Chinedu Okoli, popularly known as Flavour, finally opens up to ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about his relationship with late artiste, MC Loph:
What made you go back to your Alma Mater, Immaculate Conception College, Enugu, to donate stuffs?
I had always believed that charity starts from home. You need to give back to the place you started from before you move to others. The school contributed a lot to everything that I am today. It was there that I started becoming that person I wanted to be, especially when I got a scholarship to study music. I have a foundation. This is not going to be a one-off thing. I want more students to study music.
Did you have some nostalgic feelings when you went back to the school?
Oh yes I had. It was a magical moment for me. I came from a very poor home. As I got to the school the other day, I remembered how I would go to the canteen during the break period and beg people for food because I didn’t have money to buy mine. I also met some teachers who taught me when I was there.
So what did you tell the students when you visited them?
I gave them hope. I wore their school uniform. I made them realise that while I was like them, nobody came to visit the school. We didn’t have musical equipment then. We had nothing. I was the only student that took music as a subject during our school certificate examination. I had to tell them stories of how it all started and then I donated some musical equipment. Most of them looked at music in a different way. They felt that music is just what you listen to on TV with artistes having different hair styles. Most of them didn’t even think of attending music classes. Music is a very difficult subject. The practical side of it might be easy but the theoretical part is very difficult.
So the theory helped you to master music the way you have done?
Oh yes. It helped a lot. Without the theory, I might just have had one, two or three hits at most. But the theory gave me options. I could do anything. For you to be a musician, you ought to know how to play at least one instrument. I know how to play about four and it is a plus for me. I am a complete musician and I know I can fit in anywhere because I know I am well equipped.
Who were your role models then?
I used to listen to Plantashun Boyz, Tony One Week, Daddy Showkey, Tony Tetuila and later on, P Square and D’banj. I played at different joints back then. I used to entertain people at bars. I would be playing these artistes’ songs to entertain the people. I played a lot of Tuface’s songs.
Did you ever imagine that one day you would be in their circle?
At that time, I just wanted to play music in bars and joints. I didn’t even think of coming out as an artiste. There was nothing leading me to that. There was no magic that was going to happen to take me to that level. But when it started happening, I thanked God.
So how did that magic happen?
I used to do some production stuff for Nigga Raw (now Mr. Raw). His friend used to stay in our compound back then. He would be telling me about Raw. I was excited and I begged him to introduce me to him. He did and Raw found out I could ‘sequence’ beats. There was a piano that came out at that time called PSR. It was used to sequence beats. Raw was the only one who had it around my area. He had won the piano during the Benson and Hedges competition. So I would go to Raw’s house and we started composing songs. Some of the songs we composed became hits. I started composing choruses for him. He would take me for shows and I would back him up. I can never forget one of the shows I attended with him.
What happened?
There was this particular chorus I composed. People were singing it word for word. When I came back, I said to myself it was time I composed my own songs. I started dreaming. I would see myself on stage like Raw and people would be hailing me the way they hailed Raw. That was when I started working towards becoming an artiste.
When was this?
It was around 2003. I recorded the first six songs. I played them for Raw and he liked some of them. Most of them were R and B and afro. I listened to what was trending then and I felt it still wasn’t time for me to come out. I decided to go back to where I was coming from and continued playing the live songs I was doing at bars and joints. Raw told me to release two tracks but I told him I wasn’t convinced.
When did you think of playing highlife?
It occurred to me as I played at those joints. I would start the evening with cool songs and people would just clap. But I realised that each time I played highlife, they would not just clap, they would also get up and ‘spray’ me money. It was amazing. I would go home with money.
Was it by choice that you do lewd lyrics?
You know that highlife talks about enjoyment and women. People relate more to such things. I was playing other kinds of music but people loved the highlife more. But in my last album, I tried to experiment with other genres. I wasn’t all that vulgar and it worked. I tried to carry everybody along including the kids.
Where did you get the name ‘Flavour’ from?
