Why i always sing about the story of my life -OLAMIDE YBNL

Rapper Olamide in a recent interview with
Tribune newspaper, disclosed how his journey
into music evolved, how he’s been coping with
his fame and many more.
See excerpts below:
What has been happening to Olamide?
A lot of good things have been happening to
me and my crew. I have been doing what I
love doing and I am getting paid for it. That
ordinarily comes with a good feeling, I can’t
deny that. I have a lot of things that I am
working on right now and we are working day
and night to meet up with the demands of the
industry. Which is staying on top of your game
while you can, having in mind that the phase
will soon pass. You have to make sure that you
make your stay worth the while.
Is this why you have featured in different
singles more than any other artiste lately
and what are you trying to achieve with
this?
You know people are very funny. When I was
not featuring in other people’s albums or
singles, they were the ones saying on twitter
and other social media platforms that Olamide
is proud, he’s not friendly and all sorts of
things that you can’t imagine. But now that I
have been working with a whole lot of artistes
in the industry, they have come out to say I
should give myself a break. I wonder what the
people really want? The truth is that you can’t
live your life for the people. You have to do
what you feel is right for you to keep your
career on the right track.
So, you don’t care about what people say
about you anymore?
I didn’t mean it like that. What I am trying to
say is that if you continue to listen to what
people say every time before making your
decision, you may not make the right decision
at the end of the day and you may also make
the right decision. What is important is your
attitude to what you do. It does not mean you
won’t listen to them or take to their pieces of
advice, you just have to be truthful to yourself
and make sure you are doing what you believe
is in the best interest of your career. I just
want to remain on top of my game. I know I
have what it takes to run the show for as long
as God permits me. But time will tell. I am
growing by the day and I am enjoying every bit
of my moment in the industry.
You once said that your hustling days are
over, but you don’t seem to be slowing
down. You are always at every major show
around town…
I am an ambitious young man. I love to always
push myself to the limits. We have a lot of
things going on in the industry now that would
really make you sit tight and buckle up. Asides
that, I have gone through a lot before I could
arrive at this level, to God be the glory. When I
look at where I was coming from and where I
am today, it only reminds me of one thing,
never stop dreaming big and don’t ever look
down on yourself even if nobody believes in
you. You have to make sure you have got what
it takes to stand the test of time. Olamide
didn’t just arrive over night. It has been a very
rough journey, but God has been good to me.
The truth is that people have not seen the best
of Olamide.
You said one should not
look down on his or her
self; it seems you have a
lot beneath that sentence. Could you share
some of those rough experiences with us?
Everybody knows my story or let me say I try
to let people know my story with the way I
sing so that you won’t come and tell me
tomorrow or the people that you did or that
for me when I was this or that. When I
compose my songs, I always try to bring my
rough days into retrospect. I remember how I
waited many years for my single to be
promoted. I was always told to wait. When I
couldn’t wait anymore, I had to look for
another way round it. A lot of people turned
me down because they didn’t believe in me. I
have nothing against them because that’s life
for you. Everybody can’t believe in your
dream, even if it is the most beautiful one.
Today, it is practically difficult for anybody to
come out and say what I had already said
about myself in most of my songs.
Why did you say that?
You know people are funny. I am sure you are
aware of how some people could wake up one
day and start saying what is not true about
your life. So, in order not to be shocked when
you hear or see something like that, you have
to prepare your mind and that of your fans. I
always sing about the story of my life in my
songs so that if you say something about it
tomorrow, the people would tell you that they
heard me say it before.
Now that your dream has been fulfilled and
you can also stand on your own, what’s the
feeling like?
I feel great. I feel honoured. I feel so happy.
But above all, I thank God, to whom I give all
glory.
Are you surprised to have arrived at this
level?
To an extent, my rise came as a shock but at
the same time, my only wish since I was young
was to rise above my peers and make a name
for myself in whatever good I find myself
doing. I strived hard to come out with
something everybody would appreciate, plus
the recognition that has marked my career. I
will say my rise to stardom has not been a
fluke. I have worked tirelessly over the years
trying to break into the industry and studying
the rules of the game so as to become
relevant. You don’t want to know how I waited
and prayed to taste fame.
How has music changed your life?
Let me say that music took me away from
wandering about the streets to doing the right
thing at the right time. It has reshaped my life
and taught me that hard work, talent and
God’s grace are very important in every man’s
life. I can say it boldly that those who never
believed in me can now see that I carry a
special grace. That is why I will remain grateful
to ID Cabassa. He was one of the good people
God used to turn my life around. I won’t say
more than that because I know you would want
to probe me further.
Now that music has taken you away from
the streets, what do you miss most about
it?
I really didn’t miss anything except for the life
on the streets. I never wanted to remain on
the streets. I have learnt a lot of lessons my
brother, but one thing that readily comes to
my mind each time I remember where I was
coming from is the fact that the secret of
success goes beyond making good music. Every
right-thinking artiste must possess a good
character to sustain the success that comes his
way. You must have the character that could
help you sustain the test of time. Trust me;
rising to stardom comes with a lot of
challenges, but you can only overcome them
when you have a good sense of understanding
about life itself.