The former band mate of Plantashun boyz, Black Face ,opened up to Entertainment Express about the Song African Queen, his contribution and why he intends to get royalties.
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I know the song has generated a whole lot of revenue. Right now, I and Tuface have joint ownership of that song. But from the inception it was not like that. My publisher, BMI had to find a way to work that out. .......
All the funds the song has been generating I’m supposed to have 50 per cent of it, which I’m not getting and I don’t just know what is happening. There is even a situation whereby somebody in Jamaica sang African Queen and some other persons like that of which I was not aware. Nobody told me that he was going to sing my song. So, there are some issues that I and Tuface need to sit down and iron out, but Tuface is difficult to get on the table. So I have decided to do it on my own. Surely, with time we’ll get to the root of the matter because we both have 50 per cent right to the song.
That means Tuface has been cheating you
Yes, because I was not being paid and you know the way it is in Nigeria, the ideology is that because one is not on one particular record label they won’t put his name to a song he wrote just because they don’t want to promote the person. But the fact is that your intellectual property remains you intellectual property, nobody can take that away from you.But you sang your own version of the song
Yes, I have a reggae version of African Queen, which I’m still going to re-record. I did that because there was a time some people were trying to claim ownership of the song.
Did you ask him to include the song in his album?
Yes, we wrote it together and I gave him permission to do so because when he was recording his album we were still living in the same apartment. I found out that the album was not making any sense, so I told him that the only thing that will allow the album to make sense is to include the song African Queen which we both wrote. But I didn’t say he should take away my own right. That is the rider. For the fact that I wrote a song for you to perform does not mean you should claim it and deprive me of my own right.
Who came up with the idea of the song?
It was actually one Idoma man called Willy Walkman. He told us to do a song for his soap opera and the title of the soap opera was African Queen that we should write a theme song for the soap. We started writing in earnest. Then one day he just came and was like, we are not serious about it that he didn’t want to be our manager again not knowing that we were already doing what he asked us to do. That was how he threw us out. So African Queen was Willy’s idea.
Why did you allow Plantashun Boys to die?
There was no agreement that we would split but we all knew when we started that the group won’t last. We all used the group as a platform to build our music careers. Plantashun Boys was my idea. The names, Faze and Tuface, was my idea. I gave them those names. But I don’t always dwell on that because that is an old story. Right now, it’s all about my fans, my career and my new album. Then, everybody just wanted to go solo. People just think that there’s a story behind our split but there’s none.
Who was the first to come up with the idea of going solo?
Don’t you know who released his first album when we went solo?
Let’s assume I don’t know
Tuface was the first to release his album and we all know it, even then we were still living together.
How did you feel when he left the group?
How else will I feel when I already knew it would happen? The fact is that when Tuface released his album we never expected him to do so.
You once said that nothing will make you guys work together again, why did you featured Faze in your upcoming album?
Working as a team is different from working with Faze or Tuface alone. Like when I was in Malaysia, Faze sent me a beat that he wanted me to do on the track, I was supposed to write a lyrics on it and do the voicing, but I couldn’t do it till I get back to the country. When I came back, we went to the studio and I did my own part and I left. The mixing of the song is not my business, whether it is sounding well or not, I don’t have any problem to do with that because we are not working as a team.
You talk more about Faze unlike your brother Tuface, why is it so?
Yeah because Faze is just a cool guy, he’s a normal guy without any problem. If I and Tuface have any reason to relate, we relate. See, you don’t hide friendship, if we are friends I don’t need to tell you before you know that. I don’t force myself on people. Like this my guy, Skinny; we met recently and it seems as if we have known each others for years. That is what friendship is all about.
So what is your relationship with Tuface?
We are ex members of Plantashun Boys.
When was the last time you and Tuface communicated?
Omo the communication just dey o. Everybody is on his own but I communicate with Faze often.
Does that mean you are close to Faze than Tuface?
Yes, because I like a kind of people that I can discuss music with. I and Faze often talk about music, rhythm and career development. Faze is more of a person I can discuss that kind of thing with unlike Tuface.
Why is it so?
It’s just natural; you can’t take that away from Faze because he has always being like that. Faze is a cool guy and Tuface too. We are all just there. Na on your own level we dey.
What of your two kids, how are they doing?
They are fine, growing quick and doing very well, they are with their mum.
Why did your wife abandon you?
Nothing really happened. The fact is just that when a man is going through tribulations, not every woman will stand by him. But it’s all good, I’m just trying to start my life all over again.
Is there any plan of taking her back?
We’ve not even discussed that yet. My priority now is me and my career. Now that I don’t have any family I think it is it time to pick myself up and start all over again. I have a studio in my house; I work day in, day out, because I really want to get back to my fans. So until I feel that I’m ok then I will give that a second thought.
Does that mean your wife “took a walk” because you could no longer fend for the family?
Maybe that is what she felt; I can’t question her decision. I don’t know what was on her mind. That is why you need to see her and ask her. Because, myself, I cannot explain.
How often do you people communicate?
Once in a while.
What about your kids?
We talk always because they have their own phones. Caroline is 7 and Alex is going to be 5 very soon. My daughter is going to be a singer too.
Culled from Entertainment Express
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