Ezekiel Omomumi is an artiste that’s making waves, most especially, in his hood in Bariga, Lagos. More than a decade ago, Ezekiel together with Abolore Akande, the famous musician known as 9ice and a friend founded a music group called Abinibi. The trio recorded some good songs together before parting ways years later. Ezekiel opens up to Blockbuster on the reason they all decided to go solo. Excerpts:
Background
My name is Ezekiel. I am 30 years old. I am from Ilaje-Ese-Odo, Ondo State. I came from a family of six. I am the second to the last born. I attended Akoka Primary School, Lagos. I had my secondary school education at City College also in Lagos. I then attended a technical college where I studied electrical/electronics. I plan to further my education but music is taking my time.
My stage name
I was nicknamed Minus 2 when I was in the secondary school but now my stage name is Omo Eleniyan meaning son of man. Minus 2 was a nickname given to me by my classmates. It came about when a lecture was going on and I was busy writing a song. The teacher suddenly called me to answer a question. Actually, I didn’t know what to say, a guy just whispered in my ears that the answer was minus 2, I opened my mouth and said just that without working it out but later when the teacher worked out the calculation the answer was minus 2. Since then my classmates started calling me minus 2 and the nick name stuck. As for my new stage name, Omo Eleniyan, in Bariga where I live everybody likes me so whenever I walk on the street they will point at me and say that is Omo Eleniyan (real man). So, I have tried to adopt the name.
Beginning
I had loved music right from my childhood. In 2000, 9ice, a friend, Segun and I formed a band called Abinibi. The group recorded two songs Mawakekelo and Shayo but we did not release them into the market. In the group, 9ice was a song writer while I was a singer. In 2004, when the group broke up I decided to go solo. It was then that I discovered that I can write songs and also sing. Later, I met DJ Zeez and we did a collabo in a song entitled Same Ni. We shot a video for the song and people liked it. After that, I came out with my own style of music. I released a single, Bariga Layewa, which talks about my hood. I have a new video for the song which is currently enjoying airplay. I also did a song that features Lord of Ajasa. Now, I am on the label of Stealth Entertainment while Raindrops is my PR and management company. It was Stealth that did the Bariga Layewa video for me. This year, I am releasing another album because I am rebranding. I am coming out with new songs and two musical videos entitled Omo Eleniyan and Emilokan featuring Olamide.
9ice and I
Unlike 9ice, I didn’t have anybody to promote me. I was just hustling and hustling on the street trying to get somebody to help me. But then 9ice and I are very good friends, we didn’t quarrel. Now we are planning to do a song together. 9ice is going to feature in my album.
Street boy
I am a street boy. I was born and bred in Bariga, Lagos. Famous producer, ID Cabassa is like a brother to me. He is producing my music. Cabassa decided to produce 9ice then bec>ause he could sing well. That’s why 9ice left me behind. Also, Cabasa didn’t have the means to work on two artistes at a time so he went for 9ice. Now I am catching up because when I came out people also like me.
I don’t have anything to do with girls. When I was suffering none of them saw me. All the girls were not ready to be my friends. They would say I don’t have money. They were not ready to love me for who I was. Now that I am popular in my hood they are coming back but I don’t want any girl now. However, I want to get married this year and I pray that God will give me my own wife.
Music industry,/b>
The Nigerian music industry is growing bigger and bigger everyday. Everybody now has eyes for quality. You can’t compare the musical video of five years ago to that of today. I had to go back to the studio to work on all the songs I composed six years ago in order to meet up with today’s standard. Also, I have to shoot new videos for the songs so as to move with the trend.
On piracy
Now, everybody wants to sing, even if you are good or not. Everybody wants to sing because there is money in music. But it is not about making money it is about passion for music. My advice is that people should forget about money if they have passion for music. If they play music diligently I believe someday money will come. On piracy, I’ll rather leave that for the government to tackle. It is not for me to fight piracy, it is the duty of the government. I will only appeal to the PMAN and government to help us fight piracy.
Future plan
I want to have my own label, Omo Eleniyan Records. In the next five years I hope the label will be well known. There are many talents in Bariga where I live. I want to help them achieve their dreams.
