How did you feel when you won the MTN Project Fame Competition?

I had my five minutes of madness. I’ve been trying out for music auditions since 2008, I auditioned for Project Fame, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th season before I won the 5th time. I also went for other auditions as well; peak talent show, Nigerian Idols, Naija Sings, everything I went for them every year, when the opportunity came, I auditioned. Somehow I was always kicked out, every time I went I felt I was going to win, somehow, it wasn’t my time.

Then I went for this one, I wasn’t really serious about it, but I just told myself, let me just go so I won’t regret it when some else wins it. Meanwhile I was just evicted for the show, a month before I went for Project Fame, so I didn’t tell anybody I was going.

To cut the long story short, when I won, it was like winning a war for me because I had fought and fought and finally my efforts were been rewarded, I will never forget that day.

What motivated you to keep trying out, despite rejections?

Number one, it wasn’t my job to go for auditions, I got hate signals and “beef” from a few people who told made I didn’t know how to turn my life, I was depending solely on auditions, that can’t I explore my other talents?

I want to say this now, most people who go for auditions; they just go to try out. It’s not like that is all they are waiting for. Of cause there are other things we do, I was in school for crying out loud. The first year I auditioned for project fame, I was doing my IT and then the opportunity came and I went for it. It got to a stage where I had to either defer my admission if they called me back, but they didn’t call me back so I went to school and completed my degree. The next year after I had finished and doing my Youth Service, I went and auditioned again. I was going to choose between my Youth Service and Project Fame. But I didn’t even get pass the second stage.

The first two times I went back because I didn’t have any reason not to go back until I was kicked out. The second time I auditioned I was told to come back the next year and try again, I felt insulted, so I went the third time to prove them wrong, not because I didn’t have anything to do. The third time was even worse than the second because I didn’t pass the first stage and that is like the easiest, you could sing with your nose and you’ll get through.

The more I was rejected, the worse I felt. The next year, I told myself I wasn’t going again, that would be the last one, somehow I found myself auditioning again, and I got to the third stage. Then again I was kicked out. But guess what? I went for peak talent show, I got kicked out. I went for Naija sings and Nigerian Idols but I got kicked out as well.

It became like an addiction for me, I even became popular, infact it became a stigma. I decided I must prove a point that was when I went in for MTN Project Fame Season 5.

Has your recent fame affected your relationships (friends and family)?

My fame hasn’t changed the way I relate with my friends or with people; I’m basically the same guy. I’m not saying this in any attempt to be humble. I’m still me and nothing has changed at all. Of course 20 friends cannot play for 20 years, some friends have moved on, no fight oh. The good thing is that people believe in me more than they used to and they take me more seriously.

What challenges have you encountered since your victory?

Everywhere I go I call it the battle of identity, we all have our different identities. Just like everyone else, I’m battling with mine, because there are a million and one extra talented artistes out there, including those that are established or struggling to be established. So having to find my grounds and my sound and to carve a niche is challenging for me. Another thing is breaking off from that surname that comes with winning a competition; everywhere I go; people are like Ayo from Project Fame, that’s not my surname for crying out loud, I want people to know me beyond Project Fame.

What would you have done if you lost?

Life goes on, I probably would have tried outing for this current season, remember I said it was an addiction for me; maybe I’ll be on another show right now.

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