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Skales… It’s premature to engage in relationship now

By DANIEL ANAZIA and TITILOPE OGUNRINDE
07 May 2016   |   1:43 am
It feels good, it feels great. Still a work in progress, we are still working on a lot of stuff but overall it feels good definitely.
Skales

Skales

Baseline recording act, Raoul John NjengNjeng well known as Skales is one Nigeria hit maker that is making wave in the country and outside. He recently released a new single. In this chat with DANIEL ANAZIA and TITILOPE OGUNRINDE, he spoke about his music, career, relationship with E.M.E and other issues. Excerpts

You have turned 25, how do you feel being that age?
It feels good, it feels great. Still a work in progress, we are still working on a lot of stuff but overall it feels good definitely.

At 25, would you say you have achieved more than you expected?
Well, I will say I have probably achieved a lot from my career to life in general. Where I was six to seven years ago when I first came to Lagos is not where I am today. So I would say I have had quite a number of achievements.

What are some of these achievements?
First is, where my music is right now; making all these hits and having one of the best album in the country. Having a great team and being able to take care of my family and lots more.

While you were in E.M.E, things were kind of slow but since you broke off, your career experienced a major boost. What would you say happened?
Let me put it this way, I took charge of my career. I made my own decisions and had a team that was willing to back me up. Their focus was just to make sure that the brand gets higher. That’s pretty much of it.

What’s next for Skales?
More work; life just started for me. More dreams to bring to reality, more things to achieve, and more bars to raise.
Your next project
That would be my album and a tour that would be bigger than anything I have ever done before. I just dropped a new single, it’s called I Want You, it was produced by Ghana’s DJ Breezy. It is the first official single off the album. I already have a long list of people I’m featuring on the album and I hope some of them make it though.

You recently spoke about working with former label mate, Wizkid. Is that in the works?
Yeah, but I meant if we get to work fine. Everyone is just kind of busy and doing their thing. So I am focusing on sitting in the studio and doing my thing.

What is relationship with Wizkid and former record label (E.M.E) like?
Cool; I am cool with everybody

How do you see Banky W now that you are away from his label?
He is my big brother and remains my boss forever. He basically gave me a platform when no one else offered, so he is my big brother forever.

Have worked with him after you left E.M.E?
Yes, I have. We have the track out already

You are signed to Baseline Records and you have your own imprint, OHK. How do you create a balance?
Baseline is the label I have a contract with. I am signed to the label alongside my other colleagues. OHK is my personal label which I set up to support upcoming talents in the industry.

OHK got an artist signed unto it, what’s new with the artist?
Yeah, we are working on a lot of things. We have DJ Spicey for now and he dropped a single with a video titled Fashi, which featured me. It is doing well out there. He just dropped a new single also, and he might drop an EP too. We are just doing a lot of stuff.
If there is one person you won’t like to work with in the industry, who would it be?
Wow! That would be Vic-O
Why?
It’s a joke, but I like his boldness and courage. I can work with anyone; I don’t think there is anyone I can’t work with in the industry.

Now that you are 25, fans are expecting to hear about Skales and girlfriend?
At 25…that’s very young…premature. For now, I am focusing on achieving my dreams and making more good music.
If you say it’s premature for you to engage in a relationship at 25, what about those within your age bracket who have had one or two kids?
I don’t know about that. For me I think it’s still pretty young for me. I will l say I have been lucky not to have one. I will say I’m smart for not having one, but let’s see what the future holds.

So what measures or tactics have you used to stay away from being a baby daddy?
How I do it I don’t know; the ladies are always there. I love women but I will say God and protection has kept me safe of the drama.

What’s the message in your new single?
A couple of weeks back I was in Ghana for the Pan-Africa media tour, where I worked with a lot of artistes and producers. My favourite happened to be DJ Breezy; we worked on a lot of stuff together, but I fell in love with I Want You and I decided to release it. The sound is in vogue now and I wanted to try something new.

What informed the idea of I Want You, as a love song fused with a trendy sound?
Well, like I said earlier, I love girls. We were in the studio trying to do some work and when I heard the beat, I was just caught up on the fact that I was thinking about women at that point, so I decided to do it. Because I didn’t want it to be about one girl in particular, I decided to widen the scope.

How long did it take you to produce the track?
I think it was less than an hour. I record a lot of songs at the same time
Do you have a title for the album yet?
Yes, I do have a title, but I can’t let it out yet because everything is still on a probability. Anything can happen. For now, the name I have is just a guideline on how the album would be
How many tracks would the album have?
I’m considering nothing less than 15 tracks
How many singles would you be letting out before the album?
I really can’t say, I might let out four or five. I can’t decide that now

Who have you worked with on the album?
I have worked with Timaya, Banky W; I’m looking forward to work with Burna Boy on a track. I want the album to be like a chemistry relationship kind of thing. I want it to be an album of how I see people.  Someone like Burna Boy, I keep saying it that he is my favourite artiste. I see Banky W, as someone that has impacted in life in lot good ways. Same for Timaya, he is like a mentor, a friend; a brother and someone who has impacted and helped sharpen my life and career just as Banky W.

What track are you putting out next?
I don’t know, I really can’t say because we recorded a lot of tracks. Currently we have recorded over 70 tracks for the album.
So how do you get to know which makes the album?
We just sit and listen to the one that is different and stands out from what is out there on air.

What do you do when you are not recording?
Probably play games, chill with people, party. But I’m always recording. One major thing I do when I am not recording is travel.

What would set out your next album from the previous which was a major hit?
I will say I’m more experience now, I am much better now as an artiste; I have more understanding of what is going on in the street and how to connect it with my life and my music. I am telling my story from a different perspective now.

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