Singer, Abolore Akande popularly known as 9ice in a recent interview talks about his life and why he has been missing in music scene for awhile.
Nothing much has been heard about 9ice, what is happening?
I went back to school. I decided to chill for a while and I decided to go back to the drawing board to see what new thing I can do that would set me apart from what I was doing 10 years ago.
And now that you are back, should these artistes be scared?
We are not on the same level. They are in the river and I am in the ocean. Let them just do their thing. I am on a different level. They are making money. That is nice. They don’t disturb me and I don’t disturb them either.
You have a new album, E ke kan, how is it doing?
It is doing very well. It is produced by Don Jazzy. It has a video already.
How come you decided to go back to school?
I have always loved academics. To have a degree is very important. While I was back at the drawing board, I had an opportunity to go back to school and I used it.
We hear you are studying Criminal Law? What has that got to do with music?
I have always been a fan of Law. Now that I got the opportunity of going back to school, I decided to study Law that I have always loved. I didn’t want to go to school and just study ‘anything’.
Why did you deny you had twins when they were born?
I did say I didn’t have twins then because I believe it was personal. If I have N1m, I think it is only my account’s officer that should know how much I have. In fact, he wouldn’t even have the right to check my account unless I ask him to do that. He couldn’t just cull up my account details and start checking how much I have. This is not a car we are talking about, these are human beings.
But when they grow up, do you think they will forgive you when they read that you once denied them?
I will tell them the reason I did that. It was the same way my father gave me his own reasons. I didn’t know him until I was 22. I got to know my mother when I was 18. They gave me their reasons for doing what they did. I asked my father where he was all the time I was growing up and he told me where and how and when he was a part of my life. If my kids grow up to ask me why I did what I did, I would certainly explain to them. I didn’t say I didn’t have kids just because I wanted to lie, No. I had my reasons. I had my life to live.
You are in showbiz, so you shouldn’t expect to have a private life…
But there are still some elements that are personal. I didn’t fight anybody when the stories came out. I just didn’t say anything because I wasn’t ready to talk about it. I wasn’t ready to share the story. When I got ready, I even shared the pictures of the twins. Who knows, I could have even used their pictures to make money and sell to a publication that wanted them. But I just released the pictures.
Do we see you getting married to their mother soon?
I will get married soon. But it might not be tomorrow. It might not be as early as people expect. It might even be earlier than people expect.
So, will you be getting married to the mother of the twins?
It is very possible.
But is she the one you are with at the moment?
I am not saying anything on that. No comment.
What of your first son?
He is very fine. He is in America at the moment with his mum. Education is good in Nigeria but we wanted him to grasp a higher quality of education. His mum decided to go back to America so he had to go with her.
Do you communicate with them often?
Oh yes, I was even in America last month.
How involved are you in his welfare?
I have never been left out. I have always been involved in his welfare right from the time he was born till now. It will be like that till I give up.
You have not really talked about your marriage with Tony Payne?
News is always about assumptions and rumours and gossips. It is left for people to pick out the meat. The media has already stolen the show from me. There is nothing to talk about again. I was one of the crowd and I was watching as the news were flying.
Do you regret that marriage?
I don’t. I have never regretted that marriage. I have so many reasons.
What are the reasons?
It is not only because of my son. Without that marriage, I will not be here today. I see life from a different perspective now. There are things that are inevitable. So, many things are bound to happen in life and there is nothing you can do about it. When such things happen, you have to face it. You only have to manage it when it happens and from there, you move ahead. If you don’t move ahead from that situation, you will never go to the next level.
Let’s go back to what you said earlier on about not knowing your parents until you were a young man, how did it happen?
It is going to be in my autobiography. I am going to make money out of the story. I am not divulging it. Nobody knows about it yet.
What happened to all those artistes signed under your Alapomeji label?
