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My pact with Akon, Mike Okri – Sauce Kid
By TONY OGAGA ERHARIEFE and PATRICIA EMORDI
Friday, January 4, 2008
• Sauce Kid
Pix: Sun News Publishing

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He cuts the image of a true American Hip-hop star. What with all the bling-bling, a characteristic swagger and an American accent. However, Sauce Kid, ‘San Bori Bobo,’ crooner is every bit a Nigerian.

Sauce Kid is currently in the country to promote his mix tape, a 17-tracker entitled: Money Long. Chatting with Daily Sun exclusively, the musician declared his respect for popular musician, Mike Okri, whom he featured in a track called Omoge Wa Jo.

“Working with him was a privilege. He is amazing. I featured him on ‘Omoge Wa Jo.’ Among others, he taught me that you can mix Hip-hop with Afro R&B. You could have people from my generation connecting with people from his generation.

The collaboration is a track reaching out to all generations of Nigerians. I am taking care of the younger generation, while he is taking care of the oldies because of the success he’s had. We are putting it together and we are going to have a single family that would relate with both our music. It’s like a comeback for him because he has been out of the scene for a while now. I decided to work with him because I want people to listen to him and appreciate his music. I respect him and I am loyal to him.”


Born in 1984 in Nigeria, Sauce Kid left the shores of Nigeria for the USA to complete his high school education. Along the line, he drifted when rap music came along.
“My family has always taken care of me. I have never had to go out of my way to do extreme things. I was a street kid but I came from a good family. I grew up in Ogba, Lagos. I have never had to go out of my way to make ends meet or struggle. Music is like my own direction in life, it’s my business. It’s what I want to do.

“I left Nigeria in 1997 to complete my secondary education but when I got abroad, the situation changed. I was too wayward and my mum was not comfortable with me staying there because I was always getting into trouble. Then, it was either my way or you hit the highway!”
However, with age and maturity, the young artiste has turned up a new leaf: “Right now, I am level-headed and trying to do everything right. I‘m matured now and know what’s right or wrong and I am putting my acts together.

Inspiration
It comes from my personality. I am funny. I am versatile. Sometimes, I am emotional or real hard. What ever I am feeling in my heart and in my head I express and that is what San Bori Bobo is all about. It is the ghetto haleluya. It means making something out of nothing. When I say Yabariba everybody responds San Bori Bobo. It’s a way of making something out of nothing. I transformed from an ordinary person to an extraordinary person!

Why rap?
I chose rap and not R & B because I can rap. I can do it without thinking about it or forcing it. It comes naturally. Nobody has done rap the way I am doing it. If I had a beautiful voice like Tuface, maybe I would be doing R&B but I have defined my style and I want to hold it down forever.

Relationship with Akon
Contrary to rumours that he was signed on Akon’s label, Convict Music, the rapper cleared the air: “I don’t have a deal with Convict. They definitely want to work with me because they appreciate my talent, my drive and my independence. They definitely want to identify with me because they see me going somewhere big. I did a song with a Nigerian on Convict music. His name is Rid (Arinze Nwosu). My relationship with Akon is strictly business. May be we could become friends later and work together.

Nigerian music scene
Nigerian Hip-hop is dynamic. Currently, Ruggedman and Mode 9 are battling over who should be crowned king of rap. Sauce Kid is very much aware of this. But does he have what it takes to compete? He explained: “ I foresee a stiff competition and it is good for the industry because competition brings about greater ideas and people want to talk about Nigerian music, so we are moving up to the next level; you know what I am saying?

Love life
It’s good to have women around. You can live without them or with them. But its good to have them around. Sometimes you don’t want them around and sometimes you do. I get along with the women real cool. I am in a relationship with a black Pueto Rican. If I was in Nigeria, I am pretty sure I’d be dating a Nigerian girl. But I am in another part of the world.

Tattoos
I love tattoos. They are a way of expressing myself. As a young adult, I have finally met someone I want to settle down with. They say ‘behind every successful man there is a woman.’ She is the one behind me. We have been dating for a while and I am very committed to the relationship. That’s the reason I have her image engraved on my left arm. This helps me to focus on her all the time even if she is not around.”

Secret of success
I believe in hard work; No hustle, no food. Hustle independently to that stage where somebody can see you and invest money on you. You need to create value around yourself because it is what drives business. If you don’t do that then you would have problems.

Dreams
I want to be African ambassador of rap music. I want to be looked upon in the history books as one of those who ‘did it and did it right.