Mr Versatile and his highlife revolution — Guardian Life — The Guardian Nigeria Information – Nigeria and World Information

KCee’s journey from Ajegunle to international stardom is a product of his dedication to the highlife sound, collaboration with artists from numerous cultural backgrounds, and merging conventional sounds with modern beats. Following the discharge of his newest album, Mr. Versatile, KCee discusses with Guardian Music his inventive course of and muses, working with numerous cultural voices, discovering fulfilment after 25 energetic years of being eclectic along with his method, and his mission to export the highlife sound to the worldwide stage.

After Kcee’s Ojapiano turned a nationwide hit final 12 months, it marked his comeback following 2021’s Cultural Reward collection with the Okwesili Eze Group. His intriguing mix of the Igbo flute, Oja, and South African Amapiano gave the tune its distinctive attraction.

The tune, which he remixed with the American pop-rock band One Republic earlier this 12 months, bagged hundreds of thousands of tune performs and social media views by means of viral dance challenges. It has up to now been his most profitable try at selling the highlife style to a worldwide viewers because the late 2010s.READ ALSO: Ten years after Limpopo KCee returns with Ojapiano 

After 25 years within the Nigerian music scene, Kcee continues reinventing his discography with even deeper cuts of his numerous artistry. His newest album, Mr. Versatile, options 20 songs, together with a brand new remix of Ojapiano with Tanzanian star Diamond Platnumz and Nigerian rapper Odumodublvck. The album additionally consists of international collaborations: a duet with Indian diva Karina Kapoor and a feel-good function with Congolese artist Didi B.Raised in Lagos’ bustling Ajegunle suburbs, Kcee (actual identify Kingsley Okonkwo) has advanced from his days as one a part of the KceePresh duo to his main solo breakout in 2012 with Limpopo, and his latest comebacks. Selling highlife stays private to Kcee, the principle act of 5 Star Information, owned by his brother E-money. “Nothing was by chance. All the things I put out is intentional. I’m already considering of one other instrument to experiment with,” he tells Guardian Music, as he settles in for a chat.

Congratulations on this album. How does it really feel for you?

I’m very completely happy concerning the undertaking. Having been within the enterprise for 25 years, I feel I’ve gone by means of an entire lot of processes as an artist. I’ve gone by means of downtimes and ups, and I attempt to put all of that collectively on this undertaking. My capability to do totally different genres over time provides me the enjoyment to current one thing. It explains my journey up to now, and that’s why I known as it Mr. Versatile. I’ve been posting throwbacks on my social media to refresh individuals’s reminiscence of the place I’m coming from. So I’m enthusiastic about this one.

Would you say it’s probably the most experimental you’ve been together with your craft because you began?

Under no circumstances. I feel I’ve executed lots. I’ve taken extra dangers than this one. However this album is thrilling. It’s simply me placing all of the experiences—together with the opposite dangers I’ve taken—collectively right into a physique of labor.

Inform us concerning the international options you placed on this album.

So, Really feel Am with Didi B was recorded after I did Ojapiano. After Ojapiano dropped, lots of people have been attempting to leap on the sound. I occurred to be chatting with Didi B, and he mentioned we would have liked to do one thing collectively as a result of he loves the sound.

So, I acquired into the studio with my producer, and I known as the Oja boys once more—though that is totally different from the man who performed on Ojapiano. The refrain of this tune talks about how individuals really feel concerning the Oja sound. So, we created it and I despatched the beat to Didi B. He was excited, and it didn’t take him multiple week to ship his verse. And he was on tour then. He was even on my neck to launch it.

What concerning the tune with the Indian singer, Kapoor?

Some individuals hit me up from India, after I dropped Ojapiano, saying they love my tune. I ran into Karika Kapoor—one among their massive artists—and he or she instructed me she would love us to do a remix of Ojapiano. We did it and even shot the video, however we’re but to launch that. And once we jumped on a second tune—Moto—which nonetheless fuses the Oja, she insisted that she actually needs this sound. I requested her why, and he or she mentioned, ‘You don’t understand how massive this tune is in India. We have to explode it extra.’

