Mavin Records artiste, Dr. Sid, tells JAYNE AUGOYE about his recent projects
Popular Afro hip-hop singer, Dr. Sid
(real name is Sidney Esiri), looked quite smart in a pair of red leather
Versace sneakers when our correspondent approached him for an interview
at a location in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The word ‘Surulere’ – a slang word of
sorts borrowed from Yoruba – and the title of his latest hit song was
boldly inscribed on the black T-shirt he had on.
The word is also an indication that Dr.
Sid, who actually cut his teeth as a back-up vocalist for Da Trybe
Records, has indeed come a long way on the music scene.
A dental surgeon by training and the son
of the late actor, Justus Esiri, the singer’s foray into music began 10
years ago when he was an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan.
Later, after he was signed on to Mo’ Hits Records, he dropped the singles, Pop Something and Something about You.
By 2011, he had succeeded in attracting the attention of music fans
across Nigeria and then, gone ahead to win the Hip-hop World Revelation
of the Year Award at the Hip-hop World Music Awards.
Dr Sid’s excitement about the future
includes the official release party of his Siduction album – scheduled
to hold on May 9 – and his plan to explore other business
opportunities.
Today, he is an MTN ambassador and the proud owner of a luxury home in in the Lekki area of Lagos, rumoured to be worth N100m.
Unlike some of his peers, who would
rather inflate the cost just to give the impression that they have
‘truly arrived’, Dr. Sid chooses to come out clear on the details of the
property.
“I put a mortgage payment plan in place,
based on the savings I had made four years before I started a career in
music. I am still paying for the house. And by the grace of God, I will
get a second one soon. I pay close to N1m a month and sometimes, more. I
am going to do this for the next 25 years and I am not ashamed to say
it,” he reveals.
Clearly a chip off the old block, the
singer runs a production company. But he says that ever since his father
passed on in 2013, he has been trying to complete his unfinished
projects.
“I have just completed a TV series for
the Ministry of Agriculture. My dad was working on the project before he
died. I had to finish it,” he says.
Despite growing up in the household of
one of Nigeria’s most successful actors, Dr. Sid is just making his
debut in Nollywood. He was cast in Moses Inwang’s latest movie entitled ‘The Last Three Digits’ alongside established actors like Bimbo Manuel and Rachael Oniga.
“I have always told my dad I wanted to
act, but he would tell me not to worry that once he found the right
script, I would come on board. But when he heard I was starring in a
Nollywood movie he felt proud of me. The movie was shot in 2012 before
he died,” he says.
Not one to blow his trumpet, the singer is quick to correct what he sees as a wrong notion.
He says, “I am the son of a man
considered to be one of the most popular actors on TV in the 1980s. So,
all my life I have been in the spotlight for as long as I can remember.
People see me as a celebrity, but I don’t see myself as one. That is one
of the qualities that keep me going.”
Despite his achievements on the music
scene and his growing popularity across the country, the singer claims
that he is sometimes underrated by Nigerian music fans.
He says, “I sometimes feel so. But then,
perception is reality. So if people look at you and don’t see the
goodness in you, it hurts. But I think it is only a matter of time;
things will surely get better.
“A critic will only criticise an album he
doesn’t understand. If you listen to my album and cannot understand the
concept behind its creation, do you criticize, it? If you don’t
understand a song, it is best to ask the artiste to explain instead of
making sweeping assumptions.
On his decision to stick with Mavin
Records since the collapse of Mohits, he says, “I am happy and honoured
to be signed onto Mavin Records. I have a lot of respect for Wande Coal.
He made a brave move and I wish him all the best. But I will not
support anyone bad mouthing the label. With regards to Mavin Records
deal, Don Jazzy has given me the opportunity to leave whenever I want
to, but I won’t leave and start saying something else.”
With his marriage scheduled to take place
in July, the chubby singer is visibly excited to talk about his
fiancée, Simi Osomo. He says that though she is not a celebrity, she
clearly understands the demands of his job and the challenges.
“She understands what she is getting
into. My female fans, respect me and I also feel my relationship
inspires them in different ways. So I guess that from lust and
attraction it has moved to admiration,” he says.
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