Oghre Onuel Mudiaga aka Warri Ajebutter is a Lagos based artist manager cum artist. In this no bar interview with our Lagos Bureau Chief/Online Editor, Linda Nwaeze, the Ethiope East born entertainer shares his experience as an artist manager, musician and relationship with top Nigerian arts. Enjoy it.
Let’s meet you
I am Oghre Onuel Mudiaga aka Warri Ajebutter. I hail from Okpara waterside, Ethiope East local government. I am from a polygamous family. I am the 10th child of my mum and 12th child of my dad. My mum is the first wife and we are 14 in number. I attended Delta State University, DELSU for my higher education. I am a Christian.
When did you start your musical career and how many singles and videos have you done?
Professionally I started singing five years ago, although music has been inside of me much more before then. My mum was a choir mistress in my church and later she became a pastor. So the music thing has always been in me.
How many singles have you done?
I have done three singles and I have also released two videos. The singles are titled “Like Pami” which is currently making waves, “I don retire” and “Hala” which I recently released. I am currently working on my debut album. Basically, I have done two videos which are in the market. They are “Pami” which I featured Vector and the “Pami Remix” is a new video that is on air right now. Hopefully the next video collabo would be “Hala” along with my album.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on my album. I want to make sure that my album comes out latest April this year. It is going to be self titled “Warri Ajebutter”. A lot of people think that when you are from Warri then automatically you are a kidnapper. But I am trying to change that image. I want people to know that we have talents in Warri. And I have a crew coming up called the “Pami Boys”, they were on my Pami remix – Muno, K- Jay, Mentur, Jaychiano and Jajah. They have lots of talent and you should watch out for them.
Have you done any collabos with any artist?
I have done lots of collabos. Among them, I did “Like Pami” with Vector who for me is the best rapper in Nigeria for now; I did “Ara” with Morachi, I did “Holdie, Holdie” with Durella and so on.
Who do you intend doing a collabo with in the nearest future?
Yes I intend doing collabos with other artists but not just yet. I am looking forward to doing a collabo with Tuface, Jaywon and J Martins.
Under what label did you sign up?
Currently, I am not signed under any record label but I am with a management company called the Big Jamz World Entertainment based in Cyprus and U.K. Those are the people I am working with right now.
Who are your role models in the music industry?
My role models are Don Jazzy, Tuface and P Square. Don Jazzy is my role model because of his ability to manage artists, the way and time he has dedicated to managing artists and his ability to discover new talents over the years.
Basically when I first started, I was an artist manager but right now, I am concentrating on my music. Later on I will go back to managing talents because I love doing that. I like P Square because we have the same flair. Many people say we look alike and something like that.
Have you had any challenges in the industry?
Plenty, plenty….. (Laughs) trying to get yourself on the radio is quite difficult, some people think that once you are good and you sing a song then automatically, you become a star, it is not so. For DJs to even hear your song is a lot of hurdle. But I am still thankful because God has been great and it is not by my power or by who know how to sing more and so on.
Is there any advice you would like to give on how to run the music industry or is there anything PMAN is not doing right?
Right now, I am taking the position of Special Adviser to PMAN. They should try to imbibe a structure in the music industry. A structure whereby there should be an amount of money you will pay for a show, there should not be any free shows. Let the organizers pay artists for their show, let radio stations pay royalties no matter how small to the artists so that they can start having income.
Currently, you see an artist that you hear his song everywhere, when you see them on the street, they don’t have anything. It is really bad. I know in Yankee, if a record label signs an artist, you will become a millionaire in dollars even without pains because they can predict what the artist would sell in the next one year. It is the structure. There is no such structure in the Nigeria music industry. There is piracy everywhere. “Let everything just fall in place. Restructure the industry in the way it should go and try to fight piracy and let the government interfere. I learnt that the federal government just dropped some money, but me I no know where the money dey oh! I heard they dropped some money. Definitely it is Nigeria, you should know what’s up, some people go chop am. But it is not fair; give at least some part of the money. Make una no chop everything; make una chop some, so that the young talents can benefit from it”.
