K-Solo Opens Up On His New Plans n Cleared Furthermore on Past issues.
Osun state-born, Solomon Oyeniyi a.k.a. K-Solo is a household name among Nigerian music lovers. There are two events in his career that most fans will easily use to recall him – his production prowess with which he made singer, Timaya, an artiste of repute; the other is his highly controversial troubled marriage with his former wife Kikelomo. Kikelomo, sometime last year, toured different media houses claiming that she was no longer married to K-Solo due to constant physical abuse and said so many ugly and unprintable words about K-Solo. However, everyone was shocked to see K-solo and Kikelomo about two weeks after on ChannelsTV denying everything the public believed happened between them, claiming they were just playing a prank. K-Solo, for the first time, speaks with MORAKINYO OLUGBIJI about the controversial interview and other issues
What has K-Solo been up to lately?
I’ve been working on a new album and just released a new Single(MAMACITA) for the ladies, creating internet buzz off the Album . I’m totally skilled with new sounds and flows. The album is titled “No Wire, No Light.”
What inspired that title?
I can boldly tell it to everyone that I started dance hall in Nigeria. I made it sellable and marketable. As at then it was called noise, but now every room and standard studio now makes that noise. So I am the Wire; no wire, no light and I’ll be defining it more in the album.
When you said that you started dance hall in the country, many music lovers will wonder what exactly you are talking about?
Dance hall is a genre of music done mostly by Jamaicans and some other african countries. As at then we used to do what I can categorise as R and B and majorly hip-hop, but now dance hall is the popular dance music everyone is doing. The album will be out next year February.
Many people believe that you were instrumental to the success of Timaya’s breakthrough album “True Story” and the follow up “Gift and Grace.” Why didn’t you work with him on the other albums?
It’s God, not me. I did the first and second album, then part of the third album. It wasn’t easy rolling out three hit albums in our ‘Naija’ market. I have tried, yet it’s what I’ve carved out others are building on; same way Cohbams carved out a niche for Asa and others are living on that. At the time of working with Timaya, it was based on friendship and trust alone, but as soon as I understood the business part, he backed out and it looked like I was being greedy. But I was happy that I did all with great ideas and the world loved them all. After that, what have Nigerians been getting? And how many more successful albums? I bless God that at my time when I released Timaya’s album, the other heavy weights were held on pause till he sold during that particular period.
What do you mean by greedy?
Meaning that my understanding of the truth of the job and what I have been losing made him call me greedy. Meanwhile, he knew the truth and also knew he’d been cheating me. So who’s greedy? But we’re all matured and its all in the past.
Are you saying that Timaya’s career hasn’t been the same since you stopped being his producer?
I didn’t say that. He has lovely beats and flows. What I mean is that I carved an image for every act I work with; he just digressed. I always say you don’t joke with your fan base and doing so many styles doesn’t make you versatile. Timaya is Timaya anytime because his foundation still speaks for him and moreso some fans still feel I do most of the new stuff. I just correct them. But sincerely, he is doing good.
How has it been shuttling between production and performance, since you used to be solely a producer?
I have been doing performance since, but it became news when I released an album. I always say, a consistent neighborhood thief will one day be a big time robber with time if not cautioned. It’s been a long time coming and I’m used to both, though I don’t perform everyday; I do a select few.
What do you have to say about the current trend whereby many artistes just want to do dance tracks not minding the lyrics of the songs they do?
It’s a pity that all will soon fade away. It’s now a competition of beats between these new generation beat makers who forget that they need to be producers. They should take caution with their art understanding that each beat cost a fortune. It’s an intellectual property. Some might not be able to make two hits, just one and yet waste it on a non-meaningful song. Artistes too forget that they determine what fans listen too and if you keep feeding them rubbish, it remains so. Kudos to those who still keep it real like Tuface, Sound Sultan, Psquare, Darey, Kcee, and so many others who still make hits with sensible messages. And for those who started cool and now backsliding, I pray they will soon start to do the right thing.
The K-Solo Xperience held recently. How did it go?
It went well and I’m so happy to say I’m the first celebrity producer that ever started a talent hunt publicly and got sponsors at a first trial.
OJB was supposed to be on the panel, but his health condition didn’t make that possible. How did you feel?
I felt bad, but I had to make the noise because I spoke to him a night before the Xperience and his wife was supposed to bring him, only for his wife to call in the early hours that he was being rushed to the hospital again. They didn’t want the public to hear though some few colleagues already knew about the illness. I had to break it to the press and through the internet. He didn’t like it at first, but it saved him.
