‘Performing before president, most memorable experience’
Weekend Magazine: How would you describe your kind of music? Adegboyega Adeyemi: I would describe my kind of music as Urban Afro. It is contemporary afro beat, twenty-first century afro with some fusion of pop. A genre I coin ‘Urban Afro’. WM: What artist has influenced this style? Adeyemi: Fela Anikulapo Kuti has influenced my […]
Weekend Magazine: How would you describe your kind of music?
Adegboyega Adeyemi: I would describe my kind of music as Urban Afro. It is contemporary afro beat, twenty-first century afro with some fusion of pop. A genre I coin ‘Urban Afro’.
WM: What artist has influenced this style?
Adeyemi: Fela Anikulapo Kuti has influenced my style immensely, from his appearance, to the way he performs with his band, also his dancers and their Indigenous attires.
WM: You studied Physics in the university. How did music begin for you?
Adeyemi: Music began for me in two Hundred Level at Redeemers University when me and my friends would leave school to go to the studio every weekend. I just used to follow them, and then eventually I started writing rap lyrics because we were into rap music at the time. We had a group called ‘Silver Republic’.
WM: Why did you choose to learn the saxophone in music school?
Adeyemi: I wanted to be more than a rapper. I wanted to understand music because I fell passionately in love with it after my university days. I also wanted to discover my artistic side. That was why I decided to pick up the saxophone.
WM: You have three singles. When do you hope to release an album?
Adeyemi: For now I’m trying to get both my feet into the industry that’s why I’m dropping singles. Once Adegboyega has become a household name, then we drop an album.
WM: Why did you choose women as your central themes in all your songs?
Adeyemi: Women are very inspiring, I derive a lot of inspiration from them, especially African women, from the way they talk, walk, dress and carry themselves. I adore my African women.
WM: You are not signed to any record label. Why?
Adeyemi: For now I’m independent, trying to put out music and promote myself so I can attract the attention of a record label. These things take time.
WM: How would you say your background has influenced your decision to pursue music as a career?
Adeyemi: I was brought up around music. My father had CDs in the house of all genres of music, ranging from Fela, King Sunny Ade, Celine Dion, Michael Bolton and many more. My mother used to play old school music while picking us from primary school, so my music background is solid.
WM: What would you describe as the most memorable experience in your career as an artist?
Adeyemi: It was a memorable experience performing at the State House for the Change Begins with Me Campaign the Ministry of Information and Culture were doing at the time. I felt ecstatic and was filled with immense joy performing before the president. I also performed alongside Dare Art Alade.
WM: What do you do when you aren’t doing music?
Adeyemi: I love to hang out with my friends, play basketball and focus on my clothing line ‘Apparels by AGA‘. We make Indigenous attires like Buba and sokoto, agbada, dashiki and many more.