I’m pained, my children come back from school and talk about Wizkid – Kcee
RENOWNED Nigerian singer, Kingsley Okonkwo, widely known as Kcee, has mentioned his children’s affection for Wizkid as one of the reasons behind his new style of music.
Kcee, in an interview with Dotun on June 7 on the Cool FM, Lagos, Super Wednesday programme, said, “What I’m doing right now with my music is intentional. My kids go to school and they are talking about other artists. They talk about Wizkid each time they come back. I’m pained, kind of. I need to make them know that their papa know better old school.”
The singer said he felt so fulfilled when his daughter called him one day from school to inform him about the students choosing his new song, Ojapiano, for their graduation party.
“The year-12 students told their teacher they wanted to change their song to Ojapiano. My kids ran out from where they were rehearsing, like, ‘This is our father’s song.’ My daughter was saying it on the phone. I almost cried. This was what I wanted. When I got that call from my daughter, I felt so fulfilled,” he said.
Ojapiano, Kcee’s new song, is a blend of native flute and amapiano, giving a thrilling melody. The song he released this year is going viral and getting streams on different music streaming platforms.
Kcee’s metamorphosis
Kcee’s rebranded fashion style. Source: Instagram
The artiste, having dedicated over 24 years to creating music, expressed his decision to transform not only his musical style, but also his overall appearance. Explaining the rationale, he shared that after crafting songs for an extensive period, he strongly felt the urge to embrace a fresh approach in his music and fashion. He believed that as someone who values personal growth and evolution, change is essential for his artistic journey.
“I have been around for over 24 years. They know my face, they have been seeing me every other day so I just decided this time, nobody sees my face. Like, I just want to catch this vibe and cruise, you know, change the style of music, dressing, and all. I always love to just evolve and change myself. So this is one of those days. So now I’m going to be masked up if I like, and I will take it off if I like because you already know me.”
Expanding on the motivation behind his revamped dressing style, the artiste revealed during another interview with Hip TV that he aimed to embark on a rebranding journey.
“It’s just a new Kcee. It’s a new season of dum dum, and I decided to cover up my face. You guys have been seeing my face for over 24/25 years, so this time around, I chose just to cover it up and just give you some Lagbaja 2.0”.
During his conversation with Dotun on Cool FM, Kcee revealed that his decision to transition from a renowned mainstream artiste to a gospel singer was a significant risk he courageously undertook. However, the outcome exceeded his expectations as it not only brought him a fresh fan base, but also proved financially rewarding. Despite facing doubt and enduring hurtful comments from sceptics.
“When I did the gospel one, a lot of people were, like, ‘He is actually going close to his village. He is taking the music to the village, he is moving from town to the village.’ When I heard it, I was like, let’s see how that works but it didn’t happen. I made money from it than ever before in my whole career,” he said.
Kcee said that his latest song, Oja, was a labour-intensive project that consumed many his sleepless nights. He encountered challenges when collaborating with various producers who struggled to capture the essence of the song.
Despite being told by some producers that the sound couldn’t fit harmoniously in a specific key, he said he persisted in his search until he discovered a producer who could bring his vision to life. This achievement, he enthused, marked the realisation of a dream he had nurtured for approximately three years.