That pop star 9ice (Adigun Abolore Akande) musical career is dwindling at the moment is no news.
According to inside source, 9ice’s many controversies may have helped destroy his once upon a time blossoming career.
Recall the stories that made the rounds when 9ice and his erstwhile lover, Toni Payne got enmeshed in a very messy divorce scandal.
This was one divorce/crash marriage story that shook the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Many found it unbelievable that Toni Payne and 9ice could separate.
In 2010, the nation’s entertainment industry witnessed the separation of 9ice and Payne, as the former accused the latter of infidelity among other things.
This, however, was denied by the wife and later both went their different ways, leaving Zion, their only child in the custody of Payne.
After the separation, 9ice had other relationship with an Abuja based big girl,Bukola who delivered a set of twins for him about two years ago, while Payne is yet to remarry.
Another major factor that contributed to his reversal of fortune was his alleged friction with Coded Tunes Boss,ID Cabassa over his(9ice) frustration at having to remain on cue while the ace producer worked on other Coded Tunes squad mates after the success of his Gongo Aso and Tradition album.
The highly revered producer,ID Cabassa confirmed their tiff then.
According to Cabassa;” My relationship with 9ice has not been smooth. I don’t know where me or him got it wrong, but he just stopped talking to everybody in the Coded Tunes family. Four people called me from London that they learnt 9ice gave me # 4million naira and a house….that he left me for someone I trained because I was too busy and was not paying attention to him.
The impression by most people is that I made a lot of money from 9ice, but it’s not true. I didn’t gain anything(financially) from his second album. It was the third album when I was trying to stamp my feet down that our relationship went sour. I was so emotionally battered and betrayed after 9ice turned his back on me.
We might not be able to work together in the studio but I can’t rule out both of us becoming friends again.
It will take God for me to be able to work with 9ice again”.ID Cabassa fumes then.
Not forgetting 9ice’s leaked conversation with controversial rapper, Ruggedman over tales of alleged romance between the rapper and his estranged wife,Toni Payne.And the beef songs that follows afterward.
The main gist now is that, ever since 9ice abandoned his wife Toni Payne and business partner,ID Cabassa;the many controversies that trails him after the unceremonious breakup might have had adverse effect on the talented singer career.
The Alapomeji as he’s fondly called by fans is fast losing his face on the music scene for his inconsistent stage craft.
Is yet to perform at any major concert since the release of his double album,Bashorun Gaa, and Versus.
Of late, fans noticed that whenever is performing at functions, his voice is always coarse and inaudible.
Apart from that, the proverbial lyricist was snubbed by corporate brand, show promoters and organizers. Not even one song from the so called double album was adjudged strong enough to win him an award last year.
Confirming the fact that his many controversies and media may have contributed to his downfall,9ice revealed in an interview he granted a soft sell magazine months back that;
” When I released Tradition, my second album, there were a lot of critics and many negative things that happened to me. A lot of people in the showbiz industry felt because I was having issues in my marriage I was not good enough to have on their show and some thought I was not good enough for their brand.
There were a lot of sabotage and issue.”9ice squealed
He went further to say;” Because of the issue of my separation from Toni Payne and so many other negative reports like 9ice impregnating one lady in Abuja and so on, affected my endorsement deal with GLO.
It also affected the sales of Tradition but because the album is good. It survived.
I agreed with your views that I didn’t get much shows and it is because of the negative reports that followed the release of Tradition.
In the days of Gongo Aso there were no issues” 9ice divulged then.
To wrap things up, my candid advice to 9ice is retrace your foot step and seek for forgiveness from those people you have hurt and caused pain i.e Toni Payne,ID Cabassa,and Ruggedman.
Why I said 9ice should seek for forgiveness is because when he released the controversial song “Once Bitten Twice Shy” from his Tradition album, many people inundated that the song is referring to Toni Payne and Rugged man but 9ice knew that the song is just an imaginary story but he kept mum till the whole thing get messy.
If not for ID Cabassa that clears the air then, stating categorically that the song is just a ruse, people till today we still have perceive Toni Payne as a cheap slut.
According to ID Cabassa then, he said; ” Without mincing words, I can only say what I know.9ice wasn’t referring to his wife(Toni Payne) in the song and the mistake he made was his inability to come out to clear the air.
On the day we recorded the song in his house, his wife was around to cook for us, although they had not wedded at that time. If people value dignity and truth, then you won’t allow a rumour to hurt people around you, though is making your album to sell.
Although Rugged man took it a bit too far, he was left with no choice because the person involved wasn’t helping the situation.
The song we are talking about is just an imaginary story which musicians use to enrich their lyrics.
Although 9ice will be the last person to admit this, having worked with him this long, I can sufficiently tell what he can do” Cabassa revealed
My final words for 9ice, I believe so much in this Chinese proverb that says “No matter how you have gone in the wrong direction, as soon as you know, turn back.
On the last note, stop this craze of double album, focus more on just a single album and put in your best; and I bet you, sky is your stepping stone to the limit.
A word they say is enough for the wise.
