I draw my inspirations from women - Solidstar

Joshua Iniyezo, popularly known as Solidstar is an R & B, dancehall, afro-pop singer, producer, and songwriter. The artiste, who hails from Isoko in Delta state, is currently signed to Achievers Entertainment, and he has had music collaborations with top Nigerian artistes like 2baba, Timaya, Flavour and so on. Star Tracker, recently had a chat with him and he opened up on his journey so far in music and other information concerning his career.

How is your journey into music so far?

I wouldn’t say it is that easy because at the beginning. I started all alone and I was working and saving money to record. So, it wasn’t that easy. Thank God for Achievers Entertainment, they came in and saw my talent and they signed me. The first song I dropped under Achievers was “One in a million” featuring 2baba. Since then, we have been pushing forward. After that song, the fame was just there but then, money wasn’t coming in.

Sometime ago, you did a theme song for the Super Eagles’ World Cup Campaign. How did it feel being recognised by your country?

I felt good. First of all, I have to say that my work speaks for itself. And my good management has been working hard. When they picked me as the official artiste to do the World Cup theme song, I thought to myself that this means I have been working really hard. That really gingered me and even when I record, I put in extra work because I know the competition out there is really tight. So, I take my time when doing any song.

What gives you inspiration as an artiste?

 I get my inspiration from women; I like being around them but they are just my friends. I love to hear what they are saying about themselves. So, I get inspired by the words, and I just put one or two of their words into my lyrics and come out with whatever I see around me.

How do you manage and handle your female fans?

 I have to learn how to control my female fans because I don’t like scandals. So, whenever I come across them, I treat them good. I make them feel at home. As I said, I always love being around women. I love ladies.

Which artiste you have not worked with that you hope to do something with?

 Definitely, Wizkid and Davido.

What’s been happening to you lately?

A lot of things have been going on with me lately. I have done a lot of shows and tours inside and outside Nigeria. The more singles I drop, the more videos I get. They make me get bigger by the year.

Every artiste has a selling point, so what’s your own selling point?

Well, I would say it is my voice, my hair, which are dreadlocks and my looks.

In the future, how do you intend to stay active in the game?

I am this kind of artiste that would record songs every day, if I had the opportunity. I record up to five songs in a week. I do work hard and that is why when I drop a song, I don’t let the standard drop. I always try to get better. I will be off to South Africa to shoot videos for three songs because I have shot all my videos in Nigeria and I am also looking at international collaborations in the future.

MTN Terminates Contract With Don Jazzy, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Reveals New Ambassadors

Telecoms giant, MTN on Friday terminated its contract with Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage and Davido among others.

Following the development, the management has also released the names of it’s 2016/2017 celebrity ambassadors to include Praiz, Chidinma, Iyanya, Tekno, Falz and more.

The termination and release of new signees was made public through the press release by the management saying: “In line with its commitment to supporting 

Nigerian musicians by providing alternative platforms through which they can receive lucrative value for their intellectual property, MTN has announced brand ambassadors for 2016-2017.

“Music ambassadors for 2016-2017 are: Praiz (Praise Adejo); Iyanya (Iyanya Mbuk);Chidinma(Chidinma Ekile); Falz (Folarin Falana); Tekno Miles (Augustine Kelechi) andSkales (Raoul Njeng-Njeng)

“Four other ambassadors are – Saka, (Hafiz Oyetoro); Nedu (Steve Onu); Osuofia (NkemOwoh) and Adamu Zango.

MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola spoke on the new developments. “MTN remains proud to be associated with the growth and development of the careers of all our ambassadors, past and present,” she said.

“We specially thank all our former ambassadors for their immense contributions to building our brand and also making us the network of choice in Nigeria. We will definitely continue to maintain the strong and mutually beneficial relationship with them through the monetisation of their content on all our digital platforms – MTN Music+, CRBT and VAS.”

Washington Post asks “Is this the Year that African Music will Conquer the United States?”

With the amazing year that African artists have had internationally, Washington Post asks a very important question of if the year 2016 will be the year that African music will conquer the United States.

Nigeria’s Wizkid, Davido, Timaya, Seun Kuti as well as South Africa’s Culoe de Song, Ghana’s Stonebwoy, South Africa’s Black Coffee and more are mentioned in the article for the things they have achieved this year.

According to Washington Post, the success of these artists is the reason why Afrobeats continues “to the surface of any number of recent hits, such as Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean,” Rihanna’s “Work” and Alicia Keys’ “In Common.”

Read the post below.

