Why I can’t start a record label -Malaika

[Mirror]

Alhaji Sulaimon Alao Adekunle Malaika is known widely for his success as a fuji musician. Recently, he celebrated his 40th birthday with a series of activities that included concerts and a commemorative album, Special Day. He told OSEYIZA OOGBODO his plans.

What's the latest about you?

There are many things on ground. I released Special Day's music video not long ago and we have started working on our new album. I also did a duet, Bo Se N Jo, with Olamide, and it's already making waves and my fans can use it as their ringback tone as it's already on callertunez.

What do you consider as your biggest achievement? I thank God. There are definitely a lot of things that I must have achieved. But I don't like to blow my own trumpet, so all I have achieved are personal to me.

You are one of those speculated to have donated to OJB. Did you actually?

Yes, I donated to him. He is my friend. Though he has not produced any of my jobs, but he is a colleague as far as entertainment is concerned. When I heard that he was sick, I went to his house at Surulere to check him. I felt bad when I saw him. And when I heard that he needed support, I got his account number and deposited a certain amount in it. In this kind of thing, we need to help our colleague. It is not only hip-hop artists that donated to him. We fuji musicians did also. The music industry is very big, we don't need to discriminate. If you didn't ask me, I wouldn't have said anything.

After donating, did you do any follow-up?

Yes, I called him later, and someone picked his phone that he was at the hospital, resting. So I left a message that the person should tell him that Malaika called. And now that he has gone for the surgery, we pray that it will be successful and he will be fully okay again.

Malaika was not the name you started music with. Why did you change your former name to Malaika?

When I started music, I answered Tekoye. I got it from my late brother. He was a musician also. Wasiu Tekoye. But it is not that I was under him or anybody. I started my music career straight with my band. My brother was just my adviser and mentor. Likewise King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal. I could not just bear Talazo. You understand the love is there.

At the time I was growing up, I love the name. I later thought about the future of my business. Tomorrow, I could change my style of music. I might not sing fuji music anymore. So, if my name still remains Tekoye, it would be very difficult for me. So whatever one wants to do in life, you need to think about the future. The future is very important.

And in choosing the name, I realised that whenever I pray, God always answers my prayers. And this was the paramount thought in my mind that made me change to Malaika.

You attained 40 years recently. Looking back on your life, do you have any regrets that you didn't do something you could or should have done?

There is nothing that I could do that I didn't do. There is no straight road without bend. There have been a lot of positive and negative things about me. I thank God for my life generally.

Now you are 40, what has changed about you?

Nothing has changed. Age is just a number. I'm still the same me. Life is going on as before.

Are you planning more collaborations with hip-hop artists apart from Olamide?

There is nothing wrong in that. I am a simple person, and if they call me at anytime, I will honour them.

What is your plan for upcoming artists? Will you establish a record label to help them?

When you sign an artist, he will start demanding for what you don't have. He won't really care what you went through before getting to this stage. Behind your back, he would say malicious things. So, I've been thinking of the record label thing for years, but I can't venture into it. It won't be feasible.

The best thing I can do is to help upcoming artists or introduce them to record labels that I know. The only record label I have now is Malaika, and I'm fully concentrated on pushing myself.

Source: Why I can't start a record label -Malaika