How have you been able to manage a busy career and at the same time play your husband roles?
I’m a family man, but not a husband yet. I’ve been a family man for long, because I pay school fees and feed mouths. It’s not hard at all merging both, because every other celeb passes through the same route.
When do you plan to become a husband again?
I don’t know yet, but I’m prepared in every way and as soon as God pleases, it will be so. But to be sincere, I really don’t have that on my mind for now; I’m still busy hustling.
We actually thought you’ve settled down with your new woman after the entire controversy with your ex-wife?
It’s funny how people just conclude things on their own. I don’t know which is the new woman and which is an ex. I have always told all these bloggers to confirm their news before publishing. Anyway, they’re always lucky because most of them don’t have an office, they just get a phone and immediately they have a job. It’s so sad, but I really don’t understand the new girlfriend and ex thing.
They were probably talking about Bimbo and Kikelomo?
Bimbo was my girlfriend from the start. It didn’t just result to marriage and she is a very close friend of mine till date; even her man is also my pal. But for the other one, we were once married, but divorced; the marriage didn’t last more than four months. So when the press need facts, they should ask because I’m not the kind of celeb that runs from facts. I want my fans to be fed with the truth. I’m not married to Bimbo.
What lessons have all these taught you?
Life itself is a daily lesson so which are you insinuating?
The entire marriage drama, I mean.
I’ll simply say that marriage is a lifetime thing and you should take your time when you choose so as not to choose wrongly, because the rate at which women want to be called Mrs is so heavy, while some just want to have a child and get back to their wayward life. In all, the drama has kept me more focused on my job and single.
Many will believe that you may not want to get married again after the whole drama due to fear?
Why won’t I? I will, because there are some stuff my dad left behind that I can’t acquire if I’m still single. My mum is not happy about the whole bad press but wants me to still get married, because she wants to carry my child, you know. I can never be afraid to re-marry. I’m going to get married as soon as God seals it. It will be done quietly and later. I’ll just alert the public after all is done, if there is need to.
You both have a tattoo on your necks bearing your logo. What’s going to happen to the tattooes now that both of you are no longer together?
I don’t know, I’ve had mine all this while. She did hers behind me and still wrote my name on her arm. I know it’s so painful to remove. Maybe she can just shade on them or marry one of my fans; or she can show her new man. But for me, the tattoo is my logo and I have no problem having my logo on myself. She knows how she got it on herself and she will know how to get it off.
Finally, most people are still confused about the Channels TV interview?
It’s a long story, but I want everybody to forget about it as if they never watched it, because it was all acted up. Explaining won’t bring anything back, so let’s not bother our brains anymore.
Can’t you make it short?
Okay. After the bad press and issues we both had, some clergies intervened because she was pregnant and I buried the issue quickly like it never happened. I did that to take care of her considering her pregnant condition. So when I was called for the Channels TV interview, Kikelomo asked to go with me because she was bored and, according to her, she needed to hang out with me. I initially declined but she begged me and I accepted. When we got to Channels TV, I went straight in because I was almost late for the interview as it was going to be live. I left her and my PA at the reception. While I was on air, I think the entertainment correspondent were surprised to see us together because they had read the news in town that we had separated, so they began to interview her at the reception. When I finished with my interview, I met them and didn’t like it, but it began to look like we were hiding something, so we accepted to do the interview together. We had to tell the correspondent that we never had issues. She didn’t know about bad press and that it spread so fast, so I tried to cover up but she messed it up when she started apologising to my mum and sisters during the interview. I later saw the interview on Channels TV and the way it was edited, was a surprise. I felt I should have been involved, since it wasn’t edited the way the questions were asked. A man (K-Solo) was asked questions and after editing, it was a woman (Kikelomo) who answers.Meanwhile the question they asked her during the interview was different. But like I said, I’m just giving you a summarised explanation. It’s past. It’s no longer part of me and I don’t need all of that again. You are the first press outfit I’m telling since the incident happened.
If you say the questions and answers were wrongly placed, then it’s as good as saying the interview was manipulated through editing.
Yeah. And the voice over had so much wrong impression passed to my fans.
Is there anything else you wish to add before we round off?
Just that everyone should shun rumours and understand that we are all humans and should celebrate our careers not personal issues. People should not see me as anti-women. I love and respect women. Infact I have a wonder team consisting of Women because even during the issue I got more female fans. For instance, my manager is a woman (Funmi Mensah)FMG and also my international manager is also a woman(Linda Jack)BABYLYN. She’s also my official DJ. She works with Naija FM UK.