Isaac Bassey Eyo, an upcoming gospel reggae artiste, believes he is ” the re-birth of Bob Marley in gospel music.” In this interview, he spoke about his journey in the music world, the manipulation of minds in churches and the diabolical things musicians do for fame.
TNE: How did you get involved in music?
My father was a Pastor, and his policy was that as he was doing his pastoring, every member of the family must get involved and contribute one way or the other.
When I was eight years old, I joined the choir. At 11 years, I became the choir master. While in the choir, I played the drum. My siblings played different musical instruments. We had a family band headed by me. We grew up doing music until it became serious business for me.
TNE: At what point did it become serious business for you?
That was after I won my first music talent hunt. I won the first time in 2010 and again in 2012. The first talent hunt was organised by Power line Bible Church. The second was by Arise Nigeria, where my song “Home Sweet Home” won the most patriotic song of the year.
TNE: What genre of music do you play?
I play Gospel Reggae Music.
TNE: Reggae is not a genre that many young artistes go for these days, why reggae?
I’m an activist by nature. I challenge opinions that I think are not good for everybody. Even in Christiandom, I think there are many things I don’t like. Growing up as a young pastor’s child, I saw other pastors and the way they behaved even then. The kind of music, therefore, that suits my mindset and gives me the platform to portray what I have in mind is reggae music. I can’t sing against injustice with R&B, not at all. Reggae music gives me the atmosphere.
TNE: Are you saying that even in Christiandom there is injustice?
Yes there is; manipulation of people’s minds, using peoples mindset to manipulate them and they blindly follow into slavery. Jesus asked the question, ‘ who has bewitched you’? It is in the bible. People are being bewitched by so called men of God. I’m using my reggae music to make people wake up, to help them free themselves from manipulations. To let them know that it is not only men of God who can hear God, but that as God’s children, they can too.
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TNE: What are the challenges you faced or are facing as an upcoming artiste?
It has not been easy but we refuse to be lazy. For a gospel artiste, it is hard to get sponsors. You sing in the church and people shout alleluia. Nobody thinks or sees the business in what you are doing.
When I was trying to record my first album, I took my budget proposal to some people for sponsorship. They told me they didn’t believe there was a future for me as a gospel reggae artiste and returned my proposal. That really demoralized me because these were the same people I ministered to in church and they screamed and made noise, saying I was the best. But I was also challenged. I eventually shot my first music video titled ‘ Man No Be God.’
TNE: Have you made it?
I’m on the track. I’ve not got there, but I know where I’m going and I’m moving in that direction. Gradually, things are taking shape. Now, I’ve produced a lot of good songs. Before I was unable to pay my studio fees but I went into business and made some money and now I’m producing good songs with the best producers in Lagos.
TNE: How do you see your future in music and as a gospel reggae musician?
I see myself as the long awaited gospel reggae music messiah people have been waiting for. You’ve heard reggae music in many other ways, but you’ve not heard it the way Rapture Man will sing it. I’ m the re – birth of Bob Marley in gospel reggae, but I’ll do it better than Marley or any other reggae artiste you can think of.
TNE: If you do it better than Bob Marley whom many see as the king of reggae, who then is your inspiration, your role model?
I like what Bob Marley and the others did or are doing, but they are not my role model in the sense that I know what I want. What people like Marley had is just a part of what I want. I’m about propagating the word of God to all through gospel reggae but theirs wasn’t so.
I’m doing my thing without drinking and without smoking though I’m intoxicated by the Holy Spirit when I’m on the stage.
I will say, however, that Jesus is my role model. Jesus didn’t sing reggae music, but He made music and I am being made by Him to represent Him in the gospel reggae world; bringing back the reggae lover to Jesus Himself.
TNE: What’s your take on the music industry in the Nigeria at the moment?
It is very frustrating and discouraging. You have good music not being celebrated but rather ‘fake’ ones. But I’m not looking at that. I’m focused on fulfilling my purpose on earth; doing my best, giving it my best. People might not see it now or appreciate it, but when I leave, I’ll be forever remembered.
Most of Bob Marley’s hit songs going around now were not hits when he was alive. It was after he died that people went back to his albums. The same thing with Fela. When he was singing, he was like a ‘nuisance’ but after he died, the reality of what he was saying became relevant in the eyes of Nigerians and he became popular.
If you want to look at the industry, there’s nothing to write home about.
TNE: If a young person tells you he/she wants to go into music, what would be your advice?
I will first ask their reasons for wanting to go into music. Is it because they love music or because they want to make money?
If you are going into music because of money, I’m sorry because you will be forced to do what you do not want to do. These days people do abominable things just to be signed on. They do diabolical things and I’m not saying it for the sake of talking. It happened to me. Such proposal was made to me by a record label but I turned them down.
But if you are in it for the love of music, then you will be patient enough for it to grow progressively. You need to know your purpose; is it to fulfill your dream, is it to bless people with what you have or do you want to make money?