By Remi Oluwoye

For up and coming rapper, Chukwubueze Okolie aka Kead, rap veteran, Jude Abaga popularly known as M.I remains his idol despite what transpired between them recently.

Kead got the short end of the stick from M.I when he composed a song entitled, ‘A Letter to M.I’ and sent to him via the social media. Rather than commend and encourage the young artiste, M.I had snubbed him, saying, “Although, I wish you well in your career. I am not pleased, touched or honored by this song.”

Now, MI’s seemingly unfair treatment of Kead has turned him into a sort of celebrity. While the young rapper has garnered more airplays than before on Sound Cloud, his views on Instagram instantly rose to over 70,000.

In this interview, Kead opens up on his music, plans and impression of M.I

Tell us about yourself?

My name is Chukwubueze Okolie but my stage name is Kead. I am a rapper based in Lagos. I am 21-years-old.

How did rap music come to you?

I was exposed to music at a very young age but rap music was the best way I felt I could express myself because of the culture of the art. RAP means Rhythmically Applied Poetry, so as a young man who was not really fascinated by school life, engaging in rap battles and performances was the only way I could escape from the world.

What song did M.I sing that made him your idol?

I don’t have a favourite M.I song. He has too many great songs, so that’s the hardest task for me. But I do have a favourite album, ‘Talk About It’ and every song in it made an impact on me as a rapper.

What motivated you to do the song, A Letter to M.I?

The awkward silence I have been getting musically, and the quality of music he put out in recent time. Although, ‘Illegal Music’ was a step from his ‘Chairman’ album, I just needed to hear something original from the legend. So, I thought using cultural means of hip hop was the best way I could reach out to him.

You dedicated a song to M.I and he said he’s not impressed about it, do you feel sad, discouraged or less confident about yourself?

I am not bothered by his (M.I) opinion, he remains my idol and that won’t change. I actually feel a lot confident about my rap skills, because this is a song I put out four months without any form of promo, and it went this far. That’s evidence that hip hop is alive again. I mean I came into the game, shook things up a bit, and even inspired the greatest interview in Nigerian hip hop history. Let’s be honest, the rap scene has been quiet for too long and I just took the first step to raise the bar, and this should inspire other young rappers like me.

Do you think M.I was right by insinuating that you wanted to use him as a stepping-stone to fame?

No, I don’t think so, sometimes we disagree with our idols and that’s cool.

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What did you do behind closed doors thinking of M.I’s response to your song?

Regardless of what the response was, I actually freaked out as a fan out there. I didn’t care about the negativity in the comment. That never bothered me at all.

Do you think the controversy has made you famous?

Yes, I think it has. I checked the post on Instagram and saw nearly 70,000 views. For a guy who used to get just 200 plays on Sound Cloud and is now getting nearly 3000 plays and counting… I think it’s cool.

Are you currently signed to any record label?

I was independent till about a week ago when I signed a record deal with my long time management team, Dondom Music Group. We just thought ‘why not make it official?’ I mean it’s only right because they are like a family. We have been together since the early days.

How many singles do you have now?

I used to have a lot out there… I even released a mix tape of 17 songs and a video. But I took the mix tape down because I needed to work on my arrival into the music industry. But judging by what has happened (between M.I and I), it seems like the God of rap is in control of that and not me (laughs).

If you see M.I face to face what will you tell him?

I actually don’t know what I’ll say but I’ll definitely freak out. This I know.

Who is your celebrity crush?

Men-n-n-n, they are too many o. I’ll probably make a funny song about all of them soon.

Are you in a relationship?

I’m single like a hit song off an album lol.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I see myself being considered as one of the top guns of rap music in Africa.