YCEE also talks about beef with vector.

How would you describe your own genre of music, rap, pop, RnB?
I’m a rapper. Music is too big to say you just want to nominate yourself to one genre. It gets boring when one day you record rap song and the next day you record another rap song. It is refreshing when you can do rap and RnB and afro beat the other day. It is good to think outside the box and move out of your conference zone.

Should your fans be expecting an EP or Album from Ycee anytime soon?
I have plans to put out an EP. It all depends on how the demand is by that time. If the demand is really high, then I will put out an album, because that is a lot more profitable. Everybody wants to have an album. A lot of people are asking me to pull out an album; it all comes down to my label and management.

We all know that your target audience are the young people, would you ever think do a song for the older generation?
Yes definitely. I have even recorded a couple of songs. It is not just about appealing to the young audience, music is vast, and you can’t just keep on doing the same thing.

You made headlines on blogs regarding a beef between you and rapper, Vector, after the Headies awards, what actually went down between you two?
I have been doing a lot of interviews recently and the question just keep popping out. The thing about that was sometime last year before I pulled out Jagaban, I posted something on my social media page. It was not like I was dissing Vector. A lot of people greeted that with mixed feelings and thought I was trying to gain cheap publicity. Eventually, I had to take it down. When he received the award that night at the Headies, he said something about the producer of King Kong losing out an award to the guy that produced Jagaban at another award show. A lot of people said he was throwing shade at me, the post from eight month surfaces online that Ycee ditches vector. I think it all comes down to lazy bloggers who are trying to gain cheap attention, and I always tell people that before they say anything, they should always try to make proper research. It didn’t help my image because a lot of people came at me on social media that I’m a hater. In essence, Vector and I are cool personally. The whole Headies thing everybody was just in that mood for beef, nobody wanted to find out if this was what actually happened, and a lot of people didn’t see that the picture behind him was an old picture. Everybody knows I’m a peaceful person.

Let’s talk about the tattoo on your body, it was so obvious and look so cute?
Ever since I was in primary school, I always use marker and stuff to draw on my body. When I got old enough and I was on my own, I summoned courage to get my own tattoo.

Is your mum not angry about it?
When I got my first tattoo, I was able to hide it for a long time before she finally saw it and by the time she saw it, I had already gotten more tattoo.

How many do you have?
I have like seven to eight from my shoulder, lower arm, my chest and so on.

Do you have plans to have more?
Yes definitely, I’m on break for now.

Take the music from Ycee, who is Ycee?
Ycee is a believer. I tend to see the good in people. You can’t take music away from Ycee. Even if I wasn’t a musician, music will still be part of me. Even if I wasn’t a performing artiste, I think one way or the other, I would have still found my way into music industry.

Are you in a relationship?
Yes, I’m in a relationship with my music.
  
What are the qualities you tend to see in a lady and wife material?
She has to be friendly, beautiful. She has to be very presentable, God fearing, and very understanding because the career I have chosen comes with rough publicity and all the scandals and all that, so she has to be very understanding.

How do you intend to keep off scandal?
I just have to keep to myself, keep my opinion to myself. The best way is to keep to myself. The way you see something is not the way other people see it. I will just keep to myself and be doing my music.

What do you have in stock for this year?
International collaborations, more videos and more hit because everybody is asking after Jagaban, what next? They just want to see the next move I’m going to make, so every release I’m putting out has to be massive.

YCEE LOOKING FORWORD TO WORKING WITH 2FACE, WIIZKID, ASA AND MANY MORE

Let’s talk about Tinny record; how long are you signed to Tinny entertainment, when will your contract expire?
From 2012 up till now is four years, and that is a confidential information. We have known each other way before I was in secondary school. Tinny used to drop me off in secondary school, it goes way beyond the music. It is not just the business and everything, it is beyond all that. Tinny is not like a business partner, he is like a family member. We have a very good working relationship, we have been together this long and hoping to get more successful.

The music industry before and now that you joined it, what are some the difference you noticed?
Yes definitely, there is a big difference because when you are watching on TV or listening on radio, you will think music is just going to the studio, record a song, shoot a video, perform at shows but there is a whole other things that comes after it. It is not just recording, you have to have a brand of people who can identify with you. You have to be able to relate with other people. Our own industry is based on relationships, so you have to have good relationship, good humility and all that. When I got into the industry, I realised it goes way than just recording. It is actually like a 24/7 job, it takes everything.

Will you say you have finally arrived in the entertainment industry?
I have not even started yet; Jagaban for me just scratched the surface.

 Who was the brain behind Jagaban?         
It was produced by D-Whale. He is a friend of mine, upcoming producer as well. Jagaban for me compare to the plans I have for my music and all that. I think it just scratched the surface. Everybody want to reach out high, be as big as you can be, so I don’t think I have started yet.

Internationally we all know that artistes love to be inclined to a particular record label, so if you have the opportunity to be signed for six or seven years, will you take it?
It all comes down to the deal they are offering. The mistake a lot of people make is like maybe you get an international deal and they are offering you maybe $ 500,000. If you as an artiste know your worth, you will know the money is not worth pulling compared to your passion for music. Music itself is priceless. Any international record label that wants to sign me has to be some really big stuff. So, it all comes down to the deal.

Who are some of the acts you look up to in the industry and want to work with?
I’m looking forward to working with 2face, Wizkid, Asa, MI, Phyno. The list is long, I really can’t mention all. I have done collaborations with couple of others and still willing to do more.

