The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kcee

  • Wizkid, Kcee, Emma Nyra perform at Industry Nite Houston

    Wizkid, Kcee, Emma Nyra perform at Industry Nite Houston

    Starboy boss, Ayodeji Balogun, aka Wizkid was the star of the show in Houston, Texas, United States recently where Nigeria’s popular weekly show, Industry Nite, made another stop last weekend.

    The Houston leg of the concert followed a number of successful shows in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate.

    The event which held on May 6, at the Ayva Centre in Richmond, was a double delight for music lovers and tourists alike as it coincided with the popular yearly Oil and Gas expo tagged, OTC.

    The night witnessed over a thousand guests who converged at the Ayva Centre to experience the fun Industry Nite brings to all of its concerts. And true to their expectations, Wizkid delivered a stellar performance to the capacity audience in attendance. Backed by  a 10-man live band, wizkid performed hit tracks such as Jaiye Jaiye, On top your Matter, Show me the Money and Ojuelegba among other hits.

    “Tonight was amazing; the love I got from my fans was unbelievable. I felt the energy right from the moment I graced the stage. I thoroughly had a great time,” said Wizkid after the performance.

    There was also a surprise performance by the Limpopo master, Kcee, who did songs like Turn by Turn, Ogaranya, and Limpopo, and was later joined on stage by Emma Nyra.

    According to Matthew Ohio, Founder of Industry Nite, “The goal has always been to promote Nigerian music beyond our shores. So this year, we partnered a number of organizations to see that we achieve this. We have successfully hosted a number of artists on our tours thereby creating a cultural exchange that has helped African music get mainstream attention. And we intend to host more artists, and visit other continents as the months roll by,” he said.

    Industry Nite Houston was put together by El Carnaval, Viva Africa and Kiza Dubai.

  • KCee thrills fans across Europe

    KCee thrills fans across Europe

    LIMPOPO crooner, KCee, is surely having a groovy time on his tour of Europe. From postings on his social media page, KCee has been commanding large sold out crowds where he performed.

    On Twitter, the artiste on Sunday posted, ‘Stuttgart Germany thanks for turning out in mass #soldout.’

    On Monday, he again posted good news along with a picture of him and his manager.

    ‘Vienna was also sold out!!!!! No space to even perform, I had to join the Dj!!!!! Vienna, Austria,’ he wrote on his Instagram account.

    The artiste and his crew have been flaunting pictures of themselves with designer Louis Vuitton travelling bags at different airport terminals across Europe on social media.

  • Kcee starts transport company

    Kcee starts transport company

    Singer, Kcee who is signed to Five Star Music who has multiple business interests has officially launched a transportation business with his brother E Money. This new line of business came to the singer after his involvement with the oil sector for a short while. The new business line was announced by KCee’s brother and head of the 5 star music label, E-Money. He broke the news to the general public via his Instagram page sharing the photo of a bus with ‘Five Star Motors. First Class Mobility’ boldly written on it.

    BUS

    Kc also announced on his instagram page

    “Believe, thank God for a new day, new opportunities. He can do it for you if you believe say Amen.#beliveinyourself #beliveinGod”

     

     

  • Why we signed Skiibii, by Kcee

    FIVE Star Music cash cow, KCee has given reasons why the label signed young talent, Skiibii.  The Limpopo crooner in a chat with The Nation, spoke on a range of issues, with emphasis on the latest member of his music label.

    “Skiibii is one of the talented young lads around, and he showed us that he really wanted to join the label, having waited for over one year, and if you look at it, he is done with schooling and it makes him the perfect act to be signed. He is youthful, talented and educated, and we believe in his abilities a lot. “

    The MTN brand ambassador was however evasive when asked of the details of the deal Skiibii signed with the record company. “Let’s leave that for the company,” he said, adding that, “I think of our togetherness, hardwork and the grace of God.”

    KCee once had a musical partner, Presh, but both artistes have gone ahead to pursue their music careers separately in the last two years. Asked if he will be working with Presh again, he said, “I was with him for 10 years and we have just been apart for only two years, so I can still work with him, but I am not in a hurry.”

    KCee and Presh came to the limelight 12 years ago, when they won the maiden edition of Star Quest, the now-rested group musical reality show organised by Nigerian Breweries Plc.

