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Kennis Music Has not Been Fair to me -Kelly Hansome [interview]Jul 04, 2011 (Daily Independent/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Kelly Handsome means different things to different people. But one thing you cannot take away from the Imo State-born artiste is the fact that his songs remain the favourite of music lovers. The Maga Don Pay singer is also known for speaking his mind no matter whose ox is gored. In this interview with Correspondent, Kemi Yesufu, he is even more forthright about the controversies surrounding his person, the beef songs in his upcoming album and his love life. You have been silent for awhile; what are you up to? I have been recording songs. I have enough songs to make three albums. I returned from India recently where I performed. I am probably the first Nigerian artiste to perform there. I have also been taking care of my business, I have a family and I have been spending much time with them. The hangout, which you reportedly spent N15million to establish, is it part of the business you are into? And do you agree that such a sum might not be adequate for setting up a top-flight nightclub? My hangout is called Coded Lounge. It is located at the Central Area Abuja. I have not told the press or anyone exactly how much I used to establish the hangout. Besides, I only put up the place so that my friends and associates can hang out with me there. As a celebrity, I shouldn't be seen at just about every club. Coded Lounge is not open to the public? It's open to the public; there are lots of big boys that come to the place. Still talking about Coded Lounge, there has been speculation as to how you got the funds to establish a club, especially as you have not released an album of late. What is your take? I do have partners but they are silent. Aside from music I am into business. I am a music teacher; I supply equipment for events and shows. Right now I am at the verge of completing arrangement to launch a hair extension line. I am working with sponsors to ensure that the hair extensions I bring into the country are not counterfeited. I have a show, Pimp My Room. It will soon be aired on TV. I also work with my brothers with whom I sell cars. Is this what delayed the release of your second album? I had a minor issue with my record label (Kennis Music). But they along with the press blew up the matter. At the end of the day they (record label) became offended by the controversy. I then said to myself that just like when father and child quarrel, the son apologises as the younger one. So I apologised to the record label, asking that I be forgiven whichever way I offended them. I even brought in my family, my uncles also met with the record label. They agreed that there would not be any problem; only for them to go to the press to say that I came begging. What did I do to warrant begging the record label? What is wrong with me asking that I be given an apartment to stay in each time I am in the country? What is wrong with my asking to have my wardrobe updated? I wasn't even asking of designer clothes but enough clothes to make me look good each time I am on stage or have to make a public appearance. Kelly Handsome does not want you to book a show for five million and you come to say that you were paid N2million. I would never lie about business. They haven't been fair to me, any company that wants to do business with me they (record company) would block it. I know that every industry has its godfathers but you don't have to take things to the extent they have. I am a young man who needs to grow. I wonder why they are cramping me. Maybe the record label boss expected to work out your contract before such demands But I had given them my album, which is intellectual property. Being signed to a record label is like a form of employment. Bankers have official cars; they have housing allowance. It is not right for them to expect me to spend three years before they can do basic stuff like getting me an apartment and a car. Even while I was in school my parents rented me an apartment off campus in case I needed to do things outside the school premises. And a record label, which I signed on couldn't be responsible enough to do this. At the end of the day, they are making it look like I am ungrateful, while I look at it from the perspective that music is business. If I were the troublemaker they call me, I would have gone to court. The courts are not for troublemakers but people seeking redress. If you were aggrieved about your contract not being respected, why did you not seek redress? I refused to perform at one of the Kennis Music fiesta because something as simple as money for costumes wasn't given to me. I returned to the U.S. and not one person called me to ask if I arrived safely. Even my parents could not understand why just within six months of signing a contract they already were not keeping to their side of the bargain. If that step I took has caused three years delay for my second album, what will happen if I take them to court? It will be like this small boy is taking his father to court. So I am here enduring though it will soon get to a point that I am pushed to the wall. What do you mean by being pushed to the wall? I have over three albums ready. I have been waiting and hoping that we can resolve the matter. But they came to give me N6million bill to pay, when I know how much was spent on my videos. I worked on set; I was not just the artiste. Look at the videos they said they spent millions on. My friend, Clarence Peters, will spend less to make much better videos. If they say they don't want to ruin my career, they can say "release your album but give us this or that". They say my album did not sell. How can they tell me that songs like Maga Don Pay, True Love' did not sell? Then after the bad news you expect me to give you my second album? In other words, you will not release your second album on Kennis Music? I will release my album on whichever label pleases me. I will not release on a record label that after three years we cannot settle a small matter. Some people have been going around saying that Kelly Hansome cannot release an album; he cannot shoot videos. But you can see that I am shooting a video. I have even shot videos for my beef songs. Many would wonder why you agreed to a deal with a record label that artistes left under controversial circumstances. I joined them because I am a different person. I cannot say because things did not work out with them and another artists, I won't do business with them. Business should be done with an open mind. Do you agree that the controversy has affected your career negatively? Yes it has affected my career negatively in the sense that those guys have strong ties with the media. They have exploited this to change the mindset of some people towards me. For instance, M.I's album mentioned my name twice before I responded. But some sections of the media are making it look like I am the problem plaguing the music industry. How about your beef with D'banj, he did not mention your name in his song? But I heard some of the things he said. The music industry is one place where word goes around. Mo'Hits and I don't have problems anymore. Don Jazzy is my brother; we can't be having problems. What kind of songs should we expect from your second album? You should expect different genres of music. I am still going to be doing my thing but will be doing different things like rapping. People have not heard me rap but that's actually how I started out. You say the media has demonised you, so who is the real Kelly Hansome? The media keeps portraying me as the guy that keeps dissing people. Some people fear to associate with me but the truth will come out one day. There are a lot of things that happen underground that people don't know about, so I will be the one to bear the cross, as long as I know that all I am trying to do is to bring a change. I am doing what I am doing so I can be an example to others coming up. You have mentioned your family severally that they can take care of you. Would it be wrong to leave with the impression that you are spoilt rich kid? I am not a spoilt child. My family is just okay. I am not over-pampered. When you are not doing music, how do you spend your time? I love the camera; I use it as often as I can. I work out. I play the grand piano. I love working on the computer. Sometimes I like to be alone. Sometimes, I just drive. Talking about computers, would you say you have shed the yahoo-yahoo boy toga, which you earned with your maga don pay song? I wanted to bring the menace of Internet fraud to the fore but in a fun way. But some people misunderstood me. In advanced countries security agencies solve crimes by getting into the mind of a criminal. That is what I suggested through my song but some people took it the other way. Are you in a relationship? I was in one until the media helped in destroying it, though the media wasn't the main cause of the relationship ending. Now, all I want to do is release an album and win back my fans. |