It is true that apples do not fall far from the tree. So it was not a coincidence to find out that Sose’s father had also been a deejay in his youth. “My dad was also a dj, but the difference between us was that, while he worked for free, I get paid quite a lot for doing mine”. Competitive from an early age, Sose won his first dancing competition at the age of five,singing and rapping. He then went on to write his first song at the age of thirteen. Meeting and then interviewing Sose gave me the rare opportunity to have a glimpse at his life experiences. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that not only had he built up a solid career but he was also well rounded educationally. He began his high school education at the International School, Ibadan. His family moved to Lagos a year later where he transferred to the Lagos State Model College, Badore. Three years later he enrolled in Adrao International in Victoria Island where he graduated. Sose then moved to Budapestin in 1998 for his A’levels and to take a two year Hungarian language course. Not long after his arrival, he had the opportunity to co-star in ‘Corrupt’ an independent film alongside famed rapper, producer and actor Ice T as well as Silk the Shocker. An experience which he unassumingly describes as fun yet educational. Sose was admitted into the University of Hertfordshire where he studied Business Information Systems.He worked in the Information Technology industry for about a year. Unfulfilled, he enrolled at Cavendish College to obtain a professional certificate in film and video production.
Mind, the Final Frontier
DJ Sose sees the creation of music through mixing and blending different beats and rhythms as a form of expression and release. “I love music, I can’t do without it. Most people place value on their phones, clothes, perfumes, etc. For me, it is my music. If I don’t have my music, then there’s a problem. You can lock me up, throw me in a dungeon, take everything I own, but don’t touch my music or my music making ability.” His music collection, according to him is a staggering forty thousand tracks. Like he said, “music is a drug and I’m addicted”. Sose is comfortable mixing all types of genres from dancehall, to jazz and everything in between. If he had not chosen to be a deejah he would have been something else in the entertainment field. “In the broad range of entertainment I may have been anything, either a singer or an actor. There is no limitation to the talent one has, it is all about putting your mind to it and working to achieve your goals”. Sose has also worked as a producer for many artists such as Twisted Minds,R2bs, WandeCoal and Badman Floss. He has also worked collaboratively with talented producers like, Zela Zells,Jiff the General and Icon.
The iconoclast
Starting his career as a deejah, Sose realised he had to make himself stand out from the crowd. He randomly stumbled upon the solution. He had been a model at a photo shoot where the makeup artist applied body paint on the models faces to resemble tattoos. At the completion of the shoot he left in a rush forgetting to wash his face and boarded the train during London’s bustling rush hour. He was listening to his music on his headphones oblivious to his fellow passengers stunned faces. Some inched away nervously and some got up and walked away. And there was his light bulb moment. It could not have come at a better time. He then made his facial tattoo a permanent part of his identity and he has not looked back since.It may be easy for you to forget dj Sose as a name, but as an entertainer, almost impossible. When asked if he was comfortable walking around with a tattoo on his face, without skipping a beat he said “I’m comfortable with it because in the beginning, people could barely remembering my name though it is so easy to pronounce. Now everywhere, people say do you know that guy, Dj Sose, the tattoo faced dj?”
If Music be the Food of Life, then Spin On….
A classical case of innovation meeting talent, dj Sose’s rise to stardom is to say the least, is a result of his hardwork and dedication. He has had memorable performances all over the world including Budapest, Famagusta (Cyprus), the UK, Kuala Lumpur, Tutsing(Germany), Porto Novo, Lagos, Abuja, Benin and Calabar. The most memorable was a performance in Kuala Lumpur on December 31, 2010. The nervous promoters begged djSose to fill in for the MC who never showed up. Again, with out skipping a beat he said yes, grabbed the microphone and carried the celebrations to the next level which involved impromptu dance competitions with a crowd of hundreds. The Malaysian promoters were wowed and amazed at how diverse he was. Not everyone who can spin is a skilled connector just as not everyone who writes songs can carry a tune.
Final Four
1. If you were a lawyer, would you be a prosecutor or defender”
Interesting. I have never been asked that question before. I would probably be a defender because of the ability to be able to help people. I do not like to be offensive, I do not like attacking, that is not my nature. If a fight breaks out, I am usually the one jumping in the middle to separate the fighters”.
2. What if anything is too serious for you to joke about?
“I guess I would have to say my family. They play a strong role in my life. In fact my mother actually designs and sews most of my outfits and constantly encourages me to be the best at what I do.”
3. What regrets do you have in life?
“Really and truly, I have no regrets about my life. What I have gone through has made me who I am. If one little thing was different, I would not be the same person sitting here in front of you.”
4. What is your concept of security?
“Knowing that there is love. There are people out there who know and love me for who I am and not for my social position. My siblings, parents and friends who I know will always be there to back me up. Money no doubt gives comfort and you can buy a lot but you can never have security with just that.” élan
