Brymo:Life after hit song ‘Oleku’

You were supposed to study Zoology but had to drop out due to financial constraints. What were your aspirations as a child? Initially my love was professional football. Later on it shifted to becoming a lawyer. But I have ended up making music. The urge to become a singer didn’t actually come until I turned […]

You were supposed to study Zoology but had to drop out due to financial constraints. What were your aspirations as a child?

Initially my love was professional football. Later on it shifted to becoming a lawyer. But I have ended up making music. The urge to become a singer didn’t actually come until I turned fourteen or fifteen years old.

When I was younger, mum would compose a lot of Fuji songs and she sang a lot. So when the urge resurfaced as a teenager, I just went with the flow. She is my number one mentor.

Thank God for the gift of my voice, because a lot of people want to hear the next song Brymo is working on and all that has to do with my voice. That is what I think the thrill is and I am really grateful I have it.

You have collaborated with Ice Prince, 2Shotz and many top-notch artistes. Who is the artiste you look forward to working with the most?

That’s easy. It would have to be Asa. We’d be perfect together.

Your fame got cemented after you featured in Ice Prince’s ‘Oleku’. Do you think you would have gone this far otherwise?

‘Oleku’ was definitely a heavy boost, but there is no telling what will be or what will not. I’m grateful I had the opportunity.

And don’t forget I’ve done other great stuff with my label-mates. I remember when I first came to Chocolate City, I was called by M.I’s manager to come over and record a song with Jesse Jagz. It was a great experience for me and it remains one of my favourite collaborations.

If you were not doing music what would you be doing?

I’m sure I would have stuck with zoology and been a professional by now.

Do you plan on going back to school?

Yes, I most likely will.

Are there challenges in the industry that make you sometimes want to quit?

None at all. I believe that if you want something badly enough, then you have to be ready to fight for it. Plus some people already worked hard to get the industry this far, things are really easy for us new acts. So I am just going to contribute my own quota seeing it move forward a little more.

You released a single called ‘Ara’ not too long ago. Could you tell us what it’s about?

‘Ara’ is a Yoruba word that simply means ‘wonders’. It was produced by Legendary Beats. I already had a song produced by Jesse Jagz but when the beat came in from Legendary, I played it, fell in love with it and wrote the lyrics. Then I recorded and decided to make it the first single.

You’ll find this funny but I was inspired to write ‘Ara’ by a big wrap of pounded yam and vegetable soup with cat fish. I had just finished eating that afternoon, and began playing the beat. I played it over and over again. That day was the beginning of a two-week journey trying to write the song to the bet. Suddenly the gates opened and it started to flow and take form.

Food and song-writing, I have discovered, are always good together. I wrote the first verse a few days later in Abuja, the second verse some days later in Lagos and the bridge was written in the studio while I was recording. A few days later, I wrote the second verse.

What should your fans expect from you in 2012?

My sophomore album, ‘The Son of a Carpenter’ will be released in 2012. I have been recording with super-talented producers like Jesse Jagz, Legendary Beats, E. Kelly and others. My fans should watch out for that. Of course, there will be some more releases before then like the ‘Ara’ video.