Culled from Entertainment express
‘It’s my time to take on Nigeria,’ Says New Kid OD Woods
Friday, April 06, 2012Omoba
By Babajide Awoyinfa
Have you ever heard a
song and flipped out wanting to know the artist and the title? Hoping that
you’ll remember it long enough so you can go home and download it as soon as
you can? Well, that’s what it’s like for almost everyone who has heard of O.D
Woods’ debut brand new jam, ‘Go Below’. The singer whose real
name is Ikon Orduen Andrew was born in Makurdi, lived in Jos and moved down to
Lagos in search of fame through music.
With production by Shizzie of Maye Hunta’s
Ekaette, Davido’s ‘Dami Duro’ and Wizkid’s ‘I Love My baby’ fame, ‘Go Below’ is
already promising to be a major hit. Already, it has won an award as
the ‘Best new song of January’ on Beat FM by listeners’ choice. I had a chat with him recently where he talked about his music and
where he is heading. Excerpts:
How did you come about the name OD
Woods?
My name is Ikon Orduen Andrew, I am from
Benue State. The name OD
Woods came from my name. Ikon in Benue means
Woods in English, OD came from Oduwem and I chose to use OD Woods. A
lot of my friends then had problem calling me Oduwem and they started calling
me OD, so I added the English translation of my surname which was Woods, and
came about OD Woods.
How did the struggle begin?
My struggle started way long in my
secondary school in Benue State where I formed a group called Dust Creation. We
were then doing music for fun. My first recording was on a crown tape, we
performed in schools, and then after graduation, I moved from Makurdi to Jos
where I did my university. I studied social work and still continued
my music there in Jos. It got to a particular level in Jos that my
song was all over the radio, and then I decided to move to Lagos because my
musical dream was not something I was going to achieve staying in one
place. So I just kept the hustle going on the street, because I
believed that the more I move, the more momentum I gain and growing better
until I get to the place God has designed for me. So that was why I left Jos to
Lagos.
What was is it like coming to Lagos in
search of a musical dream?
Moving to Lagos was weird for me at
first because people kept asking me who I was and what was I up to? Which was
awkward to me. I was prepared for it though. First of all
I let the music dream lay low and I put my film-making career first. I was
making movies and working. I got a job at Sound City as a programme producer. I
started a movie company with my friends called “Film Boys Inc”, we graduated
from film school together then in Jos, I was working with Sound City and doing
project Film Boys Inc. with my friends. I just needed time to understand Lagos
system. After working for a year in Lagos as a programme producer, I met a
lot of people. I also went for shows; it gave me a better
understanding of people I could meet in case I dropped a song and people I
needed to connect with. I met a lot of people working for Sound City
though. In 2011, my friends Maye Hunter and my manager Bayo now felt
that it was high time I dropped a song because we have taken time to understand
the system. So I called up for Shizzie, Shizzie produced Maye Hunters ‘Ekaette’
song, he produced ‘Dami Duro’ for Davido, he also produced ‘I love my baby’ for
Wizkid. Maye Hunter advised me to call Shizzie. Shizzie came to my house, I
sampled a couple of songs for him, and he picked ‘Go below’. He said
it sounded catchy and groovy. That was how we came out with ‘Go below’. We
produced it, sampled it and pushed it for a lot of people through the internet.
People heard the song and we got good comment on it. January this
year, the song was aired all over radio stations in Lagos and the song also won
an award as the ‘best new song of January’ on Beat Fm by viewer choice. The
programme on Beat Fm is called Fresh beats; they play couple of new songs where
people get to hear and vote for their best song. And my ‘Go Below' song won the
best song for the month of January. I didn’t even know that they were voting on
radio, I was just called that my song had just won the best newcomer song of
the month of January. I was happy to know that people have started liking this
song. It gave me the confidence to keep going. I shot ‘Go Below’
video with my home boys from film school. ‘Go below’ is like the major thing
that a lot of people know me for now, which is my first international single.
What is the concept behind the song ‘Go
Below’?
I have a very funny way of getting my
inspirations and writing my songs. I wrote the song in the bathroom. I do think
and sing in the bathroom a lot. I just thought of a song that I will sing and
the fans will be responding to what I say. I was humming the song at first and
I imagined the harmony and melody, then I put up the words. I listened to that
Lagbaja song long time ago ‘go below, go, go below’ and I felt it worked for my
song.
Who are the artists that influenced you?
Artists influence me without me even
knowing. When I was young, I listened to certain kinds of songs. I
grew up listening to the likes of Lucky Dube, Peter Tosh and Eric Donaldson, I
also loved Jarule back then. Some people who heard my song ‘Go Below’ said I
was doing Jamaican-reggae style. I just don’t know how the Jamaican style
reflected in my song, but I later realised that my subconscious just had
connections with songs I had been listening to while I was growing up. I have
been influenced by a lot of people.
What is your style of music?
My style of music is afro hip-hop, R n
B, with dance hall infused in it. I wish there was a style they call cocktail
style, which allows you to mix every genre. I put every good thing I
listen to my song.
What makes you unique?
I am OD WOODS and there can never be
another me. I try my best not to sound like anybody that I know, even though I
might end up sounding like them subconsciously. My uniqueness is
that God has blessed me with a talent and I use it in my own way. I do my
things my own way.
Any album plans yet?
After my ‘Go below’ song, I want to drop
another single and by the time I drop the third one, plans to release my album
will be ready. But definitely before the year runs out the album making should
be in process by then. I have written almost all my songs at the
moment, recording some and as people like them, I am sure that God will direct
me in the way He wants me to follow concerning my album.
Do you think it is easier to make it
Lagos that any other state in Nigeria?
It is actually harder to blow in Lagos
than in any other place. It is not easy in Lagos, but if you make it
in Lagos you’ve made it in Nigeria. Lagos is like the New York of
America. Lagos is the central that distributes entertainment all over states in
the country. When you get that popularity in Lagos then you are
successful. It is actually hard to make it Lagos. Jos is a smaller town
compared to Lagos; entertainment business is not like major.
What has been the reaction to your ‘Go
below’ song?
I have been getting a lot of good and
also dumb comments. A lot of people at first did not believe me when I said I
wanted to start singing, because when I came to Lagos, I started as a
filmmaker. When I dropped the song ‘Go Below’, people did not believe it was me
that sang that song. Funny enough, a lot of them loved my song. I
got a lot of comment on twitter, Blackberry, facebook, but when people say they
love my song, I feel the need to work harder. I have a lot of fan base now
especially on twitter and facebook because people like my song and comment on
it.
Which artist will you like to work with?
I will like to work with Jesse Jags,
M.I., Tuface, Shank, Maye Hunter. A lot of people. But one thing
about me is that when I have a song, I already know who I am going to need to
work with.
Who will you like to like produce your
song?
I have worked with Shizzie, he produced
‘Go Below,’ Jesse Jags is also someone I will like to work with. I like to work
with a producer that I will be able to relate with and reason together with. I
feel comfortable and glad to work with Shizzie.
Finally, who is OD Woods?
OD Woods is a new artist to reckon with,
I have been chilling for a long time and I guess it is time to take my rightful
position in the entertainment industry in Nigeria, Africa and the world.
Follow me on twitter @odwoods on twitter
and odwoods on facebook
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