CKay tells Pulse about moving to Lagos and 'CKay The First EP'

Just before the interview started, he says, "I feel good. But I haven't been here in a while. You guys (Pulse) and I haven't been best of friends (laughs)."

About two months prior, this writer had written a not-so-good review for his EP, CKay The First. As a creative, he understood the inevitability of that cold shoulder. However, this writer was wrong. A few moments after pleasantries at the lobby, we all got into the studio - the cold shoulder became warm. Jokes were also shared and CKay, the subject of the interview loosened up.

Even when this writer told him, "I liked some tracks on your EP, but I thought it could have been better," the response was a smile. The result was a great interview - a chat that was both unorthodox and fun. CKay proved a good interview that wasn't cagey - words flew out him and so did the stories.

Born Chukwuka Ekwuani, he talked about his upbringing in Kaduna, Nigeria, growing up on music, running to Lagos and his journey to Chocolate City, Who The F*** Is CKay?, CKay The First, his 2020 music and upcoming short film. When you sit down with him, you don't just understand his journey, you'll see how much he loves the music.

When people gesticulate with their hands and their face light up as they discuss music, it's a thing of passion and CKay has it. He's also very honest. It helps that the music comes at a great time in his personal, professional and label life. However, he says he will not have a label for artists, but might have a publishing arm for producers and songwriters.

Chukwuka Ekwuani

A native of Anambra State, he grew up with a music-loving father who is also a Medical Doctor and also a Choir Master of an Anglican Church. Now, he is a producer, singer and songwriter but his first love was singing and he started that as a three-year-old.

"That was like my first experience with creating music from scratch. I would record ideas on a device and sometimes it doesn't sound good, but I was like a guinea pig for myself. "

My learning how to produce was so that I could make my own music. So singing first." He started writing songs when he learned how to play the piano age seven - his dad taught him while playing Anglican hymns.

CKay visits Pulse Nigeria. (Pulse Nigeria) Pulse Nigeria

But quickly, he knew that he wanted to play his own music and not just play other people's music. However, he denies that process being part of a religious rebellion. He still considers gospel music and classical music as pure forms of art, but at that point, he claims that he was "dying to express."

What drives him is a passion to create music that hasn't been created before. He craves the idea that he can timestamp music with his identity. However, he says that he doesn't feel a need to outdo himself. Instead, it's about telling stories on his life at any point.

Moving to Lagos

When he couldn't hold the music back anymore, he packed his bags, bought a plane ticket and landed in Lagos - this was without his parents' knowledge. His entire movement was premised upon faith in his own talent and God.

God works in mysterious ways. At a seminar, he met Audu Maikori and that led to his journey at Chocolate City.

In the attached video, you can watch CKay's interview with Pulse. He talks about moving to Lagos, signing to Chocolate City, Who The F*** Is CKay, CKay The First and so forth;

CKay The First and Making music in Yoruba

On CKay The First, there is a song titled, 'Beeni' and it features Barry Jhay. Somehow, this topic and the topic of femininity brought the best conversation from our chat. On Yoruba he says that, "Yoruba is a very musical language to fit into vibes. Igbo fits into vibes, but it's particular vibes. Yoruba is more flexible and adaptable to different vibes.

"I try to use it, but not in a way to offend Yoruba people (laughs). There was a song I made where I mis-pronounced a line and Yoruba people came for me. My people, I'm not Yoruba, but I like your language and I will like to use it and sing. In case I pronounce any words wrongly, please forgive me."

He says that he's more about communications and expressions than language. He thinks that creativity should be about finding the right language that fits the song. Coincidentally, 'Beeni' was also the hardest song to make on CKay The First.

He had already made the song, but he felt it needed someone deep and emotional. He also felt like the person had to be Yoruba-speaking. His mind went to Barry Jhay, but to get the artist on 'Beeni' proved hard until one night at 11 pm. He went to Barry Jhay's house and the song was made. But that was after going to Dotman's house to get a Sound Card.

DTF

The first track on CKay The First is 'DTF and it's about a one night stand that became a regretful relationship. CKay made the song against the societal construct that makes women want to see 'value' before having sex.

He says, "I feel like we're in a position in society where people want to pursue relationships after one-night stands just so they won't feel cheap. It's mostly - not always - from the female perspective. When some women meet a guy they like and they have sex, they want a relationship. But it's okay to just have sex and it's even better that having a toxic and abusive relationship.

"This is from experience - I was in a very toxic relationship and it ended really bad. Like, really bad. I feel like it's more about the system that birthed and brought women up too. Africa, we are very conservative and above all, religious and very hypocritical. I'm a Christian and I have my beliefs, but this is just me reasoning as a human being.

CKay visits Pulse Nigeria. (Pulse Nigeria) Pulse Nigeria

"However, I feel like love is a big deal during which you totally open up to someone. So, I feel like we should stop conflating love for physical attraction after one or two sessions of sex. If you go there and the other party isn't deserving of you, it ends badly. So I feel women and men should be more honest with themselves.

"If you like someone and you want to sleep with them, then say it. Let's just not go around deceiving people and leaving them scarred for life. Some people don't recover from toxic relationships and it affects their marriages."

Short Film

In 2020, CKay will release a short film about CKay The First. He calls the film an "African extra-terrestrial love story." The cover art for Ckay The First is a part of that story. When you look closely, you see a spaceship and some weird things, but they all have a meaning. CKay was into sci-fi as a kid and has some interesting theories about extra-terrestrial existence and aliens.

CKay releases 'CKay The First.' (Chocolate City/Warner) Pulse Nigeria

He feels, "The universe is too large for humanity to be the only form of life in it. Let's say earth is like a speck of dust and this whole space (the studio) is like the size of the milky way galaxy. The Universe is too big to only be home to earthly life. There's also been like 100,000 UFO sightings between 1980 and 2001.

"So, I feel like these sightings only happen everywhere else asides Africa. So, are you going to tell me that aliens only want everywhere else asides Africa? So what if our African gods were aliens? Then I decided to interpret theory in this film from an African perspective and tell a love story with it."

The film was directed by South African, Makhere Thiesto and shot in Ghana. Ckay wanted to replace the idea of music videos with a short film that ties the eight songs on CKay The First into one great story.

The short film is also about ten minutes long. CKay admits that most people won't understand it, but he feels like he owes it to his creativity and talent to do it.

2020

CKay will drop EP after the short film. But before then, the latter parts of 2019 will see a song titled '11/10' drop. It's a song by LusshBeatz and also features Terri. CKay also have a collaboration with Belgian, Bryan MG.

2020 will also see releases with Joeboy, Peruzzi, Niniola and more.