DJ Zeez
Talented
crooner, Kingsley Elikpo, a.k.a DJ Zeez, was off the music airwaves for
a while. Now back, he reveals his next plans in this interview
You have been missing in action…
I have been quiet musically because I
have been working in order to come out with something really good. I
dropped some singles and some songs picked up as expected while some
didn’t. The most important thing is to be consistent.
How come you dropped out of circulation following Dagrin’s death?
It is not a reason that I love to flaunt
or use as an excuse. If you don’t ask me, I won’t say it. It’s been a
while that he passed away and we were very close, making music together
and signed onto the same record label. I still have a song that we did
together which I am yet to release and I have my reasons. A lot of
people capitalised on his demise and released collaborations they did
with Dagrin. There is nothing wrong with it but I was not in the right
frame of mind to contribute to any tribute song or release any song I
did with him because I was pained as a friend and not a fan.
When did you get your first big break?
A lot of people will say ‘fokasibe’
but for me it was when I got the nomination for Channel O Music Video
Awards in 2007 for the video of my first song ‘Same ni’. At that time,
getting nominated was as good as winning. I did not even care about
winning. I made that video in Bariga but it was nominated for the best
dance video.
The lyrics of songs like ‘Fokasibe’ were considered controversial…
My friends will tell you that in all I
do, I don’t follow the norm. I enjoy it when people listen to my songs
and they ask me for interpretations. It makes me feel that I have
brought in something new. It’s okay for people to misunderstand you but
don’t allow their opinion become your reality. When I released ‘Fokasibe’, people thought I was cursing and it was vulgar. I grew up in Bariga where you hear different slangs everyday and ‘fokasibe’ was one of those slangs and a street way of praising someone.
Where did you derive your stage name?
I started off as a disc jockey and went
into production during which I was making beats for up and coming
artistes around Bariga. Later, I started free-styling on my own beat
and that was how I came about my first song, ‘Same Ni’ in 2005.
You seem to play up your Yoruba heritage as opposed to your Igbo lineage…
I am from Imo State and I don’t do that
intentionally. My parents rarely speak any of the languages to me. I
think it’s fallout of the environment I grew up in and the irony is that
I am not fluent in any of the languages but when it comes to writing
songs or singing in Yoruba, it becomes fluent. I have Igbo songs in my
forthcoming album.
Currently, what do you have up your sleeves?
Right now, I am working on a new album.
The last time I dropped an album was on January 13, 2009. I am long
overdue for another album. I am working on my next album which is almost
ready. I am a producer, a studio engineer and I own my own studio. I
am trying to apply a good marketing strategy to this album and that is
why I am taking my time. It is also necessary to create demand and I
will be releasing some new singles between now and January. Then, in
March next year, I hope to release the full album.
Can you live up to the existing competition?
I am not scared of competition of any
kind; it is what keeps the game alive. Somewhere, somehow, someone also
sees me as competition. The most important thing is seeing yourself as
your own competition and striving to do better than yourself. I have
been prominent in this industry for a while and as such, I understand
the dos and don’ts. The fact that people are not feeling your songs does
not mean you are not good enough or talented. My sound has evolved and I
am working with other producers. My first single ‘Same ni’ and ‘Fokasibe’ were all been produced by me. But I am bringing in other producers to work with me on my new album.
What is the most difficult thing about being an artiste?
When people say untrue things about you
and you cannot even defend yourself. The most annoying thing I have
heard about myself was that I passed away in an accident! What happened
was that I was supposed to perform at a show outside Lagos and the
organisers defaulted. To pacify people who had assembled to watch me
perform and also secure their empathy, they lied to them that I was
involved in an accident on my way to the venue. That was how the news
went viral.
How lucrative is music as a business?
It pays my bills. Music is one business
that fluctuates. We have the high and low seasons which is why you have
to learn not to put all your eggs in one basket. Even when music brings
the income, be wise about it and spread this income by way of
investments. A lot of people see me today and wonder how I manage to
still look good even though it’s been a while I did a major project
musically. I am very prudent and I am smart enough to know I have to
spread my wings.
You have your own record label…
There was no problem with my former
record label. My contract expired and just like football, it was either I
extended the contract or I moved on.I chose the latter and what I have
now is not exactly a record label, it’s an entertainment outfit called
Vanilla.
Why don’t you do collabos?
A lot of people have said this but that
is one of the differences my new album will make. You have to understand
that different artistes have different schedules and you have to be
patient to be able to wait on somebody to get on your song.
I understand you have a clothing line…
Fashion is prominent in entertainment. My
clothing line is not coming into the market based on my brand; it is
based on the quality of the product. People should buy because the
quality is good, although I know some will attach sentiments to it and
buy because it is by DJ Zeez.
How do you handle your female fans?
I relate with them the same way I do with
my male fans. I respect the fact that they like me because of what I do
and how well I do it. I don’t get carried away by all the euphoria and I
do a reality check every now and then. It’s a privilege and I never try
to abuse it.
Marriage seems to be the in-thing in the industry now. When are you catching the bug?I
am 30 and almost all my mates and even those younger than me in the
industry have become ‘baby daddies’. My own time will come and I hope
marriage will happen soon. I am in a relationship.
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