Encomium
-Features Angolan hottest artiste, Cabo Snoop in new song
“Why would anybody want to damage my good image” was the question that the highlife/R&B singer, Justice Okay Martins, popularly known as J. Martins asked himself when he saw newspaper reports last week where he described as homosexual. While still imaging, ENCOMIUM Weekly’s Rasheed Abubakar PAID THE Good or Bad crooner a visit on Thursday, July 28 at his Omole apartment, where he cleared himself from such allegation and others. The award winning artiste also spoke on other issues, including his love life and forthcoming singles, which featured Angolan hottest artiste, Cabo Snoop, among others…
Much has not been heard about your much anticipated album. Can you tell us what is really happening?
The truth is that we are still working and like I always say we (including P-Square, Bracket) work like a family. So, we decide who comes first, second and third in the trend. Take for example; it’s over two years that we dropped our albums (Yori Yori by Bracket, Danger by P-Square and Oyoyo by J. Martins. But right now, P-Square has dropped the Invasion, Bracket dropped two singles and they are set to drop their album but before then I am going to drop two singles, one video. To all my fans that have been waiting to see me release my songs, I want to tell them that we now have a release date for my two singles, one video, which is Thursday, August 25, 2011. The singles featured collaboration with Angolan hottest artiste, Cabo Snoop entitled Good Time and Kele Papa, Thank God in English and my friend, Fally Pupa, did the acapella intro for me in the second single.
Even though it has been long you released your album, we are very much sure that you’ve been doing some shows within and outside the country. Tell us some of your recent shows?
It might be surprising if I tell you that bout 80 percent of the concerns I have played in the last seven months are in African countries and Nigeria as well. This is because after the Jupa remix with Fally Pupa, he took it to another level and at the end, he worked for both of us and that actually made me very busy. Basically, it has been so wonderful and I am grateful to God because it has opened many doors for me. For instance, we were in Angola and the President of Sao Tome, was about to start his presidential campaign and when they decided to pick artistes that are making waves in the country, they picked Cabo Snoop and invariably I was also invited because of the popularity of my songs there. Zambia is about to start their presidential campaign and it might interest you to hear that I am also part of it.
Can we say J. Martins is more celebrated abroad than at home?
I think J. Martins is celebrated everywhere, including Nigeria. Apart from God, in His infinite mercies, my godfather, who has always looked after me, the next is my Nigerian fans because they are the ones that made me. No one can dispute that fact and I owe them a lot. That is why you see me on Green White Gree any time I am performing at international concerts. I am proudly Nigerian.
You are one of the artiste that performed at Didier Drogba’s wedding. How was the experience like?
It’s as good as every other wedding (laughs)! The only difference was that the owner of Chelsea FC, Abrahamovic and so many dignitaries were there, and I sat with him. Apart from that, the wedding was okay, that’s it! Or let us say because of my type of person that was why I didn’t make noise about it.
P-Square, Bracket and J.Martins are one family. Tell us some of the things you guys share?
We share enemies in the sense that we look after each other. Peter, Paul and I are age mats but we (including the Bracket) look at them as our senior as far as the industry is concerned. Even the Bible says give honour to whom it is due. We can refer to them as our senior colleagues. Then, you talk about J. Martins, followed by Bracket but what is important is that we see ourselves as one family. When we are faced with any challenge, we go to them and they give us their advice and at times, we look at things together and come up with better results.
What about the woman in your life?
I have a girlfriend and not just a girl friend. Meaning that I am not single and not searching. I have someone whom I call my best friend and we have been dating for years but one thing about women is that they make you happy and sad, though not intentional and even in sadness, you’’ find happiness. She is what I will call a nice person and she doesn’t have to be perfect before she can be the nicest. I also have my flaws, mistakes and that is why I am human and she too.
With your long introduction about the woman in your life, tell us her name, what she does and do you guys intended to go to the altar?
I am not going to mention the name because it is her personal life. For now, she doesn’t want her name to be made public. When it is time, we shall definitely let you know. She is a reserved, quite person.
We read a lot of reports about you recently, which has to do with you being a homosexual. It was also reported that you’re bleaching and all staffs. How do you react to this?
I was in Abuja when someone asked me to buy the newspaper. Later, another person called and before you know it, I started receiving calls. So, I bought the papers and it’s in black and white that J. Martins is a homosexual. I started laughing and then entered my hotel room. I was naked looking at myself in the mirror maybe I could see where the homo is. Me, homosexual, from where, how? (Laughs for some seconds). They even said I am bleaching. Where is the bleaching now, after all, you are looking at me? It was very funny an you know, it is one of the things that you face as an entertainer. So, I want to use the opportunity to thank the organisers of the awards where I won the Entertainer of the Year. I am not the best but for them to have picked me, I am very grateful.
Where do you think it was coming from and why do you think it’s happening to you?
This kind of thing comes up when some people have issues with you. Let me give you an example, some people wanted us to perform in another country and they reached an agreement with my former manager and personal assistant (PA). The guy said he was sending someone with the money to our house since they could not do the money transfer. When the man came, he was trying to get someone that could help him on how the money would get to J. Martins’ manager and a journalist offered to assist. When the journalist came to my house, he didn’t meet my manager but met me and don’t forget that he had been communicating with my manager and not me and I didn’t know him. He came with his two friends and I entertained them. We even had a chat and when they were about leaving, he handed over an envelope that contained money to me asking that I should give it to my manager. I collected it and kept it for him but the journalist left and took offence because I didn’t give him money from the envelope. How do you expect me to do that when the envelope belongs to the management. But if he had asked me personally, I would have given him money from my pocket. He took offence that I didn’t give him transport fare from the money. He decided to punish me by writing rubbish abou me in the media. How could you write about me? Because of how much? The only thing I always says is that if you think because you have pen and paper and use it to rubbish somebody’s good image, don’t forget that you can’t stay there forever. Person wey dey look fowl yash, make him too no forget say he get yash wey other people go look. I always use Ohakim as an example. He had power as a governor of Imo State and the power intoxicated him and he crossed his boundary by slapping a reverend father. Where is he today? So, for some reasons, I don’t know why they do that? But I want them to know that they are not God.
What lessons have you learnt from the incident?
No! I see it as hatred, greed and envy. Good example, all the time you have been here, you’ve never asked me for once to give you a dime and I know the interviews you’ve run in your paper. It does not mean if I wake up tomorrow and I am well blessed by God, do you think I will not remember you for what you have done for me through your media? And because you’re not expecting anything from me, when I give you, you will bless me out of joy and it will work. Not when someone tries to rubbish you.
Is there any condition that can make you go into homosexuality or bleaching?
What condition? Is it money or what? Under no condition or circumstance will I do such. It’s not in my family lineage and it’s not going to start in my time and it is never going to happen. I have always been a church boy and I am son of a pastor. I t has never been found in my lineage and I can never be, including my unborn children. It can never.
Shout out to your fans…
I ahev always said, apart from God, who brought me this far and my godparents, the next people are my fans, especially at home, here in Nigeria. I am mostly indebted to them, including the ones in Africa, Asia, Europe and America, and all over the world. I can never let my fans down under any circumstance. I am not and cannot be arrogant and rude. I thank them for their support and the way they felt when they saw me performing at Didier Drogba’s wedding. I am very grateful to them.
-RASHEED ABUBAKAR
*This story was first published in ENCOMIUM Weekly on Tuesday, August 2, 2011
