BOSS MAN: KECEE!

Baby please give me tonight (Tonight)

I’m going crazy tonight (Tonight)

Oh let me be your maga tonight (Your Maga) tonight

I want to be your maga tonight (Your lover) tonight

Oya Limpopo baby make we go Limpopo

Oya Limpopo baby make we go Limpopo

I say go Limpopo so make we go Limpopo

O yeah tonight oh tonight !

The lines above from ‘limpopo’ crooner KCEE would no doubt be very popular with most Lagosians. Indeed, it is hard to imagine there are Lagosians for whom the lines do not raise feelings of excitement. From virtually every street, bar, restaurant, club or home in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria or Africa you will hear the speakers banging and the crowd singing aloud to “Oya Limpopo!” Surely this is about the most popular party song in the land. No wonder its creator has already bagged the City People Most Popular Song of the Year award and Best Collabo of the Yearaward.

In light of KCEE’s growth from strength to strength as a member of the defunct KC PRESH duo (winners of the first edition of STAR QUEST, a music reality TV show) and now a new and big brand, BOSS AFRICA MAGAZINE decided to celebrate the ‘Limpopo King’s’ success story. KCEE shared his thoughts and experiences with our man Jesse Clef at the star singer’s Lagos home.

By: Jessy Clef 

BOSS: Please tell us your real name and where you come from.

KCEE: I am Kingsley Chinweike Okonnkwo, and that’s where the coinage KCEE came from. I am from Anambra State and proudly an Igbo boy. Ok, that’s what’s up. I am a musician, a singer, a performer and also a writer.

BOSS: Your educational background?

KCEE: I grew up in the ghetto, in AJ (Ajegunle) to be precise. There I attended Tolu Primary School. My parents tried their best to upgrade my education, after my primary school they got me enrolled in Central High School Okota, Isolo. From Ajegunle to Isolo! That’s some upgrading! [Laughs]. Anyway, after my secondary school, I attended UNN (University of Nigeria Nsuka) where I studied Arts (Painting). I had to dedicate myself to music; after all, all of them are Arts.

BOSS: So if its not Music you will still be making money?

KCEE: Yes, of course! In fact, if you look around you will see small paintings here and there. So I try.

Jesse and KCEE

BOSS: How did this whole music thing start?

KCEE: I will say music for me started from my family. My father was a DJ. He had record stores, about four of them. Back in the days when we were in school, after school we used to go to our father’s record stores in order to encourage and support the business. That was how my love for music started. Then I listened to a whole lot of music as we had varieties ranging from dance hall, highlife to Afro and what have you.

BOSS: Those days when you used to go to your father’s record shop, which songs were in vogue then and which was your favourite?

KCEE: Ah! I remember then we had people like Fela. Whenever Fela dropped an album you didn’t have a choice; you had to get over fifty copies because the next minute you would hear it had finished. I also remember that part a lot when people queued up to have Fela’s any new release. I also remember the likes of Mandators, Ras Kimono, Daniel Wilson, Onyeka Owenu, Orlando and Oliver de Coque. Those days we had more of highlife music and rooted music, which made more sales. Away from that, the likes of Jimmy Cliff and Kenny Rogers also made more sales.

BOSS: You are sounding like you were born in the early 80’s?

KCEE: Sometimes yes, sometimes…excuse me! [Laughs]

Actually, Nigerian music started gaining ground when the shift from highlife started. I remember those days when I watched TV and would say to myself: “Yes, someday I will become a star. Someday I want to do this. Someday I want to do that.” That was how music started for me. Before music I was doing football. I play football so well and once played professionally. I remember the first time I traveled out of Nigeria; it was for football, because I used to play for Julius Berger and I also played for Puma. I had thought it would be football for me, because then they used to take me on loan. Dem dey come hire me to go play for other teams and all that.

BOSS: Do you have a twin brother who is a clearing agent?

KCEE: Yes, I have a brother but not a twin. We are of the same mother and father and most of you know him as E-Money. In fact, he owns the record label 5 Star Music of which I happen to be vice president and he president. He is my brother and he has so much love for entertainment.

BOSS: I hear you do other businesses but use music as cover.

KCEE: Make I laugh first! Those gists are past now. The thing is that when you become successful people will tell a whole lot of lies about you. For me if I play back my tape from the top, a lot of people have been saying a lot. When you have style, people say different things about you. The music business is big and it pays a lot, trust me. If you don’t know, then you need to know it right now, especially since the involvement of the telecom companies and other cooperate bodies in the system.

BOSS: Are you worried by the  criticisms of your lifestyle ?

