Eedris Abdulkareem
So
many years ago, Eedris Abdulkareem was the man about town; the artiste
on top. Any concert without him was certainly a ‘no concert.’ His fame
was unrivaled. His songs were like the national anthem. He was loved by
all and even became an Olympic torch bearer.
But at the snap of a finger, Eedris’
fame dwindled and even came down to zero level; nobody wanted to touch
him with a long pole. Since the much talked about fight with America’s
50 Cent during a Star Mega Jamz concert organised by Nigerian Breweries
years ago, Eedris’ name sort of got deleted among the A-list artistes.
But does the young man care about it?
No! He, in fact, told Saturday Beats recently that he doesn’t regret the
fight, claiming it was what revolutionalised the music industry in
Nigeria today.
“I am the reason everybody is getting
paid today. I am the reason everybody is doing great videos. If I didn’t
fight then, everybody would have been treated like dirt.”
But when Saturday Beats reminded him how
he eventually apologised to 50 Cents some time ago, Eedris said, “I am
an Olympic torch bearer. I have made my point. We got to move on with
life. That is what makes me different.”
As much as so many other artistes have
sprung up in Nigeria, making so much money and getting global
recognition, Eedris still feels nobody can take his place.
“My vacancy is still there. Nobody is
singing my kind of songs. They are scared. They cannot wear my shoe
because it is painful. I will always be relevant whether anybody likes
it or not. If what happened to me when former President Obasanjo fought
me because of my song, Nigeria Jagajaga, and the 50 Cent wahala,
had happened to another musician, people would have forgotten about
that person a long time ago. But I am here and I will always be here. It
was God that put me there.
“Who among the new musicians is touching
the lives of people? If you like, join illuminati, have a lot of women
friends and talk about boobs and booty, it doesn’t make sense to me.
What I want to do is to make a mark in people’s lives. I don’t care
about the money they make.”
Probably because of his quest to make a
mark or his genuine love for Nigeria, Eedris has come up with a project,
which he called ‘I am Nigeria,’ aimed at making an impact in the
society.
“It is conceptualised to help address
the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian youths within and outside
Nigeria. With this platform, we hope to challenge public officials and
institutions that are performing below standards.
“When there are opportunities for
employment and empowerment, we will through this platform push qualified
members of ‘I Am Nigeria’ forward. We hope to raise a trust fund with
which to help touch the lives of Nigerian youths and discourage them
from being used as thugs, arsonists and assassins by politicians.”
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