{"id":96981,"date":"2022-01-18T12:38:02","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T11:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/?p=96981"},"modified":"2022-01-18T15:06:37","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T14:06:37","slug":"wande-coal-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wande-coal-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"The allure of being Wande Coal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe, popularly known as Wande Coal, is critically acclaimed for setting the tone of contemporary Nigerian music with his debut album, <em>Mushin to Mohits,<\/em> released in 2009. The project would catapult Wande Coal to one of Nigeria\u2019s biggest pop stars, spawning smash hits like \u201cOlolufe\u201d, \u201cBumper to Bumper\u201d, \u201cYou Bad\u201d among others. The singer remains one of the biggest winners in the history of Headies &#8211; Nigeria\u2019s biggest music awards &#8211; in a single night, winning five categories including the highly-coveted Best New Artist also known as <em>Next Rated<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over a decade later, Wande Coal keeps proving his mettle. In 2018, he was crowned Best African Contemporary Artist for \u201cIskaba\u201d and has since maintained the streak with giant hits like \u201cSo Mi So\u201d, \u201cAgain\u201d and most recently \u201cCome My Way\u201d, the Amapiano-leaning number that soundtracked the just-concluded \u2018detty December\u2019 rave in Nigeria. According to him, \u201c<em>I wanted to inspire people with my journey of being nothing to now becoming something<\/em>\u201d. The forthcoming remix features <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/davido\/?_per_page=17\">Davido<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wande Coal\u2019s career took off in 2006 after signing to the now-defunct Mo\u2019 Hits Records helmed by <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/don-jazzy\/?_per_page=17\">Don Jazzy<\/a> and D\u2019Banj. He was also a founding member of Mavin Records before exiting to float his own label, Black Diamond Entertainment where he\u2019s looking to groom and launch a new crop of artists. \u201c<em>I remember coming from the streets of Mushin where everything is rough and you get inspired by situations that you go through. I know there are a lot of talented artists out there with similar experiences who can also deliver magic to the world<\/em>\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coal is gearing up for the release of his third studio album, six years after <em>Wanted<\/em>. The singer, in high spirits, likens the project to an update in a professor\u2019s curriculum for people to draw inspiration, having experienced different things over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Wande Coal - Come My Way (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w7pqX9MDgPQ?feature=oembed&#038;autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Wande Coal &#8211; Come My Way (Official Video)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Before anything, a Wande Coal concert is long overdue.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[Laughs] I\u2019m considering that this year after my album is out. It\u2019ll only make sense to have more music out before a concert. The last one was in 2018 and it sold out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Congratulations on the success of <\/strong><strong><em>Come My Way<\/em><\/strong><strong>. The record makes such a bold statement. What were you going for while making it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wanted to send a message and as you\u2019ll have it, the record touches on different things. It expresses gratitude to God for all he\u2019s done for me, while explaining how negative people would not want you to get to where you really want to be. I also wanted to inspire people with my journey of being nothing to now becoming something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Especially with a classic project like <\/strong><strong><em>Mushin to Mohits<\/em><\/strong><strong>. How do you feel about making such art, now twelve years down the line?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Honestly, that album makes me very proud of myself because it depicted my journey from my past to where I\u2019m presently at. I feel like the greatest when people call it a classic. I\u2019d also give props to Don Jazzy for producing those records. It was magical and spiritual for me because it&#8217;s my debut and it&#8217;s able to set such standards of vocals, delivery, melodies that\u2019s still referenced till this day. I see a lot of people taking different stuff from the album and refining it to make their own record, and it&#8217;s working. My goal is to not just work but also support other artists by creating, writing with them etc. No man is an island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Safe to say it meets expectations of yourself and the team while making it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quite frankly, Don Jazzy and I probably knew it\u2019ll stand the test of time. You know, Don Jazzy is something else. Asides being a phenomenal producer, he\u2019s a damn good writer and more. It&#8217;s like two good heads coming together to do something great. I\u2019m glad God put me in that position to be able to deliver what the new generation&#8217;s music would sound like in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Exactly! The likes of Wizkid, Davido, Fireboy have cited you as an influence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Honestly, I\u2019m glad to be able to inspire any talent and sound coming out now. Before coming into the industry, I had this urge to change something with the sound; how people write, approach and deliver music. I feel blessed and humbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Everyone could hear Wande Coal on \u201cPeru\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[Laughs] Interestingly, Shizzi, the producer, has always been my producer &#8211; way before his affiliation with Davido &#8211; and he understands music too well. I can understand Shizzi and <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/fireboy-dml\/?_per_page=17\">Fireboy<\/a> going into the studio and coming out with a banger. If anything, I was prouder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1010\" height=\"1398\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-1-1010x1398.