why?? Several times, I’d go for shows and I’d buy loads of CDs from the market, N100,000 and so on. Where is that accounted for at least?

Why are you the one that gets into all these troubles – Kennis, Don Jazzy etc.?

As in, people respect me yeah, even more now because I do quality music.  Probably because they know more people than I do. Why wasn’t all these happening when I was with Kennis Music?

I’m confused sir, how does knowing more people cause you troubles?

If you write this story now, people will start calling me, many will vex that I have said too much. They said they gave me hummer and I ran away. They said they gave me this, gave me that, I don’t want ‘in-house’ discussions again, let’s do it in the open. Let’s use the media to sort this out. Let them bring the papers of where I owe them, I will forward you the documents on their vague claims without supporting documents. Now they want three albums from me, they are using my money to sign other artistes. You are enjoying this money, yet they will not free me?! You can’t ask me to pay you N6.5 million without providing papers. Bring the papers and let’s go to court! One of the managers at Kennis music called me and threatened me that they would do to me what they did to other artistes.

What did they do to other artistes?

I am not criticising them, just talking business.  They mess people up the way they are doing with me. All these controversies are sponsored. Let’s do a TV show with Kelly and Kennis. Let’s do a press conference or go on TV. Let’s get all these things out in the open.

Me and Wande Coal had beef over Who born the Maga. It was just gist that came to me that Don Jazzy asked Wande to do the song to abuse me. MI abused me for no reason and no one attacked him, rather people attacked me.

Have you seen any of them since then?

I’m too busy to see them mehn. I nor get that kind time. Ehen, please help me put this out, there’s some news about Kelly Hansome dating one Lilly girl in Port Harcourt. I don’t know who she is, just heard it too. Maybe some fan who took a photo with me or so I guess.

You still haven’t answered my question about why you are involved in all these troubles.

I don’t know why they are all against me but something my father used to tell me is that a tree that has fruits is the one that is stoned the most. Y!

 

*This piece was published in Issue 7