Oluwole Olatunde Oluwabukunmi, popularly known as Jah Bless, is one of the crooners we love what they are doing. The Joo and Owambe exponent granted audience to YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine’s JULIET IKEOKWU. Enjoy…
Let’s meet you…
My name is Oluwole Olatunde Oluwabukunmi, but people call me Jah Bless Me and it is the English translation of my name, Oluwabukunmi. I am from Ondo State, born and bred in Lagos. The first child in a family of four. I went to Papa Ajao Primary School, Mushin, Ansa-ur-Deen Secondary School, Isolo and Ibadan Polytechnic. I did my OND and HND in Mass Communication.
How did your journey into music start?
It started several years ago when I was in school. I started with a group called The Melodies. After a while, we split and I went solo and created the brand, Jah Bless.
What year was that?
I can’t figure out the year, but I know that the very first Star Quest was when I discovered myself as Jah Bless.
Was it the Star Quest that KC Presh won?
Yeah! The first one. I went to the competition with a group, but I ended up performing as a solo artiste due to some issues. That was when I knew that I needed to be alone. We had KC Presh, Asa, Nigga Raw (Mr. Raw), Klint D Drunk, Samsong and a whole lot of us.
How long have you been doing music?
I will say 8 to 9 years; close to a decade.
Which is your most popular song?
I will say Joo. But there were other songs before and after Joo. Owambe is as big as any big song, and it’s the song of the moment, but I will say Joo is my biggest song.
How has the journey been?
I will say it’s been wonderful. I’m about releasing my third album. If it wasn’t good, I don’t think I will get this far. Fine, there are hurdles, there were points where we had difficulties, but we were able to solve them. And the industry is getting better day by day.
Did you plan to be a musician?
I didn’t plan it and it didn’t just happen. It is something that I knew I will do. I knew I was going to do music, but I didn’t know how it will come through. Even when I was very young, you know this kind of a kid that if you are not in school, the assembly is boring; they will notice that, that boy that used to sing in the assembly is not here. The same thing in church. I know that music is all about me. Anywhere I go, it’s always obvious that, music is part of me. I will always be part of them. As time went on, I just went with the flow.
What is the greatest thing that music has done for you?
A whole lot of things. It keeps me alive. I’ve tried to do other things, but I still find myself going back to music every time. Everything I own today is through music.
Are you saying you don’t do any other thing aside music?
I have other businesses which I invest in, from my music money, but my major source of income is still music.
So, what do you like about being a musician?
It has a good side and a bad side; it opens doors, some doors you don’t expect to open. I have many instances. Like on my way to this place (Studio 5, Ijaiye Road, Ogba, Lagos), I wanted to get fuel, there was a crazy queue and one of the guys that sells the fuel saw me and asked me to bring in my car and that was it. One of the disadvantages is that you pay money everywhere. You know the kind of society we are in. As far as London, you go for a show, people want you to give them money because they believe you are popular. Also there are things you cannot do just like every other person. Aside that, I think it’s wonderful.
How do you relax?
I sleep most times. After a long day, I just sleep. If I want to go out, I go for a swim. I easily get addicted to things, so I don’t do video games or watch films so that they don’t take my time. But I like to go swimming, or write songs.
Are you in a relationship?
Yes, I’m in a relationship. We’ve been together for like 16 years. We met in Poly Ibadan. And we’ve been married for like six years. It is my private life and I like to keep it private. I have two kids and my family stays in US.
What do you think about the music industry in Nigeria?
It’s a growing industry, it’s getting better, day by day. There are so many things eating us up, but slow and surely, we are going to get there. Right now, we have artistes that have over 800 to 1 million followers on social media through which you can relate to fans directly. Before, you can’t release a song without going to a radio station. But now everything has changed. I can release an album without taking it to anywhere and people will come to my site and download it and I will sell it to itunes. It’s a totally different thing now. We used to have the problem of piracy, but now even those in Alaba market are feeling the impact ‘cos people don’t buy CDs anymore like they used to. The only problem now is when you put up your song, somebody will upload it everywhere for free download; that is all we are trying to control now. If you see me have any issue with any blog, it will be that they have uploaded my music without authorization. If we can control that, I think we will go far. I don’t bother myself over a blog that has 20,50 to 100 downloads, but those that can have 100,000, 200,000 downloads, then you pay me.
