A CLOSE UP ON THE WEIRD ONE. “Excuse me, she’s here”… “Weird MC.”
I looked at the waitress, and then scanned the Cafȇ
Yes, it was her alright.
I was expecting her to have trainers on, but I was not expecting the very girl-style Ashley Simpson number.
But she seemed ‘girly’ in a way … okay, maybe not so girly, but there’s definitely a trace of femininity about her.
Her military style shirt, and jeans… very ‘boy’.
Does she wear make-up? She shrugged and said: “No.”
Does she rock fancy jewelry? She shrugged and said: “No.”
Does she fancy curls and braids? What about hair highlights? A perm?
She said: “I was talking to my PA about getting corn-rows. … generally I just cut it.”
She shrugs again.
By now ‘am thinking: WOW!
I said I never seen her without a base-ball cap. She said: “Yeah”
A certified tom-boy? Oh yeah. … but a pretty one. …and judging by the sweet Ashley shoes… it’s not an irreversible situation (but that of course is my opinion).
She speaks with a quiet voice. She is incredibly nice.
Very calm. Very collected. Very secure. But as she started talking about music, she got excited and I could feel the ENERGY.
On stage the woman has ACTION!
She said she doesn’t work out (she’s in perfect shape, mind you – I checked). I asked where she got the energy from?
She simply touched her elbow and said: “It’s in my DNA”.
The lady, (and she is every bit a lady) just dropped a new album titled ‘Step Up’. I had been slamming it for days. I was itching to talk to her about it and about everything else of course.
I think the song ‘RIRANWO’ (See Something) is going to burn the charts down… but how fast and for how long would depend on what other songs show up.
What does she think?
She said: "I have had people calling me about it. …they like it."
I asked her to describe the new album and without a second thought she said “Its fun energetic and different.”
Weird MC sings too! She did some in Kween’s (singer) new single. She also did some singing in her last album, but ofcourse most of us were too caught up in the ‘Ijoya’ euphoria to notice.
We sat down. She ordered fries and sand-witches. All the while bobbing her head to the music of singer ‘9ice’
What kind of music does Weird MC like?
She said: “Everything, Pipe music, Akpala, Juju, Fuji, Hop-hop, Afro-beat, Alternative, new, Classical, … if it sounds good I listen… rock,… ‘am very, very open minded when it comes to listening to music, … I am very, very open minded, yeah … I listen to everything.
Her music is quite ‘lyric rich’ does she listen to ‘bland’ stuff, or does it always have to have plenty ‘content’.
She said: “ Not necessarily, but it has to be sensible, …(and) I like what its saying... it makes sense."
Is Weird MC more lyric or more sound?
She said: “Am both... when I write, you know, it’s a labour of love…bring common sense to table whenever I put down my lyrics.”
I asked about ‘fortune management’ with all the taxes, fees, dues and other ‘settlements’ hanging over artistes.
She said: “… Own your own publishing, make sure you own your own publishing, make sure, never ever, no matter how bad, or how hard things get don’t hand over your publishing to people, ah!
…they earn money from publishing ... their songs … their videos, printing of their lyrics in magazines, or music sheets… things like that.
What does she think about the progress of Nigerian artistes?
Bursting with excitement she said: “We are getting there. It’s amazing I watching the African countdown two days ago, and 80% of the content was Nigerian videos. I was just smiling and looking like, AAHA! …Ikechukwu, Asha… everybody. They would be looking at Nigerian like aah… seriously.
Very soon, ‘am sure very soon they would change the name of that programme to Nigerian countdown. It’s going to happen, ‘Am telling you. And we are taking bold steps.
We are shooting our videos on film, Haa! No be joke O!
A lot of the African countries out there now a like; What’s going on? These Nigerians are on fire…!”
But it’s not only the music, Nigerian movies have taken over the neighbouring countries as well.
She said: “Yes, we’ve actually taken over… you guys (other nations) should step up your game… to match up to our level, that’s why competition is good, its keeps you on your toes, and you stay focused.”
So who does Weird MC see as competition for her?
She said: “For me, I don’t even look at it like that… I see it as ‘us’ complementing each other.”
I believe her. She talked about the progress of other artistes with so much passion, so much excitement. Very admirable.
Okay, so who does she consider her ‘motivation’?
She said: “Right now, the females that motivate me are TY Bello, and Asha.
Male? Ah! There are loads of them!
When I look at the kind of things (she stops, smiles). When I look at the kind of things that Tuface has achieved, you know I have a really huge amount of respect for him, and what endears me (to him) so much is that he’s so humble, so respectful ,so ‘simple’… Men! The brother has made some giant strides men! What Tuface’s done... is not a joke. Do you understand? From the MTV Awards, to the MOBO Awards… ‘collabo’ with R-Kelly, … Benie man…he is the first Nigerian … he has so many ‘firsts’… in his career, I respect him a lot. I see someone like Tuface as ‘motivational factor’. If a Nigerian like me can achieve it, I can achieve that as well. Sȇ you understand. I mean! That’s amazing! A Festac boy, doing an R-Kelly collabo…that’s wow! I mean … he’s miles away! He’s got his own style. Honestly, he’s truly blessed… and he has skills.”
Now, that’s one thing Weird MC and Tuface have in common. They each have a unique style.
She said: “I try. Over the years… I try to keep a ‘Weird MC’ sound. It’s not always consciously, but… I try”.