That is a misconception. I never signed on any artiste. I only gave them a platform to showcase themselves and go on their own when they are established. Nigeria music industry is not ripe enough to sign on any artiste.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayNothing much has been heard about 9ice, what is happening?
I went back to school. I decided to chill for a while and I decided to go back to the drawing board to see what new thing I can do that would set me apart from what I was doing 10 years ago.
And now that you are back, should these artistes be scared?
We are not on the same level. They are in the river and I am in the ocean. Let them just do their thing. I am on a different level. They are making money. That is nice. They don’t disturb me and I don’t disturb them either.
You have a new album, E ke kan, how is it doing?
It is doing very well. It is produced by Don Jazzy. It has a video already.
How come you decided to go back to school?
I have always loved academics. To have a degree is very important. While I was back at the drawing board, I had an opportunity to go back to school and I used it.
We hear you are studying Criminal Law? What has that got to do with music?
I have always been a fan of Law. Now that I got the opportunity of going back to school, I decided to study Law that I have always loved. I didn’t want to go to school and just study ‘anything’.
Why did you deny you had twins when they were born?
I did say I didn’t have twins then because I believe it was personal. If I have N1m, I think it is only my account’s officer that should know how much I have. In fact, he wouldn’t even have the right to check my account unless I ask him to do that. He couldn’t just cull up my account details and start checking how much I have. This is not a car we are talking about, these are human beings.
But when they grow up, do you think they will forgive you when they read that you once denied them?
I will tell them the reason I did that. It was the same way my father gave me his own reasons. I didn’t know him until I was 22. I got to know my mother when I was 18. They gave me their reasons for doing what they did. I asked my father where he was all the time I was growing up and he told me where and how and when he was a part of my life. If my kids grow up to ask me why I did what I did, I would certainly explain to them. I didn’t say I didn’t have kids just because I wanted to lie, No. I had my reasons. I had my life to live.
You are in showbiz, so you shouldn’t expect to have a private life…
But there are still some elements that are personal. I didn’t fight anybody when the stories came out. I just didn’t say anything because I wasn’t ready to talk about it. I wasn’t ready to share the story. When I got ready, I even shared the pictures of the twins. Who knows, I could have even used their pictures to make money and sell to a publication that wanted them. But I just released the pictures.
Do we see you getting married to their mother soon?
I will get married soon. But it might not be tomorrow. It might not be as early as people expect. It might even be earlier than people expect.
So, will you be getting married to the mother of the twins?
It is very possible.
But is she the one you are with at the moment?
I am not saying anything on that. No comment.
What of your first son?
He is very fine. He is in America at the moment with his mum. Education is good in Nigeria but we wanted him to grasp a higher quality of education. His mum decided to go back to America so he had to go with her.
Do you communicate with them often?
Oh yes, I was even in America last month.
How involved are you in his welfare?
I have never been left out. I have always been involved in his welfare right from the time he was born till now. It will be like that till I give up.
You have not really talked about your marriage with Tony Payne?
News is always about assumptions and rumours and gossips. It is left for people to pick out the meat. The media has already stolen the show from me. There is nothing to talk about again. I was one of the crowd and I was watching as the news were flying.
Do you regret that marriage?
I don’t. I have never regretted that marriage. I have so many reasons.
What are the reasons?
It is not only because of my son. Without that marriage, I will not be here today. I see life from a different perspective now. There are things that are inevitable. So, many things are bound to happen in life and there is nothing you can do about it. When such things happen, you have to face it. You only have to manage it when it happens and from there, you move ahead. If you don’t move ahead from that situation, you will never go to the next level.
Let’s go back to what you said earlier on about not knowing your parents until you were a young man, how did it happen?
It is going to be in my autobiography. I am going to make money out of the story. I am not divulging it. Nobody knows about it yet.
What happened to all those artistes signed under your Alapomeji label?
That is a misconception. I never signed on any artiste. I only gave them a platform to showcase themselves and go on their own when they are established. Nigeria music industry is not ripe enough to sign on any artiste.
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