Nigeria: I'm Stepping Up the Game - Faze

Nigeria: I'm Stepping Up the Game - Faze

Vanguard (Lagos)

INTERVIEW
27 September 2008
Posted to the web 10 October 2008

Lolade Sowoolu

Looking good and fresh, he's returned with his dreads now neatly locked in a cuter way. A member of the defunct Plantashun boiz trio and a music star by every definition, Chibuzor Oji, aka Faze, has been in the music game for no less than a decade.

He came alone with Faze Alone after the group's break-up and reinforced his decision to stay in the game with Independent; his second album.

The Kolomental crooner has had to cut short his tour in the United States which lasted a month and a week, to launch his new and third album titled Originality, while also premiering the video of his latest single in the same vein.

Showtime's Lolade Sowoolu engaged the singer in his hotel room a few days after his arrival and he had a lot to say including that he's stepping up the game. Enjoy it.

Welcome back. So did you miss home?

Yeah I did. Why not? Definitely. Naija for life. How I no go miss Naija?

What exactly did you miss?

I missed everything about Nigeria, you know. Basically, I missed pounded yam, egusi, okro... We go there, dem give us Pizza and burger so tey I nearly sick, honestly (I was fed with pizza and burger till I nearly fell sick). Although they had African restaurants there, most of them were far away from where I was staying.

So you didn't miss traffic jams, NEPA...?

Traffic dey America o. Forget it. Sometimes we had to by through train. It's just that they have traffic time. That's five o' clock when work is over.

How many cities did you visit?

I went to Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York and some other places. New York was actually where I was staying so from there, I had to fly to some of the other places. To some places I had to go by road, so it was fun. It was massive fun.

How did the tour go really?

Oh wonderful, we thank God. I got people talking to me on Facebook. They wanted to be sure I was there (in America) so I had to get on FB.

How many shows did you play?

I played about five shows although I had like twelve to fourteen shows to play, because I was coming for my launch, it (the remaining shows) was shelved. I had to be here to promote my launch, that's why I actually came back. I'll be going back in October. I've been nominated for MOBO and Channel

Faze

O awards too.

Oh really. In what categories?

Best West African Act in both.

So you're on a sort of break to promote your new album?

Yes, that's the basic thing I'm doing right now. And I'm trying to do my launch on the 4th of October.

How are you going about the promotion?

I've been trying to invite dignitaries like I mentioned in the Originality song. That's those that we learnt from like Onyeka Onwenu, Ras Kimono...I was speaking with Ras Kimono in America. Someone gave me his number and I called him right away. He was impressed, but I couldn't meet with him.

What remarkable thing happened on the tour?

The crowd response. It was impressive, I didn't expect it. It was like I was starting all over again. It was like a new album just released meanwhile, it was the old one, they've not heard the new one. I was particularly impressed at the response to Originality.

I put the single on the net, that's on myspace- www.foreverfaze.com and I think people have been listening to it. I was expecting that I was going to be singing the song with the people watching but instead, people were singing along. Honestly, I was very impressed.

So they loved Originality. Which other songs did you play?

I played Spend My Money - a new song from my album and then another one called Yawa.

So you're already promoting the new album outside the country?

Nigeria: I'm Stepping Up the Game - Faze

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Not on radios, only at shows. I just felt they should have a feel of me. I know that Nigerians always want to respond to me because they know my songs so I'm looking at Nigerians outside the country and non-Nigerians that love me too.

I just want to see their response so I'll know if it's (the songs) a way forward or not. And it was positive. There's a song they really loved. It's titled I'm in love.

What are we expecting to see on the 4th of October?

The video of Originality will be an exclusive on the launch day. So if anyone wants to see it, he has to be at Planet One on the 4th. I'll be performing; come expecting Faze to dance on stage. I'll be dancing with my group.

I'm gonna get P-Square on stage, D'Banj, Rugged Man and a whole lot of my friends (fellow artistes) will be there, so we're having a big party. The big thing everyone should look forward to is the exclusive video of Originality.

About how many tracks are we looking at?

Fifteen. If I had my way, twenty-one (laughs). I have Spend My Money, Yawa, Hold Your- where I featured D'Banj, Tomorrow's Leaders, Play Ball, I'm in Love, Tattoo Girl (remix) and Originality as some of the tracks.

I intend to make sure that this album lasts for two to two and a half years. I'm believing that by God's grace.

You know most albums last for about a year and half or two but I have concepts behind this album. For instance, I wrote a song for BBC Africa titled Tomorrow's Leaders. It's played on a programme called "Nigerian Schools." It talks about how to improve our educational system in Nigeria and how the children need us to support them and not just the government.

What happened to the Independent Real Mix album?

I looked at the environment and you know time waits for nobody. I had issues with the marketing aspect of that album; Law says 'delay decreases equity.' I work according to environment and acceptance. Like now, I know Originality has been accepted and people are waiting for the album. That's why its release is fixed for the 6th of October.

Why have you decided to celebrate this video and your third album in such a big way?

...because you have to step up the game. There are many people out to criticize. They go like 'You've done it the first and second time, let's see if he can pull this one through'. I have to step up the game because I have a lot of competition.

I have a lot of fellow artistes that are in the same game with me. They are pushing me to make things happen.

I believe we can compete with the international artistes in terms of video quality and presence. I don't want anyone looking at me like a one-hit maker.

I thank God for the grace he has given me to write my songs and also for giving me good ideas to work with Wazbeat who produced about ten songs on the album including Originality. There's Spark and a new boy called Jay Sleek too.

Who's shooting the Originality video?

My brother, Dede, is directing the video. They call him Achiever. Then I have Wudi Awa. He's the guy that directed Kolomental video. I know he's a man of ideas. I have a good team.

Is there anything else you want to add?

Please let them hear me; I am giving them honours to be at my venue. All the music icons that have been there from the start and also the honourable governor of this state (Lagos). They should come and support me at the launch because their presence will really encourage and make me happy.

Do you have any sponsors yet?

I've been speaking to some and I've gotten a few responses but whatever happens, my show goes on. I put my money to it and then make it happen.