Monday, 7 July 2014

My relationship with Phyno – Mo’Cheddah

by Anothergist on 15:33:00

I was born and christened Modupe-Oreoluwa Oyeyemi Ola but my act is known as Mo’Cheddah. I was born in Lagos and I am the fourth of five children. I attended University of Lagos Staff School, Akoka, for my primary education and Our Lady of Apostles, Yaba for my post-primary education. I am a creative arts graduate from the University of Lagos.

Music

I caught the music bug when I was a child. I watched a lot of television, mimicked what I saw and that was how my creative self came to fore. I thought I was a celebrity. I started out by acting but as time went on, music came calling. I had these family friends who visited our house with their guitars and played music. I always sang along and danced. As time went on, I told them I wanted to join them. They didn’t think I was serious at first, but eventually they signed me up to Knighthouse Entertainment.

Rap music

I’ve been rapping and singing since I was 12. That doesn’t mean I can’t explore other genres of music. I am creative, I am gifted.

Debut album

I featured in several Knighthouse tracks before putting out my first official debut single titled, ‘If you want me’ in 2009. My debut album, ‘Franchise Celebrity’ was released in 2010 and it had 15 tracks.

Taking a break

I was away from the music scene because of the need to spend time with family, re-invent myself and better my craft. It was a time to reflect on my career, how far I have gone and how far I still want to go. I was travelling, spending quality time with my family, and I spent good time in the studio recording. Now, I am back for good and with fantastic songs.

Record label

When my contract with my former record label expired, I made a decision to be on my own which led me to founding my own record label. It is called Cheddah Music.

Working with Phyno

My new single, Destinambari, was produced by Cobhams and I featured Phyno. I worked with Phyno because he was perfect for the intro. He was in a good position to add more to the diversity of the song and also reach out to my fans in Igbo language. The single was inspired by love. A new album is in the works but before that, I will release more singles.

Awards

I was the youngest female artiste in Africa to win Channel O Award. I have been nominated several times and I have won several awards. Among these are: FAB Awards Most Stylish Artiste; Most Gifted West African Video of The Year( Channel O Video Music Awards); Brand New Act (MTV Africa Music Awards).

Inspiration

My environment; my state of mind; and my feelings. All these put together enable me to put good music together.

Competition

I don’t feel threatened. Depending on how you look at it, it can’t really be described as competing with each other. We are all merely expressing ourselves in different ways .I am proud of what they have achieved but what separates me from the rest is my style of music, my sound, my drive and how far I am willing to go. At the end of the day I just want to make good music and I think the sky is large enough for everybody to fly.

Other passions

Outside music, I love to cook. If I was not into music, I’m not sure what I would have been doing because music is my life.

Relaxation

I stay indoors; spend time with family, because family is most important. Like some people would say, family is everything. Also, I travel.

Style

I dress according to how I feel at every point in time. I wear a size 6 or a small 8. I like to experiment with fashion and wear different styles.I don’t have a favourite designer but I like to wear different pieces from different labels. Miroslava Duma is my favourite fashion icon anytime any day. I love her daring, bold, yet chic style

Hairstyle

My new hairstyle is unique. It was informed by the fact that I got tired and bored with wearing long weaves. I decided to go sharp and fierce with my new cut. I love the edginess.

Keeping fit

I work out five times a week and eat as healthy as I can.

Fame

It has its advantages and disadvantages. The sweetest thing about being famous is meeting little children who look up to you and say sweet things that brighten your world. The downside includes, but is not limited to, you being robbed of your privacy.

Role models

It has to be Beyonce. She is a strong woman and she inspires me to work harder