My pact with Akon, Mike
Okri – Sauce Kid
By TONY OGAGA ERHARIEFE and PATRICIA EMORDI
Friday, January 4, 2008
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Sauce Kid
Pix: Sun News Publishing |
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He cuts the image of a true American Hip-hop star. What with
all the bling-bling, a characteristic swagger and an American
accent. However, Sauce Kid, ‘San Bori Bobo,’ crooner
is every bit a Nigerian.
Sauce Kid is currently in the country to promote his mix tape,
a 17-tracker entitled: Money Long. Chatting with Daily Sun
exclusively, the musician declared his respect for popular
musician, Mike Okri, whom he featured in a track called Omoge
Wa Jo.
“Working with him was a privilege. He is amazing. I
featured him on ‘Omoge Wa Jo.’ Among others, he
taught me that you can mix Hip-hop with Afro R&B. You
could have people from my generation connecting with people
from his generation.
The collaboration is a track reaching out to all generations
of Nigerians. I am taking care of the younger generation,
while he is taking care of the oldies because of the success
he’s had. We are putting it together and we are going
to have a single family that would relate with both our music.
It’s like a comeback for him because he has been out
of the scene for a while now. I decided to work with him because
I want people to listen to him and appreciate his music. I
respect him and I am loyal to him.”
Once upon a rebel
Born in 1984 in Nigeria, Sauce Kid left the shores of Nigeria
for the USA to complete his high school education. Along the
line, he drifted when rap music came along.
“My family has always taken care of me. I have never
had to go out of my way to do extreme things. I was a street
kid but I came from a good family. I grew up in Ogba, Lagos.
I have never had to go out of my way to make ends meet or
struggle. Music is like my own direction in life, it’s
my business. It’s what I want to do.
“I left Nigeria in 1997 to complete my secondary education
but when I got abroad, the situation changed. I was too wayward
and my mum was not comfortable with me staying there because
I was always getting into trouble. Then, it was either my
way or you hit the highway!”
However, with age and maturity, the young artiste has turned
up a new leaf: “Right now, I am level-headed and trying
to do everything right. I‘m matured now and know what’s
right or wrong and I am putting my acts together.
Inspiration
It comes from my personality. I am funny. I am versatile.
Sometimes, I am emotional or real hard. What ever I am feeling
in my heart and in my head I express and that is what San
Bori Bobo is all about. It is the ghetto haleluya. It means
making something out of nothing. When I say Yabariba everybody
responds San Bori Bobo. It’s a way of making something
out of nothing. I transformed from an ordinary person to an
extraordinary person!
Why rap?
I chose rap and not R & B because I can rap. I can do
it without thinking about it or forcing it. It comes naturally.
Nobody has done rap the way I am doing it. If I had a beautiful
voice like Tuface, maybe I would be doing R&B but I have
defined my style and I want to hold it down forever.
Relationship with Akon
Contrary to rumours that he was signed on Akon’s label,
Convict Music, the rapper cleared the air: “I don’t
have a deal with Convict. They definitely want to work with
me because they appreciate my talent, my drive and my independence.
They definitely want to identify with me because they see
me going somewhere big. I did a song with a Nigerian on Convict
music. His name is Rid (Arinze Nwosu). My relationship with
Akon is strictly business. May be we could become friends
later and work together.
Nigerian music scene
Nigerian Hip-hop is dynamic. Currently, Ruggedman and Mode
9 are battling over who should be crowned king of rap. Sauce
Kid is very much aware of this. But does he have what it takes
to compete? He explained: “ I foresee a stiff competition
and it is good for the industry because competition brings
about greater ideas and people want to talk about Nigerian
music, so we are moving up to the next level; you know what
I am saying?
Love life
It’s good to have women around. You can live without
them or with them. But its good to have them around. Sometimes
you don’t want them around and sometimes you do. I get
along with the women real cool. I am in a relationship with
a black Pueto Rican. If I was in Nigeria, I am pretty sure
I’d be dating a Nigerian girl. But I am in another part
of the world.
Tattoos
I love tattoos. They are a way of expressing myself. As a
young adult, I have finally met someone I want to settle down
with. They say ‘behind every successful man there is
a woman.’ She is the one behind me. We have been dating
for a while and I am very committed to the relationship. That’s
the reason I have her image engraved on my left arm. This
helps me to focus on her all the time even if she is not around.”
Secret of success
I believe in hard work; No hustle, no food. Hustle independently
to that stage where somebody can see you and invest money
on you. You need to create value around yourself because it
is what drives business. If you don’t do that then you
would have problems.
Dreams
I want to be African ambassador of rap music. I want to be
looked upon in the history books as one of those who ‘did
it and did it right. |
