A lot of people think that fame has altered your
personality. Is this true?
People have the right to believe whatever they want to.
There is nobody in this world that would attain this level of
success and fame, and remain the same. My life has
changed and I am not going to tell you otherwise. I am not
Iyanya of eight years ago; I am more exposed and have
more fans. You can’t compare the pressure that was on
me in 2008 to the pressure on me now. For me to even
have this level of sanity, I believe it is God’s grace and
people should pray and support me instead of
saying I have changed. You see me wearing nice suits but
if I give a fan my life to live for a week, not everybody will
agree to continue after a few days.
Why do you think so?
There is a lot of money but it comes with a lot of pressure.
Imagine waking up to people being rude to you on social
media. You wake up to curses because you tweeted that
God just blessed you with a car, for instance.
But you show off on social media…
Sincerely, I don’t show off. Anybody that thinks I show off
is suffering from inferiority complex. The only people that
think I show off are those people that think they could be
me or people who wish they could be close to me but
can’t be. Maybe they like me too much and don’t want to
agree they like me that much. These same people spend
hours admiring the posts I put up.
What is the reason for putting up some of those pictures
on Instagram and Twitter?
That is what social media is for. It is only in Nigeria that
people have a problem with you posting pictures. While you
are complaining that I am posting too many pictures, a
true fan is admiring same and considers me as a mentor.
Believe me, a lot of people think they know me, but they
don’t.
Who is Iyanya?
I am just me and I still have the same friends; those that
have stayed with me and those that unfortunately have
gone. Mind you, I did not chase any of them away.
Some of your fans think you are less humble than you
were eight years ago.
Tell them to come and say it to my face and I will ask
them if they have ever had a one-one-one like this with me
or they just heard or read it somewhere.
Are you saying you are grossly misunderstood?
There is something about a guy that never used to wear
nice suits and all of a sudden, he wears the best suits. The
person has moved to another level and what you are
supposed to do is support the person and not attempt to
bring him down.
From your experience, are fame and wealth
intoxicating?
Yes, they are intoxicating. Everything we have today has a
way of affecting our behaviour or psyche. It now depends
on the grace and maturity to manage yourself. If you wake
up one day and realise that when you drive on the streets,
people acknowledge you, you will think you are a god if you
allow it get to your head. I don’t have a problem with
people thinking I have changed because I am one guy who
does not get carried away by all I have achieved. I believe
there is more to achieve.
How do you handle the pressure that comes with being
in the limelight?
It’s not easy. I just try to manage these things but there
are times I feel like cursing people. They should understand
I am human too; I was in a show one day when a caller
said I used my family for rituals to enable me get to where
I am. The blogs did not see that but if I replied the guy and
said ‘God punish you,’ the blogs will say Iyanya cursed his
fan. Because you see me on television does not mean I
don’t have feelings or I don’t have my own problems. I am
not different from the guy next door; I still wash my briefs.
You have made money…
I don’t understand all this talk about money. I just started
making money. When I make money, you won’t need to
ask me if I have made money. Can you ask Jay Z or Swiss
Beatz if they have made money? When you see me, you
will know I have made money. Right now, you are seeing a
potential money-maker.
A lot of women see you as a sex symbol. Is this
deliberate on your part?
It is not deliberate; it is just me trying to keep fit and I
have seen that it helps boost my fan base. I am consistent
with my exercises and I try to work out often. It’s not
necessarily for the ladies.
As a successful artiste, do you still have role models?
I look up to a lot of people and listen to them for
inspiration. Tuface has always been an inspiration. When I
discuss the things people say about me with him, he gives
me hope.
What kind of woman do you want to settle down with?
A good woman is a good woman. You can’t just sit and
say this is the kind of woman I want. Some people think
the best place to get a girl is in the church; meanwhile,
you can get the wrong girl in the right place. Sometimes, I
am worried about getting the right woman to marry
because of my status. I have had one or two women come
into my life and act like they are something. The safest
thing to do is marry someone you have known before you
became a star.
After Yvonne Nelson, would you date a celebrity in the
future?
Yvonne Nelson is an amazing person, but I would never
ever in my life date or have anything to do with a female
star. I am not cut out for that kind of drama.
Is Iyanya romantic?
I don’t know about that. Why don’t you date me and find
out.
No comments:
Post a Comment