KCEE: We do a whole lot of events and most people don’t know. If you put this whole thing together and if you are someone that knows how to manage resources, definitely you will have to live big. You see, people misunderstand this maybe because they are hungry or because they don’t have. It may also be because they hate or they just want to say one thing or the other. My advice to such people is for them to stop hating. The time you spend in hating other people should be invested into something more meaningful. All you need to do is to work your way to the top.

@THE INTERVIEW

BOSS: I got to know you from Star Quest. What was the journey like prior to Star Quest and thereafter?

KCEE: As I said, music for me started from my family background. While I was in secondary school I represented my school in music, dancing, acting and all of that. It was from there that I joined the choir where I met my partner Presh and we formed the group KC Presh. Just a year after we formed the group we heard about Star Quest and registered. As God would have it, we came out victorious as the first ever winners of Star Quest. This was how music started professionally for me, but before then we used to sing around the neighborhood in AJ, going from one event to another believing that someday we were going to have a platform and opportunity to express ourselves. God designed if for us as we became the first ever winners of Star Quest.

BOSS: Is it true that it was Eedris Abdulkareem that talked you guys into registering for Star Quest?

KCEE: The story about our journey to Star Quest will not be complete without mentioning Julius Agwu. Those days when we were trying to get an interview with Mariam Arthur on NTA we met Julius Agwu. I remember that morning when he asked us to do something for him. We did an acapela and he said, “Yeah, you guys are good”. He went ahead to tell us something about a Gold Circle Condom tour on HIV awareness. He said it would be nice for us to come up with a song or songs that would fit the purpose of the tour and that it might give us an opportunity to perform. We actually did and he introduced us to the organizers of the event, who gave us 10 slots at twenty thousand naira per show. Then that twenty thousand naira seemed like 2 million naira. This was like twelve years ago. Imagine yourself just out from the ghetto and getting paid a total sum of two hundred thousand naira twelve years ago.

When we went for the first show, we did so well. Then we had the likes of Plantashun Boiz and The Remedies in that same event. When we went to Obodu to perform, Eedris was there and after our performance Eedris was like, “Wow! You guys are good!” That was when he mentioned Star Quest to us, because he was under Kennis Music, who had the opportunity of signing any winner of Star Quest. He had the information and asked us to give it a shot. So when we got back to Lagos, we registered for Star Quest and people like Eedris and Julius Agwu monitored our rehearsals, making sure we were on point and at the end of the day we came out victorious.

BOSS: So that looked like the highest point for you?

KCEE: Yeah! I will never forget that day. It was a transformation point for me; it was like a breakthrough. The day we won I was crying all through. All the cameras and pressmen were videoing and snapping me but they never knew why I was crying. I was crying because I was looking for that opportunity and God gave it to me on a platter of gold.

The success that I have today is actually because I had the belief and drive to get to where I am right now. From day one I have always put in all my strength in anything I do and when I got that platform I said to myself, “Oh, this will take me away from poverty”. I was so excited and my parents were crying because they were at home watching it on TV too.

I went to church the next morning giving thanks and testimony. Then I used to wake up every morning rushing to the church, ensuring that the church was clean before service because I was the choir master and music instructor then. My partner Presh and I made sure that the music equipment was always on point, after which we would rush back home, get dressed and come back to the church for service.

Joyful KCEE

BOSS: What led to the break up?

KCEE: Actually, nothing serious -- no fight, no quarrels. The breakup was just a mutual agreement and decision we took. We just decided to do a solo project, a solo recording that we both agreed and embarked on. For me I took it as a do-or-die thing. I took it like I must express myself, because when we broke up a lot of people said a lot of things. Like people were saying on the Internet, “Oh, you can’t sing. You need to go back to the village or you need to go back to Onitsha and start selling clothes”.

They said a lot of things and for me I have this shock absorber in my heart. Any time you say something negative I don’t say a word; I just work hard trying to prove you wrong. Even my close pals and my family members used to say, “Oh, Presh has a better voice. He sings better, but you got swag and stuff, so let’s just see how it goes”. I really think God designed it that way, too, to make them encourage me and give me the ginger. I took all that like, “Huh, I can never be disappointed.”

BOSS: So, it’s really not the best voice that does the best song?

KCEE: Definitely. It’s everywhere in the world; it’s just your hard work and your voice. I can mention two names that have made it big in the industry. If you call someone like D’banj to sing an R&B feel, he cannot sing it better than Banky W, but the good thing is that they are both successful doing what they know how to do best. It’s not about the voice; it’s about what you have and what you want to give back to the people.

BOSS: You have actually been doing well since the commencement of your solo project and I must commend you for that. You have sequentially dropped three banging singles from ‘Okpekete’, ‘Give it to me’ and now the rave of the moment, ‘Limpopo’. Who is behind those singles in terms of production and promotion?

