I MAY SOUND LIKE DBANJ, BUT I HAVE MY UNIQUENESS - MARIOSTYLE

His name is no new to music industry players and he has been around for a long time, he started from the ghetto of Surulere. In this interview with Quadoowear Tv, Hamed Opeyemi aka Mariostyle talks about how Fela Kuti (RIP) influenced him, his music hustle, his daughter Halima,  his style of music that sounds so much like Dbanj's and how he co-wrote the biggest song of his career so far 'I'm Kind Of ' with Light aka Quadoo.

Can we meet you?
My name is Hamed Opeyemi 'Mariostyle' incase you don't know.

Tell us about your background:
I started as a fuji artiste some times back, and later changed to afro pop music.

Please tell us more about your educational background

I was born in Oyo State, Ibadan in the late 80s, then I  moved to l

Lagos and started my primary school at Ansar Ud Deen Primary School, and went back to Ibadan for my secondary school at Oluyole Estate Grammar School and then I went to Kwara Poly. Before Kwara Poly, I was doing music but it was fuji, the school environment made me change to hip hop, doing music to make people happy.

How did you start music, why and when?

I stared music long time ago when I was like ten, you know, I was doing fuji, I love listening to Pasuma, I did jump from street to street, live performances here and there, but I never recorded any song as a fuji artiste tho. When I started doing Hip hop, my first recording was with E-twins at Big Lo studio in Surulere. Then I met with PM Don and started doing stuffs, then I did a song with the late Dagrin but never released it. I did the song two weeks after  Dagrin died, I was actually planning for the video before he died.
Then I move on, I met with Blaq Jerzy my childhood friend, you should know about Blaq Jerzy , he produced the song Gift by Iyanya ft. Don Jazzy. So I did a song called 'Reason',  this song put my head straight and gave me fan base in the hood and in the music industry, I did the video with JJC Skillz, and then I did another song I will say the biggest song of my career for now called 'Im Kind Of' produced by same Blaq Jerzy .

Tell us more about 'Im Kind Of'
The way I got the inspiration for 'Im Kind Of' was so funny, I was with my niggas and one of them called Obama, a professional photographer always makes funny use of the words, im kind
of this, Im kind of that, are you kind of scalimental, he is kind of kolomental,  so I told my nigga Quadoo, CEO Quadoowear  that I  like that slang, then both of us composed the song together with the aim to turn it into a slang in the game, then we went to the studio with Blaq Jerzy  and recorded the song and everything was nice.

So, what have you learnt about life through your music hustle?
I have learnt a lot, I have seen people acting in different ways, I believe some people see you like without them you cant go up, or with them is the only way you can move, I also learn humility, people give you example of 2face and his humble life and all that, I believe you just have to learn to be humble even if you don't have it naturally in you, you need humility to succeed in life. Its not been easy since I started music, to  promote, get a sponsor and all that, you just have to be strong and keep going, its not over until you get
to where you are going.


So, What you have learnt about life through your music hustle is that you have to be humble right?
Yeah, yeah.

That means music has really thought you a lot right?
Yeah!

So what style of music do you do and why?
I do afro pop music, you know I told you from the onset that I started with fuji, but when I wanted to switch to hip hop I started listening to Fela, I love Fela so much, I could sing all his tracks back then and have the same sound with him, do you understand that, I really  love Fela, I like his life style, I had his videos. Fela always make me laugh, I said this man is crazy.

So do you wear pants like Fela?

No, I cant go that crazy but I cant tell, I can start doing it tomorrow, anything can happen. So I started doing my own music on that sound that I learnt with, that afro sound, so I started to be creative to be different from Fela, I cant just do everything like Fela,  I had to  pick some from him and build my own sound. So I joined pop because I love jumping  beats, I love powerful beats, you know, beats with action that even without voice it makes you go crazy.

So, you can say that Fela is your mentor?

Yeah, sure.

What are you working presently?

I am working on lots of things, I have lots of project going on for now, just watch out.

Is it something you want your fans to know about?
No, I will like it to be a surprise, when it is out you will get it.

You have been silent about your music for a long time, why the long silence?

Well the point is, I have some songs out there, I have 'Im Kind Of ' that I dropped some years back, I also have 'Halle Berry'  and also 'Gbefun' that I dropped online. But the point, is in the industry you need to be ready for yourself, you  need to be ready for the challenges. You need to understand where you are going, you cant just be driving straight when the road is curved, so you need to follow the trend and find yourself and be creative. You are a good artiste but there are lots of good artistes out there, so how can

you be different, how can you touch people's mind, how can you let people always want to listen to you? Its work you need to do, I am working on myself and I have been doing that.

So you have been silent for a while because you are working on yourself?

Sure!

So when should we expect an album?
By the grace of God, next year 2018, Im going to drop an album.

How does it feel like doing music from the ghetto?
I think doing music from the ghetto is the best thing.

Do you see Surulere as a ghetto?
I see Surulere as both ghetto and non ghetto, if you want to be in the ghetto part of Surulere so be it, and if you live in the high class so be it.

So do you think you come from the ghetto part of Surulere?
Well, even the greatest artistes come from the ghetto, look at Bob Marley, check the history you will see that they always come from the ghetto, it inspires you, it gives you advantage  and support, it gives you that push. There are so many things you can learn from the ghetto that you cannot learn from the high class environment. Look at 50 Cent, look at the artistes that come from the ghetto all over the world, lyrics wise, you have more things to talk about.