“ …you have to stand out from the crowd.”
Many artistes have had to modify their style because of copycats. I asked if she’s ever had people copying her style.
She said: “No, why would you want to copy? (and she said with a smile), 9ice has said it. ♫Fotocopy ko easy♫ … come out with your own style.”
Does she ever intend to venture into acting?
She said: “Absolutely, A lot of people don’t know this, but acting is actually my first love… and ‘am dieing, dieing for a major, major opportunity to show that side of me. But it’ll have to be the right script, the right director, ... it’s something ‘am looking forward to it.
… it has to be something hardcore. Like am thinking of a movie for myself… entitled ‘Female Conductor’. A woman that is a bus conductor amongst the guys..."
Very typical for one of the first female rappers in a ‘masculine rap world’.
She said: "I put it to someone (scriptwriter) and she said, “You are the only one who would think of something so crazy.”
… There’s this woman, she’s a lady mechanic… here on the island (Victoria Island Lagos)... inspires me…”
How did she do such a tight animated video for ‘Ijoya’? A few Nigerians have tried at animated videos, but she’s about the only one who got it tight.
She said she had shot a ‘human’ video which was taking forever and she was getting frustrated with the delay. Then she met this Nigerian guy named Obinna on the internet. They communicated via internet, sending files back and forth, approving samples and all. He had the video done within … weeks!
Payments were made via pay-pal. He did a fantastic job and she has not met him till date.
She is very excited about meeting a Nigerian who does so well.
“… immediately they (MTV) started storming it, immediately ‘cos they were like; What is this? Where did you get this done? And what makes it so special for me is that he is also a Nigerian. I was like ‘Yeah!’, Nigerians are, you know, doing things!”
“I have actually been saying to people: ‘If you want to get an animated video done, just …let me hook you up with him.” … He (Obinna) is like, wow!
…and he said that even though I’ve already done the video for ‘Riranwo’ he would still do the animated version and let me have a look at it.”
Her family?
“Six of us in total. She (her PA) is the baby of the house.”
Do they feature in her songs… videos?
“No. But they were in my very first video: ‘Allen Avenue’ (her first song) … an autograph signing scene … I try to keep my family out of the spotlight. …I think its part of being private, unless they take the bold step to walk the line, then fine with me. I feel I shouldn’t force it on them; I shouldn’t thrust it upon them. I don’t have the right to do that.”
What about Mum and Dad? Parents generally prefer 'doctor kid' to 'rapper kid'. Did she have of deal with any of that?
“Oh, absolutely! The first time I mentioned it, my Dad virtually freaked out. You know, there’s this ‘Alagbe mindset’.
…called us alagbe. Alagbe means, people that sing for money, like you beg for money … Yoruba culture”.
“… he (Dad) tore up my lyrics … the battle line was drawn!”
“My Mum was more … (she gestures, to mean ‘accommodating’). She was like, if this is what you want to do… well, God bless it.”
“Later on, she was like anxious to see my first video …you know like, ‘Where’s this video? When are we going to see it? But she took ill just before the video was released and she never got to see it.”
I suppose, it just was not meant to be.”
“But she got to see me perform on stage once. That day, when I saw her, she had this look on her face … like, ‘Is that my daughter?!’ When I went to meet her, she was still looking at me like…”
But she never got to see my video… It hurts, it hurts… just wasn’t meant to be.
“… Dad? He did last as long as Mum did. He never got around it. It was war.
… But I understand. This business is a ‘mad’ business. You really have to be strong mentally to stay in this business. I can understand his worry… it was worry”.
I asked Weird MC about the ‘drug stigma/culture’ attached to rap music. Has she ever been approached?
“Oh No! No! It’s very clear. Out there people know. Weird MC, no drugs, no drinks. …I’ve been very blunt about it from day one. It’s just not my thing. I just don’t like it! So they know. They know my position already.”
“Not around me (her staff)! They know. I can’t stand it. If you do it, you’re going to get fired. Very simple! I just don’t like it”
“I don’t have a problem with those who do it. But for me personally, I just don’t like it.”
I asked her what she taught of Nigerian artistes who sing about drugs?
“They are emulating the American (rap) culture. That’s what it is”. You know the way we are, when we ‘grab’ something, we ‘overgrab’.
I have come across artistes that when they start talking, ‘am like; ‘Uhuumn?’
… You know this phoney, fake accent.
He’s talking (to me), and ‘am thinking, in my mind, ‘am like: ‘Are you done?’
“… Just be yourself!”
Does she have fan-trouble?
She said: My fans are great. … I wouldn’t be where I am today without my fans. I have really loyal fans. … I appreciate my fans.
... they are good (she loves them too much for them to bother her). I got a call at about 4.00am one time… this guy saying he thought I was great, loved my songs… I told him he was being unfair… (waking her up). But I called back to apologise to him for saying that.”
She calls herself a “street chic”.
“Put me anywhere and ‘am at home…
One time, I was held up by a mob of fans for 4 hours… but I was at home. They were just like; ‘Mama Orin’, ‘Weird’…”.
“ Lots of people call to say I inspire them … a lot of people…”
I asked about the chauvinists. She said; “I ignore them, ... they don’t (faze me).”
Weird MC has a very strong personality. She has paid her dues.
She likes cars, likes the new Honda … likes jeeps too … likes them black. My kind of honey!