Born Emma Chukwugoziam Obi, the first lady of Iyanya and UB Franklin’s Made Men Music Group who goes by the moniker Emma Nyra, is a Nigerian performing artist out of Houston Texas. The graduate of Health Administration from Southern University is a singer and also an actress. Her relationship with Iyanya, no doubt, has given her that platform which has launched her into the limelight. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, Emma opens up on her foray into music, growing up, dating, among other things:
WHEN did your journey into music start?
I have been singing since 2009. That was when I started my first professional show but I have been singing since I was really young, like singing in the choir and all of that.
Musically, what has been happening since 2009?
I didn’t graduate from the university until 2010. So while I was singing I was still studying because I did promise my parents I would get my degree first. When I told my parents I wanted to be an artist, they were shaky, so I got my degree first. 2011, I moved to Nigeria because I signed with Made Men Music Group, which is owned by Iyanya and UB Franklin.
How did you meet Iyanya?
In 2009, my mentor then was Sauce Kid. He treated me like a little sister. He would take me to interviews and all of that. Along the way, during one of our dates, he took me to the radio station and then after that we went to meet UB Franklin, my manager now. He introduced me to him as the guy who managed Iyanya. I hadn’t met Iyanya then. That was after Project Fame. But I didn’t know Project Fame. I wasn’t familiar with it. When UB saw me he was like, ‘you’re a female act. I manage artists and having a female and a male will be a good idea.’ There was no label then. I hadn’t finished my studies yet, but I had made up my mind to move back to Nigeria because it didn’t make sense for him to manage me from abroad.
After that meeting, in 2011 Christmas, I met him again through not.justok concert. I was performing there. We got talking and he was like you are done with schooling now, so come back to Nigeria, let’s do this thing. I told my parents and they were like we don’t have any plans of leaving you in Nigeria, so I went back January the following year. When we returned, I had to convince my parents to allow me come down to Nigeria. Eventually I succeeded, so my mom brought me back in March, so she met UB. He convinced her that it was a good idea to leave me behind. I also have family here so I moved into my uncle’s house. Immediately I moved to Lagos, everything started happening at the same time.
People here have drive, so it was good that I moved here. So Made Men came about. UB had the idea. He brought it to all of us. There are three artistes, Bassey Okon, Emma Nyra and Iyanya. Iyanya and UB Franklin are the presidents. They are my two bosses. He told Iyanya, let’s name it Made Men Music Group. He brought logos for Iyanya to look at. We decided all of that and UB went to register it, Made Men Music Group.
Why did you choose to sign with Iyanya’s label?
Actually, it wasn’t the name I was looking for. It was the fact that they took the time to say we believe in you. We’ll back you. We’ll support you. And that was what I needed because I knew I have talent. I needed someone who will sit me down and say we are willing to help you train. We are willing to put money into your project. We are willing to help you 100 percent. I didn’t really need money. I didn’t need that. What I needed was support and backing.
Before they did Kukere video, I had already signed with them. So as it was picking up I was doing shows with them, I was gaining experience and everything. If I had come now after the success then everybody would have said she’s looked for him. So it’s better that I stuck with my team and we are moving together at the same time. Luckily, when we did Your Waist, that was like my biggest platform. People know my face now so I have that platform I needed.
What are your challenges as a female artist here?
Because I’ve been signed on to Made Men Music Group, when people approach me they have to go through the same method as any other type of artist. Before, when I was on my own, it was the public dealing directly with me. But because I have a manager now, you are not even going to see me or deal with me until it’s time for me to step in, so that helps people to offer the right price. People know that when you are dealing with a manager you can’t try and be funny. That was my major issue when I was independent.
What genre of music do you do?
I do Afro pop, Afro RnB. My training is heavy RnB. When I moved to Nigeria, I had to change it slightly. So my single Ori mi wu is a very fast-paced dance, infused with drums, that’s what makes the Afro pop. People all over the world now are starting to embrace African music, that’s why you see Rick Ross with PSquare, Akon and so on. People are looking for African music now.
Who were your influences musically?