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-96983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-1-1010x1398.jpg 1010w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-1-759x1050.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-1-661x915.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-1-465x644.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-1-375x519.jpg 375w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-1.jpg 1284w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Really, what is it like to be Wande Coal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Being Wande Coal is a lot of stress yet fulfillment.&nbsp; Being cited as an influence to different levels of new generation talents from the <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/wizkid\/?_per_page=17\">Wizkid<\/a>s to the Maleek Berrys, Fireboys is not something that I take for granted. I\u2019m equally happy to support in the way that I can. However, my ultimate fulfillment will be to have hundreds of new generation talents signed to Black Diamond, where I can train them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That would be insane.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Right. It\u2019s high up my bucket list. I would go into the street and find these artists myself because I remember coming from the streets of Mushin where everything is rough and you get inspired by the surroundings and situations that you go through. I know there are a lot of talented artists out there with similar experiences who can also deliver magic to the world. I\u2019m trying to get into that space, look for these artists, sign and make them happy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Your last album was six years ago. What\u2019s the vision like with the forthcoming project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Basically, to change the game still &#8211; in a good way. I\u2019ve pushed myself with this project and people will get to see a different side of me because I decided to do things I\u2019ve never done with my voice, melodies, harmonies, lyrics and message. Trust me, nobody has ever heard the songs I have on this project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can you describe some of the sounds in the album?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For real, I can&#8217;t explain because the sounds are so great, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve done anything like that. It&#8217;s a different record, I\u2019ve never done anything like this in my life and I\u2019m excited about it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Wande Coal - Again (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/67J_MwJIQOs?feature=oembed&#038;autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Wande Coal &#8211; Again (Official Video)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What has the creative process been like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve since worked with the likes Kel-P, Spiritual Vibes, <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/tag\/rexxie\/?_per_page=17\">Rexxie<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/ppriime-the-nigerian-wunderkind\/\">P.Prime<\/a> etc. I also worked with Dunnie. She is the first female producer I\u2019ve worked with in my life &#8211; ever! She produced a masterpiece on the project. I wish I could let my fans hear these records already. We made three major records almost immediately we got into the studio. It was magical. I was shocked because I had never seen a female producer that good. It&#8217;s so crazy that she can also sing. It&#8217;s crazy, honestly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We can\u2019t wait for the tracklist. How does this project compare to the others in your discography?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m confident about this one because I\u2019ve grown over the years. As a professional, I know my sound inspires a lot of people, so this project could be likened to Wande Coal as a professor who\u2019s updating his syllabus. It&#8217;s like constantly trying to update my OS with each release because I expect people to learn different things from it, take whatever they want and use it. That\u2019s how I see music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Being the highly-revered pop star that you are now, would you say anything to a much younger Wande Coal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure. Fame is crazy and a different ball game. You could be normal for a long time and when fame comes into your life, it changes everything and how you relate with people &#8211; family, friends etc. If you allow it, it gets intoxicating, and that\u2019s not how it ought to be, but because you were never popular before then. Now, I\u2019m wary of letting anything get to me because where I came from is always in my head. I\u2019d gone through so much to get here, so I\u2019ll keep working and creating music because if I wasn\u2019t doing that, nobody would know me in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to Wande Coal and his lasting influence in our <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/playlist\/5fzbLUbqLiEvriBPMlLNbf?si=3f3aab0507da4c42\" target=\"_blank\">One Dance<\/a> playlist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"983\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-96984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-2.jpg 983w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-2-759x1029.jpg 759w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-2-661x896.jpg 661w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-2-465x631.jpg 465w, https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Wande-Coal-2-375x509.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1010px) 759px,100vw\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wande Coal runs PAM through his multi decade-long career, from Mushin to Mohits, his lasting influence on Nigerian pop\u2019s newest stars, and his highly anticipated album.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":96985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7833,7835],"tags":[20359,23518],"location":[8172],"yst_prominent_words":[8403,13564],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96981"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/77"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96981"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=96981"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=96981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}