Fast rising Afro-pop artiste, Ekene Ijemba, popularly known as ‘Humblesmith’ recently released a new single featuring 2nite entertainment act, Flavour. In this chat with Showtime Celebrity, the Osinachi crooner makes shocking revelations about his family background, childhood, music career, and the music industry.
Journey so far
I was born and brought up in Ebonyi State. Music started for me when I was a kid, it actually runs in the family. My mother is a good singer; she is a chorister in the church, most times she sang at home, likewise other members of my family. Everything my mom does goes with music, at times, if she wants to talk to you she talks with music. All these and more got me inspired.
Also, I usually listened to Bright Chimezie and his contemporaries, so at a point music just became a part of me. I started out as a dancer in 1996; I was part of a group called American Boys, we used to dance, sing and act. After my secondary education, I decided to relocate to Delta State to pursue my music career, my parents refused but I insisted. Though before then, I had done some other things that made them finally support my decision. I partook in the first-ever Star Quest competition, I came second and I won a big flat screen TV. When I got back home with the TV and the crowd that accompanied me, my parents were overjoyed. It was at that point they knew that I was really bent on doing music. So when I insisted I was relocating to Asaba in Delta state, they just had to support me.
Humblesmith
Parental and family support
Parents usually love their kids to pursue a career that people will appreciate. As at that time my parents believed that doing music as a career was for wayward people, but I didn’t let that discourage me. I am from a Catholic background, so they didn’t want anything to distract me from going to church and probably become a priest. My mom wanted me to become a Catholic priest while my dad wanted me to be a footballer because he is a football coach. I had to apply wisdom and diplomacy; I did everything they wanted me to do. I played ball, I served in church. I didn’t do it to please them; I did it just to be sure of what was actually going to work for me. I later discovered that I was born to do music. I used to bring people home to convince my parents to understand that music is what I wanted to do. As time went on, my parents came to terms with it, so they had no choice but to support my choice of career.
Survival after relocating to Delta
After my relocation to Delta State, things were so rough for me. When I was still with my parents, I was known as a moi-moi seller. I and my siblings hawked moi-moi on the streets, that was how my parents were able to train eight children through primary and secondary school. When I first got to Asaba I had to study the environment to understand the terrain and know what works and what doesn’t. I just had to think of a legit way to fend for myself because I had nobody to help me out there. I hustled on the streets of Asaba, I made trending shoes, sandals, slippers, and belts and sold them to students and workers just to make some money to pursue my music career and equally fend for myself. I remembered that when I was in secondary school, I was the drama director, so I formed a drama group, wrote scripts that portrayed current happenings in the society. I would then go to discuss with the principal of various secondary schools to allow us stage our play for students to watch after paying a small amount of money. I also used to do menial jobs like bricklaying, carrying sand and blocks.
Wherever I see construction work going on, I will go there and beg to work with them for daily pay. Also, if I see a bushy compound I will approach the owner and offer to clear the grasses for an amount of money. I hustled seriously on the streets to survive; it got to a point that I opened a video rental shop in Asaba. I stole and sold my mom’s gold to pay for my first studio session, but I later confessed and apologized to her, promising to buy her more than what I stole in the nearest future.
Education or music?
For now I’m fully into music. I stopped schooling after my secondary school education, but I hope to continue, but that will be after I’ve made a lot of money, financially comfortable and capable of catering for my family. I don’t want to stress my parents anymore, they have done a lot already so let me take it up from where they stopped.
