Only ‘one thing’ can split us – Psquare
Nigeria’s pop duo, P-Square of Peter and Paul Okoye were in
Malawi last weekend, where they thrilled their fans with their
electrifying performance and moving dance steps. New reaching from a respectable source revealed in an interview Peter Okoye who provides insight into what could make him break
up with his twin brother. He also talks about the making of their
latest album, Alingo and their new plans to conquer the southeast
African countries with their kind of music.
Interview with Psquare
Sometime ago, it was rumored that your latest album, ‘Alingo’ was
banned which was later refuted. How did you receive the news?
ALINGO VIDEO
CONCERT PICTURES
PETER RELAXING AT HOME
PRESS INTERVIEW
We heard about the ban. But when they ban a particular song, they
are indeed helping to promote that song. By the way, if they ban a song
from being broadcast in Nigerian stations, will they stop MTV, Channel
O, Sound-city and other cable networks from playing the same song. It’s
not possible.
THE ALINGO SONG AND VIDEO TALK
What Prompted the Production of Alingo?
Psquare for the past five years hasn’t done any dance video and our
fans expected to see something of that nature from us. So, ‘Alingo’ was
just the first song we had even before the ‘Invasion’ album came out.
We didn’t take the song seriously until when our fans started loving it.
And before we knew what was happening, it caught fire. We have no
choice than to give our fans a video.
Looking at the Video it looked like you put in a lot of energy into that Video?
Yes, it was my own idea. When the song started picking up, we thought
it is important to give our fans something they have never gotten from
Psquare in the past five years. The last time we did something similar
to this, ‘Roll It’ was over five years ago. It took us a lot of time
and energies to produce the album. Our senior brother, Jude who is also
our manager shot the video. Interestingly, most people didn’t know that
the video was shot in Nigeria. We went to an abandoned warehouse
situated some ten minutes away from our Lagos residence to shoot the
video.
THE TRUTH BEHIND THE AMERICAN TEAMING
We understand that Sometime last year, you guys did a remix of Beautiful ‘Onyinye’ with
Rick Ross, American artiste. You also got signed to Konvict Music,
owned by Akon. What’s the situation like presently?
Our relationship with Akon is great. We have known Akon for over six
year but we were not looking forward to working with him until last two
years when he attended our concert in London. After watching us perform
on stage, he developed interest in working with us.
Then, he was planning to open a branch of his Konvict Musik record
label in Africa and he was in need of business partners who would help
him coordinate the business. That was how we teamed up with him to
establish Konvict Musik in Nigeria. We are representing Akon in Africa
just as he is representing in America. That’s the whole idea.
rumors had it that you guys bought a private jet. Was it true?
There was nothing like that. I guess because it was included in our list
that whenever we are going for a specific show, the organizers must
provide us with a private jet. We had a deal with a private jet company
which always hire their private jet to us whenever we are in need of it.
It’s like, we have a private jet at our disposal. I remember, I once
tweeted that a private jet has been included in our list. That was how
people started speculating that Psquare has bought a private jet. But we
always travel with the jet all the time.
But do you have a plan to buy a private jet?
To be honest with you, the way things are going, we are planning to
buy one. And it’s not because of the cost implication of hiring a
private jet, but the fact that we want to meet up with our concerts.
What would you say, you haven’t done since you started your musical career?
I think we have virtually done everything. But I don’t want our
fans to start speculating in respect of when would Psquare break into
the European or American market. Africa is the next big thing for
Psquare even though Americans are in dire need of our kind of stuff.
They have exhausted everything they have to offer. For me, I will rather
be a king in my own vicinity than to try to be a king in another man’s
land. We have achieved everything except that we have not been able to
structure the industry. The problem is that when we try to do so, some
greedy fellows always frustrate our efforts. For me, I’m not complaining
but I just feel it is important, we structure the industry for a better
tomorrow.
THE P MAN INAUGURATION TALK
We heard a 35-man committee members was inaugurated last week by PMAN Peace Initiative to restore peace in the troubled musicians’ house?
