How I released 52 songs in one year – Beazy

In August 2010, you reportedly started a project that saw you releasing a new song every week for 52 weeks (1 year), finishing in August 2011. Why did you do that? I did it primarily for promo. At the time it was the cheapest and most effective option because I had a studio and a […]

In August 2010, you reportedly started a project that saw you releasing a new song every week for 52 weeks (1 year), finishing in August 2011. Why did you do that?

I did it primarily for promo. At the time it was the cheapest and most effective option because I had a studio and a group of talented producers and had the time. I figured that I needed the wow-factor and that was as awesome as it got and that’s how Beazy Music Monday was born and when we started we went from 400 downloads in the first week to an average of 12,000 downloads a week; I’d say it definitely got a lot of attention and it bought me a lot of respect in the industry. So I’ll definitely call it a success.

You’re known to be very prolific. Some industry watchers say releasing a track per week is a cheap publicity stunt. Do you agree?

A publicity stunt – yes. Cheap – not at all. If you run down the numbers of how many hours a week you have to put in the studio and the subsequent cost of that time, it’s a very expensive project. I gained respect from it, especially in the industry, because more than anyone, my fellow artistes know how difficult it was. I can honestly say that a large percentage of artistes in the world can’t pull it off.

You were a poet during your early years. Do you think becoming a rapper is a natural progression?

For me, it definitely was because poetry by itself was very interesting but it just wasn’t enough. It’s not flexible enough, but with rap there are no rules, I can rhyme however I want and there’s the benefit of delivering it the exact way I want people to receive it. If you are reading someone else’s poem, the emotion is never quite the same as when you hear them read it to you, so rap allows me to control that.

Your father’s a big music buff. Do you think it rubbed off on you?

It must have rubbed off on me in some way, not glaringly obvious maybe but an interesting fact about me is that I’m not a music head – I don’t listen to music in my spare time. For most people listening to music it’s relaxing, but for me I’m always trying to figure out how they achieved a particular sound or how the song was mixed and mastered. So listening to music is the last thing I want to do in my downtime.

Rap has a spotty history in the Nigerian music industry. Which established rappers would you say are doing the best work right now?

Like everywhere else in the world, rap is really just establishing itself. Rap, as a whole, is not that old and as the infant that it is especially in Nigeria, it will stumble occasionally trying to find its feet. A lot of people have done great things for rap in the country, to name a few – Eedris Abdulkareem, Ruggedman, Modenine, and in recent times Naeto C and MI. They’ve taking significant steps in making hip-hop more accessible to the average Nigerian.

Your newest video is titled ‘Over and Over’. What’s the song all about?

The song is a story of a guy and his dealings with an unfaithful partner. She keeps cheating on him and time and time again he forgives her until he gets to the point where he’s had enough, and there the story begins. I think it’s something a lot of people can relate to or have been through at one point or the other.

Which Nigerian artiste would you like to collaborate with the most?

Femi Kuti. I think it’ll make a great blend to mix hip-hop and jazz and afro-beat.

One of your mix tapes is said to have been downloaded over a hundred thousand times. How was that tracked and were they paid downloads?

My ‘get money stay fly’ mixtape currently has 103,268 downloads. Mixtapes are generally not sold. It was tracked on Limericks.com and the numbers are there for everyone to see.

Do you think the internet is where the money is, distribution-wise?

In Nigeria, not yet. We are in a funny place here where the money is split between hardcopy and digital downloads; unfortunately the average Nigerian does not make enough money to afford digital download and internet access is still an issue.

A lot of computer-aided vocals lace songs these days. Are you auto-tune prone or do you prefer the ‘unplugged’ sound?

The truth of the matter is for the last 15 years every song you hear has a little bit of auto-tune in it. Auto tone was abused by U.S artiste T-Pain who turned that abuse to his signature sound and it worked for him and everybody followed suit.

But for a long time now your favourite singers have all used auto tune just to correct errors in sound, even if you sing beautifully every once in a while it needs just a little touch up. I use auto tune purely for correctional purposes.

When will you release an album that’ll enjoy conventional, hard copy distribution?

Hopefully March, 2012.

Even the most hard-core rappers in Nigeria are “selling out” and mixing things up with catchy pop tunes. Do you think rap as a genre has overstayed its welcome in the country?

Hardly, it hasn’t even set its foot in yet. Everywhere in the world rap touches it takes so long to establish itself but as soon as it’s established it is there to stay – you can’t fight it. I don’t believe there’s any such thing as “selling out” in hip hop; it is a collage of various genres in the first place – that’s how it started. It started with deejays mixing and scratching pop songs and having an MC rap over them.

There have been rumours about you appearing in a Nollywood movie or two. How involved are you with movies or TV?

The most acting I’ve ever done is in my video “Over and Over” but I was offered a movie role recently but it was a comedy so I had to decline, but I’m still not sure about acting or appearing on TV for purposes other than promoting my music.

Hausa language is believed to be a poetic one. Have you ever thought of rapping in Hausa?

No I haven’t. I used to speak Hausa when I was much younger but unfortunately since we moved away from Jos I’ve been very much out of practice.

What’s the craziest thing a female fan has ever done to you?

I don’t know about the craziest thing but I do get the weirdest advances.