LAX: I am not Wizkid’s boy
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Fast rising singer, Damilola Afolabi, popularly known as L.A.X, tells Punch about his career
With the release of your hit songs, ‘Ginger’ followed by Open and close, you have succeeded in breaking into the music industry. How were you able to attain such feat in a short career span?
I would attribute my success to God and hard work. I am currently working on a lot of singles and as we speak, I have close to 60 recorded songs, so I will be releasing a lot of songs this year. When I released Ginger, I was in the University of Manchester studying for my Master’s degree; I wasn’t at home to notice that the song was big. It was when I came back that I saw how successful the song was. Now that I am back home, I am more relaxed to do music and my fans should expect nothing but the best from me.
If you have over 60 songs, why have you not released an album?
I should release an album by the last quarter of the year. If my plan works out accordingly, then by God’s grace I will release the album.
How did your millionaire father, Taiwo Afolabi, react when you told him about your music career?
When I started singing, my dad did not know about it. In fact, nobody in my family knew about it. I started singing professionally when I was in the university and at that time, I used my pocket money to do everything that had to do with music especially to shoot videos. One day, my dad saw my video on the television and it wasn’t a very nice experience. He didn’t really like the idea at first but right now, he is really cool about it. I just don’t like the perception I get from people because of my dad. I get uncomfortable when I go to a studio to record a song and people there say things like ‘you have to drop something because your dad is this person.’ I am trying to build my own brand and be my own boss. I am my own man and it is not all about my dad. My dad is cool and he calls whenever he sees me on television to encourage me.
Are you still signed to Wizkid’s record label because not much has been heard from both of you lately?
Of course, I am still signed on Star Boy record label but I am trying to create my own brand. Towards the end of last year when I started dropping my own songs, I realised people began to say things like I am Wizkid’s boy. They were calling me Wizkid’s kid.
Wizkid is an amazing artist and everybody knows that, but I am trying to create my own brand so that people will know LAX for who LAX is. I am not Wizkid’s boy or his kid and that is why we haven’t been working together a lot recently but we have recorded many songs together.
Are you planning to establish your own record label?
I don’t think I will start a record label any time soon because I am trying to float my own company which would be about entertainment but it would definitely not be a record label. I will stay with Star Boy till I open my own company very soon.
Do you have plans of delving into the movie industry like some of your colleagues?
The only time I will act is when I am doing my own movie. It would be a one man movie from the beginning to the end.
But we don’t have such in the industry, how will yours be different?
I will work with SOTEE entertainment so they will make it different.
But have you ever acted before?
Professionally I have not except during drama in primary school.
The industry is blessed with several pretty talented female artists. If you are to pick three, who would they be?
I love all of them.
When do you intend to tie the knot?
My mother once told me to get married by the time I am 25 but seriously, I don’t want to rush into it so that I won’t rush out.
Do you take alcohol to enhance your performance?
I don’t take alcohol, I take water.
Looking at the trend this year, will you say beef between artistes is good for the industry?
I love beef because it is entertainment, but I do not have beef with anybody. I just love seeing it happen because it is interesting.
Assuming you have a beef with a colleague, how will you react?
I am a cool person. Yet again, it depends because sometime I can get angry, but since it hasn’t happened, I doubt I can predict my action.
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