HOW IT ALL STARTED FOR YCEE.

Music for you, how did it all start?
Music started for me when I was young. Music was something I always enjoyed listening to. I was that kid in school that knew every popular song out there and read the lyrics. When I was in secondary school, my senior actually called me to their class to sing for them. Initially that was how I started. As I got older, I started writing my own stuff, recording. When I was done with secondary school, I just had some free time, which I was when I started looking at music as an actual profession and not just a hubby. One of my classmates had an older brother that was looking to start an entertainment outfit, Tinny entertainment.  In 2012, Tinny signed me to the record label. I have been at the label from that point to this point where I am now, and I have been putting out music since 2012. I put out my first single in 2012. I got admission to University of Lagos, then I came back in 2015, rebranded, corrected lot of mistakes that I had made earlier.

How do you juggle school, music, shows, and late night?
It all comes down to my management. If I had to be in school, they always made sure I’m in school at the time I need to be in school. Luckily, I haven’t been in a position where I had a show and I had to be in school. Hopefully God will not put me in that position because a lot of people always ask me that if Obama calls me for a show today and I have final exam, what will I do? The answer for now is that let the call come in first, you will be shocked by my choice.

YCEE expecting the real JAGABAN'S RESPONSE.

Since the trending of your song, has the real Jagaban (Tinubu) responded to your song?
No, we are still hoping for a response from the real Jagaban himself who is a strong force in Nigeria’s politics and changing the face of politics too. We are hoping to hear from him soon.

Since the trending of your song, has the real Jagaban (Tinubu) responded to your song?
No, we are still hoping for a response from the real Jagaban himself who is a strong force in Nigeria’s politics and changing the face of politics too. We are hoping to hear from him soon.

More to follow... 

YCEE truly 'OMO ALHAJI'

Congratulation on your award as the Rookie of the year at the Headies award, how does make you feel?
For me, it was really great winning the award. First, I never expected it but as God wanted it, I won the award. In all fairness, even if I did not win the award, but the fact that I was recognised to the point where I got nominated is as good as I won the award already. I am super excited winning the award because that is my first award as a musician.

 For the fact that you had other talented contenders in the category, what do you feel made you stand out to the point of winning?

I don’t think I have a special quality per say because in all fairness my other contenders in the category are very talented acts but as a human being, in everything you do, you want to put yourself first. For instance, even if Nigeria wants to play with Brazil, everyone will watch the match and hope Nigeria will win. I saw myself as a winner and that didn’t take anything from any other person in the category because every other artiste in that category had one or two hit songs to their credit but as God wanted it, I won.

Let’s talk about your buzzing single ‘Jagaban’?
What I was trying to achieve with that single was that I just wanted to put out a song that will make people identify I was Nigerian because the single I put out before that one, a lot of people said it sounded too foreign, most people didn’t even want to believe am a Nigerian. I just wanted to do something that was a bit more Nigerian, a bit more local and the rest they say is history. From the first day it dropped, everybody loved it up till this moment and it keeps going every day, it is one of a kind.

Why the choice of YBNL Olamide on the remix?
Olamide was one of the first Nigerian rappers to explore that sound. As soon as that song came out, everybody that listened to it was like I needed to get Olamide or Pyhno on the remix. Olamide listened and he liked it. He went on twitter and tweeted that if I was hoping to do a remix, he is down. I was like this is what everybody has been saying, so let us do it and we did it. He tweeted on the weekend and the next week, I was at his place recording.

What is Ycee currently working on?
I just dropped another single titled ‘Omo Alhaji’ and ever since dropped it, people keep asking I am truly an Omo Alhaji.

So are you truly an Omo Alhaji?
Of course, my late father was a Muslim, a practicing one to core while my mother is a Christian whom I lived and grew up with, so that brought about the name that I am the only Omo Alhaji you can find in church every Sunday. A lot of people actually confuse the theme to be the name of the song. They think the name of the song was who your daddy is but it is me playing around.

Can Ycee still do a song that will surpass the Jagaban anthem?
Definitely because I have learnt that the only way to make a hit record is just to keep on recording because you never know when you will be in spirit to make another hit record. I’m just starting, so Jagaban is definitely not going to be where I’m going to stop. I’m still going to pull out more songs, massive songs. Jagaban is being heard nationally and I’m hoping on bringing out more songs that will go more internationally and globally. I don’t think Jagaban is going to be the end.


more to follow...

YCEE THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR.

He came into the music industry with his massive single ‘Jagaban’ turning out to be a national anthem among peers. Oludemilade Alejo with stage name ‘Ycee’ is one of Nigeria’s top acts to watch out for in 2016 with more hit songs and top notch collaborations. Not resting on his oars, Ycee dropped yet another club banger song ‘Omo Alhaji’ giving a clear cut definition that he understands the music game so well. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, the 300 level Marine Biology student of University of Lagos speaks about his sojourn into the entertainment industry, his supposed beef with rapper, Vector, winning the Headies Rookie of the year award amongst others.

President Muhammadu Buhari storms ogun state.

President Muhammed Buhari in a warm handshake with the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Idiat Oluranti Adebule, on arrival at the Presidential Wing of the Muritala Muhammed International Airport on his way to Ogun State for a 2 day working visit, on Monday, February 1, 2016. (L-R) With them are; Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Muhammed, Ogun State Governor, Senator IbikunleAmosun, former Interim National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande and APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.