My music career will not affect my acting –Yemi Blaq

Blaq

Yemi Blaq is 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 an unstoppable colossus and continues to dominate it.

Always in demand, OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG met him and he declared that 2018 is going to be a different sort of year for him as he has also ventured into music professionally.

“I’ve recorded my first single. It’s titled Brake Dey Sharp. Music is just a way for people to get to know another side of me as an artist. People think I’m just about the 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.

Confirming that he has a genuine passion for music, he went further to claim that “oh yeah. 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.”

He’s not the first among his colleagues, actors and actresses, that will try his hand at music. Those among them who’ve also done so include Genevieve, Omotola, Dayo Amusa, Ngozi Orji, Gabriel Afolayan, Jim Iyke.

Sadly, though, they can’t be said to have done well in it, so OOB asked him the probability that he would.

“I think the difference is in the timing, I think the difference is in the integrity of the talent, because sometimes people dabble into 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 out there to listen and give their opinion.”

Passionately, he disclosed what his greatest strength in music is.

“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 became successful because they were said to have introduced a different style. In the days of yore, Fela introduced afrobeat, King Sunny Ade pioneered the synchro sound, Commander Ebenezer Obey’s was miliki.

In the present age, Tekno is credited with introducing the pon pon pon sound.

So what different sound or style is Blaq bringing?

“I don’t know if there’s any different thing. All I know is that I’m not an artist who believes in genres. I’m not tied to a genre. I’m not an artist who’s gonna say I’m a hip-hop artist or I’m an afrobeat artist. I’m an artist 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 juices flow when I’m inspired to write. So if it’s gonna 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.”

Music is a very demanding profession that requires its practitioners to devote practically all their time to it. But so also is acting. Maybe it’s the reason that all over the world no one has been able to successfully combine both.

So how will his music career, which is new, affect the acting one, which he’s already 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 States. It’s titled Cultural Clash, and I’m sure when it comes out, it’s gonna be a totally new appreciation for my art because people are gonna see that I do have a sense of humour that’s quite developed.”