He
emerged second runner-up in the popular musical reality show, MTN
Project Fame. Popularly called Praiz, his real name is Praise Adejo. In
this interview, the award-winning artiste, who has hit songs such as
fire and ice, rich and famous, talks more about his career in this
interview
How did you stumble on a profession like music?
As a child, my father had a lot of
records by Michael Jackson, Barry Whyte and others, which I listened to.
This is what affects the kind of music that I do. I never felt I was
going to be a musician though.
What did you study in school?
I studied computer science in at the
Kaduna Polytechnic. You can always apply computer science to music. It
is useful in music production. I do a lot of music production.
What was your break into the industry?
That was in 2008 at the Project Fame
academy where I came third. It felt good because I left the competition
with a car and some amount of money. The most important thing was that I
got the platform which every up and coming artiste is dying to have.
This enabled me to push my music.
Before the platform, how was your music faring?
It was a struggle; I found it difficult
putting out the material and getting the exposure. In 2010, I was signed
on to a record label and since then, things have just been progressing.
I have been in the music industry for over 12 years. It was at the end
of the period that I took part in Project Fame – it was my first
breakthrough. It gave me my major public acceptance.
Would you have dropped out of school for fame then?
No, because education is key to growth.
You cannot do music forever because a time will come when one would have
to stop singing. It is at that time that one ventures into certain
businesses that are related to what was studied in school. Education is
therefore very important.
What’s it about Praiz?
I am a songwriter and a musician and
music producer. I am the second child among five children. I was born
in Lagos but my father was transferred to Kaduna to work and we have
been in Kaduna since 1992. I came back to Lagos for Project Fame and I
decided to just settle because Lagos is the heart of the music industry.
Since then I have been working.
How did it feel performing alongside Johnny Gill at the last Butterscotch event?
It felt good. I am not new to the scene.
In previous times, I have headlined shows along Brandy, Joe and others
but I was happy about it because it was another chance to put out good
music and entertain the crowd.
Do you think music produced in Nigeria is inferior to those produced abroad?
No, I don’t think so. Currently, what we
have in Nigeria is entertaining music and I would not wave it off. To
me, music is symphony that gives you a particular feeling. It could make
you dance, smile or cry. It is just that Nigerian music is mostly
dance music which is up tempo. You cannot deny the fact that we are
number one in Africa.
But do you think foreign artistes have that much crowd in Nigeria?
You would be surprised at the number of
people who follow foreign music. In as much as Nigerians love to dance,
we still appreciate good music and we know people who sing good music.
What is your favourite food?
I love rice and dodo and I can eat it
four times a day. My mother used to say that when I was a child I loved
rice and she believed that I would change when I grew up but I have not,
I still love my rice.
Do you visit Kaduna often?
Yes, I do. That is what keeps my head
levelled and makes me know where I am coming from. I go home regularly.
The tension in Kaduna has reduced; the city is stable now and there is
security.
You are not scared of the security situation in the north?
I was not really scared because it would
be foolish of me to be scared for my life when my family is there. I
took a trip during one of those periods. What we did was that we ensured
that we all stayed home and people did not move about anyhow.
How do you keep in shape?
I do push-ups, sit-ups and I swim.
What is your love life like?
For now, music is my love life. I am
single and there are two things- it is either you are single or you are
in a relationship and the only relationship I know is marriage.
So anything that comes in between single and married does not count as a relationship?
No. That is why I say that I am single.
Tell us about the most challenging moment in your life
It was after Project Fame. Since I did
not come first, I did not have access to some of the privileges that the
winner had, it was an introduction to reality and time for me to step
out to the real world and work my way from the bottom to the top. It was
very hard because music needs money. I kept working and praying. I am
grateful to God for where I am today.
How did you tackle the challenge?
I kept recording; I moved down to Lagos,
I hustled my way to shows, performed for free so that people can just
remember my face. I tried to make appearances on red carpets, hustling
my way into relevance.
What is the origin of the name ‘Praiz’?
My name is Praise, I just modernised it
and when I was looking for a suitable stage name, I decided not to take
it far from what people knew me with.
Why do you love buttons and dark glasses?
Some of my jackets are made by Remmy buttons. The dark glasses look is my trademark look.
What does style mean to you?
I like a fusion of casuals and smart, I
don’t always want to dress seriously unless the occasion demands it. I
love sneakers, I don’t also joke with suits. As an artiste, it is
important to look good and I like creating a balance.