Encomium
+ SPEAKS ON NAIJA STREET CHAMP
There have been varied unconfirmed reports about one of Nigeria’s prolific producers cum singers, Olumide Ogunade, famously known as ID Cabasa, who is responsible for 9ice’s hit song, Gongo Aso and Ruggedman’s Ruggedy Baba. Early this year, the CEO of Coded-Tune label was said to have been ordained as a Pastor at Global Impact Church. Not only that, he was said to have re-united with 9ice four years after, among others.
The award winning producer spoke with ENCOMIUM Weekly on Friday, April 18, 2014, during the unveiling of Naija Street Champ competition where he’s one of the judges meant to discover new talents.
What is the inspiration behind Naija Street Champ?
I am coming in as a music producer. But from the concept introduced to me, which was the reason I accepted to be part of it, it’s targeted towards the common man. Naija Street Champ is a new music talent hunt aimed at discovering new street music solo talents. That has always been my passion – how to be of help to the common man in the street, especially the talented ones. I believe this is what the show is about to showcase.
Do you think your presence will have impact on the talents?
A lot of them see me as a major source of influence and inspiration. Some of them see me as their mentor. They have seen my works, and how God has used me to discover most of the talents you see around today. I, D-Tunes and Terry G have things to give them. Don’t forget, they have made impact in people’s life.
Look at D-Tunes, he produced Iyanya’s hit song, Kukere, and Sean Tizzle’s hit song, Sho Lee. I believe we are going to impact positively on the lives of the contestants and at the end, the winner will go home with N1 million prize money and a three year contract deal.
Away from that, we have not heard from your label, Coded-Tune. Is it dead, what’s happening?
Coded-Tune can never die. We have been working, and we’ll continue to work. At present, we have some artistes we are working on. Soonest, we’ll unveil them to the public. They are great singers. To the general public, it might be as if we are not working, or active. By the time we unveil these artistes, the world would know that Coded-Tune is still alive.
What happened to the artistes you discovered, the likes of Olamide, Reminisce, etc?
Most of those guys have moved on, and I am happy seeing that they are doing pretty fine. Like Olamide, I am happy for him. He’s still close to me, he comes around anytime. I still give him my advice. 9ice he’s doing well, and I believe you can see the impact. Reminisce too, he’s doing fantastically well too.
I am not God, but my work is to discover and nurture them to become great. That’s what I have done, and that’s what I am going to do with the Naija Street Champ.
What do you miss most about them?
How would I miss the people I see every time? As I speak with you, they still come around for my advice, even production wise, among others. They’ve gone, they’ve moved on. That’s why I am part of this show, to discover another talent to nurture. But they still come around. Coded-Tune is like their other home.
You were recently ordained a pastor…
(Cuts in) Were you the one that ordained me.
Okay, we learnt. Can you just clear the air on that?
I am a musician, my name is I.D Cabasa, I am also a Christian. I attend a church, that’s all.
Does that mean you’re not a pastor?
I have answered your question. If you like, you can go and write that I denied or accepted being a pastor. Na you know.
There are reports that you are back with 9ice. How true is it?
How can I be back with 9ice when 9ice has not left me in the first instance?
But officially, your relationship with him has ended.
You guys (journalists) should differentiate yourselves from the bloggers. They are not professionals, and most times, they cook up stories, because they want to generate traffic on their sites.
I remember 2-3 years ago, some bloggers reported that they saw me at 9ice’s birthday. Yes, I was there. So, they insinuated that 9ice and I.D Cabasa were back. But the question is, when did we part ways again, that they are now reporting that we are back again. I saw it online, but I and 9ice are not fighting, he’s my brother.
However, I won’t say there is never a time we had disintegration. Yes, there was. That was four years ago, he has moved on.
What led to that disintegration was never known till date. Can you tell us now?
You have to ask google (smiles). The truth is, every question has an answer. But it’s not every question you answer.
Should we expect any fresh product between you and 9ice?
If 9ice decides to work with me, no problem. I recently did two singles for him, which is yet to be released. May be after his new albums, CNN and GRA. But the truth is, we’re actually working.
How do you feel when people say since 9ice left you, things went down for him?
That’s a misconception. I am not trying to be religious, I am trying to be factual. I.D Cabasa didn’t make 9ice. Beyond I.D Cabasa’s beats, there is something that made 9ice. That’s God. I am just a tree that God used, it’s God that made him. We (people) made these guys (9ice and others) to be feeling they are not doing well, forgetting the adage, No king reigns forever. The fact that we are celebrating new guys today doesn’t mean they will last forever. That’s life, my brother.
Tell us how to enter into this competition?
According to the organisers, which is open to young and aspiring music talents from 18 and above, interested contestants can enter by downloading a beat on the challenge’s website at www.naijastreetchamp.com and fill an audition form after obtaining a registration PIN at N1, 000 at Zenith Bank branch. After the completion of the form, the contestant will be required to submit the form and receive a confirmation message.
They are expected to compose a song with the beat, which will be presented at the auditions, scheduled eight zones in Lagos. The audition zones are: Campus/Island zone, Ketu/Ojota/Ikorodu zone, Ajegunle zone, FESTAC zone, Ikeja zone, Agege/Ogba/Iyana-Ipaja zone, Surulere/Mushin zone and Bariga/Akoka zone. The auditions are to hold between May 10 and June 1, 2014. Each contestant is expected to come to the audition with the registration confirmation message, any form of identification, and their composed song.
– RASHEED ABUBAKAR
