Kingsley Okonkwo, who is more famous with his stage name, KCee, has catapulted himself to the A-list, with the release of his hit single ‘Limpopo’. In this interview, he spoke about his early struggles and the benefits of fame.
Excerpts:
How do you feel about the success that has been trailing your career recently?
From where I was coming from to where I am today, it has been God. Basically, I always tell people it is God because I have been working harder than I am doing right now, but right now the story is different and I can say that God has been so merciful to me.
You have worked hard over the years, but it seems the rewards have started trickling in, are you surprised about the turnaround?
Laughs… Yes, I will say I am surprised, but if I look at it again from another perspective, I had always known that I would hit it big someday. I already had that determination since I started singing, but honestly speaking, limpopo was a divine song from God. I think God just felt it was time for me to step up my game to the A’list level. SEE MORE After Cut>>>>
Laughs… Yes, I will say I am surprised, but if I look at it again from another perspective, I had always known that I would hit it big someday. I already had that determination since I started singing, but honestly speaking, limpopo was a divine song from God. I think God just felt it was time for me to step up my game to the A’list level. SEE MORE After Cut>>>>
When you were writing the song, where were you?
It just happened like every other song that you want to release. I was in the studio with some friends. We were all playing in the studio and the song just came up. It was not one of those songs that you already have the idea of what you want to do about it, I mean the arrangement and other stuffs. But something very funny happened in the studio that day, after recording the song, we decided to celebrate it as though we knew it was going to be a massive success. As luck would have it, the song became an instant hit in its first two weeks of release. My brother, I was surprised; I could not contain the joy. In less than one month, I was receiving calls from different parts of the world and in two months, it was something else. It is the anointing and the power of God that I have been enjoying since I released the song.
It just happened like every other song that you want to release. I was in the studio with some friends. We were all playing in the studio and the song just came up. It was not one of those songs that you already have the idea of what you want to do about it, I mean the arrangement and other stuffs. But something very funny happened in the studio that day, after recording the song, we decided to celebrate it as though we knew it was going to be a massive success. As luck would have it, the song became an instant hit in its first two weeks of release. My brother, I was surprised; I could not contain the joy. In less than one month, I was receiving calls from different parts of the world and in two months, it was something else. It is the anointing and the power of God that I have been enjoying since I released the song.
Talking about anointing, are you that religious, considering your style of life?
It is the anointing. It is the power of God. My life style has nothing to do with my religious life. I know where I am coming from. The truth is that you need to recognise God and appreciate Him for what He has done for you. Today, when I am performing and I see the way people appreciate my songs and performance, I don’t need anybody to tell me that this is God working.
It is the anointing. It is the power of God. My life style has nothing to do with my religious life. I know where I am coming from. The truth is that you need to recognise God and appreciate Him for what He has done for you. Today, when I am performing and I see the way people appreciate my songs and performance, I don’t need anybody to tell me that this is God working.
You were said to have left the country immediately after the recording, some people said you were afraid the song won’t do well…
No, that’s not true. We travelled out of the country after the recording to shoot the video of the song. I dropped the song while I was in Spain. We came back a week after dropping the video. When I came back to the country, the response to the song was massive, bigger than what I have ever done.
No, that’s not true. We travelled out of the country after the recording to shoot the video of the song. I dropped the song while I was in Spain. We came back a week after dropping the video. When I came back to the country, the response to the song was massive, bigger than what I have ever done.
What does Limpopo mean?
To me, Limpopo means let us have fun. It’s just my own way of saying let us go and have fun.
To me, Limpopo means let us have fun. It’s just my own way of saying let us go and have fun.
Sometime ago, you were said to have quit the industry. I learnt you went into furniture business. What exactly was responsible for it?
It got to a point that I wanetd to leave the industry. I remember in 2009-2010, I almost quit the industry. I went into furniture business, I started importing furnitures into the country. I got a showrroom in Lagos and I was doing fine with it, but I was not deriving the kind of satifaction that I wanted because I still wanted to do music, no matter what. So, immediately after the break up with my partner, it was a point where I took a decision that I must make my own impact in the music industry.So, I had to put aside every business and said to myself that If I try it this time and it does not work, I will leave. I know it got to a point that I wanted to leave the industry, but I am happy that my determination not to give up has paid off tremendously today.
It got to a point that I wanetd to leave the industry. I remember in 2009-2010, I almost quit the industry. I went into furniture business, I started importing furnitures into the country. I got a showrroom in Lagos and I was doing fine with it, but I was not deriving the kind of satifaction that I wanted because I still wanted to do music, no matter what. So, immediately after the break up with my partner, it was a point where I took a decision that I must make my own impact in the music industry.So, I had to put aside every business and said to myself that If I try it this time and it does not work, I will leave. I know it got to a point that I wanted to leave the industry, but I am happy that my determination not to give up has paid off tremendously today.
You went into the furniture business with your partner, Presh but it still didn’t work. Is that why you decided to go your separate ways?
I think our separation was divine. It was divine in the sense that I didn’t just wake up one day and said I was not going to work with him again. We were talking as friends after we started the furniture business, we wanted to do something different. The both of us agreed that we should do separate albums to express ourselves. That was the story behind our break up. It was an agreement between the two of us, it was not because we had any irreconciliable differences.
I think our separation was divine. It was divine in the sense that I didn’t just wake up one day and said I was not going to work with him again. We were talking as friends after we started the furniture business, we wanted to do something different. The both of us agreed that we should do separate albums to express ourselves. That was the story behind our break up. It was an agreement between the two of us, it was not because we had any irreconciliable differences.
If it was a mutual agreement that you had, why has it become almost impossible for you guys to come back together?
We are still on the project. We have not released any album since we broke-up. You never can tell. We might come back together. Nobody knows what would happen tomorrow. We are still very close, but you know sometimes, God knows how to come into issues. That is how much I can tell you about our relationship.
We are still on the project. We have not released any album since we broke-up. You never can tell. We might come back together. Nobody knows what would happen tomorrow. We are still very close, but you know sometimes, God knows how to come into issues. That is how much I can tell you about our relationship.
Who is frustrating the come back move, is it you or Presh?
Nobody is frustrating anything. Journalists have a way of bringing nothing out of something. I have told you that we are still friends. When the time for us to come back as a group, nobody will stop or frustrate it like you have said.
Nobody is frustrating anything. Journalists have a way of bringing nothing out of something. I have told you that we are still friends. When the time for us to come back as a group, nobody will stop or frustrate it like you have said.
Don’t you think your current status is one major problem why you can’t be together again; he may be jealous of your success?
You are right. The love might not be as it used to be. There might be some sort of jealousy or envy as you have said, but no matter how you look at it, even if were to be me, it is not going to be all that rosy like it used to be. The bottom line is that you need to find your feet and believe in yourself. For me, I took a lot of boldness when we separated
You are right. The love might not be as it used to be. There might be some sort of jealousy or envy as you have said, but no matter how you look at it, even if were to be me, it is not going to be all that rosy like it used to be. The bottom line is that you need to find your feet and believe in yourself. For me, I took a lot of boldness when we separated
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