Marie Carey trained me for the high pitch. I also like Beyonce. She has a heavy voice that I love. I learnt some runs from her. I grew up listening to Fela. Fela, Sunny Bobo, that’s what my mom listens to day-in-day-out. Fela most especially, people in America are influenced by him. Don’t think because I was raised outside Nigeria, I don’t know my training. Even all those classic Ibo songs, I grew up listening to them. My mom and dad are both music collectors. That’s what I grew up with.
Iyanya as an artiste, what’s your perception of him?
A lot of artistes right now are gimmicks. I think Iyanya is unique because he’s actually talented and he’s a total package. He can sing very well. He can dance very well and he’s passionate. He’s not doing it for the naira. People think Iyanya is a rich boy, he makes millions. Iyanya is passionate about what he does. If it wasn’t for his passion he would have quit a long time ago. He doesn’t have time for anything else. So that’s what makes him different.
How much of his style have you imbibed?
Iyanya helped me in the studio to learn how to make my voice a little lighter because he told me to look at him. For example, he sings only RnB and that was what I was doing as well. So he now gave me some tips on how to make my voice run a little bit. He also helped me with dancing because he said as a woman I have to learn how to dance, to engage the crowd. That is what he’s helping me do.
Tell us your first major platform and what was the experience?
My first major platform was Davido’s album launch. I was very shy because I know that Nigerians are very blunt and honest. I was like, ‘oh my God, I pray they like me.’ I’m actually not scared of being booed. I have been booed before on stage, when I opened up for Fally Ipupa in Houston.
The women were waiting for Fally. They came to concert at 9pm; Fally didn’t come to the concert until like 4’oclock in the morning. I was one of the opening acts. When I said, ‘you guys want me to sing?’ The crowd said no! So I have been booed before. So at the Davido’s concert, Iyanya was like ‘go up there and do your thing.’ The only thing you can do as an artiste is give your all.
Iyanya is single, is there the possibility of dating him?
No, because he’s a colleague. A lot of times, I feel a lot of good relationship go sour because you let love get in the way of your hustle. So right now, no, there is no relationship. It is just a professional relationship. We have the Made Men House where everybody stays; you can’t now be dating somebody within the house. You can’t be doing that at this point because you don’t want any kind of conflict. It’s too risky. Right now I’m about my hustle. I don’t have any relationship, but when I do it shouldn’t be within the team. That’s how I feel right now, maybe it will change, I don’t know.
Tell us about your background
Both of my parents are from Asaba, Delta State. They moved to America in the 80s. My elder sister, she’s fifteen months older than me, we were all born in Texas. She’s first and I’m the second born. Then I have two younger brothers. One is 18 and the other is 21. We are very close and we grew up in Texas. I didn’t even eat America food until I was a certain age; I grew up on rice, stew, fufu, pounded yam, that’s what we eat. That’s what I knew.
I’m still picky, if you call my friends and ask them what I eat, they will tell you rice. I still eat like that until now. I grew up in a house that was very loving. Both my parents worked together. They were around all the time. I’m very well rounded because I had love from each side. I have brothers. I have a sister. I have a dad and I have a mom, so that’s why I’m a loving person because I’ve always been with my family. And I had a big family as well. My grandmother had twelve. My other grandmother had six. There are still some cousins that I haven’t met. That’s how big my family is.
Would you say that you actually have your parents support now?
Oh yes, my dad and my mom are my two biggest fans. Yes, both of my parents are artistes actually. My father acted. He’s a DJ, but professionally he’s a pharmacist. So when I said I wanted to be a singer, he was like, ‘That’s a hubby. That’s not really something you can make money off.’ So I told them I would get my degree first just in case something doesn’t go well, I will have something to fall back on. I studied Health Administration. My mother does medicine. She has a medicine home. My dad is a pharmacist. So I studied something I’m familiar with.
What are your plans?
Don’t fall, stay on top, don’t be distracted. As a woman you see women come into the music scene and they just disappear while men can be famous from the day that they started till they are old. You see them still rocking. So as a woman I want to be like that. Even when I have my kids and my husband, I want to keep doing what I love. I don’t want to stop. So this year I’m going to focus on making it a loud statement for the women. We need more representatives. People are looking at Africa right now from everywhere.
