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.
PUNCH
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