Rap artiste, Jesse Jagz talks about his career
and his exit from Chocolate City
How is life, now that you have exited
Chocolate City?
It has been great. I have had to adjust but it is
good because the same team that was with
me at Chocolate City is the same team with
me now and I have not had to do anything
new. At the same time, it is still a lot of
responsibility and that is why the adjustment
is needed.
There has been a lot of misconception on why
you let your former label…
I spent five years at Chocolate City. I got there
in 2007 and left officially in 2012. Chocolate
City is not my company. I had put in so much
work in my new album and felt it was time for
me to do things for myself. It was not a spur of
the moment decision; it was something I had
thought about over time. The reason why I
probably did not tell anybody was because
sometimes, family might be more concerned
about you taking business risks. The day I
took the decision, I did not tell anyone
including my brother, MI. I produced about
four albums for Chocolate City. I don’t owe
them anything and I don’t know where the
news that my contract had not run out came
from.
Do you have your own label now?
It is not a label in anyway and I am not signing
anybody on. Jagznation is just a business
outfit, where I put out my music.
What’s the state of your relationship with the
boss, Audu Maikori?
There is no fight. We have been talking and
there is no personal war.
Will you continue to produce for Chocolate
City artistes like it was the norm while you
were there?
MI and Ice Prince are my brothers; therefore,
we will always find time to work together.
How about the other artistes?
I am not saying yes, but it is possible. For
every other artiste, they will have to go
through the normal process. If I like the song,
then I will go on it.
Did your exit affect your relationship with MI
who is an executive on the label?
I still saw him last week and at my show I
said, ‘MI I love you but I am at war with
Chocolate City.’ I said this so that people can
understand certain things. Yes, he is my
brother but as an executive of that label, he
must own up to other people and be the same
thing applies to me. What if he was not my
brother? I would still have to do what I did. We
are not shooting Missiles at each other, it’s
just business.
Brymo left Chocolate City soon after you did.
Was that a conspiracy?
Brymo has been my friend before he even got
signed on. He is still my friend but we never
sat down to discuss our plans.
You happened to have moved on pretty well
and have a new album…
It is an African thing for you to stop and praise
yourself but for me and the team, this album is
actually our first album and we are just
starting. The name of the album is ‘Thy nation
comes’ and it has 18 songs.
Did you feature any artistes from your former
label?
I did not because I did not feature any rapper.
I made it a point of duty not to have any
rapper; I wanted to do it myself. Also, since I
had just left, I wanted to put out music for me
only and not involve anybody from that side.
Is it that you feel threatened by them?
I don’t. I was already through with the album
without MI or Ice. The album was done before
I even left Chocolate City.
Do we foresee reconciliation?
I don’t think there needs to be reconciliation.
Instead, the lines of the business just need to
be properly disabled; just the same way they
were put together.
It was rumoured that you were very broke and
held a concert at the African Shrine and not at
some posh venue on the Island?
That is one of the top echelon performance
venues we have in Nigeria. It is a fantastic
performance stage and well set up. Femi,
Fela’s son, plays there weekly. They already
have that tradition for a musician and not an
artiste. I also chose that place for historical
reasons and it’s a way of paying homage to
Fela. Moreover, people on the mainland have
been cut off from music. Most shows take
place on the island. I wanted to do something
for those who don’t have the N5000 or
N10000. It was for them to come and enjoy
good music for free. I can’t be broke and put
up that kind of show.
Your songs are rebellious in nature, is this
reflection of your person?
Aren’t all youths rebellious in some way? All
youths are rebellious to some older person
and I am being youthful. When I am 35, I might
not have this energy again. I am 29 and this is
the time I can correct the government through
my music. I also get criticised.
You rarely socialise. Is this deliberate?
It is deliberate. I have always been that quiet
and introverted person. With the Internet,
television and radio, you are already in the
faces of fans whether you want to be or not. I
am just living as I have always lived. I hate
being put under the pressure of fame;
therefore, I stay at home and make music
which fundamentally is my job.
Do you regret not completing your degree in
law?
No. Though I did not finish, I read a lot and
that was the reason why I left. For some,
school does not help the mind to grow, it
stifles it. For such minds, they need the
freedom to learn more.
Your current physical looks has attracted a lot
of distasteful comments
I don’t even know what they are saying.
Anybody who has known me will tell you I
have always been a skinny boy. I added
weight for a year and people were abusing
me. I took time out to go back to my old
weight and they are saying there is a
problem. I had a weight problem and I was
getting obese. I had a lot of pimples on my
face because of the fat in my body. Losing
weight was something I had to do actively
regardless of what people think.
You have a daughter. Is she taking after you?
My daughter is nine but she schools in Jos. I
see her as often as I can and we have a
relationship. But I don’t like to talk about her. I
want her to have a life. She is taking after me
and featured in several tracks on my latest
album. She is three times better than I am.
Why did you not marry her mother?
We had her when I was 19. At that age, it was
a lot more logical to allow the two of us grow
and have a life instead of being together. We
are still friends but we were too young to
define anything. We can both love this child
individually as opposed to getting married
because we have a child.
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