I was in Osun state few days ago and I bumped into someone. I remember the days of his fame in the Nigerian Music Industry, but I didn't understand the situation he was in at that moment .
I asked him if he could share his story with us and he said yes!.
I went to the house of Mr. Olusegun Raphl popularly known as Serap! I had a nice outing. This is his story
The lady muser: Good afternoon Mr. Raphl, how are you doing? This interview is for lady muser blog .I really appreciate you for having us here for this interview. I would like you to answer some questions.
Serap: Welcome to my house. I am glad that you are telling my story today.
Lady muser: How did you venture in the music industry?
Serap: It all started in my final year in university of Benin. A friend of mine, Enoch introduced me to a music producer GRAVITY, he recorded an album for me. The album contained 5 songs and a hit track, popular known as AREWA. The hit track shot me right into fame. Few months later I was partying with the big boys of the music industry.
Lady muser: Was any member of your family into music?
Serap: No! I was the only one; I started in the choir as early as 5 years. I always had a penchant for music
Lady muser: what type of music influenced you in your early days in music?
Serap: Afro beat and Fuji music. I love Nigerian music a lot. People like Tony Allen, Fela ,Lagbaja and others Influenced my music genre.
Lady muser: Did you ever think of taking up music as a career?
Serap: No, my dad always wanted me to be a lawyer. So I was studying law in university of Benin. I always loved music. I would always sing the latest hit song to entertain my classmates . People always gathered to see me sing. I was quiet popular in school. But I never thought of taking up music as a career. My dad won’t even agree to the idea.
Lady muser: So how did your family members respond, when you started your music career?
Serap: All hell broke loose; my dad was furious threatening to disown me. My mum was worried sick that she fell ill. My siblings were happy.... Their brother would be famous. I had the most difficulty with my mum, because we were really close. I needed her approval to start off, but she warned me not to do it. She fell ill, when I didn’t listen to her. Though I cannot say it was related or not, but I have always thought she fell ill because I didn’t listen to her.
Lady muser: How many are you in your family?
Serap: I am the first son, in a family of 5.2 siblings then my mom and dad.
Lady muser: What was it like being famous?
Serap: It was the best thing that ever happened to me! I had everything I wanted; there was money, and the girls. At such age I felt what it was like living in the spot light indeed I must say it was awesome. The shows I attended. Once I hit the stage , everyone screams . I was like the coolest kid on block. I performed on stages with celebrities I never thought of meeting.
Lady muser: What about school?
Serap: I quit school, despite my friends saying it was my final year I should complete it. My manger was saying if I wanted to stay in the industry, I should concentrate on my music .Well there was no way of me doing both I had to quit one, so I quit school. I had the long eulogy of all the persons that quit school or never completed their education but were rolling in money. So the facts clearly stated that education was indispensable.
Lady muser: After your first hit song what happened next?
Serap: I spent the better part of my time recording my next album. When I wasn’t recording I was partying. I partied a lot; well my manger said it was good for business. Most of the girls all over during the party I never knew them. Funny enough, anytime there was a party they showed up, all dressed up. Indeed there was always a party going on
Lady muser: About the girls, was there any girl in your life before you became famous?
Serap: yes! There was. Her name was Rachel. We met in our first year in the university. She was the kindest and most beautiful girl I ever knew. She was always there for me throughout my days in school. She was one of the brilliant students in the class; well I was an average student. So she actually made me a better person. We were friends in our first and second year, then in our third year we started dating.
Lady muser: So what happened to her?
Serap: When I told her I was going into music. She didn’t like the idea initially, but she supported me when I said it was what I wanted. When she heard I was quitting school for music. She literally begged me .I can remember when she made our academic adviser invite me to his office. No matter what he said, my mind was already made up. Music was quick money and why do we go to school—if it’s not to make money. When I became famous we broke up. I exactly can’t say why, but I was pissed when she began questioning my life style as a musician . I called it quits blaming her that she can’t keep up with my fame.
Lady muser: So your second album was a hit?
Serap: Unfortunately No! My supposed hit track failed me, when it was released. People didn’t respond to it, and then I released the full album, but nothing again. The money realized from the first album was used in the promotion of the second album , still nothing happened.
Lady muser: What happened next?
Serap: what happened next was unbelievable. The manager said he was dropping me from the Record label. I told him I would work harder; he insisted that there were some many artists out there that my time was up! The parties stopped, the girls vanished. It was then I realized the house I was living in lekki was on rentage. The rent was due the following month. My fifteen minutes of shame has ended and I was left with nothing but a measly #50,000 in my account.
Lady muser: That must have been hard?