So you are proud of coming from the ghetto?
Yeah, I  am extremely proud.

So, what do you think about record labels in Nigeria, and do you have any?

Record labels in Nigeria are not professional, there are fake labels, they lie about things they want to do, they are not truthful to the game. Fake bosses in the labels who do not even understand music, they think its only about shooting a video and putting it out there. You know, we still have a long way to go. Record labels need to learn a lot, music is not all about I want to have a label because you have money, so many labels have killed lots of artistes' careers, so I think we still have a long way to go and we are still learning.

So do you have any label?

That is complicated so I don't want to talk about that.

What is the experiences you had with the labels you have worked with?
Still boils down to what I said earlier, Nigerian labels still have a long way to go.

What can you say about Nigerian music industry?
The thing is there are plenty fake people in the game, people up there don't want you to come  up, greed and so on. People believe without money you cant make it, that your talent is bullshit and you have to go and make money, unlike before when talent works. Even record labels is all about connection, nobody cares about true talent.  People say I have same sound as Dbanj, well that is my sound, in America there is Drake, Lil Wayne and Tyga with the same sound but different brands and the industry still give way

for each one of them. But in the Nigerian industry, I dont know why we keep killing ourselves, but I believe there will be a change, anything can happen.

Does it bother you that you have the same sound with Dbanj?

No, it doesn't bother me, that's my sound, that's my style and my fans like it. You know what, I like Dbanj so much, he is a cool bro, we have not been in events together, I have never met him but seeing him from a distance, I believe he is a nice person. In every thing you do, you will have critiques even Micheal Jackson had critiques, so who am I not to have critiques.

What is your biggest performed event?

I have performed in lots of events, I cant remember that for now.

What is music like in Surulere?

I will say that Surulere is music, we have the likes of Wizkid, Dj Jimmy Jatt, Blaq Jerzy, Mattmax  a great video director, Rugged Man etc, Surulere has always been producing celebrities.

Who can you say is the greatest supporter of your music career?

Number one is God, and secondly is my mother, she is always supporting me she never made me feel like its not going to work out, she is always giving me hope that, keep doing it I am there for you.

Halima, Mariostyle's daughter

If you have an opportunity to change a thing about your past, what will you change?
I am using Blackberry Priv now, if I have an opportunity, I will change it to iPhone 8, if iPhone 8 is out now.

Do you have any regret in life?
No, I have no regrets

Tell us your experience of fatherhood

I didn't grow up with my father, I didn't really get used to him.

I mean, how does it feel to have a kid?

That is the best thing to happen to me, her name is Halima. Some people say when an artiste have a baby, your career will die but I didn't see it that way, and I cannot even see it that way. It even keeps me going on, because it makes you want to do more, she inspires me.

What is your best and worse moments?

My best moment was when Halima came to the world and my worse moment was that I wasn't there, I was called on the phone.

What is your best food?

Plantain and egg.

What can you say about Quadoowear?
Ah! Quadoowear Baddest, Quadoo na my Gee, from primary school and secondary school. You know I told you I started as a fuji artiste and when I go to his house that time they beat him because he is my friend, they don't want him to be friends with a fuji artiste like me because they feel I am a bad boy. I remember one slap they gave him sometimes just because of me.

You just talked about Quadoo, not Quadoowear
Yeah,  Quadoowear brand na very strong brand o, I remember he costumed Ay-dot-com during his hit 'Pass Me Your Love' and also Terry G when he sang 'Free Madness'. I remember also that he

worked with OG Ozone, O3 Media. Quadoo never gives up. Quadoowear is a big brand and you cant tell me you have not heard about the brand even if you haven't used the product.

So what do you think about Nigeria?
Naija, ilu to free ninu ika. I don't even want to know anything about Nigeria o because the way our leaders do us does not pay us, you see all youths now want to do internet fraud. Its not their fault, the country is not paying us, our leaders just take things that belong to
us and they don't care about us. I told my brother that you know what, just find a way to make it in life, don't do crime o, don't kill o, find your way and make it and forget about this country, you can make the money then come back to make the country better but for now you are a broke ass, nobody will listen to you.

How do you think Nigeria can be a better place in your own idea?
Nigeria will be a better place if they overthrow the government and kill everybody. (laughs)

How do you relax?
Relax? I just stay at home, play games and feel cool.

Tell us about the woman in your life
That is my personal life, I am sorry, I don't share it


When do you plan to marry and who?
When the time comes you will  know

Appreciate somebody using this medium
I appreciate my mum and my daughter Halima

Message to your fans
Just watch out, my niggas , my fans, my people, the banger is coming, touchdown.  And I love you all, thanks for your support.

Advice to younger artistes from the hood
Just keep doing your thing, keep pushing, keep believing. Don't believe anybody can fall you, nobody can drop you down, no human, don't believe in anybody telling you that without them you can't make it, you cant get to where you are going to, don't believe in mgbati mbgati, just believe in God and in your dream, and always say the truth to yourself, its very important. Without you saying the truth to yourself I don't see you anywhere, saying the truth to yourself is the only thing that can get you to where you are going to, when you are not good enough, tell yourself and when  you are good enough, still look for the best way to get better.

Thank You
You are welcome.


Download Mariostyle's songs here:


HALLE BERRY
IM KIND OF
GBEFUN