Infuse Nigerian culture in your music, Obesere tells hip-hop musicians

Fuji musician, Abass Akande, popularly called Obesere, has charged Hip Hop artistes to infuse Nigerian culture especially indigenous language in their music.

The 54-year-old musician said this during an interview with PREMIUM TIMES at the launch of the Nigeria Cultural Festival in Lagos on Saturday.

“When we talk of entertainment, Nigeria is number one in Africa. However, the Hip Hop artistes need to appreciate our culture better and find a way to infuse it in our Hip Hop music,” the singer said.

The singer, who was unveiled as one of the brand ambassadors of the initiative, also lamented the infiltration of foreign languages and culture in the entertainment industry.

“Talking about musicians and culture, one thing I know is that we Fuji artistes project culture more. Fuji is traditional music, the music of culture and this is why every Fuji album must contain a track which admonishes our youth to embrace culture and values. But in hip-hop, there is nothing like that. The kind of songs I sing is based on our culture.”

The singer also spoke of his intention to collaborate with the younger generation of Nigerian musicians in his music projects.

“I collaborated with Olamide in 2016 on my track ‘Ebelesua’ and I plan to work with Wizkid and other popular younger musicians soon. I think it will be a great way to infuse our culture into our music better and also appeal to different classes of music audience.”

Asked to speak about his rift with his colleague, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1, over the immediate past Lagos governor, Akinwummi Ambode, he declined.

He said, “I’m a very much a gentleman. There is nothing like grudges or having any issue with anybody. I don’t even know what you are talking about.”

Obesere shot into the limelight through his “vulgar” songs, which openly touch on issues that are considered taboo in the conservative Yoruba community.

Following the paths of other successful Fuji musicians such as the late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Obesere also has taken his own brand of Fuji music all over the world.

He has produced over 50 successful albums in his music career spanning 38 years.