"I Can Still Re-Marry Toni Payne" - 9ice

From all indications, Nigeria’s pop music sensation, 9ICE, real names Abolore Akande surely stands apart from many of his contemporaries with his brand of music and bluesy delivery. With an album that every track is  a little masterpiece and  a reflection of his wealth of experience on the streets, 9ICE in this interview with BIODUN KUPOLUYI  recalled how many things fell into place to create a double album that is powerfully raw and is fast creeping to have a chart-topping commercial success with an ambitious concert come March . Then hear this: Never, say never. To all fans of 9ICE there are indications he’s fallen in love with Toni Payne again. Next time, you see her in his arms, remember love conquers all.

Don’t you think you are a misunderstood person even before the media and before some of your colleagues way back Coded Tunes?

Definitely, because I am the type that does not talk and it is what people hear around that they will feed with. So, I cannot blame people writing what they write about me because when they have one on one chat with me they will have  a different view of my person. But how many people will I be able to have interviews with when they have the materials on their desks and they are in a hurry to meet up with their deadline to publish. But when they have a one- on- one with me they will have a change of mind.

Do you enjoy your single life?

I will not say I enjoy it. But now I think, If I say I want to go to Lokoja, I can easily go because my son,  Zion will not be crying on my neck,’ daddy do not go’. So, I think that freedom is there. But at the same time there are some elements that are missing in my marital life as well.

Like what?

Like waking up in the morning and my food would be on the table. And then sometimes your kid crying to me is like a joyful moment to me. So you would want to hold him; thinking I wished he is beside me but he is not there. These are the things I miss as well.

You feel more comfortable signing in Yoruba, am I right?

Yea I feel more comfortable singing in Yoruba because it is my local dialect and Yoruba has been the medium that I have used in my albums and , that has taken me this far and I will continue using that language.

Do you go the extra to get those Yoruba innuendos and idioms; do you do anything extra, like some consultations or researches?

Yea, I make researches and consultations now,  but when I was doing it then, I was just doing it for the  fun because those were natural  and  they come without probing myself, they are immediate but now when I am talking about something, I make sure they are well researched and though out and on point. Like Bashorun Gaa, I have to make researches to ensure that what I am saying is on point. And there are some topics that I want to treat now that I cannot treat them without making researches. So now, I am asking elderly people questions, I am making researches. I am going somewhere, that ok, show me the thing, let me see incase people ask me questions.

I think it is in the track, Everyday that you mentioned you pushed the cart in Alade Market, is that a real experience?

A lot of people think it is Alade Market on Allen Avenue. But there is an Alade Market in Bariga. The Alade Market in Allen Avenue, Ikeja is more popular than the one in Bariga. Then we used to push cart with Ewedu and Ugwu  inside because those market women will come to the market to buy in bulk but they cannot push it but they have a load of it  on their heads. So they will put one on their head and I will be pushing one in the cart behind them. And sometimes because some bad boys carry their goods away, they will say you should be in their front, not their back, so they can see the movement of their goods. So those were some of the things that  I did  in those days to survive.

How much were you earning per day then?

Then if you push the cart with ewedu and ugwu from Alade which is in Jagunmolu, if you push from Jagunmolu to Okoko you will earn at-least N100:00 (One hundred naira).

So 9ice, having gone through this, how well are you giving back considering the fact that many boys are still on the streets?

We did a show last year in Bariga because we realized that on Christmas Day Bariga can be  so boring because  when everybody in other areas is going to Lekki  to go and watch shows, how many Bariga indigenes can afford it?. So I came to the people and did a show for them for free. And right now, we have done a pipe-borne water on my street and we are trying to do more. The same thing with the community I live  currently and still trying to do more, like sharing textbooks to secondary and primary schools’  pupils through the 9ice Foundation.

Do you forgive people when they offend you?

Yes, definitely I do because even God forgives us when we offend Him.  So I have to forgive and let go.

Will you forgive Toni?

Definitely, I can call her now. We are friends. If you want me to call her now, I will call her now.

Have you forgiven her?

Definitely. Most definitely.

Will you give love another chance?

Definitely.

With her?

Definitely.

With Toni?

No, it might not be with her but I will definitely give love a chance. And it might be with her as well, who knows?

So love between you an her  is not ruled out?

Yes, it is not ruled out. It is not ruled out.

What about marriage?

To give marriage a second chance, abi? Yes, I can remarry. Of-course, it is possible.

You can remarry Toni?

It is possible. Anything is possible.

What are the expectations regarding your concert that is coming up in March?

Yes, people should expect me sing songs from the new album. And it is been a long time that I did a live-band performance because a lot of people do not know that I started with a live band, even before Vaults of those days.   That day I will be doing some songs live and King Sunny Ade and K1 de Ultimate will be performing live on that day as well. And all the artistes that I featured on that album will be performing that day live on stage.

Do you have a special collabo plan with KSA?

Yes, if you listen to the Versus album there is a song that I did not name, he was supposed  to be on that song. But Daddy (KSA) was busy then and he could not feature on that album. That was the track he agreed to be on after listening to the song.

So what is the deal with Cecil Hammond’s FlyTime?

FlyTime is the one packaging this event for me as they have done for other artistes and I believe if this event scales through it is going to be like  breaking a barrier and moving to the next level.

All at Eko Hotel?

Yes, at Eko Hotel.

Do you feel you can pull fans that can fill that hall?

Definitely.