Shaydee On The Mic

Also known as Shadrach Adeboye Folarin, Shaydee describes himself as a “singer, songwriter, performer and altogether a music enthusiast”. Born in Kano state, the singer graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ilorin, Kwara state.

Most recognize him from his tunes, Won Gbo Mi, Chakam, Carry Big Loa and recently, Make sense featuring Wizkid. He talks about his inspirations when he says,

“I’ve been inspired by the likes of Bob Marley, R Kelly, Stevie Wonder and Fela Kuti to mention a few.”

Having worked with the likes of Burna Boy, Phyno, Patoranking, Yemi Alade and many others, Shaydee had a short chat with Guardian Life about his experience

How did you initially become interested in music? Was this the career path you have planned?
I started out singing back in secondary school but I never really dreamed of being an artiste until I started out singing at social nights and eventually joined the choir. I started to realize that this was something I was passionate about and could pursue a career in music. The music gradually became my day and night from thereon.

How difficult is it to make it in the music industry in Nigeria?
I would say it’s not particularly easy to make it in any industry because every industry has its own sets of difficulties, with regards to the music industry here in Nigeria. It is pretty unpredictable (but achievable) because we are still growing and the structure isn’t totally in place yet where artists are paid for their work in other forms asides just going for shows and bagging endorsement deals.

What’s most exciting about performing?
I generally love being on stage and performing. The most exciting part of it, is the crowd reaction to your music especially if they love it. It brings joy to every musician or artist to see your work being appreciated by the people you intended to connect with. It’s a special feeling.

Do your life experiences or background have anything to do with your work?
To a large extent, my life experiences do contribute to some of the music I make and how I present them. I like to sing about emotions that I can feel and that are real. My background also plays a part in this, I grew up listening to a lot of Reggae, R&B and Soul. I believe it had a strong effect on my music in some way.

What is your most unforgettable moment so far?
I am been lucky to have experienced some good memories over time with some great people but if I have to pick one out of the few, it would be the first time I worked with Tubaba. I learnt so much from him. He has so much wisdom and insight considering all he has gone through since he started out years back. And its amazing that he’s willing to share with younger artistes what he has learnt over the years.

Who would like to work with in the future? Mention some reasons why?
From the long list of the names I mentioned earlier, it’s obvious I like to collaborate with other artistes, I believe it’s a way of developing as an artiste because it teaches you how to be a team player. I would love to work with, I would say Wande coal, Tiwa savage and Ty Dollar just to name a few. But I am open to working with anyone as long as the music is great. The music comes first.

What should your fans look forward to this year…any exciting stuff coming up?
I recently signed with a new record label, 506 Music. I have a fantastic team behind me and we’ve been working very hard, we recently released three songs over the last two months, ‘Koyewon’, ‘Make Sense’ featuring Wizkid and ‘Hold me tight’.