  • Ice Prince, Kcee thrill consumers at Orijin launch

    Ice Prince, Kcee thrill consumers at Orijin launch

    Kaduna and Makurdi, penultimate weekend, got the feel of Orijin groove, as the iconic brand officials berthed in the cities. Guests at the events were treated to the best of entertainment, courtesy of Orijin brand.

    The ancient city of Makurdi got into the groove as Limpopo crooner, Kingsley Okonkwo, aka Kcee heralded the official launch of Orijin in the city. Guests and fun seekers at the party were left asking for more, as the Opekete master thrilled everyone with his scintillating performance. In Kaduna, Mr. Aboki, Ice Prince, held the audience with his maverick display and rendition of his lyrics.

    The Orijin launch across major cities in Nigeria is a continuation of what has become one of the biggest product launches ever witness in Nigeria. Fun seekers and esteemed consumers of the drink have enjoyed the best of music and entertainment as the train of Orijin national launch moves around the states.

    The Orijin party has been to the Garden City of Port Harcourt, Onistha, Nnewi and Benin among others. At these cities, the brand featured the best of Nigerian hip hop music stars, with huge crowd trooping to the venues of the event in anticipation of an unforgettable experience.

    Other hip hop stars that entertained at the parties are Timaya, Burna Boy, and Phyno. Ace disc jockeys, DJ Humility and DJ Spinall also ensured there were no dull moments.

    Mr. Sesan Sobowale, Director, Corporate Relations, Guinness, said, “Since we introduced Orijin, the feedbacks from our esteemed consumers have been encouraging. We launched Orijin in our quest to continuously satisfy our numerous consumers across the Nigerian market and we are glad the brand has been widely accepted.”

  • Foreign acts thrill guests at Corporate Elite Nite

    Foreign acts thrill guests at Corporate Elite Nite

    IT was an experience of fun and entertainment at the Corporate Elite Nite, when R & B artiste, Mario and Freddie Jackson, Dru Hill, the 112 Band, South Africa’s Micasa, the Mavins, 3MG, Sound Sultan, Kcee, Harrysong, Banky W, Ice Prince and Sir Shina Peters delivered electrifying performances.

    With an explosive performance, Freddie Jackson thrilled guests at the event, admitting to being ‘a naughty boy from New York’. Mario was visibly exceptional. At one remarkable moment, he pulled his shirt, invited Nigerian Ice-Prince to the stage and mumbled a sentence in Yoruba, saying: “Osheeee”. The same goes for Dru Hill, a group which has Sisquo.

    Don Jazzy, Korede Bello, Dr. Sid, D’Prince set the hall ringing with familiar songs. The arena reverberated with the choruses of Dorobucci and Surulere as the crew justified their popularity among the young and old. Iyanya too was enchanting.

    South African Micasa joked that his being a white South African had made many to mistake him for a ‘goalkeeper’. He also justified his rich African background by rendering Brenda Fasi’s popular songs.

    The corporate Elite Nite is held annually. In the past, celebrated international superstars such as Joe Thomas, Cool and The Gang, Billy Ocean and Mafikizolo had headlined the events.

    Among those who attended the event were NFF Chairman, Amanju Pinnick; Paul Orhii, the Director General of NAFDAC; Mr. Sola Alabi, the CEO of Stratford Communications, Dr. Faye Iketubosin, the Director of George’s Medical Centre; Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye; Tuface and his wife, Annie; Mojisola Akpata of Diageo Africa; Alibaba; Linda Ikeji; DJ Jimmy Jatt; The Ajoses; Austin Okocha; Anthony Shishler of Farenheit and Nky Iweka of Melting Pot, among others.

  • Why I flaunt my wealth on social media–Kcee

    Why I flaunt my wealth on social media–Kcee

    WHEN it comes to displaying wealth on the social media, one top-rated act who readily comes to mind in Nigeria is the Limpopo king, Kcee.

    According to the artiste, there’s nothing wrong with what he does, as foreign stars also do the same.

    In a recent interview, he was quoted as saying that “I am just expressing myself. Even American artistes like Beyonce and Rihanna, do the same. If they get anything, they put it on the social media; and if they want to go anywhere, they put it on the social media. I just like to express myself, without bothering myself on what they say. It is just keeping your real followers or die-hard fans informed about what you do. It’s not a problem.

