Every man has a guilty pleasure or two. This is something they do but hardly tell anybody. Well, it’s normal as many Nigerian celebrities have their guilty pleasures too, including Fuji music czar, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall. For the newly installed Mayegun of Yorubaland, he’s a devout Muslim but he has a guilty pleasure that he might not necessarily be proud of, especially among his fellow mumin: his love for expensive vintage cognac.
For K1, luxury, naturally, is a 360-degree pursuit. As one of the wealthiest musicians in the country, he is a purveyor of pleasure and enjoyment as exemplified by his choice of homes, automobiles and then, what he drinks. Few weeks back when he was installed Mayeigun by the Alaafin of Oyo, HIM Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, excited K1 unabashedly unveiled his guilty pleasure as he celebrated the title with a gleaming N200 million Rolls Royce Ghost. At the reception that followed, the music star validated his classy status as he settled for the well groomed, sophisticated, elegant Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac Magnum. He was seen savouring drams of Louis XIII, which goes for at least $8000 (N3 million) with some friends.
Of course, K1 has every reason to be excited and let the whole world know of his well-preserved guilty pleasure even on the day he became the official first Mayegun of Yorubaland. This is even as Fathia Titi, one of his wives who was heavily pregnant and present at the reception is believed would be having the music legend’s first twins. So, why would he not celebrate with the expensive cognac.
Louis XIII, with a divine beauty bottle, is not just a cognac but the masterpiece of time. It is a blend of up to 1,200 eaux-de-vie, the youngest of which is at least 40 years old—four generations of cellar masters were said to have spent decades refining it. The famous cognac is never compared to other cognacs but to high-end luxury labels such as Chanel and Hermès. Made from only the choicest grapes grown in the renowned Grande Champagne area in Cognac, France, Louis XIII is blended from only the best eaux-de-vie (water of life) that’s been matured in French oak barrels for years. Putting the final seal on this incredible cognac is the fact that it’s decanted into handmade by the finest crystal makers with a gold neck, making it not only an exquisite cognac but a collector’s item as well.
Remy Cointreau launched the famous Louis XIII in Nigeria in July 2015, and Mayegun is said to be one of the patrons of the most revered cognac in the world which he shared with his select friends at his installation party.