Sai Baba X-DOGGINIT indie music“There is this believe that you’ve gotta release your music and its gotta be free all the time for people to download. So how do we indie artistes who ain’t got the budget like the major labels to throw around free music, survive?” – @xdogginit

Episode #272 : A.V.A Live Radio Behind The Music with Jacqueline Jax
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2015/11/05/episode-272-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax

 

Jacqueline Jax logo photoGETTING TO KNOW X-DOGGINIT
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio
Questions answered by: Ilyas Achimugu

There’s money in the music business now…
than how it used to be when I started, far back as 10 years ago. So whatever I’m doing now I always consider the business side to it and what the monetary outcome’s gonna be before going into it. I’m a business man but it’s never been easy for me as an independent artist. We all know the number one obstacle is Finance. Trying to get things done and not having the money to make it happen has been the reason why it seems I’m always off the scene. I haven’t got any investors. Nobody has ever walked to me and be like yo, let’s sign a deal, let me support your career with some money. I always get it all done by the grace of the MOST HIGH GOD, Family’s support and personal hustle.

One of the problems again is that in Nigeria and Africa, people don’t like to pay for music. There is this believe that you’ve gotta release your music and its gotta be free all the time for people to download. So how do we indie artistes who ain’t got the budget like the major labels to throw around free music, survive? How do we even make back the capital invested on the song? And personally I don’t belong to that category. I don’t believe my hard written music should keep going out for free like that, uh uhh so I had to think. Think of how I could break out and get my music sold, even to the entire world at large.

The Social Media…
to me is like a blessing to every indie artist all across the globe. Do you know what it means now that I’m in Nigeria dropping a record today and someone somewhere in America is already downloading and bumping to it.

If online music marketing has been this way right when I started like way back in 2002, I should have had a lot of albums out by now. The world has been made into a global village. The social media is a good market place to sell my music to the whole world at once. I really haven’t seen any challenge like that. To me it’s even better relating with clients and music business partners online. Every one already knows why we are here, to sell music, SIMPLE.

Albums vs singles…
I really prefer the idea of releasing an album than just doing lotta singles. But unfortunately, the Nigerian music industry believes in singles not albums so you find most artistes in Nigeria only releasing singles. I will really be focusing on releasing more albums than singles in the near future so I can go on tours around the world and get to have more than enough music to feed the fans with. Having more than just one album on the cd counters in cd shops, having plenty albums on iTunes etc.

I started music professionally in 2002….
that was the first time I went into the studio and recorded a 3 track demo, to give to “Kennis music” [which was the biggest record label in Nigeria Back then] for a record deal consideration. I grew up listening to American Rapper “Ja Rule” a lot. I got inspired by his life style and the kind of music he was making. I guess that’s what inspired me into music.

SAI BABA…
is the nickname given to the Nigerian President “Muhammadu Buhari” by the people, when he defeated the sitting president in the last elections. It’s a Northern word that signifies respect for the well-respected elders, in the northern part of Nigeria. I chose the word because the President’s story inspired my new single. His story is just like a mirror of my own life story also.

He had tried to become the president of the country and he lost all the times. The ruling political party at that time, sold a wrong impression of him to the public, to the people.so he was always deemed and seen in a negative light. Whenever he tried he always got rejected. He never gave up, even when it was clear that he could never get to rule Nigeria. Finally he decided to give it one more try. The public, and the people got to know his real story. They believed in him and voted him in.He finally became the president at the end.

That’s clearly the story of my life and my career right there. The same type of experience. My entire career, I’ve suffered nothing but rejections. Because my style of music is different from what the industry is designed to always produce. They boxed me out because I’m a northern Nigerian rapper who wants to bring something new on board, and not follow their mediocre lead. I kept pushing harder, song after songs. The industry won’t talk or hype my songs. But the few ones who are good gave me thumbs up and encouraged me to keep it going. I believed so much in my style of music. I knew some days soon enough Africa and the world will celebrate it. After a long break off the scene, here I returned with this new single. I’m finally banging in Africa and over sees. “Now everywhere I go dem dey hail me – SAI BABA” lol. Look at me now already getting published and getting airplay in America courtesy A.V.A Live Radio. I mean, this is it. This is the Winning Time.

