Yemi Blaq is no doubt one of Nigeria’s finest actors. He’s a versatile actor, who has played several leading characters. Since he broke through, he has straddled Nollywood like a colossus and continues to dominate it.
Always in demand, Blaq declares 2018 will be a different sort of year for him as he delves into music.
“I just finished recording my first single now. It’s entitled ‘Brake Dey Sharp.’ I’m going to start promoting that soon. It’s just a way for people to get to know another side of me as an artiste. People think I’m just all about acting. But there are so many other things they don’t know. So, this year, I’m just exploring myself and exploring my God-given talents,” he says.
I just finished recording my first single now; it’s entitled ‘Brake Dey Sharp.’ I’m going to start promoting that soon. It’s just a way for people to get to know another side of me as an artiste. People think I’m just all about acting. But there are so many other things they don’t know
Confirming that he has a genuine passion for music, he further says, “Actually, music is my first love. I know people find that hard to believe, but I feel most alive, when I’m around the musical process, creating songs, creating beats and all that.”
With his recent decision, although he’s not threading on a totally unfamiliar terrain, how will he avoid getting his fingers burnt like some of her colleagues in the thespian world, who tried their hands at music but failed to make any success of it?
“I think the difference is in the timing, I think the difference is in the integrity of the talent, because sometimes people dabble in things they’re normally good at. But without sounding immodest, I know that I’m not normally good at music, I’m very good. But it’s not for me to judge, but the viewers and the listeners are out there to listen and give their opinion,” he says.
Speaking passionately, he discloses what his greatest strength in music is, stressing, “It’s my writing. I love to write. I love the beauty of words, taking one word, adding it to another and another, and before you know it, you have a tapestry of poetry that pours forth onto a beat and all come together beautifully and at the end of the day, you want to dance the power of God and the beauty of God in the music.”
Many successful musicians made their mark on the sand of time because they were said to have introduced different styles and genres of music. But what difference is Blaq hoping to make in this regard?
“I don’t know if there’s any different thing. All I know is that I’m not an artiste who believes in genres. I’m not tied to a genre. I’m not an artiste who’s going to say I’m a hip-hop artiste or I’m an afrobeat artiste. I’m an artiste that believes that music is a language. And we’re the medium through which it is expressed. As a songwriter, I do not limit myself to a genre. I just let my creative juice flow, when I’m inspired to write. So, if it’s going be a rap song, it’ll be. And if it’s a reggae song, then so be it. I do not dictate, I just write as I’m inspired,” he says.
Blaq says he has yet to begin performance as a musician, noting, “This is my first single. It’s just out. The final mixing was done about a month ago. So, I’m going to start promoting it, even though I’m working on a couple of other songs at the moment. I’m recording something with Johnny Drille, who’s a Marvin artiste and producer. He produced something for me and it’s going to be, trust me, the bomb. What I intend to do is ensure that every single track sounds different.”
But how will his new career, music, affect acting, which he has become known for?
“If the music is good enough, then what happens is, people will listen and appreciate it and that will lead to a further, deeper appreciation of the performer, Yemi Blaq. I think it’s only one thing-Quality adds to quality. You know what I mean, right? You know one thing and people know you for that thing. For instance, I’ve been doing a lot of drama in Nollywood since I started. And I’ve done a couple of comedy in movies. They’re not out yet. I shot one in the United States. It’s entitled “Cultural Clash,” and I’m sure when it comes out, it’s going to be a totally new appreciation of my art, because people are
going to see that I do have a sense of humour that’s quite developed.”