KCEE: I have a team, a very strong team and my team members are very hungry in the sense that they want to make a name and have a very strong impact in the industry. They really believe so much in my drive. I have people like Delbi, a producer. He did ‘Opekete Remix’, ‘Give it to me’ and ‘Limpopo’. He is so hungry to stamp his feet in the production industry as far as music is concerned.

I also have Soso Soberekon, who happens to be my manager. He also believed in the dream from day one and he has been so supportive. He has been doing all the promotion, all the publicity on the Internet and radio. We move every might to make sure people get to hear what we have and do a whole lot of scrutinizing to select songs. We record day and night.

BOSS: From all indications, this is a rebranded KCEE. May we know what this KCEE is all about?

KCEE: Yeah, for me KCEE is born-again in the sense that it is a new KCEE. Formerly it was spelt as KC but now it’s KCEE. It’s a way of rebranding the brand and also the seriousness is like times two because of the challenges that lie ahead. By the grace of God and as far as I am concerned, we are just starting. I call what I do sweet music because if you listen to my songs, you’ll find they are sweet. Whether they are dance or slow, they are sweet beats because we have this new innovation. We said, “Ok, we have to play the R&B chords, we have to hold the sweet chords, the sweet notes and melody bla bla bla on a dance song.”

We actually tried it with ‘Give it to me’ and it worked. We did it with ‘Limpopo’, it became a killer and trust me we have another single coming out soon and I know by the grace of GOD you guys are going to like it too. We don’t want to go below standard, so at all points we want to give you sweet music. The new brand KCEE is associated with sweet music and energetic performance. Anytime you see us on stage now, it’s actually going to be energetic.

BOSS: How soon are you dropping your solo album?

KCEE: My album is ready as we speak right now. We are doing the mixing and mastering but we don’t have any official release date yet. I know in the next one or two months or thereabouts we will be dropping the album. My latest single is due for release anytime soon.

BOSS: How would you rate the industry, projecting the new brand KCEE in the next 5 years?

KCEE: For me the industry is encouraging. As far as I am concerned, we are making big progress getting into the international scene like every other day. Formerly it used to be one or two artistes making international impact, but right now a whole lot of artistes are making that international move. The last time I was in the U.S, I remember I met a couple of artistes who were so willing and eager to come to Nigeria for shows. They want to mix up with Nigerian artistes. I am so excited being part of this movement right now because we have opened doors for the younger ones that are coming behind. You know piracy has been disturbing us from day one and we can’t just keep taking about it. What we need is action and the only way to go about it is for the government to get involved because the government is bigger than everybody, so we need them to stand and fight for us.

Away from that, if you say KCEE five years from now or 10 years from now, sometimes I don’t like that because it’s a long time for me. I want to say one year from now a whole lot will be happening. Already, with two singles I have eight nominations for different awards here and there, in and out of the country. For me it’s encouraging and it makes me happy. I’m so excited and if possible I hope to grab all of them. I also want to make a big impact in the industry internationally and locally. I get a lot of phone calls from other African countries and it is encouraging also. Just watch out for KCEE, more good and sweet music coming out of 5 Star Music and KCEE. We have plans to sing on another artiste who will be unveiled soonest.

BOSS: How many artistes do you have under 5 Star Music?

KCEE: It’s just me on 5 Star Music and the boss, E-Money. We had a meeting last month and decided it was time to sign someone else. My album is ready and we intend working on another project as soon as my album drops.

BOSS: I must say a big thank you for your time on behalf of BOSS AFRICA MAGAZINE. We appreciate and celebrate you.

KCEE: Yeah, me too. I must say thank you to BOSS AFRICA MAGAZINE. It’s a good one; I like the quality of your magazine. It’s awesome and catchy. The content is also nice from what I am seeing here.

BOSS: it’s been fun chatting with you. Honestly, you are making us proud, which is why we are here to celebrate and promote your story of Self Success.

KCEE: . I have one bit of advice for all up-and-coming artistes: As far as I am concerned, if you want to do music, if you want to live big, you should always believe in yourself, pray and work hard. Don’t do it because KCEE is doing it, don’t do it because PSquare is doing it, but do it because you have something you want to give out. Also, remember that there is always a time and season for everybody, so work hard and wait for your time and season. Don’t be jealous, don’t envy anybody, don’t fight or quarrel because you have not arrived yet. All you need to do is to invest your time in building yourself.

I have been recording my song for the past two years and ‘Limpopo’ came out and everybody is dancing to it. A whole lot of marketers have been coming to my house everyday saying they want to market my album, but they were shocked when I played about thirty songs for them. This is an indication that I am so ready for the market. You need to work ahead of time so that when the opportunity comes, you would not be found wanting. Always be ready. Work hard and pray. I love my job!