Like Linda Ikeji; you can pay her to put your music on her blog?
No! It’s my intellectual property, I’m not supposed to do that. If she likes it, then she will get authorization from me and I will give her my own link, so when people open it, it leads them to my site. That is the professional way of doing it. Kudos to Linda on that. I’ve noticed one or two songs that one posted on her blog. She does not post on lindaikeji.com, she posts from the main site and when people see it from her blog, it directs them to the main site. Which is the right way of doing it.
How do you relate with your female fans?
I relate well with them. They are the ‘market’, so I try as much as I can to be as nice as possible. Because when they love your song, you have two fans: their boyfriends or husbands. They win fans for you. I don’t joke with them.
What are you working on now?
I have two albums in the market, Rebirth and Overgrown and there is another. It’s titled I Am Me. It’s an album that has all the songs we’ve been rehearsing and you were part of it (rehearsal). It has 21 tracks, there is a regular version, which you can get on the street; it goes for 150 and there is another version which you can get on Jumia and sales outlets that goes for 1,500 and it’s a super – packed album. I have Ice Prince, Olamide, Vector, etc on it.
What is the most controversial thing you have heard about yourself?
I’ve tried to put myself in a position where I don’t have scandals. I can have personal issues with friends; I think the most controversial thing was the issue I had with 9ice years back, but it’s been crushed and we are good.
How do you get inspired?
For me, I say it all the time, inspiration comes from God. And the things around me also inspire me. Anything that happens to me, I write a song on it.
Where do you see Jah Bless in 5 years?
I see me having a multi-national called Music Exchange. It is a company we’ve started already. It is a platform that grows upcoming artistes without signing them to a label, but giving them everything they want. But then, on the forefront to create a fan base. I see the company as one of the biggest in the country, like Sony Music, Universal and so on. We will do music exporting and publishing.
If you do all these for them without signing them to your record label, how would you make profit?
We will sign them to our management. It’s different; we manage their affairs and then market them. You stand for them so that record labels won’t rip them off.
So, it means that you don’t have a record label?
I have Buzz Ink and I’m also signed to a record label. It is like one of the biggest record labels in Nigeria.
Do you have artistes under your record label?
No, just me. I’m not signing anybody. I would rather work as a management company.
Which artiste, both foreign and local, would you love to work with?
I will love to work with Sizzler, Col. J, Damian Marley, Colly Bords, Wyclef Jean; in rap, I will say Drake; in Africa, Sound Sultan, 2Face, Tiwa Salvage, Yemi Alade.
Your message to aspiring musicians?
It is a rough road. If you are just coming up, good luck. It’s easier now than it used to be in the past. One thing is, try and confirm if you have talent, not that you want to do music because everybody is doing it or the money. It takes more than money; though money counts. Aside that, when you do a song, give it to professionals to listen to, don’t give it to your friends. They will never tell you the truth as long as they know it will make you feel bad. Meet OAPs, DJs, let them listen and put God first.
Why is it difficult for musicians to stay at the top for long?
Because the industry is not structured well. There are a whole lot of things that are not working. This is not an industry that when you write music for people, you get royalty for it or when radio stations play your songs, you get money for them. So, they forget to invest when they were at that height and they live a lavish life. Even when the buzz is dropping, they are still living that lavish life. They still go to clubs, spend N150,000 to N200,000. So, in a very short while, they are broke, they can’t sustain that life style, so they disappear. Then, some fall sick and die. So, it’s an industry that you need a team; not just about you. Another problem is that so many of them see music as a hobby. Music is not a hobby. Being a musician is more difficult than being a doctor, because 24/7, you have a team that manages your lifestyle, you have a team that even when you don’t have a big song, they can go out and get you a song and they will still keep you relevant. It’s not just about you. Most of these artistes that you see just come and go like that, go and check them, it’s always them and their managers. They don’t really have that team that will take care of things. If I go for an event, there is a percentage of my money that is going to my finance team and one team will call me and say Baba, we don buy so so thing for you in so so place and I will say thank you. That is what they are supposed to do for me. Music is big business. Once you realize that, then you will last in the industry.