Beautiful African women inspired my ‘Sisi Eko’— Subzilla

Subzilla has been buzzing in the streets of Lagos since he dropped his “Sisi Eko” tune in last quarter of 2015. He’s arguably one of the next big artists in hiphop as more people around the world continue to embrace Nigerian music. In this interview the budding Star- Subzilla speaks about his life before and after “Sisi Eko” fame, his style of music and his views on other issues in the entertainment industry.

Who is Subzilla and tell us how you started music?

My real name is Boboye Emmanuel Bodunde, I hail from Ondo state, Ifedore local government area to be precise and I am from a family of five. I started music at a very tender age. I used to listen to the likes of Tuface Idibia; Orlando Owoh; King Sunny Ade; Salawa Abeni and some foreign artists. So with that, I gradually developed myself but I kicked off professionally in 2013 when I dropped my first official single titled “NGHELU”.

How were you discovered by UK based Lams Records? 

Lams Records is a family record label/business owned by my brother who has been supporting me from day one.

Describe your style of music and what makes your brand different from others

I do Afro-pop music with a fusion of fuji music. I’m also a versatile artist by nature, inspired by the beat and the environment I find myself. If you listen to my sound you will know it’s definitely different.

You released ‘Sisi Eko’ last year and the remix featuring Tekno and Reminisce earlier this year, what inspired the song and why did you do a remix? 

I thank God for making the original “Sisi Eko” a hit song which was inspired by the well endowed beautiful African women out there. It’s more like a studio freestyle but I always try to make sense whenever I am recording even though it’s a freestyle because I always want my song to be meaningful. As for the remix, although fans tweeted suggesting a lot of artistes to me but I decided to work with Tekno and Reminisce because of their originality and street credibility.

What does it feel like working with Tekno and Reminisce on a song? 

Like I said earlier it was wonderful working with them, the chemistry was good and they have been very supportive.

What have been your challenges so far in the music industry? 

Life itself is a challenge and everybody knows that music is very challenging because it requires a lot of money, time and hardwork to become an A-List artist. Now I thank God because everything is working as planned with my record label Lams Records. My management team and I are getting there by God’s grace.

What’s the meaning of Subzilla and why did you choose it as your stage name? 

Initially, I was called Zilla which means being different because I always try to be unique in everything I do. My friends used to hail me back then like “what’s up Zilla or Sup Zilla” and it sounded cool so I accepted the tag SUP but I changed it to SUB on my songs to make it SUBZILLA because it sounds cool to me than SUP.

How did it feel winning Gbedu Awards street-next-rated artist of the year 2016? 

It feels great and encouraging because I never saw it coming. I thank God for everything and shout out to Gbedu awards for the honour and for recognising me.

Who are your role models locally and internationally? 

Locally, I respect 2baba, Don Jazzy, D’banj and P-Square. Internationally I Love Pharrel Williams, Jay-Z, Trey Songs and Lil Wayne.

What is your view about piracy and the feud among artists in the music industry? 

I believe the Nigerian government is working strongly on how to eradicate piracy and I believe with the help of God it will definitely come to pass. Concerning the feud, I believe devil is at work but I pray for peace.

Any message for your fans out there? 

I would like to say thanks to all my fans for supporting me because without them there’s no me and they should expect more good songs and videos from me. I will always keep it coming and I will never disappoint them. Just watch out and keep supporting your boy SUBZILLA. God Bless you guys.