Solidstar: I Love to Keep My Love Life Away from the Public
Solid Star is no new comer in the entertainment industry as he has contributed so much to the growth of the industry with great music, exemplary lifestyle and a strong brand. In this interview with Tosin Clegg, he talks about his career, album to be released soon, love life and lots more
My new song ‘Wait’ featuring Davido…
The song is doing pretty well as the reviews and comments that I have received are quite commendable and encouraging. It’s not good on the artiste side when you put out a song and people don’t like it or there are no good talks about it; it automatically kills your morals. The song is everywhere and there are plans for a remix because of the success recorded by the original version.
The choice of Davido on the song…
I actually did that because I know and foresee that Davido was a very good match for the song. Although I have other artistes that can ordinarily blend with the song – the likes of Flavour, Phyno and others because of the lyrical content of the song – but I chose Davido because he is a versatile artiste and people ordinarily won’t expect a Davido to jump on that kind of beat. So, I just wanted him to do something different and he did; and as well at the end of the day, both the audio and video came out well.
About the remix of the song…
Although it’s 80% done but I really don’t want to reveal the name of the artistes now till maybe a week to the release date. It’s definitely going to be a male and a female artiste.
Talking about starting from the church…
Like I said earlier, I was born and brought-up in church. I was one of the lead drummers in church as well as good vocalist. I love highlife music and I think I was able to groom myself all from the church. That I will say has really helped the artistic part of me.
I cannot forget where I am coming from…
Definitely, I cannot forget real quick where I am coming from. I am working on full gospel song which will be included in my album billed for release before the end of the year. Trust me, there are like two to four gospel songs on the album because I have not done such before?
My music yet to cut across necessary places…
It’s so sad that my music is yet to cut across the necessary places itought to have been; which is on the part of the management. As I speak to you, all hands are on deck now and we are really strategising. Now, we have a good distribution team that is doing a good job while we are still in search for a competent manager who can bring new ideas on board.
My twitter rants with DJ Neptune…
DJ Neptune and I are good friends but what happened that night was that during the HipTV nomination party, I, Oritsefemi and one other artiste were the headliner for the show. I was the second artiste to perform as Oritsefemi was expected to round-off the show. I was performing because normally, I love to do acapella for my fans to respond before I do the main song. I had performed two of my songs already and was gearing up to perform the key song’ My Body’, so I did the acapella and was expecting the DJ to play the song, he was just scratching the music which indirectly means I should leave the stage. I felt totally embarrassed and left the stage in anger; I tried getting back to him but his lines were not available; though it was bad, I couldn’t hold it, so I had go to twitter to pour my mind out.
About the push for my songs…
Like I said before, it all still boils down to the management and that is what we are working on. I have chased away people that are drawing my progress backward, if you notice now, ‘Wait’ has a lot of push and this is as a result of the new distributor that is on board now. Also, a good manager that talks about your brand to the corporate world is also lacking and as result causing few setbacks which is in its correctional stage now.
Expectations on my new album…
My kind of person, as the day goes by, I keep improving and a learn new ideas, getting wiser and also moving with the right person because I change friends almost every day. If you keep moving with one set of people, you will discover that you are doing same all the time. My next album will be better than the previous one most definitely. Currently, we are about 50% in the album preparation, but for the working title of the album, I will disclose that when the time is appropriate. Just be assured that I will not be falling short of standard.
How I feel when I read negative stories about myself in the media…
It was when I was still an upcoming artiste that it gets me and I begin to feel bad. But now, when people say shit about me in the media which at all times are negative and not true, I laugh. Believe me sincerely; in the industry now, you have lovers, haters and some other categories. It does not affect me anymore because now, I have learnt to be strong and a whole lot of lesson comes as the day progresses.
My relationship with Achievas Music…
Achievas Music has done a lot for me even when things were not going well, they still stood by me. They just believed in me and they have a passion for growing careers. I stand to say it anywhere that Achievas Music is one of the best labels in Nigeria and the world but where I have issues with them is that they bring the wrong people on board and that is what we are working on now.
A song in my local dialect…
The problem now is that, the Isoko language is what I can’t really speak fluently but I only understand it when people speak it. I am a proud Isoko boy wey no sabi speak am’ and for me to bring somebody to sit me down and start translating for me will be very difficult. I need to stay there for like a month to perfect everything because I am fast learner. Ridiculously, if it was a Calabar song, I can do that very well, likewise Igbo language, I love the language and the fact that I can speak a bit of it, I can still blend it. For my local dialect song, I am seriously working on it because I won’t want to sing a song in my language and will be singing off key.
My dreads…
I have carried my dread for years but it will amaze you that I have tried different look with dread. Even at a time, I had to shave a bit from It and I also hide the dread so that people will think I have shaved it off. But still people still want the dread on me because it something people have identified me with. So, if I should completely shave-off the dread, people will begin to find me because I have a very small head.
The craziest thing a fan has done…
It’s much oo!! But the one that amazed me more was at one of the industry night, I wanted to ease myself. So, on my way to the toilet, there was this lady who stood up at the time I did.
Instead of her going to the female rest room, she followed me to the male rest room and I was shocked. Then I asked why she did not enter the female rest room, she said ‘Solid, I am a crazy fan of yours’ and I responded with thank you. I expected her to leave immediately after my response but my brother, she did not ooo. Rather, she was coming close to me. I had to run out of the rest room.
Projects I’m working on…
Well that will be my tours outside the country because I will be out of town for a month and that in a way will equally affect the work flow of my coming album.
Is Solid Star in a relationship…
Yes, but I just want to keep my love life out of the eyes of the public, it’s my private life and that is why it is my personal affair.
