5th December, 2014
The year 2014 has been an outstanding one for Afro-pop singer, Sean Tizzle. With number of hits and awards to boot, the singer seems not ready to slow down in 2015. In this interview with Motunrayo Idris, Sean Tizzle, born Moriahanfe Oluwaseun Oluwabamidele Olanrewaju, shares his story
How would you described yourself outside the Sean Tizzle image?
I am just a regular kind of dude. Truthfully, I am human and I try to be as normal as I can. I am me, and really nothing has changed.
How long have you been singing as a professional?
Professionally, I have been in the music industry for five years. But before then, I had been in the industry for some time. I used to be in a group of three as a rapper, myself, my cousin and a friend of mine and we recorded a couple of songs but none of those songs were released. Then, we were trying to grow but along the line, issues cropped up and we parted ways. As the saying goes, ‘Twenty children cannot be together for 20 years’. After we broke up, I decided to go solo and had my first record deal in 2009.
If you had continued with rap, do you think you would have been where you are today?
Definitely, I woul have been where I am even though I am not God. It is God’s doing that I am where I am today. I just fell in love with singing along the line and I am doing great to His glory. Rap has been well embraced in Nigeria, that’s why we could have people like M.I., Ice Prince, Olamide and Phyno doing better than some of the singers.
How have you been managing fame?
I try to be me every time. There is no need to allow fame get into your head because I know where I am coming from. I always stay conscious of the fact that it was people around me, including my fans, that made me what I am today and I will not like to abuse that privilege.
How did you come about the name Sean Tizzle?
It’s a funkified extract of my real name, Oluwaseun. I am known and called Seun, so I turned it to Sean and the Tizzle is just for effizy so the Sean won’t be alone.
What was going on in your mind when you were recording the hit song, ‘Shole’?
My expectation was to blow and achieve success with that song. Of course, at some point, I got thinking and was asking myself if I had done a song good enough to meet my expectations. I put my hope in God and was lucky to have had a good team supporting me. So, I feel there was no cause for alarm. Today, I can raise my head up and thank God. I really appreciate my fans because they have really supported and encouraged me.
What was the inspiration for the song?
To be honest, I didn’t really think much about the song because I was just making beats and trying to sound nice when the lyrics occurred to me. I worked on it and to my surprise, it became a hit.
How do you feel when you hear people tell you that you have striking semblance with Davido?
I feel good at least I am being associated with a successful person.
If not music, what would you be doing?
If not music, I would have been an actor. I studied Threatre Arts at the University of Ibadan. So if I wasn’t a musician, I will be in Nollywood as an actor.
You titled your album ‘The Journey’. Why that title?
I took into consideration where I started from, the struggle, the challenges and the defeat. I weighed how everything has been. The awards that I have received, and those I am yet to receive.
Many of your colleagues are having babies and mostly out of wedlock. Do you have any and what can you say about that?
We are all human and sometimes, some things are not planned for. It can happen to anybody and I am not an exception. Even though I don’t have any now, it is no big deal. Having a baby out of wedlock is not a crime and every child is a gift. People just talk more when it concerns us as artistes because we are celebrities. We don’t have any personal life. This is what any normal guy can do it but because we are entertainers, people attach so much importance to it.