Ever since popular singer, Olumide Adegbulu fondly dubbed Olu Maintain burst into stardom on the heels of his monster hit single, ‘Yahoozee,’ life has never been the same. Within a very short space of time, Olu Maintain suddenly became a household name as millions of music fans across the globe celebrated the glaring success of his musical exploits.
The depth of his musical breakthrough was further amplified by the fact that many had written off his chances of ever staging an individual come-back following the break-up of his former group, Maintain (which had Olu, Tolu and Big Bamo).
Like a falcon digging its talons into an unsuspecting prey, Olu Maintain sunk his teeth into the very epicenter of the Nigerian music industry and before you could say Freddie Kugar, his musical identity shone like the Northern star.
However, while Olu Maintain’s profile constantly expanded, so did the number of controversies and scandals trailing him. In a flash, the Yahoozee crooner suddenly became synonymous with controversies. From allegations of drug trafficking to unconfirmed reports of being a fraud, Olu Maintain constantly fluctuated between popularity and notoriety.
Despite this identity crisis, Olu Maintain remained unshaken in his quest for musical glory and eventually formed the group that has today, become known as ‘Kentro World.’
Olu made it clear that he considers the controversies around him the price most celebrities have to pay for stardom.
Asked how he copes with the mammoth of negative buzz around him, he said:
“That’s the price you pay for being a celebrity. The moment you become a celebrity, your private life becomes public life. Everything you do in private becomes public. It is the price you pay for choosing this kind of work.
Things are written and said about you all the time but half of them are not even true,” he affirmed.
In addition, Olu also expressed gratitude to God for watching over him all through 2010 as he unveiled a glimpse of what his fans should expect in 2011.
It’s 2011. What should your fans be looking forward to?
If I catch you, 145
What in the name of God does that mean?
Don’t worry. You’ll find out soon
Besides music, are there any other projects you’ll be working on this year?
If I catch you, 145
Okay, since you’re addictively hooked on the ‘If I catch you, 145 thing, let us talk about how you celebrated the New Year. Were you in Nigeria or did you travel?
No! I was in Nigeria. There were lots of event happening, so we were doing production. Last year, I was touring but this year, I closed down all shows and I was just doing production. 2011 has to be big and that’s exactly what we’re working on.
In 2010, we had a number of big time tragedies, especially in the Nigerian entertainment industry. How did you react to the incidents as they occurred, especially given the fact that today, you survived all that?
Well, it’s just by God’s grace. You understand. It’s just by God’s grace to be here still standing and healthy. We also pray that we will still be standing here with more money for many more years to come. For those that have lost their lives, may their souls rest in perfect peace. For those of us that are still living, let us justify our essence of living by affecting humanity positively.
Last year, the media and many of your fans said you lied about deciding to get married. What exactly happened?
I’ll just say this. I’m ready for marriage and with time, you’ll see.
