Pope (Michael Egube), a Covenant University Accountancy graduate, is gradually becoming a Nigerian musical icon as his music has a transgenerational appeal. He speaks with Sulaimon Olanrewaju on his vision, passion and recreation.POPE, real name Michael Egube, one of the rising stars in the nation's entertainment firmament, has set for himself a lofty ambition; he wants to beat the records of the legends such as Michael Jackson, Fela and Bob Marley. This is not a mere wishful thinking as the Covenant University graduate of Accountancy believes that not only does he possess what it takes to get to the top, he is also willing to pay the price to hit his target.According to him, 'I've always been an advocate for dreaming big. So my target is to be as great as the legends; Fela, Bob Marley and Michael Jackson. I want to be able to take my music to different continents and have it touch lives even in non-English speaking countries because music is a universal language.'Pope says success as a musician is hinged on three factors; talent, industry and discipline.He continues, 'It will be difficult to be successful as a musician without having the talent. Talent is fundamental to this particular career. However, it is not everyone with a musical talent that turns out well in the career. Some fail because they are not hard-working enough, while others fail because they lack the discipline required for greatness in this career.'I have taken my time to study the trend and I have decided that my career will not be a victim of indolence and indiscipline. So, I have resolved to pay the price for greatness. I will not stop until I get to the very top.'He says further, 'Shunning indolence and indiscipline should not be a difficult task for me because I am driven by integrity, patience and hard work.'He adds, 'I've always been passionate about music. So when I finally decided I was going to pursue this as a career, I put in all my energy and gave it my best shot.And I keep working on myself everyday to make sure every new song is better than the last.'I'm driven by the hunger for more. And by more I mean to be a better person in every sense of the word.'Speaking on how his voyage into the music world teed off, he says, 'I started out listening to a lot of music as a kid, and went on to join the teenage choir in church at a time. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of influences including Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z and Fela, I learnt to play the keyboard while in primary school. I later added the drums and bass guitar to my repertoire in secondary school. I wrote my first rap verse in 2003 when I was in SS3, then mimed to a Tribesmen beat in 2004. A lot of people were amazed by my performance and I've been rapping ever since.'He adds that by 2008, he had become a respected name on the underground hip-hop scene in Nigeria, where he cut his teeth on numerous underground mix tapes while honing his signature melody-driven rap sound, eventually getting the attention of Cackland Music, his current label home.But why rap''Well, I chose rap because that's the best genre with which I could best express myself. Plus I feel it's one of the most creative music genres today. Apart from being able to rhyme, or throw punch lines, you have to be very verse in order to be a successful rapper,' he says.According to him, his parents had no objection to his decision to go into music because they had come to realise that he was cut out for it, adding that they actually supported and encouraged him to follow his passion.Commenting on the Nigerian music industry, he says, 'In my opinion, the Nigerian music industry is still growing and has a really long way to go in relation to our foreign counterparts. But let's also bear in mind that they too were once where we are now, so we would get there in due time.'His major challenge in the industry has been 'getting people to recognise your talent when you first start off. This is because there are so many rappers today, so you have to show the audience that you're unique, original and give them a reason to pay attention to your music.'Pope, whose newly released single, Owo Kudi Ego, has become the favourite of leading disc jockeys as well as on air personalities, says he chose the stage name, Pope, because he sees himself as the father of the new style of rap music.According to him, 'Pope is a Latin word which means Papa or father. I believe I am birthing a new style of rap music, which is an infusion of Western and African cultures hence my choice of Pope.'He plans to bequeath to the world a music type that will survive him. He says, 'I will like to leave my music and the lives I am able to touch with it as my legacy.'But it is not all work and no play for Pope as he indulges himself in the soft issues of life such as clothes. He is acknowledged as a powerful dresser who goes the extra mile to ensure that he is always well turned out. He admits that though he is not a dandy, he has an appreciable dress sense, 'I choose my outfits to suit the occasion. I consider myself stylish. From the way I dress you can tell.'Nobody can find Pope guilty of misogyny. He says, 'I love all my female fans, they'rejust the best, I can't stop saying this at every opportunity I get.'That notwithstanding, it is not every of his female fans that he can date for as he puts it, 'I love ladies that are tall, beautiful, sexy, smart and ambitious. I'm very picky when it comes to ladies.'The most valuable person to Pope is his mother. 'My mum is the person I cherish the most. She means the world to me.'If there is one thing the rapper will not be caught doing it is 'stealing meat from the stew pot. I'm too sharp to be caught red handed.
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