There was this guy back then who was an estate agent. He was known as Flavour Shelters. That was the name of his company. He always ‘sprayed’ us money then. People said we looked alike. Somehow, our band leader started calling me Flavour because he knew I liked the man. I never chose the name. I just accepted it not knowing that it would become this big.
The death of your colleague, MC Loph, generated a lot of controversies; it was alleged that you abandoned his mother when he died.
MC Loph and I weren’t as close as people thought. I met Loph through Mr. Raw when I came to Lagos. He wanted me to produce for him the same way I was producing for Mr. Raw. Somehow, we came together and we did the Osondi Owendi song. We later found out that we came from the same village.
Was there an issue after the song was released?
I played a very big part in the song. People would always want me to perform the song. But I couldn’t. What is the essence of collaborating when you cannot play the song? It didn’t make any sense. He said people told him I was performing his song. I felt, ‘oh, it is now your song?’ That was the last time we really spoke to each other. I decided to ‘free’ him.
So he told you not to perform the song?
Yes. He didn’t pay me to feature in the song. My voice was significant in the song. He was more popular than me in Lagos then. But I was more popular in the East. So if I was called to come and perform at shows, I would tell them to call MC Loph and pay him since I couldn’t feature the song. I did a song with Tiwa. I don’t mind if she performs the song. People would think of Flavour if she performs the song. That is the essence of collaboration. I don’t even rap. I wouldn’t have tried to take his line because I don’t know how to rap.
Did you ever meet his mother?
I met his mother just once in my life. We went for a show at Nnewi (Anambra State) and we passed through our village. He got down to see his mother and I followed him. I greeted her and I gave her money that day. She was very happy. We left. I was surprised when people started saying I abandoned his mother when he died. It is not fair to talk about this since he is no more. But then, I feel it is time I became honest and open up because people have said a lot of things about me. It is not fair. He never greeted my father one day, let alone visiting him. But I couldn’t confront him because of that. I felt he didn’t have any business with my father. He could choose to greet him or not. We were not related, we just came from the same village.
Are you saying you people were not friends?
We were not friends at all. We just did a song together. People just had a misconception about the whole thing. I never told anybody this before and I still insist it is not something we should talk about.
Why didn’t you attend his burial ceremony?
I had a show. My mother went on our behalf. Some members of my staff went as well. In my place, they say condolence never expires. I can still walk up to that family and condole with them. My brother died and I wasn’t there. We had a show as well. It wasn’t anything personal. My father understood that I couldn’t come for my brother’s burial because I wasn’t around.
You claim you are not married, how true is it?
I am not married and I am not engaged to anybody. Right now, my music demands so much of my time. It is not something I can combine with another thing. I don’t want to raise my family while I still run around every day.
But you have a child?
No, I don’t.
But one girl claimed she had a child for you?
People can say anything. I am not a father yet. I will never deny my child.
We learnt a babe said you got engaged to her.
I am not engaged to anybody and I am not even ready for marriage.
You mentioned that you came from a poor home…
Oh yes. It was very bad then. You can never imagine how bad it was. We used to eat 1-0-0. That means we would eat in the morning and there would be nothing for lunch and dinner. On few occasions, we ate 1-0-1. That means we would only eat in the morning and night, no food in the afternoon. There was a day I walked up to my father and asked him why he married my mother when he knew he couldn’t take care of us. My father would tell me I wouldn’t understand until I grew up. I am happy that things are better for us now.
You have collaborated with so many artistes, do they come to you?
It depends. It doesn’t have a standard rule. For me, I just need to like the song. If an artiste comes with a track, I just listen to it and once I like it, I jump at it. Nowadays, there is so much confusion. I want to respect myself. If you don’t understand what collaboration is all about, I won’t be a part of it. I don’t want a situation where I would collaborate with you and tomorrow you turn it around and say I am singing your song. We must be on the same page if I have to feature in your song. I played so much of Tuface and P square’s songs when I was coming up. None of them came to me and said I should stop playing their songs. Collaboration comes out best when two people think alike.
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