Nigerian rapper Remilekun Abdulkalid Safaru, popularly known as Reminisce, recently shared insights into a challenging chapter from his early career.
In a candid conversation with Zikoko, he recounted a pivotal moment of rejection alongside his colleague, 9ice.
Reminisce revealed that they faced their “first major” setback at a sports radio station on the Island. The radio hosts, upon receiving their demo CDs, delivered harsh feedback.
They advised Reminisce to improve his rap skills by learning from Ruggedman. Meanwhile, 9ice was criticized for his Yoruba-infused singing, with one host likening it to a babalawo (herbalist).
Recalling the discouraging encounter, Reminisce shared, “They said 9ice was singing like Babalawo [native doctor] cos he sings in Yoruba. The other guy told me: ‘why am I rapping like a buffoon, can’t I see Ruggedman?”
He added that the radio station suggested they went back to find something else to do with their lives.
Despite this early setback, Reminisce emphasized the importance of resilience, stating, “That was my first major rejection. I will never forget it, even 9ice, I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten it.”
Watch video:
“My first major rejection was when Brilla FM rejected 9ice and I, they refused to collect our CDs, they said 9ice was singing like Babalawo cos he sings in Yoruba”
– Reminisce
— BASITO (@itzbasito) December 8, 2023
Reacting, netizens dropped the following comments:
OgunnubiD: “A whole 9ice dem say e dey sing like babalawo ”
SoyoufoundRi: “This is not supposed to be funny but it is”
skiboofficial: “This same Brilla… Na wa ooo”
niggalationxxx: “Has Reminisce been that long in the industry? I mean, I grew up listening to 9ice, and reminisce was just couple of years ago.”
adedoyinalimi: “Who’s laughing last now?”
olusak: “If Brilla FM could see 9ice as an epitome of Babalawo then, I wonder how Portable would have been described. They would have just told Portable that they didn’t need an ancestor as a musician.”