Emanuel Okose popularly called Soul E, is a modern Hiphop artist who sings a blend of Rap, R&B, and raggae. Last year when he got married, a lot of controversies trailled the marriage, as many believed that he married an older woman because of money. Soul E on his part has turned a deaf hear to his critics and continued his musical career with dexterity. He released an double album this year, the hit single E- Soji is a favourite among Nigerian youth. He spoke with http://www.nigeriafilms.com
You’ve just released an album, how is it doing?
We are doing well and we have lots of stuff coming up.
What actually inspired you into the world of music?
I have always been into music. I grew up in a family that loves music. My father was a writer and my mother a vocal singer and my father really gave me the opportunity to showcase the talent that I have right from the age of eight. He showcased me in different crusades; I am talking about a crowd of thirty to forty people in and outside Nigeria . At the age of twelve, I wrote my first song, so I just knew I was going to be a musician. Even my going to school was just for the purpose of having the certificate because I have always known I will end up being a musician.
Do you still intend to go back into that someday?
I actually want to become a coach. I will be going to the coaching academy in UK to study coaching. My wife is also a coach, so I will be going in to study coaching very soon because that is one that I also love doing. I am talking about the life coach, not the football coach but about a life coach where you talk about the different aspect of life. I want to basically put some things in place so that I will have time to concentrate on it fully.
Talking about marriage, how is marriage treating you?
Marriage is fine.
I can see that you now eat assorted food and you seem to be gaining some weight of late or am I wrong?
You know now, that once you guys get into our lives, we pop up.
Is she treating you right?
Yes she is treating me well.
How did you meet her?
We met in church and ever since then, it has been awesome.
Are you that religious?
I am a church guy despite the music scene. I love God because he brought me to where I am today.
How romantic is your wife ?
Yes she is very romantic and sexy too.
What attracted you to her?
Her smile. I love women that smile; I don’t like women that frown.
You must have love her dearly enough to marry her undermining the ten years age difference between the two of you aren’t you bothered by the age gap?
A man is a man, whether she is five or ten or three years younger than the woman. Every man wants a woman that will respect him irrespective of how many years older or younger is he to the woman. She respects me and she gives me what I want and I am okay with her. If I tell my wife to sit, she does so without questioning me, I don’t have to say it twice. Most times people who are close to us wonder about who is older because my wife is very submissive and that is what basically makes me happy. People will always talk whether you marry somebody younger or older so there is no need to worry about people’s talk.
Some said you married your wife because of her money?
I want them to do me a favour. In a year, my wife earns about fifteen million naira in the bank when I met and now she had resigned. I want you guys to go meet with her and ask her how much she has made in the last one year managing me. The least amount I collect for a show is seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N750, 000) and I do about three to four shows in a month, so you can calculate that. So when people say all those things it sounds very funny to me and believe me, it is very annoying. People will always talk but I did not marry my wife because of money. I am doing well and she is doing well, so whatever anybody say is their own problem because money does not bring happiness, it is the two people that matters. People may have all the cars and mansions in this world and not have happiness so love between the two is all that matters.
Is this dark shade of yours a kind of signature for you?
No it is not. Sometimes I wear it and sometimes I don’t, sometimes I even hang it, it depends on my mood.
Being a good looking young man, how do you handle pressures from female fans?
I love them because they made me who I am and my wife understands that. I love them and give them the attention they want; I even break down and cry for them sometimes because I am a very emotional person. I can remember that there was a particular show I was having and I could not hold myself, I just broke down in tears. You know it is amazing to see that you go into the studio to do something and people appreciate it, there is nothing that is as rewarding as that. When they come around me, I appreciate me. Some invite me for their birthdays and I go but of course I draw the line and I always make them understand that the Soul E that was single is different from the Soul E that is married but that does not mean I don’t respect my female fans.
But there must be some persistent ones who will do anything to just have it down with you, what do you do in such circumstance?
Of course, I just try as much as possible to be friendly and I also try as much as possible to make them understand that it can’t work and I try not to be rude. There was this particular girl who came all the way from Namibia , she read me on my website and came down to Nigeria just with one intention. She said ‘I don’t care whether you are married or not, I just must have you’ I actually organized a dinner just for her and I went to her and sat her down to explain to her that I appreciate her but it can not work that we are best as friends. She was shocked that I could actually do that, that I could actually go that far just to explain to her and today we are friends. So when the female fans come, I appreciate them because of course they are the reason I am popular, that is the reason why the boys come for the show, so I appreciate them a lot.
What about jewelries, are you a jewelry freak?
I am in a way but whether I wear jewelry or not depend on my mood.
Who are your role models?
I will rather rephrase that question to the people I like. I like. I love Lucky Dube a lot, I love Majek Fashek because of his delivery and the passion he has behind his music. I like their kind of music but I don’t sing like them.
Have you ever been faced with any embarrassing moment?
A lot. I have escaped rape like four times. There was this one in Port Harcourt , during my first album; I will never forget that incidence. I was the main act, I wanted to ease myself and the mistake I made was not telling my manager that I was going to ease myself, so I now went in to the gents and just then some six girls came in to the gents with me, I was even telling them that they missed the way that the ladies is the other way that they are at the gents. Before I could say Jack Robbinson, they locked the door and brought out condoms that I must make love to all of them. I was shocked. I knelt down on my knees and started begging them because I could not insult them; all I could do was to beg because they just love Soul E. You know, some fans can do anything crazy so all I could do was just to beg them. After pleading with them for some time, they let me go. Some of them are still my friends till now. That is one embarrassing moment I have faced in my life that I can never forget.
