Rukky Olotu: My life after Project Fame

Weekend Magazine: What have you been up to since Project Fame? Rukky Olotu: I’m a lot more comfortable and braver after the show. The experience was a big boost to my confidence. I had in 2010 done a couple of songs before I got a chance to audition last year. Being in school at the […]

Weekend Magazine: What have you been up to since Project Fame?
Rukky Olotu: I’m a lot more comfortable and braver after the show. The experience was a big boost to my confidence. I had in 2010 done a couple of songs before I got a chance to audition last year. Being in school at the time posed a challenge because, I had to focus on these two important aspects of my life. Now that I am done with school, music has the required attention. The competition provided the platform to meet other people and really get a grip of the music industry and how it works, to a large extent. As a result, I was able to meet and learn from a number of already established celebrities and music stars. We’ve also had performances in Freedom Park, Lagos; we have performed in Industry Line. Also, we have performed in MTN Project Fame and a couple of other performances as a group.
WM: Has your work so far produced any albums?
Olotu: No, not yet. That is still an ongoing project which will soon be revealed to fans. At the moment my team and I are working for me to drop some singles which will be circulated before we then come out with an album.
WM: What singles have you released so far?
Olotu: I am in the group, R-CUBE, a girls’ band which is a collaboration of my sister, and my cousin and I. She was also in the Project Fame competition. The first single out is ‘Show them.’ We just shot a video for the song and the promotion is underway already as we’re working on more airplay and more singles.
WM: What’s the story behind ‘Show them’?
Olotu: It is basically a contract between someone and I. Someone who buys a ‘designer’ dress from Aba and one who buys the same dress directly from the designer. When they both step out in it, people may not be able to tell the original from the fake. Yet, they’ll both be at the same event and receive similar treatments. The message is whatever you value and whatever you have, you should offer to the world. Contentment and confidence are themes we preached in the song. We highlighted everything like if I’m wearing a Brazilian hair or if I’m wearing a human hair, it doesn’t matter, it is your choice really; show them.
WM: There are great songs coming out of the industry almost daily. How does yours fit into the very intense market?
Olotu: To start with, the goal is to make our songs appreciable to different people regardless of their ages and backgrounds.  A unique element in our music is the fusion of different genres that we each specialise in. I’m more into RnB, jazz and pop, my sister is RnB and reggae and my cousin, jazz and soul. In the songs, you’ll hear the different streaks embedded and how well we make them work.
WM: The competition served as a launch pad for you. What kind of challenges have you had to deal with thereafter?
Olotu: What I’m dealing with right now is circulation and getting my music to a wider audience. Marketing is the biggest challenge. I’m looking forward to a proper set up that will push the songs to the right channels, big promoters.
WM: Will you be going solo at some point as Rukky?
Olotu: As Rukky in R-CUBE, as a group we still want to express individuality so that when people hear us they can differentiate who is singing what and also when we decide to do our singles, people can choose whomever they prefer. As a group, we work to have dynamism and a unique way to running our business.
WM: What’s your goal for the next two to three years?
Olotu: I’m gunning for BET, MTV and Grammy awards. My aim is to get a name that will be identified to a voice and style which they associate with me all over Africa and the world.
WM: Which artistes have inspired you in the industry?
Olotu: The Mary Mary duo. I admire them and have been very influenced by them too. There are also Grandy, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Mary Debride. Amongst Nigerians, Eva, Waje and Omawumi.ongoing project which will soon be revealed to fans. At the moment my team and I are working for me to drop some singles which will be circulated before we then come out with an album.
WM: What singles have you released so far?
Olotu: I am in the group, R-CUBE, a girls’ band which is a collaboration of my sister, and my cousin and I. She was also in the Project Fame competition. The first single out is ‘Show them.’ We just shot a video for the song and the promotion is underway already as we’re working on more airplay and more singles.
WM: What’s the story behind ‘Show them’?
Olotu: It is basically a contract between someone and I. Someone who buys a ‘designer’ dress from Aba and one who buys the same dress directly from the designer. When they both step out in it, people may not be able to tell the original from the fake. Yet, they’ll both be at the same event and receive similar treatments. The message is whatever you value and whatever you have, you should offer to the world. Contentment and confidence are themes we preached in the song. We highlighted everything like if I’m wearing a Brazilian hair or if I’m wearing a human hair, it doesn’t matter, it is your choice really; show them.
WM: There are great songs coming out of the industry almost daily. How does yours fit into the very intense market?
Olotu: To start with, the goal is to make our songs appreciable to different people regardless of their ages and backgrounds.  A unique element in our music is the fusion of different genres that we each specialise in. I’m more into RnB, jazz and pop, my sister is RnB and reggae and my cousin, jazz and soul. In the songs, you’ll hear the different streaks embedded and how well we make them work.
WM: The competition served as a launch pad for you. What kind of challenges have you had to deal with thereafter?
Olotu: What I’m dealing with right now is circulation and getting my music to a wider audience. Marketing is the biggest challenge. I’m looking forward to a proper set up that will push the songs to the right channels, big promoters.
WM: Will you be going solo at some point as Rukky?
Olotu: As Rukky in R-CUBE, as a group we still want to express individuality so that when people hear us they can differentiate who is singing what and also when we decide to do our singles, people can choose whomever they prefer. As a group, we work to have dynamism and a unique way to running our business.
WM: What’s your goal for the next two to three years?
Olotu: I’m gunning for BET, MTV and Grammy awards. My aim is to get a name that will be identified to a voice and style which they associate with me all over Africa and the world.
WM: Which artistes have inspired you in the industry?
Olotu: The Mary Mary duo. I admire them and have been very influenced by them too. There are also Grandy, Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Mary Debride. Amongst Nigerians, Eva, Waje and Omawumi.