I don't need money to perform in church -Tololope Isaac

Most Nigerian musicians, even the gospel ones, are most interested in becoming successful through their music. The term they use for their music success is that they’ve blown. Astonishingly, Tolulope Isaac, a gospel artist, tells OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG, among other amazing disclosures, that he’s not interested in blowing. Can you introduce yourself? I’m Tolulope Isaac. I’m a gospel artist, youth advocate, motivational speaker and entrepreneur. I’m multitalented, I’ll use that word. How are you able to combine all these things? How do you get the time for them all? Well, I’ll say God, I’ll say planning. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from people, my mentors, like Tolucci, and other brothers who have been able to combine a lot of things together. I’ve been able to watch them what they do and how they do it and I’ve benefitted from it. They say Jack-of-all-trades and master of none. Don’t you feel that applies to you? Oh well, that’s a lie. It’s a lie. Sometimes, the idea you have in a trade is always needed and useful in one way or the other. It’s always good to have idea of everything. Nobody can be Jack-of-all-trades, but having idea of everything is an edge, because there’ll be a time the knowledge will be useful. In the church, I play the drums, bass guitar, keyboard. That’s almost like a Jack. But I can fit into almost all these instruments. If I say I want to just major and play the drums only, it’s good, but also disadvantageous. If someone else comes and is playing the drum set, I can shift to bass guitar, and if someone is also available for that, I can shift to another instrument and I’ll work fine. So it’s good to always have knowledge of everything so that at least you won’t be left out. Would you say music is the driving force of your many parts? Oh well, it’s passion. There’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t kill it. It’s a talent, it’s natural, I’m just trying to develop myself, and it’s imbibed in me, so it’s the major. Everything I do now is just towards that end point: music. Everything I do now, working, so that people will not abuse you that who are you. I want to get to a level whereby I’ll go and minister in places and I’ll still contribute to their success. Yeah, I want to get to a level where people don’t need to start negotiating honorarium with me before I attend. Tell us what you’ve done so far in music. Well, I landed in the hands of Tolucci in Lagos in 2010. I’ve known him for a long time; since my secondary school days. He was the best in our state then. Osun State. He was everywhere, so I’d been following up on him, and I decided that if I get to meet him in Lagos, and coincidentally we were working in the same place and I was like ‘Wow, I’ve been following you for a long time.’ So I joined him in the studio and he put me through a lot. We go out for ministry and other programmes. The talent has always been there, but that was how I started in Lagos. That was the foundation of the music in Lagos. And I’ve since done some things on my own. I’ve released three singles now. I’m a member of different bands, organized concerts and all that. There’s been progress so far. Tell us about your singles. The first one was Jaburata. It was a song to thank God for His blessings. I didn’t even know the blessings were even coming more. The second was Thank You. That was at a point of my life when there was a drastic change: from zero to hero. The third one was O D’ayo. My ministry is just about thanking God. No matter the circumstances, or the problems, just thanking God, so whatever song I do is either admonishing people to thank God or I’m thanking God myself. What do you want to actually achieve as a musician? Well, I want to get to a point where I’ll hold the mic, close my eyes and lead people to the presence of God and problems are solved. I envy, I covet the grace of people like Nathaniel Bassey and Efe Nathan. I’ve looked at their citations and it encourages me. I want to get to that level and surpass it. But I know it’s a gradual process. And through commitment and prayer to God Almighty every day, I’ll get there. What is your particular plan to get there? Is it by blowing from doing a monster hit song like Midnight Crew’s Igwe or Kefee’s Kokoroko? Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t want to blow. I want to grow. There are steps and stages in life. Nathaniel Bassey has been there for years. Right now, he’s reaping the fruits of his sacrifices to God. So I’m taking it step by step. When the appropriate time comes, one single song I sing, maybe it’s even my 11th track, or the 10th, I don’t know, but God will just say, Tolu, it’s time. So I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, keep dishing out my songs, and God will take me there. You’re speaking as if you’re not interested in money, which is what other gospel musicians are after? Well, I won’t say I’m not interested in money. But I’m not doing it for the money. I’m doing it for God, and for me, for the fulfillment of destiny. That’s why I work. I’ve businesses and investments. So even if I get out of full-time job right now, my businesses will sustain me. They see most of gospel artists as beggars. I want to change that perception. If you invite me to your church, and you say take this, God bless you, thank you very much. And if you say please you don’t have, why not? I cannot say because of that, I’m not coming to minister in your church. If you invite me, I’ll definitely come. If you give me something, glory be to God. If you don’t, glory be to God. Money will not determine where I go to.