Sai Baba X-DOGGINIT musicianThe world has gotta expect a whole lot from my music. The people around the world should be ready for a different experience through my music. Evergreen type of experience that only a few artiste can give in a life time. I’m talking ‘bout “Bob Marley”. I’m talking ‘bout “Michael Jackson”. I’m talking “Fela Anikulakpo Kuti”. “2pac and Big”, “Ja Rule and Jay-Z” ,Akon, Lil Wayne e.t.c

My Album to me, is like a bridge. A big type of London bridge connecting African hip-hop and the World together, especially America. The great and special thing about my album is that there is something in there for everyone. From the messages, to the blend of other music genre into hip-hop, the crazy beats all produced by me, etc. Like I said, it’s gonna be a new experience for the whole world. A journey into the mind of an African boy with lotta ghetto story to tell. I wish to let the world know with my album, that African kids, somewhere so far away are also doing this thing called Hip-hop. And they are Very good at it, just as the rest of the world.

Link to buy this track: https://spinlet.com/artist/134697

The album is gonna be dropping online first…
like on itunes.com, spinlet.com etc. So the whole world can get to grab it at once. Before the physical copies begins to be made available in different places. Its gradual. Especially being an indie artiste, not having the type of funds major labels got.

I live in Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa…
Lagos is the heart beat of entertainment in Nigeria. If your music ain’t rocking here, then u ain’t popping. lol. So there’s lotta market competition in the city because almost all the artistes live here, and they are all working hard to conquer the Lagos Music Market. One thing I love about the city so much is the water and the beaches. i stay on the island so I always go to chill at the beach when I’m not doing anything musical. Or when I wanna write or meditate.

 

I would love to have 5 minutes alone with…
any one that is important to me, I swear to GOD its gotta be Ja Rule. No gay saying though .hahahahaa. He ma role model. Ja is like my god in the world of music. If GOD will let me, I’ll worship that man. He is deep. He is spiritual. He is real
I got influenced by Rule a lot. I talk like him, I act like him, my swag like his, all through my high school I came around with a bandana tied round ma head. It was so much that I found myself liking rap music. I used to take Ja rule’s instrumentals and be taping my voice over it with a microphone. I will record it and take it to school for my boys to hear my new record. Then I’ll be performing it at social nights in school.

Growing up, his posters were everywhere in my room. His wife and daughters [Aisha and Brittney] pictures were on my walls. I read everything about his life, his growing up, and his struggles. A black kid coming from ja’s type of background and still becoming successful is definition of GOD’s Love and grace. Beyond all that gangster life that Ja shows in his videos and all that, he is really a GODLY man. You can tell from his music and his belief.

He maintained a beautiful family. And never forgot to keep respecting the man that made him “irv Gotti’.
I did everything I could just to get a hand shake from Rule when he came to Nigeria but the security was as tough as hell. I stood and watched my role model from afar and tears started flowing outta my eyes. What pains me so much was that, with all the crazy and in-explainable love I got for this man HE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW ME.

I personally think that being trendy and current is…
a good thing because the only thing constant in life is change. But I still think that some people emphasize it a little bit extra much like that. lol. I always try to find a safe place in between being current and being true to my root as an African. Which I think is the ultimate definition of my style as a person, and in my music too.

I am Most Afraid of…
Failing to be a very successful musician worldwide, and Marrying a Wrong Woman. My personal definition of success is the Freedom to be happy
One of my success stories I’m particular about in the recent times must be this one right here. Ahaaa, A.V.A Live Radio talking about me, airing my music ,and everything. lol What makes it a big deal for me is the fact that I’m from far away Africa, now I’m getting talked about in America. Which means some-days soon enough I should be getting invites to come play gigs in America courtesy A.V.A Live Radio. Lol

My overall goal for my life is…
to become a royal king, own my own kingdom and have a new lineage. To be like King David, The music boy that became a king, took over the nation, gave birth to greater kings like Solomon etc.

My overall goal for my career is…
to become so successful that I’ll have my music in every household across the globe like Michael Jackson, and have my music live on even when I’m gone like Bob Marley.

3 Ways that I challenge myself…
[1] The first way I always challenge myself is by reminding myself that nobody got me except me. If I fail today nobody cares, so I gotta do it for me. I gotta get up and go get it done cuz nobody will if I don’t.

[2] The second way is by constantly telling myself that GOD said ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE ones you can Believe in it.

[3] The third and final way I always stay challenged and geared up is by reminding myself that I am me. The guy standing right in front of me in the mirror, and he is the very best I can be, not someone else.

Social Media:
Twitter Handle: @xdogginit
Instagram Handle: @xdogginit
Facebook personal page: xdogginit
Facebook fan page: xdogginitfanpage
Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/xdogginit
Sound cloud: https://soundcloud.com/xdogginit