I’m not aware of it. In fact, I’m hearing it for the first time. The
committee they claim to have set up, are they musicians or people they
feel they want to use to pilot the affairs of the association. When we
came into the industry, it wasn’t like what we are seeing today. Psquare
was among the musicians that structured the industry the way it is
today. we were among the first set of emerging musicians that started
making money from selling our CD's. When they are setting up such a
committee, what stopped them from involving people like us.
If they don’t carry people like D’banj, 2face and Psquare along,
then, there is a problem. It means they are just wasting their time.
This is not because we are successful in what we are doing, but it’s
because the industry is driven by individual effort. So, if they are
taking such a major decision that will affect everybody in the industry
and they don’t involve us, then , there is a big problem. I’m not a
member of PMAN, and I don’t have any problem with the association.
Are you not interested in the restoration of peace in the industry?
I’m not interested in PMAN because the past leadership of the
association failed us. We don’t need to be PMAN members to succeed in
our careers. The association hasn’t done anything for us. I don’t need
them.
The peace Initiative is trying to unite the musicians again?
When they were setting up the interim administration, they ought to
have started from the top and engage those musicians who command
respect in the industry. There is no musician in Nigeria today who does
not respect 2face. We can be bigger than him in Africa, but I have so
much respect for him because he was among the younger generation of
Nigerian artistes who broke even several years ago. It’s so
disrespectful that an interim administration was set up without our
knowledge. If they don’t get the three top Nigerian artistes; Psquare,
2face and D’banj, then, they are wasting their time. I love our industry
the way it is at the moment. We don’t want a situation where , in the
name of association, somebody will start dictating the pace for us. The
more good we are, the more we want to make more money for ourselves.
Which country would you say is your largest market in Africa?
At the moment, it’s East Africa. Anytime Nigerians say, they are through
with Psquare, will take our things and relocate to East Africa. But
South Africa is a place where we have been working for the past one year
building market for our songs. We took a break in January, this year,
and between February and March, we have been to Zambia, Mozambique,
Zimbabwe. We were in Angola two weeks ago and just last week, we stormed
Malawi. So, our potential market at the moment is South Africa. We have
built all these markets by ourselves alone.
What would you say about this impression of people about you guys, is that Psquare is arrogant?
I think Psquare is very intimidating and we are not arrogant. When you
saw me today, did I look arrogant? That’s a wrong impression people
have about us. There is Peter and there is Paul. Peter is stubborn, bad
and controversial, but they say Paul is quiet, cool headed and all that.
But you see, you cannot steal from Peter to pay Paul. If you steal
from Peter to pay Paul, you are indeed paying Psquare. I’m a very
controversial person and I’m not expecting every news about me to be
positive. Psquare is not arrogant, it’s just that the people are scared
of approaching them, considering the way we operate. When you see
Psquare stepping out, we look very intimidating. But the people who are
very close to know that we are not arrogant. Beyonce could visit a
shopping mall today, and the whole place will be shut down. That does
not make her arrogant. It is her management that has made it to be so.
How is life without your mother?
It has been hectic. We haven’t decided to do a new album at the moment.
But while she was alive, she was always with us in the studio. We
don’t know how we are going to do it this time around. She was a
minister of God before she passed on. She had her own Church which Paul
and I built for her. Anytime, we want to release a new album, she would
pray on the album for almost a week before we got it released into
the market. Her church is still functioning till date and her prayer
partners are still there. Once in while, we do communicate with the
leadership of the church and it was our desire to see the church
continues to function after her death. Wherever she is today, she will
be happy that the church is still functioning because it’s a monument
for her.
Can you guys tell what happened to your mother?
