Esosa Osemwengie popularly known as So-Sick is for sure a producer to be reckoned with in the music industry after proving himself in the production of Shank’s Julie and Gino’s No be God. His glory came calling after his work on the late Dagrin’s CEO album. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, he tells us more about his career, what he missed so much about Dagrin and the more reason why entertainment runs in their family and other sundry issues.
Having been in the industry for a decade, what has changed in the kind of music you produce?
Quite a lot of things because way back our productions are based on the audio base of the music but now a lot of things have been put in place before a production is carried out
How would you describe your meeting with late Dagrin?
My meeting with that talented artiste as I will always referred to him even though he is late right now, our meeting was while I was rounding up my programme in YABA TECH as he has come to perform in my school, then he was still known as Green and after he listened to some one of the work I have done on campus then and he was like, he wanted me to work with him and at the end of the day, we ended up having a great relationship, like blood brothers. We lived together, ate together, did a lot of things together.
He was more than an artiste to me. We were way beyond that. Everybody in my family knew him; my dad and my brothers. They always teased us, saying that we looked so much alike. He was an angel to me because he exposed me to a lot of things. Maybe if it was not for him, you would not be interviewing me now. Before I met him, I had done a lot of work and people did not know who was behind it. With him, it was different. One thing I appreciated more about him was that, he never argued with me, and to be frank, nobody has trusted me that much.
Why are you referred to as So-Sick?
The nickname is the product of my frustration with the situation of things in Nigeria. I am a very conscious person and there was this period in my life when I got sick and tired of many things; from the government to lack of power supply and water, even music and the kind of stuff that I heard on the radio. At first, the name did not stick because I used to be known as just Soss. I wanted it to be Soss is sick, but that would have been too wordy. So I shortened it to So-Sick. I wanted a change in every aspect of our lives in this country. Unfortunately, we are still like that, and I am still so sick.
It seems the entertainment industry new who So-Sick was after the production of late Dagrin’s CEO album?
The fact still remains that my major production on the CEO album brought to the forefront of the entertainment industry as this is the more reason why I will never forget Dagrin because he actually made people to get know who So-Sick was. Prior to that particular album, I have produced songs like Shank’s Julie and Gino’s No be God, and I must say here that 80% of both Shank and Gino’s album was produced by me, only that God use late Dagrin to open the way into the industry for me.
Looking at your background, most of your immediate brothers are also involved in the entertainment industry of Nigeria, why that sudden flair into the same profession?
It won’t be right if I say I did that because of the fame attached to it but it was only natural that I would end up as an entertainer, because I just did not see myself wearing ties and carrying files or sitting behind a desk in an office. I think it has to do with the way my father brought us up. We had freedom, but it did not give us the right to be stupid.. Everybody started with music, including Owen G. I was the little one in the family then, always tagging along. I started out rapping and then I did a bit of singing before I ended up as a music producer. I did not like what was being produced in those days, beat and production wise. So I took my time to learn how to produce and I started doing the stuff.
How do you go about the mixing of the various beat you produced?
I do not take drugs. It is God. I say this to everybody; I do not know how I do it. I go into the studio, it just happens. I might be sitting somewhere and something would just say I should go into the studio and do something. There would be nothing in my head but I would end up doing a very good beat, every time. That is how I know that it is not me but God. I also try to measure myself with people out there; people like Timberland and Dr Dre. Since I did not want to limit myself to the Nigerian standard and market, and because some international music producers were my mentors, I decided to make my music sound foreign. Nigerian music marketers could force you to bend the rules and keep to their own standard. With such attitude, we cannot grow the way we want to. I measure with them, hoping they would get to recognize my work really soon.
So, how was growing up like for you?
I was not born with a silver spoons, but it was fun growing up. Initially, I lived with my parents. Along the line, they went their separate ways and I moved in with my Dad. I lived most of my growing up years with my Dad. We are very close and one thing I love hearing was when people tells us that we look alike. I hope I do not have to take sides, but I like my dad a lot. I just can not ask for a better father, considering the support and everything he has given me. He is just the best.
Initially when you took into rapping and then music production, what was the reaction of your parents then?
Initially, my mother tried to stop this from happening. She tried to stop everybody from doing music or going into entertainment. She wanted us to go to school, get a degree, and find work. But that was no stopping us. On the other hand, my father wanted us to pursue individual dreams. Often, he would tell us that if we needed help, he would provide it. If we needed a backup singer, he would volunteer. He is great fun to be with. While my mother tried to stop us, he encouraged us, as long as it made us happy and we did not misbehave.
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