By Lawrence Enyoghasu
Omosuyi Emmanuel Adeleke popularly known as Amota has returned to the music scene with a new single, Meji Meji. This is coming after he dazzled his audience in 2009 while collaborating with Danny Young. In this interview, the banker turned-musician narrates his journey into music and how ‘Wizkid’ wanted to dupe him.
You came into music in 2009 but left after a while, why?
I started singing in 2009 but quit music to further my education. This was after I released a single with Danny Young entitled Sepe Sepe. I just didn’t want to be a musician; I wanted to be an educated musician. I knew the talent was there but I needed to give it content and only education can do that. That was why I didn’t sign with Danny Young.
What did you study in school?
I studied Science Laboratory Technology but worked as a banker.
Do you think you can catch up with the music trend?
I am catching up already with my collaboration with artists around Africa. My songs are already trending round Africa. I have done songs with Kenyan and Zambian artists, and all are hits.
Why Africa and not Nigeria first?
I want to be a continental artist and not just a Nigerian artist. At the same time, when people outside see that you are good they approach you for collaboration. No matter what I do or who I do it with, I just want to be a legend.
Who or what is trending now?
Many things. Hushpupi is trending, as he has turned into a brand. What he did was what I wanted to do with good music. New trends are what keep people interested in you. As long as I sing what people want, I will continue to trend like Tuface and the rest.
What is this trending story about you and Wizkid?
I got in contact with someone called Ola, who claimed to be a staff of one of the telecommunication companies. She promised to introduce me to Wizkid and she started talking with my manager and Wizkid at the same time.
According to this ‘Wizkid’, he’d like to sign me onto Star Boy Worldwide. Then I was asked to pay N300,000. We were in Port Harcourt for a show and had to rush down to Lagos to confirm if the deal was real. We tried to get in contact with the ‘Wizkid’, but he neither picked our calls nor blocked us on Whatsapp. We don’t know whether it’s the real or fake Wizkid; we don’t know if he’s real but he is not just ready to sign artists. Perhaps, the whole thing was a scam.
Can you imagine, this ‘Wizkid’ introduced us to a studio in Ipaja called Sammos and gave us a bank account to pay money into. As an ex-banker, I tried to check the account, it was owned by the real Wizkid, Ayodeji (Balogun) but then, I discovered that the account has never received an amount up to N100,000 since it was opened.
Do you still want to go ahead with the deal?
I don’t think so. But my fear is could someone be operating a bank account in the name of Wizkid without his knowledge? I am saying this to alert him to the fraud in case it is not the real Wizkid.