Whether it’s through hip-hop, R&B, Top 40 radio or Internet memes, Drake is a ubiquitous presence on our cultural landscape. Yet for all of his inescapable hits in the past few years (“Hotline Bling,” “Started From the Bottom,” guesting on Rihanna’s “Work,” to name a few), it was only in May that Drake finally topped the Billboard charts, with the bubbling, shuffling beat of “One Dance.” And while Drake is known to assist rising stars such as Migos and iloveMakonnen, on “One Dance,” he was the one who got a boost, from singer Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, better known as Wizkid.
All but unknown in the United States, Wizkid is a star in his native Nigeria and a major force behind Afrobeats, a fidgety musical hybrid mashing Afro-pop, Caribbean soca and American hip-hop (not to be confused with Afrobeat, the genre pioneered by Fela Kuti that has a heavier, more driving beat). Nigeria has a long musical heritage, including Fela, King Sunny Ade and William Onyeabor. But in singing a verse on “One Dance,” Wizkid became the first Nigerian artist to land on the U.S. charts, as well as the first to top them. And don’t think it’s an anomaly. Along with fellow Nigerian rapper and singer Davido, South Africa’s Black Coffee (who became the first South African to win a BET Award this year), Ghana’s Sarkodie or Ayo Jay, African artists of all stripes might soon become permanent fixtures on both the U.S. pop charts and in the dance music underground.
“Most music that comes out these days has our elements already in it, so why wouldn’t the people love African music?” said David Adedeji Adeleke, a.k.a. Davido. He’s a superstar in Africa who recently co-headlined alongside Wizkid at the One Africa Festival, a huge coming-out concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The showcase included Ghana dance hall singer Stonebwoy and Fela’s son Seun Kuti. There was also a strong Afro-Caribbean connection, as Nigerian singer Timaya was joined onstage by the Trinidadian “King of Soca,” Machel Montano. And even though some of the songs might not have registered to the everyday U.S. music fan, elements of that African sound definitely felt familiar.
Label it Afrobeats, tropical house or dance hall lite, but turn on the radio now and the shuffling, shimmering, deliciously weightless syncopated beat that underpins modern African pop bobs to the surface of any number of recent hits, such as Justin Bieber’s “What Do You Mean,” Rihanna’s “Work” and Alicia Keys’ “In Common.” When Keys performed her hit at the Democratic National Convention last month, it meant that Afrobeats had sneaked onto the national stage.
If you follow Keys on Instagram, you’ve already seen her shimmying poolside to Wizkid, so it seemed inevitable that she would absorb that sundress-light sound into her music. A 15-time Grammy Award winner, Keys also tapped South African producer Black Coffee to give “In Common” a Mbaqanga twist, and she’s now working with him on new music.
Her husband, hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz, is also a fan, and at One Africa he joined Wizkid onstage. Together, they ran through Wizkid’s playlist of Nigerian hits, as well as some of Beatz’s biggest tracks, including Jay-Z’s “Onto the Next One” and DMX’s “Party Up (Up in Here).” And even though Afrobeats is decidedly more nimble with its beats and breezy with its melodies than hip-hop’s heavy-hitting meter, the two mixed effortlessly. And the ritzy braggadocio of the latter carried across the ocean intact, with Wizkid’s lines boasting about Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and that “my girl wear designer.”

In another part of the article, Washington Post writer Andy Beta states that:

That affinity flows both ways, and it’s not restricted to music, as platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat allow for exchanges between cultures. Before Timaya took the stage, the One Africa Festival MC said that you might recognize him from appearing on Rihanna’s Instagram. Meanwhile, Rihanna, a fan of Timaya’s, absorbs some of that African flavor in her own music.

As U.S. mainstream success beckons these African artists, more tantalizing are the collaborations with artists in this country that introduce both sides to millions of new fans. For Davido, that means co-signs from Meek Mill and Major Lazer, or Wizkid recently announcing that he was in the studio with Sean Paul. In putting the finishing touches on his first album since signing to Sony Music, Davido recently worked with Young Thug, Trey Songz, Wale and DJ Snake.

As African artists make inroads in the U.S. market, American artists with whom they record songs will get more play in Africa. “Of course it’s going to be an advantage for them, too, to get their music out there,” Davido said. “If you ask me, it goes both ways.”

Davido in N7m concert fee controversy

Singer, Davido, who was advertised to be among the artistes to perform at the Festival of India, which took place in Lagos on Saturday, was conspicuously absent.

This did not go down well with some guests who obviously wanted to see him in action.

Indeed, such people think that the inclusion of his name was a fluke, to the extent that some have expressed the opinion online.

But our correspondent spoke with the organisers who stressed that Davido was indeed invited.

The chief organiser, Rosiji, also confirmed this.

Although he said it was premature to say much on the development, other vital sources noted that the contract between the Festival of India and the artiste could run into N7m.

It was gathered that Davido informed them on Friday night, a day to the event, that he was indisposed.

It was further gathered on Thursday (yesterday) night that the organisers have accordingly communicated Davido’s lawyers, as they hope to get a refund of the fee said to have been paid.

Efforts by our correspondent to speak with the artiste or his manager did not yield fruits.

A call to his manager’s phone number and a subsequent text message had not been replied as of 8pm production time on Thursday.