Honestly speaking, the entertainment industry is the next big thing in Nigeria that could generate a lot of wealth for the country. Tuface is going international so also is D’banj who did a collabo with Snoop Dog. This thing is getting bigger, right now, if you watch Mtv Base, greater percentages of their songs are from Nigeria. Government should look for other ways to generate wealth and stop depending on oil else our oil well will dry up. Encourage the youths to have something doing; they can make use of their talents. In America, if na food you sabi chop, there will be eating competition, if na table tennis you sabi play, you will play, if it is running, you will run, all those things are not here that is why there is unrest every time and joblessness. Not everybody can do a white collar job and all that. Government should invest in talents and make the environment conducive for people to thrive in whatever they do.
How many songs have you recorded in your music studio and what is the studio name?
The name of my studio is flow records but we want to call it the Pami Studio, let the pami flow. A lot of artists come here to record their songs, Morachi, Durella, Sam Clef, Pasuma Wonder, Sunny Neji, Jedi the comedian, Da Grin before his death, Jayman, Wizkid’s bad boy was recorded here.
I was informed that the season one winner of Peak Talent show, Yemi Alade is a product of your studio, how true is it?
As I told you earlier, I started as an artist manager where I discovered the winner of season 1 Peak Talent show through a group known as the Noty Society. They were three in number, I was the manager, from there I took over them and they did their first song. But she was the best, she actually sang better so I encouraged her to take part in the show and she eventually won. But right now she is under a new management. I am happy for her, I actually watched her perform at the grand finale of the Peak show.
Why did she leave you for a new manager?
You know life is ongoing, I am happy for her. There is no animosity between us and we are even chatting on blackberry. We are friends and partners as well as making plans for a new collabo.
Presently, is there anyone you are managing?
Right now I am trying to bring up the Pami Boys, mentor them and so on. Like I told you earlier, I am dropping the management aspect; I am putting it on hold for now and concentrating on my music career. Due to demand by my fans, I decided to focus on my music and I am contributing my own quota for now, I will go back to management later. So maybe tomorrow I will be the Don Jazzy or the Don Young.
If there is another profession you would like to go into, what would it be?
That would be football because I am very skillful in playing football. I play snooker very well and table tennis as well, you cannot beat me in it, but I love music. There is nothing like doing what you love doing and for me that is music. Some people think say music nor hard, e hard o! If I tell you the number of musicians that are in this country, by the time you go for shows, like 80% of them are musicians and few have made head-ways. Just like the scripture, “many are called few are chosen”.
Is there anyone in the industry who is running you down or being antagonistic towards you?
I no get anybody time. I no dey see them. But a lot of people are so annoying. A couple of all these stars that are feeling like champion, I just want to let you know that there is no champion forever. Sometimes, if u greet them, they won’t answer you. They would look down on you but who cares, I am just me. Who God don bless, Him don bless. One advice to those who are proud or people on top is that when you get to the top, there is only one place you can go and that is to come down and if you step on people while climbing up, you will meet those people when you are coming down.
I am not blown to the peak where I am supposed to be yet. I remember some couple of artists that I approached for collabo few years ago. They talked to me anyhow and they turned me down. But right now they are the people calling me for collabo. Life is just the same circle that goes round and round. Just be good, it is good to be good and be humble, let God lift you up. I am not beefing anyone. If you want beef me na your cup of tea.
How do you relax on weekends?
I play snooker, I go to shows, once a while I go clubbing and most Sundays I stay at home with my family.
Has your fame made you start acting proud or ignoring some of your old friends?
If you are my friend on facebook, you will know that I talk to anyone and everybody because I believe life is a privilege. I am nice to a fault and some people take advantage of that but that is me. If you ask anyone around, they will tell you that I don’t look down on people. I still communicate with friends I have had over the years. Even in my single, Pami remix, I featured young talents to expose them. You have to help each other up. I don’t look down on people, for me being humble is a gift and I thank God for that. At times I look at people that show off and I wonder what they gain, nobody can be a champion forever. The person you look down on today maybe the person that would help you tomorrow.
What is your advice for upcoming talents?
I don’t like using that word. I prefer to call them awaiting stars. All I’ve got to say is that “the shell must break before the bird can fly”, just train yourself up. If you are not there yet or you are not making head-way that doesn’t mean that you are not going to get there, keep trying and keep pushing. If music is your calling and you are good in what you are doing, one day you will get there. Just keep working hard, believe in God and everything will work out for you.
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