     “No matter who you are on earth, people will criticise you. People criticise presidents and pastors. Even Jesus Christ was criticised in the Bible. So, I don’t care about what they are saying, the only thing I do is to make sure I learn from whatever my fans are saying. As far as my fashion sense is concerned, I think its 100 percent correct.”

  • I wrote songs for Michael Jackson

    I wrote songs for Michael Jackson

    She was one of the cynosures at the launch of Samsung Galaxy S5, recently. Chioma Eze, who is also an Armenia star, caught the attention of Nigerians with her exciting and powerful performance during the launch. A bundle of talents, she has written songs for notable foreign acts, including Shaggy, Steel Magnolia, Allison Iraheta, Leighton Meeser and Alex Young, featuring FatManScoop, among others. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, she talks about her romance with music, growing up and other interesting issues.

    I spotted you for the first time during the launch of Samsung Galaxy S5. But given that you are new in the industry, how did you get on that platform?

    They needed someone who could perform and represent three countries at the same time, so they contacted me. I sang in French; I also sang a song for Ghanaians and did my own song for Nigerians. So, because I sing in other languages like Italian, French and Armenian (where I am most known), that gave me an edge. I’ve sung in Chinese before. Talking about the launch, I thought they didn’t like me at first, but as soon as I started dancing, I started seeing a lot of phones and ipads going up. I couldn’t completely see all the way out, but people in the front just started beaming and smiling at me because I was looking at them. It was really fun!

    At that period when you felt like they didn’t like you, what was going on in your mind?

    No fall o, no fall o! That was all I was thinking (laughs). But I’ve never really gotten a hostile crowd.

    It’s been a year since you came around. So, how do you see the Nigerian music scene at the moment?

    Honestly, it has gotten to a point where it is hard to dance to any other kind of music. I was at a wedding three weeks ago, where they hired a band, but it was boring. There were Nigerians in the room, so I went to give the DJ a track. As soon as they played Kcee’s Pull over, everybody got up. Then, we played Sawa sawa sawale( pauses). Hey! See the change of atmosphere.

    How do you intend to break into the mainstream in the Nigerian music industry?

    I’ve always tried to put Nigeria in the picture. I think there is room for everyone. It’s already being fun; I am having a blast. I do think there is a market for my style of music and for my person. So, I try to pick songs that will either tell a story or help someone; and I think people can actually feel that. I don’t want to just sell flops; and even within the flops, you can lift someone up. That’s why I try to write that way.

    How receptive have your colleagues, the Nigerian artistes, been to you?

    I have been in talks with some of them and I have been approached by some. During the Ebony Life TV’s Mandela concert in Lagos and Darey Art-Alade’s Like a Movie 2, they all seemed nice enough. I am different; I think I am not here to take anyone’s space. I am really different. I think there is space for everyone.

    Are you working on any project at the moment?

    I’m working on my Nigerian album now. I want to see how I will be accepted in Nigeria. I have been approached my some local producers. I’m definitely working with some big names, but that’s all I will say. I have an Armenian EP by the way.

    Why do you prefer to be addressed by your real name, since you were raised in Europe?

    I was born in Nigeria, but I went abroad when I was a year old. I went to school in England and later came back for a couple of years before going to America. But why I chose to go by my name Chioma is because it means God is good. That means that even if you are an artiste, you are praising God when you say my name. Americans likes my name. I don’t want know why anybody would want to change his or her name. I love Nigeria; I am proud to be Nigerian.

    How did music start for you?

    Professionally, I was offered a deal in America. I started writing, went into vocal producing and then producing. I did an album, which was stolen, so I took a little bit of break. And then, I started again about six years ago. I just started writing and producing different artistes and genres. I have worked with several producers out there.

    At what point did you try to crossover to the Nigerian music scene?

    I started out for a while, but I just didn’t know the scene. I was comfortable doing what I was doing. But my sister kept asking me to come back. But it was after I did the Armenia single titled Qez Sirum em (Forever), which fetched me the AMA’s Viewers Choice Award for Best Song of the Year. That catapulted me into the Armenian super stardom so much that Nigerians started writing comments and sending messages to my in-box. The song was very well received in Armenia. Nigerians started asking: “Why are you in Armenia?” And I replied to their messages. That was last year.

    How did you get signed on to Funke Kuti’s FK Management?

