I’M NOT AFRAID OF COMPETITION -Queen Of Love, Azeezat

She is one of the raw talents in the music industry that have decided to follow their passion rather than being discouraged by circumstances. Azeezat loves doing her things in a unique way and the acclaimed Queen of Love, who does Rhythm & Soul Music, is a blessing to the industry.

Much as many would think she has gone into oblivion, Azeezat, who loves  awe-inspiring hairstyles, is busy working on some songs and she has also found love in other areas of endeavour such as tourism, fashion, acting, publishing, event hosting, and  packaging amongst others. Azeezat is the publisher of a specialized magazine; Hair'volution, which reports the hair industry.

Adeyemi Matthew had a chat with the music queen of our hearts recently and she revealed what her fans have been yearning to hear from her.

It was an exclusive discussion with the gifted musician, who declared that she is not moved by the level of competition in the industry.

Why have you been absent from the music scene all these while

I have been around. I had to go into other things. I needed to refresh my talent and passion. I'm always grateful to God everyday.

What have you been doing since the time you released your last album

I was into tourism. Then about two years back, I went into publishing. I publish a magazine called; Hair'volution Magazine. It's for the hair industry.

Would you say the competition in the industry is affecting you

Competition is highly productive. It always a challenge for you to work harder at bringing out what's inside you, so why will it be affecting me. It can only affect me positively because anyone that knows me knows that I have all it takes to excel in the music industry worldwide. Its just that for everything in life there is time and season.

What should your fans be expecting from you

I'm working on a new album, new songs with different collabos with some big wigs and others. We've already started by re-introducing the song; 'Ife' in celebration of love. There's no one that has listened to the song or watched the video that has ever said anything negative about it. It's a sure sign that I'm not planning to disappoint my fans, God willing.

How would you describe the kind of music you do

I call my music; rhythm & soul, even though music in recent times has defied boundaries.

Apart from music, what other things do you do

I'm into tourism, fashion, acting, publishing, event hosting, and packaging amongst others.

What inspires the songs you write

My songs are inspired by life experiences. I always like songs my fans can honestly identify with, relate to...

With the kind of music you do, do you think it would be easy for you to be amongst the A-list artistes in Nigeria

I think this question should be left to my fans to answer.

Many have been complaining about piracy, how can the problem be solved

Piracy can be combated by appealing to the consumers to stop the patronage of pirated works.

How do you think unity can be achieved in the industry

In my own opinion, there is unity in the industry except for what PMAN is doing and I believe time will take care of that. Don't forget that it happened with Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), and now it's been resolved to a large extent. That will definitely happen in the music industry.

Do you think the government has a role to play in developing the music and entertainment industries generally

Well, if you mean in the area of dashing out money, no, I don't believe in that, but government can contribute in the area of infrastructure, accessibility to certain government facilities that can enhance productivity and others. For instance, if I want to use a BRT bus for photo shoot, I should be able to get it without too much bureaucracy.

What makes Azeezat different from others

Azeezat is unique because I'm true to myself and my fans. My music is true; my fans appreciate my music and love my awe-inspiring hairstyles. Apart from this, it is only my fans that can say what they see in me.

Do you see the Nigerian music industry making headway despite the harsh economic condition in the country

We Nigerians are born to survive under any circumstance. When the global meltdown came in 2008, Nigerians had one of the best Christmas celebrations ever, while Americans were going hungry and committing suicide. And when it hit us the next year, we still quickly adjusted. So, we're born to survive. Don't you see that upon the recent crisis in the country, artistes are still doing new music, videos and so on.

Do you hope to get your share from President Goodluck Jonathan's $200 million dollars grant to the entertainment industry

Not at all.

How commercial is your music in Nigeria because your music tends not to be so common in this part of the world

Hmnnn. What really matters to me is that I'm doing something fulfilling and the people I'm doing it for, that is, my fans appreciate what I'm doing. I'm grateful to God for that. It's because of my fans know I'm still here and I appreciate them too.

February 04, 2012