People must always speculate . It got to a point, I said to myself that
those people who are accusing us of being responsible for our mum’s
death must be ignorant of how close we were to her. We didn’t want that rumor to distract us. In fact, when people are insinuating such
things, the best advice is for you to block your ears and never allowed
it to distract you. I’m human, and I don’t except people to say positive
things about Psquare all the time. Psquare have made its worst mistake
in the past, and nobody noticed it. We are not perfect. And we know why
people were accusing us of being responsible for our mother’s death.
It’s because we are successful in what we are doing for a living. Even
in my Igbo nation, once somebody starts to progress, his kinsmen will
start to associate his riches with money ritual. We have overgrown such
insinuation.
We have seen great musical groups split in the industry. Will Psquare ever split some day?
Like I said earlier, each time, people look at Peter and Paul, they
conclude that we are perfect. But they don’t know that I fight with Paul
the same way he fights with me. We quarrel and fight with each other
the same way you quarrel and fight with your siblings. The only thing
that matters most is that we don’t bring such quarrel into our
business.
I always tell my friends, the only person who will tell us to split
is our mother but she’s no more. Even if she were to be alive, would she
allow us to split? The day we are going to make up our minds to split,
it will be an open decision. May be, when I say I want to retire or Paul
says he wants to continue with his career in music. That does not mean
that I wouldn’t give him my support.
What would you say has kept two of you together?
Of course, we are blood brothers. And we always think of where we are
coming from. Our parents never had anything. They were not rich people.
If Paul say today that we must split, I will only look at him and laugh.
Sometimes, I’d swallow my pride to ensure that peace reigns between two
of us.
Have you tried to intervene in those popular split in the industry?
The best way I can intervene is to keep Peter and Paul together. Let them watch and learn from us.
Maybe that because his your twin brother?
It goes beyond brotherhood. The Jacksons split. There was this group
that wanted to split some time ago, I intervened and made them see
reasons they should remain together no matter the odds. Yes, money might
be the cause of the split. But I don’t share money with Paul. That’s
the way we have been working because we never had anything from the out
set. I’m not saying this because you are interviewing me, between Paul
and I, money has never been a problem.
Have you had any cause to date the same woman?
Every woman wants to hang out with Peter. This is because everybody
knows that Peter is more outgoing than Paul. But I doubt if woman can
cause a problem between Paul and myself. Money would have been the devil
that will cause a problem between us than woman. Any woman that wants
to cause between us is wasting her time.
How did you grow up with Paul?
Our growing up was fantastic. I’m the person who was always on the
stubborn side. Then, I would go out there and cause some stir, and they
would put the blame on Paul because we are twins.
We were always wearing the same clothes. I and Paul grew up doing things
together. It has remained like that till date. That’s the way our mum
trained. What Paul does not like today, I will not like either. May be,
this is what has been holding together.
Recently it was rumored that you guys are into oil and gas business?
Yes, it’s about to kick off. My music is doing very well in the market,
and investing in other areas will help to boost my pocket. Which is not
a bad idea.
Every successful man wants to continue to invest in other areas of life. Are thinking in that direction?
Psquare is not only involved in music alone. We are into real estate business. We have been doing it for a long time now.
A business man who is keeping his money in the bank, what’s he
keeping for, without investing it. We also do banking business, but real
estate pays us more.
Psquare as a product of talent hunt show
We know that Psquare is a product of talent show, ‘Grab the Music’.
We also know that when you emerged the winner, you went home without
anything. But these days, winners of a reality TV show usually go home
with mouthwatering prizes. So, looking back, how would you comment on
the new trend?
When you win a talent show, what comes first is ego. You have millions
of Nigerian naira around and a brand new car at your disposal, the world is in
your palm At this point, you are building yourself to the next level. I
don’t say the winner should not have the car, but he should not let the
car to distract him. At the time, we won the talent show, we were given a
keyboard which is still in our house till today. The keyboard was just
N80,000,00. In fact, that keyboard, is part of the instrument in
producing most of our albums. The keyboard has made millions of Nigerian naira
for us. My piece of advice is that when you win such a competition,
think of where your are coming from and invest your money wisely.
for more information on psquare drop your comment