(INTERVIEW) El- Rufai Is Making Statements To Trigger Crisis In Southern Kaduna- Singer, Joel Amadi Fumes

I have been in kennis music for ten years and I’ve received a couple of awards like the hip TV award, Headies for best conscious music, I have been awarded by Nigeria Music Video Award(NMVA) for best video ‘Oya na’ featuring Oritshefemi alongside other top notch awards as well. I have been able to work with great and talented Nigeria’s A-list artistes talking about 2face, Jmartins, Terry G to mention a few. Every dream of every upcoming artiste is to be known, to be popular, to impact and make a statement in the industry. I have impacted in people’s lives over the years as well.

 Any plans of changing your record label or having your own record label soon?

Yes, plans of moving on definitely once my contract is over. At this point it’s not a bad thing, people won’t get to say bad things about me if I move on after my contract with Kennis music. I have been with them for over ten years and that simply means we are in good terms. I hope to own my record label, I hope to do things on my own without been under anybody. I might just go into partnership with more people. It’s not a crime to go into partnership with Kennis Music and other investors if there is need for any.

 Have you reached your desired spot in your musical career?

My desired spot! There is no limit to greatness, there is no limit to stardom. At this point, I am greatful for where I am at least I have gone past the level of struggling to be known in the industry. At this point I will say it’s a job well done. I still feel like I haven’t done much, I still feel there’s a whole lot to be achieved in the industry. The industry is becoming bigger daily, a lot of things are happening in terms of global achievement and I intend to be in line with that trend, I intend to be known as one of those artiste who is also achieving those greatness.

 You have spent over ten years with your record label, when exactly will your contract lapse?

it’s going to lapse very soon, a couple of people have asked me if it’s a a lifetime contract or there are specific years you sign and I said yes of course there’s specific years I signed. You can testify that over the years theres this conflict and misunderstanding or disagreement between various artistes and their CEOs. I haven’t had one with my CEO concerning the contract and I intend to keep it cool since the contract is still on and the business is still growing. So I will leave as at when due without trying to create any unnecessary disagreement, arguement or conflict between myself and my record label.

You see, marriage is a lifetime thing. Nobody wants to be married and sad, everyone wants to be married and happy even though there are going to be difficult or sad moments. But the most important thing is to stay happy at all times and understand each other. I am not saying I am looking out for these things, I am just saying when the time is right I will definitely walk somebody’s daughter down the aisle but let’s just wait for the right time and of course the right person that God will send as my wife. I am absolutely single for now

 After the death of your father, you mentioned that you will use your platform to get justice for the killings in southern Kaduna. Any update as regards that yet?

The update for now is that there is peace in Southern Kaduna right now, I think the killings have reduced, not totally stopped but they’ve reduced probably because a lot of awareness was created, the attention of some of the international coporate bodies on security were drawn towards the killings in Southern Kaduna and also other parts of Nigeria. But we intend to continue speaking out until the Governor himself agrees to ensure that peace is restored in Southern Kaduna because recently, there were still attacks in some communities too, so that simply means the perpetrators have not been totally arrested or brought to book or stopped. So we are still on, I’m still going to use my platform to continue to speak until peace is completely restored in Southern Kaduna.

 What would be your message to the government in the State as regards the southern Kaduna crisis ?

My message would be that enough of sitting in the Government house to promise security, we want them to go out there and ensure this killing is stopped because this is pure genocide, ethnic cleansing which the Kaduna government is aware of. The Governor has come out many times to contradict his statement thereby causing confusion and allowing these perpetrators feel like they have a backbone or someone who is making a statement to backup their evil act. There are evidences of the Governor’s tweet in 2012 before he became the Governor saying that they are writing this for everyone to see, that anyone who kills the fulani owes a loan repayable no matter how long it takes. The same Governor again admitted that he paid some fulani herdsmen to stop killings in Southern Kaduna, that should be last year or so. The same Governor came out recently on national television to say that some Kaduna elites are the ones constituting this killings. He is making statement that is triggering or fueling this whole thing rather than taking actions against the killings. So my message is as the CSO of the state, go out there and ensure peace is in Southern Kaduna. One of the reasons you are there is to ensure lives and properties are safe under your tenure.

New musicians will definitely always emerge in the industry, it’s a global thing. Before now, we had the likes of Idris Abdulkareem, Tony Tetuila and others and alot of artiste are coming into the industry and that is the game, when it happens like that it becomes competitive, becomes more challenging for the old artistes because the new ones always come with different styles but we are all in this together. I am also not relenting, I know over the years I have been quiet in the industry but you see, keeping quiet does not mean you are out of material or you are out of the game. It’s not really like that at some point, it is necessary for every artiste to go on the low sometimes so as to restrategize and see how you can come out in a better form. You can’t just be on a pace for a long time and be comfortable there, in order to grow sometimes, you have to just take some steps backward and restrategize, make new plans and see how you can make yourself better in the industry. I think that’s what i’m actually doing for myself right now.

 The whole world is talking about Wizkid and Burna boy’s achievement. They got there through hard work and good music. When do we expect a solid good music from you that will make music lovers go agog for your songs?

 To be honest, these guys have done magic, including Davido, Tiwa Savage, they’ve done magic and I can’t deny that fact. They have really done well and great for us, for Nigeria, for African entertainment and it’s challenging, it’s not easy. It’s actually hardwork and good music as you said. I am working on my music a lot like I said I do conscious music. But now if you want to cross accross the globe, you’ll have to go commercial. Commercial music is something that when you do it well, when you get it right, it takes you to other continents which I haven’t really done much of it, so that’s what I’m trying to do.

 Of course I fancy endorsements, I have been in talks with some people before the pandemic started. So we are just holding on to see how it turns out to be else, I would have been an ambassador to two different companies but notwithstanding, it’s still on like I said. By God’s grace, I will be joining some of those celebrities who are also ambassadors to some of these companies.

 What other things (business) do you do asides music?

I am also into agriculture. Very soon, I will be launching my agriculture company and then I’ll be unveiling what my company is into and the kind of farming we are into. Just lookout for it.

I have plans, as a matter of fact before the incident that happened to my family, I was working on a song with Zlatan. So I have plans to work with Zlatan, Fireboy and Rema.