READ ALSO: Kcee… A Story of The Oja 

I purchased the concept. And, as a result of different artists have additionally reached out to inform me they love what I’m doing, I knew I wanted to concentrate to that market. Then, my distributor instructed me that I had a brand new fan base from the Asian a part of the world—not simply India—that got here from Ojapiano. So, we did that tune, and I’m enthusiastic about it. Mixing the Indian flavour with Afrobeats is sweet. So, the tune may be very particular to me.

Inform us about your most memorable session from making this album.

One session I gained’t neglect can be the one for the tune, Obalende. The method of making that document was so divine. I used to be within the studio with Skiibii and Teni. I don’t know what occurred, however my producer left the microphone on by mistake. We have been laughing and speaking about a whole lot of issues. They have been all telling me how my power has been contagious and the way they’ve been feeling it, regardless of the actual fact I’m an OG.

We didn’t know my producer was recording all that. So, for those who take heed to Obalende, you’ll hear Skiibii within the intro laughing, “Why love once more? Ah, in spite of everything, what you could have executed?” We have been speaking about one thing totally different, although. So, we took that half and made it the intro of the tune, and we additionally added Teni’s ad-libs. The method of recording was simply little by little. It wasn’t intentional. The following day, that tune turned very particular to me, and that’s the primary tune I’m selling on the album. I already shot the music video. I like it due to how authentic it’s. It has a highlife really feel and pop, and the entire enjoying round makes it so particular.

Inform us about your mission with Highlife.

In 2017, I realised that this highlife sound may be very candy and really authentic. I felt that we may export this sound the best way Makossa and Rumba are. We didn’t have a whole lot of ambassadors projecting the indigenous highlife style. I made a decision to leap on it and take note of it. And I promise you, that’s the perfect choice I’ve made.

In 2018, I did my music undertaking known as Japanese Convention. It was an entire highlife album. Though we didn’t get a whole lot of consideration as a result of individuals didn’t know me with that form of sound, I by no means gave up. I stored on doing it to this point. And, at the moment, so far as the highlife sound is anxious, I feel I’m one of many champions projecting it. I simply got here again from the US. I understand how everyone needs to really feel that a part of me, that power, that top life. Persons are all the time stunned how I acquired right here, but it surely has all the time been there. I simply introduced it out from 2017 and 2018, and the extra I did it, the higher I acquired.

I’m all the time very targeted and considering of export our sound internationally. That was what gave start to Ojapiano.  It wasn’t like someone did it for me. It was intentional. I’ve been engaged on it. In truth, as I communicate to you, there’s something that got here into my head yesterday. I simply acquired an entire new thought on export one other sound from one among our different native devices. I’m going to strive it after this album. That’s how cr!zy I will be. That’s how I create my music. I don’t simply go into the studio. Typically, I feel deeply [about] merge one odd factor with the opposite to make one thing good. That’s what’ll make you distinctive and stand out at each level.

After 25 years within the trade, what does fulfilment seem like to you?

Nicely, this morning, once I was dressing up and making ready to exit for my rehearsals, my spouse checked out me and mentioned, ‘I’m so happy with you.’ So, I requested, why? She replied, ‘I don’t see anyone that works as exhausting as you.’I’ve been travelling for the previous two days. I got here in final night time and at the moment I’m going to rehearse. I work so exhausting that folks don’t see it, or they don’t know, as a result of I don’t enable it. However the pleasure about what my spouse mentioned at the moment is that I’m the definition of a tough employee and I all the time get my outcomes. It would take time, however I all the time get outcomes.

So, I’m so fulfilled and excited, as a result of even when I give up music at the moment I feel I’ve executed greater than sufficient. 25 years wasn’t that rosy. There have been a whole lot of ups and downs, however the capability to nonetheless be assured and consider in what I do is one thing not everyone can do. So, I respect myself, I salute myself, and I really like myself for not bowing or backing down at any level. My pleasure is an excessive amount of, and what I’m doing with this album is celebrating myself. I can’t thank God sufficient for giving me the power to face right here and nonetheless be doing this vibrantly.

So, lastly, what’s your imaginative and prescient as Kcee?

My imaginative and prescient is obvious, and what I need to do is what I’ve began doing, which is exporting the highlife sound to a extra international stage. Why? Nicely, there’s a entire lot in that sound that the world wants to know. There’s extra I must do. So, I’m targeted on getting rewards and what I’m doing to export this ighlife sound correct now.