Serap: It was harder than you can think of! Imagine being at the highest peck of your life and all of a sudden, you are in the gutters. With nothing, but just the clothes on your back?! . I was devastated!!! I wallowed in self pity. I didn’t know what to do. I was so confused; the worst is I had no one to talk to. I had cut off my friends during my fifteen minutes of fame. I had wasted two years of my life. I had decisions to make but I decided to run from it.
I moved back to the mainland, I rented an apartment. I decided to work on my music, maybe if I tried harder I would become better and I might still return to the spotlight I was in. But there were always distractions. Instead of concentrating to be better I got a gig to perform with a life band at a popular restaurant in my neighborhood.
Maybe I was back on track, was my thoughts. Few months later, my house of cards fell, the owner of the restaurant got another person. So literally I was fired. As I was heading back home that Friday night my younger brother called , my mother had passed away the previous night. I had no choice, I headed back home. Did I tell you I never spoke to my mummy for over a year, well not that she did not call, but I always avoided her calls.
Lady muser: How did your dad take it when you got back?
Serap: The only thing he said to me, when I got back was "You killed your mother" He was adding salt to the injury, like I didn’t know that fact already. My siblings were going on about, how they were going to move to Lagos with me, and when I told them I lost everything. My younger brother went mad. I remember his words vividly “you quit school, mom died, then you lost everything” I don’t understand you. It dawned on me, how much I had lost, how much I had caused my family pain. How I did everything wrong. My dad never spoke to me again, when my sister talked to him on my behalf he threatened to disown me if my name was ever mentioned in his house.
Lady muser: So your dad never forgave you?
Serap: My dad was a short tempered man. He was much disciplined. He always taught us what was right and wrong, and strongly advised us not to bring the family name to shame. One cold Saturday day morning my dad, woke me up with a cold bucket of water and pulled my by the ears to our parlour.
What happened? He asked, with eyes bulging out of his sockets Now I understood it meant start talking. I started right from the very beginning and narrated my encounter with fame. It was the very first time I ever told someone what happened to me. He didn’t interrupt as he listened to me. When I concluded my story. He said “so what now”? …
My dad has always been known for his few words. I don’t know sir! What? You don’t even act like my son, he sighed and left me sitting in the parlour moping into the thin air. In the afternoon my dad left the house and came back around 2 , he called I and my siblings to the parlour. He said he had a letter from my mother to me. But I must promise to take care of my siblings should anything happen to him. What was he talking about now?
I have heard stories of how my dad knew my mom right from when she was born, he was her baby sitter while she was a baby. They have known each other for a lifetime and have never stayed apart .now my mum has passed away, I wasn’t about to lose him too. I begged for forgiveness in every way I thought possible. It was as though my apology fell on deaf ears. There was a store my mum started before she died.
My dad withdrew all their retirement saving and gave to me. They were civil servants and indeed the retirement was huge. When he handed me the cheque, I thought he was going insane. He warned me that both of my siblings must complete their university before I got married. I made strange promises to my dad on that particular day.
Lady muser: What happened to your dad?
Serap: He died the next day. I was devastated. We buried him right beside my mother because they never grew apart. It was exactly two weeks after my mom died.
Lady user: what did you do next?
Serap: Even though I mourned my parents, I had a purpose . I was going to take care of my siblings at all cost. I wasn’t going to disappoint them anymore. So I invested the money my dad gave to me in the store business.
Lady muser: where are your siblings now?
Serap: my younger brother (Tobi ) is studying Civil Engineering at University of Port Harcourt and my baby sister (ferami )sat for JAMB this year.
Lady muser: What if your brother decides to enter the music industry?
Serap: Though I will not like the idea but he must graduate from the university before thinking of that
Lady muser: if you were to turn back the hands of time, what would you do differently?
Serap: indeed I did everything wrong.There is no grantee that I would be successful in the life if i finished school or if i ventured into music. But I definitely won’t lose as much as I have lost today, if i did the right thing.
Lady muser: What have you learnt from your experience?
Serap:
- Pride goes before a fall: the person that said that wasn’t joking at all when he said it.
- NO Matter what you do or where you are family is most important; even when they don’t support your idea. You must never give up on family.
- You will definitely be alone at the top True friends are not found when you are at the top.
- Money grows when there is abundance, flees in lack.
- Money can’t buy you happiness(just joking).
- There are more important things in life. Don’t short change the most important things for 15 minutes of fame. Follow your dream, don’t give up.
- Surround yourself with people that motivate you, and make you a better person.
- Always be grateful to God for where you are, no one knows tomorrow except him.
Lady muser: Thank you! For sharing your story with us, I pray God will keep on encouraging you
Serap: You are welcome. I am glad anytime I share my story, I believe it touches someone out there.
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