Mavin Records signee, Charles Chibuezechukwu Ojie, popularly known as Crayon, took a nostalgic trip down memory lane as he reflected on his path to fame and stardom.
In an interview with Punch Saturday Beats, he delved into his compelling journey, narrating his ‘From the Trench to Triumph Story’ in detail.
He emphasized that the album is the embodiment of his life’s struggles and eventual success.
According to him, at the tender age of seven, he and his family moved into a modest “face-me-I-face-you” apartment in Ojo, where approximately nine or ten family members shared a single room.
He said that as the eldest child in the family, he faced severe financial constraints throughout his childhood.
He added that while facing these adversities, he worked alongside his mother in the fruit market, sometimes even resorting to hawking fruits in Lagos traffic.
Crayon noted: “My ‘Trench to Triumph’ story is about where I come from, and how I got to where I am today. I was born in Orile Iganmu (Lagos) and when I was seven years old, we moved to a ‘face-me-I-face-you’ apartment in Ojo. We were about nine or 10 people sharing a room. I am the eldest child of my parents, and I faced a lot of financial struggles growing up. Money was very tight. I was sent home regularly from school due to unpaid fees, and I ended up taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination five times.
“During that time, I was working on my music, and helping my mum at the stall where she sold fruits in the market. Sometimes, I would even hawk the fruits in traffic. Going from that kind of life to being signed by Mavin Records, and on my way to becoming a global superstar, is my triumph. I used to be in the trenches and now I am triumphant.”
In the interview, Crayon also spoke on his experience meeting with the veteran actress, Ngozi Ezeonu, after singing a song that featured her name.
“First, I appreciate the marketing team at Mavin Records. We were going back and forth on ideas on how to push my song, ‘Ngozi’, and Ella, the head of marketing, suggested that should do something with Ngozi Ezeonu.
“So, I reached out to her management, later contacted her personally and shared the idea with her. She was really open to the idea. She is such a sweet soul. She actually knew the song, because her kids used to playing it in the house. I was so excited seeing her, and it was a full-circle moment for me, because I used to watch her in movies while growing up, and my mum is one of her biggest fans.
“When I showed my mum the video of my visit to her, she was quite excited as well. That visit was one of my best and funniest moments this year. When I posted the videos and pictures, some people even thought she was my mum.”
