Singer and songwriter Seyi Shay has revealed how the death of her mentor, Sound Sultan, deeply affected her music career and personal journey.
In an interview with TVC, Seyi Shay described Sound Sultan, who passed away in 2021 after battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, as a father figure who played a pivotal role in her career.
She said his passing left her feeling lost and directionless.
According to her, at the time of his death, she was filming Nigerian Idol and had to push through the project despite her grief.
What hurt her the most, she noted, was not getting to see him before he died, as she had planned to visit him in New York with a gift he had requested.
She added that the loss, coupled with the toxic pressures of the music industry and intense public scrutiny, made her decide to take a step back from music.
The singer noted that around that period, she also discovered she was pregnant with her daughter, which further strengthened her decision.
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Seyi Shay remembered Sound Sultan as a kind and supportive mentor who introduced her to key industry professionals and stood by her career from the start.
His death, she said, pushed her to prioritise her mental health and overall well-being.
She said, “During the filming of Nigerian Idol, my mentor, also my best friend, who is like a father figure to me, and also the person who brought me to the Nigerian music industry, died. He passed away; Sound Sultan.
“When I first came to Nigeria, I was living with him and his wife in FESTAC for a year. He was the one who co-signed me and introduced me to everybody in the industry to make sure that those who were his people look out for me.
“So, when he passed away, it was really hard for me to complete the filming but I made it to the end. What hurt the most is that I didn’t get to see him before he passed away. I was supposed to fly to see him in New York that weekend when we had a break. He asked me to bring him something specifically. It just torn me apart. I felt like I didn’t have the will to continue to do music without Sound Sultan, my peace of mind, and my mental health. So, I decided to go on a little break.
“Also, during that period, I got pregnant and I told myself there’s no way I’m going to have my child in the toxic music industry that I’m in and under the scrutiny that I was constantly under. So, I just thought I should take a break.”