    I needed someone that was honest and kind. I gave the person I sought his advice on how to go about it some requirements. It was my sister who told him all that I required as an artiste; so, he said the person who possesses all that I want is Funke. I want to inspire people. I don’t want somebody that would take me into the areas, where I am vulnerable. I don’t know if managers out here do that. The managers in America do it, so I’d rather not be in entertainment industry or be on stage, if I am going to compromise myself in a certain way. I don’t know the market yet. I can handle myself over there because I know the terrain. Here, my sister doesn’t know everyone.

    Why didn’t you team up with any of the popular management instead?

    The reason I came back home wasn’t really about the money, but by the grace of God, we are going to make money. But in order to get a certain message across, you need to be known. I really don’t like fame too much. That’s why I am bad at the social media. Imagine me telling people now I’m in Nigeria and that I am eating cornflakes. I wasn’t brought up that way. I was brought up to mind my own business.

    How do you define your genre of music?

    Honestly, we need to come up with this thing. I do every kind of genre, from RnB to rap, rock, soul, reggae, hip hop etc. If I were to describe my genre of music, it will be a fusion.

    What inspires your songs?

    Life! There are songs that come to me in dreams and I will wake up and write them. I am a writer. I’ve written songs a lot for different artistes. I was even asked to write songs for Michael Jackson. I never met him, but I spoke to him on the phone. I was supposed to meet him the week after he died.

    How many songs did you write for him?

    I wrote eight. He called me on two of them. A lot of people wrote for him as well. But I was going to meet him the week after he died, just to discuss and to see if I could open a show for him.

    What has been the high point of your career so far?

    I won the Viewer’s Choice award at the Armenian Music Award (AMA). I’m the first black woman to ever sing on that stage. I’m their black singer for Armenians. I made history there; they really embraced me there. At first, some people said they wouldn’t accept me, but they just did. It’s just God.

    You sound like you’re spiritual…

    A lot of people ask me why I don’t play gospel music, but I do. I think that if you love God and you write it, it will come out in your writings; so, I love God. Being in public eyes has not stopped me from loving God. Personally, if I don’t believe God will approve of my songs, I won’t do it.

    But in Nigeria, what sells lyrically is lewd contents?

    I’m not going to sing lewd songs. The ones in America are lewd as well and I’ve been able to get around that. You don’t have to compromise who you are. If I have to compromise, it is better I don’t do it at all. I don’t want to add to the problem. I’m not judging anyone.

    Are you saying your song is totally clean?

    I’m ‘chicky’, but not dirty.

    When did you realise that music was what you wanted to do?

    Hmm! That’s a good question. Necessity is the mother of invention. I started singing for shows and stuff because I needed money to pay my rent.

    Could you tell me about your early influences?

    My first love was classical music and then country music. Dolly Parton is one of my all-time favourite writers, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston are my favourite vocalists. Also, Michael Jackson and Tina Turner are my all-time favourite performers. I fell in love with Pop and R&B, thanks to the genius of Quincy Jones, Babyface, Teddy Riley and the vocal styling of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, ABBA and The BeeGees and many others.

    I have long since had an ongoing romance with rock music and dancehall. Tina Turner, Fela Kuti, Queen, Blondie, Fleetwood Mack Pink, Floyd, Aerosmith, Bryan Adams, Mother’s Finest, Bon Jovi, ColdPlay and Nirvana, Green Day, Tricia Yearwood, Leeann Womack, Pink, Katy Perry, Adele, Maroon Five and Emily Sande are my favourite solo artistes and bands.

    Have you finally come to stay in Nigeria?

    I shuttle between three continents because of my album in Armenia. I wanted to come home. Before then, I was harassed to death by my friends and people to come home.

    Do you have any plans of settling in Nigeria?

    I would want the rest of the world to taste what it is that I cook here. I want my fans in Europe to share this part of me. That’s why I don’t want to take away from here; I want to add. I want to take Nigeria with me wherever I go. I am Nigerian wherever I am; I love being Nigerian. I have friends who don’t say they are Nigerians and I wonder why. The world needs to see Nigerians that are doing beautifully well and they are wonderful people. So, why will I hide that? I have fans in other countries and I can’t let them down either.

    How will you describe your growing up?

