Lagos State based hip-hop, dancehall artiste and music producer, Christopher Onyeahialam aka King Salvage, has been in the music industry since 1999, releasing his first album ‘Where una de’ in 2003. He is among the flock of Imo State born artistes making a living with music a long way from home who are not really known at home because they have spent the better part of their lives outside the state.
Chinedu Hardy Nwadike recently spoke with the Mbaise born artiste during one of his trips back home. He spoke on his personality, music, and dreams.
Your Genre
My genre is something different from what others do. I call it ‘hip-life’. It is a fusion of hip-hop, highlife and dancehall. It took me time to arrive at it, and I believe that the hard work will surely pay off someday.
How far have you gone with hip-life?
It has taken me to Ghana, and around Nigeria for now. It hasn’t been easy but so far, it has been good.
Current work
For now, I am promoting ‘wangololo’ a song I did with Oritse Femi. The video will be out soon, but for now, I’m trying to take the song around the country.
Music to you
To me, music should come from the history of mankind, it should have something to do with one’s environment as well as the person’s experiences in live. In that case music is life to me.
Your lyrics
I don’t use vulgar words in my lyrics, I don’t talk about sex or say words that encourage that. In my song ‘Palm wine tapper’, I was a message to the leaders to give us the basic things we need to survive in the country. It was also a message to everyone withholding things that will eventually change the lives of others. The palm wine tapper is a perfect person, he never fails to see that there is good wine on the table of his customers. I used that song to tell our leaders and every other person that it concerns to emulate the palm wine tapper to see that we have a better Nigeria.
Before the government acts, have you done anything to help?
I’m a musician and it is something big in the country. When you do something for people, the next thing they show is appreciation and I have seen a lot of that.
A lot of people have commended me on the kind of music I do, telling me how much they love the songs. If haven’t done it well, I don’t think anyone would be commending me.
I speak for the voiceless with my music, and I still make people happy when other things have failed.
Your inspiration
It shouldn’t have another source apart from God. God is the owner of music, and He gives it to everyone the way He feels. Whatever I come up with as music anytime has come from God.
Fame and the ladies
There is no way you can take it away, I travel a lot and each time I go to a place that is not where I’m based, someone always wants to meet me. I have plenty of them as friends on Facebook, Twitter and on Blackberry Messenger.
So many girls love me, but I love only few of them.
Even though I manage this very well, I still feel great about it because there are people who girls don’t come to.
King Salvage relaxing in his studio
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