Referred
to as African Rapper No. 1, M.I. meaning Mr. Incredible, rose to
prominence in 2006, when his song “Crowd Mentality” became popular in
his home town, Jos. He released his widely acclaimed debut album, “Talk
About It” in December 2008 and has won several awards including MTV
Africa Music Awards in 2009 and City People Artiste of the Year 2012. He
was nominated for BET 2010 Awards for the Best International Act
Category. M.I. is UN Ambassador on Drugs and Crime.
Why did you decide to take up the offer and be part of the judges for X-Factor West Africa?
First
of all, X-Factor is the best talent-hunt show in West Africa and I am
glad to be part of it. Secondly, you don’t say ‘No’ to Glo. (laughs)
When Glo asks you to do something, you can’t say ‘No’. It is not that I
can’t say ‘No’ or that I am afraid to say ‘No’, but because they always
make an offer that you are happy about. You are happy to be part of the
family. which is what X-Factor is all about. It is a great platform for
me to be on. Lastly, I am glad to be here helping a new generation of
talents, which is what X-Factor is all about.
What exactly are you looking for in a contestant?
That
X-Factor; nobody knows it. That is why it is called X. You remember in
Mathematics, they tell you to find ‘X’. You don’t know what X is until
you find X. So, we are solving ‘Mathematics’ here; we are looking for X.
When we find it, we will know what it is. For some people, it is their
stage presence, their voice, carriage, the way they carry themselves,
the way they present themselves. Whatever it is, we are look for the
X-Factor. The competition is generally into music, singing and rapping.
So far in the auditioning, we have a large number who have made it
through. They have done a good job.
What are the measures that have been put in place to ensure that the process will not be rigged?
At
the end of the day, the fans choose. If they choose a contestant
because the person can smile or because the person can sing, so be it.
Our powers as judges cease somewhere. After that, it is up to the fans.
Until then, we will do our best to make sure we select only the best
contestants to stand so that when it gets to that stage everybody has a
fair chance to stand. The truth about it is that when you get to the
finals and you have a big family and you come from a state where they
love TV and they love music, you will have a good chance.
What have you been up to lately?
I
have a new song called “Chairman”. We have been working on it for some
time now; it will be released in June, after the X-Factor (contest).
And, I still have many more things to come.
What were your early musical influences?
I
grew up in the church. My dad is pastor. My mum can sing and that
background helped me to love music. While I was growing up, I listened
to lots of gospel songs from Panam Percy Paul, amongst others. All these
people inspired me to be what I could be. Funny enough, you were there –
at one of my first shows. That was my first performance in Lagos. It
was quite a big step for me.
So from a gospel music background, you moved to secular music?
To
me, it is all the same. How you live your life is different from what
you do at your leisure. So, I am a musician. Sometimes, I will sing
about God. At other times, I will sing about even my girl friend. If you
listen to my music, you will notice that there is a wall. I don’t sing
about everything. I sing about things that affect my life so, even if I
sing a love song, it is from a positive point of view. I am a musician
and a musician is different from a worship leader. A worship leader can
go on to make commercial music; that is what we call gospel music.
Do you write your songs?
Yes,
I write my songs but I get a lot of help. For instance, Ice Prince
wrote “Africa Rapper Number One”. He came up with that chorus. Then,
Flavour came and added his part. I always like to work with people. It
helps to bring the best in you.
How has it been over the years?
I
will say God is good but at the same time, when I say God is good, I
know I have to work hard. It is a lot of dedication and hard work. Each
time I reflect back, I realize that when that pistol went off, there
were many people that I left behind. It is not because I am too good. It
is just luck; God’s favour and so I am very grateful for all my
blessings.
What message do you have for young people out there?
In
this country today, the same way that people are working hard and
moving forward, it is the same way that people are working hard and
moving backward, doing a lot of bad things. My word to every young
person is to please work hard and focus on the positive in the end. It
will pay off. I have not reached the end of my life but I can tell you
that it pays to work hard. It might not come as quickly as you want it
to be. So, you have to be patient, work hard and definitely it will
come.
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