    Growing up in England wasn’t easy. I was bullied in school a lot. I was the only black girl in school. I didn’t realise I was black because everyone else was white. All I saw was white people. I didn’t know my colour did something. Even then, I wasn’t really aware that it was because of that. I’m quite forgiving. You do something to me, but the next day, I’m like hello. I feared going to school sometimes. When I was eight, I moved over to Germany. In Germany, I was treated like a rock star.

  • Artistes scout for their doubles

    Artistes scout for their doubles

    Telecommunications Company, MTN, has begun a programme through which fans now seek striking resemblance with Nigerian music stars.

    The project, while seeking to get artistes acquainted to their fans, is also meant to promote the MTN brand, which some of the stars represent.

    Notable stars such as Don Jazzy, Iyanya, Tiwa Savage and KCee have launched the campaign through a social media initiative tagged MTNCelebdouble.

    The youth-centric initiative, according to sources, is for the MTN ambassadors to keep their commitment to the brand active, by creating fun and excitement among the Nigerian youth.

    It would be recalled that through a similar initiative, the MTN Songstar Karaoke, a mobile App was launched in September 2013, allowing customers on the MTN network to select, listen, sing and share a karaoke version of their favorite songs on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

    The MTNCelebdouble is a digital-based engagement platform, that has other artistes such as Davido, Wizkid, Chidinma, Praiz, iMike, D’Prince and Harrysong.

    According to Kcee, the essence of the project is to connect fans who cherish stardom with the country’s leading music artistes. “Music and entertainment are two strong passion points of young people; they (Nigerian youth) look for opportunities to associate with their favourite artistes online or offline, as they literally admire these artistes. The concept of the Celebdouble will be a lifetime experience for young persons who become the Celebdoubles, as they get to hobnob with their musical hero.”

    Kcee who is trending for his song, Pull Over, explained that the platform is using the MTN Twitter handle, Facebook page and Instagram account, because “the company has the largest number of subscribers, followers and likes on these social media and better technology that will aid the selection process.”

    He urged interested youths to tag their pictures with the name of the artiste they think they share resemblance with, hashtag their entries with “#MTNCelebdouble” and subscribe to a callertune of their look-alike artiste.

    In a bid to generate more excitement, the artistes have decided that the top-two most look-alikes, will be selected for a VIP day,and treated to the full perks of stardom.

    “Through this service and more in the pipeline, we hope to continue to support the Nigerian entertainment industry,” says Larry Annetts, Chief Marketing Officer at MTN.

    According to Annetts, a key strategic focus for MTN is to connect the Nigerian youth with their passion for music and their favourite artistes, which the organisation constantly demonstrates via innovative marketing initiatives.

     

  • Grammy: Nobody shut us out, say Nigerian celebs

    Grammy: Nobody shut us out, say Nigerian celebs

    Wthe news hit town, there were mixed reactions. It was said that some Nigerian celebrities, who travelled the United States to attend the last Grammy Awards ceremony, were reportedly barred from the event because they couldn’t afford to pay $4,000 for a table.

    As soon as the news went viral on the social media, many wondered if the celebrities were invited for the show.

    While they could rationalise the presence of the duo of Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye of Prime Time Entertainment at the event, not a few claimed that artistes like Kcee, Julius Agwu, Harrysong, Seyi Shay and Dencia, who was mistaken for Nicki Minaj, had gone only to show off.

    However, the celebrities, who are rankled by this seeming insult, stated their own side of the story.

    Julius Agwu said: “I had a pass already into the Grammy, so also other celebrities. We arrived the venue in a limo and walked through the red carpet. However, we can’t deny the fact that we are not known as celebrities. We might be big in Nigeria, but nobody knew us there. Maybe that’s why we just entered the venue, just as every other person that attended.”

    In his comment, Adeneye, alias D1, said: “I don’t know why we (Nigerians) like spreading rumours. What do we intend to gain from spreading falsehood? I’m not happy about it; I must confess. This is because you can’t get to the red carpet without an invitation. In fact, you need to get an invitation and tickets are not being sold. You can’t even work freely on the street when you don’t have business at the Grammy. You can’t snap pictures inside the hall. Pictures are not allowed, except at the red carpet. It’s part of the rules.”

    Ayo Animashaun, chief executive officer of Smooth Productions, explained: “Let me correct that impression. They don’t sell tables at the Grammy. We were invited. In fact, we drove our limo to the red carpet. You can’t even get to the red carpet without an invitation and once you get to the red carpet, you have access to the main hall. So, it’s a rumour.”