'Oleku' star, ICE PRINCE confesses: "I INHERITED MY FIRST MILLION"

Ice Prince confesses:

I inherited my first million

By Samod Biobaku

Sixthsense34@yahoo.com

Once upon a time, he walked the streets of Jos armed with only two items; one his God-given ability to deliver melodious lyrics and two, his unshaken belief that one day, he would get the opportunity to show the world the things he was capable of doing – His name is Panshak Zamani prominently known as Ice Price.

Today, the world has seen and heard what he does with words, rhymes and melody and very few would resist or deny his intoxicating brand of music.

Despite being a rapper, Ice Price has still found a way of breaking into territories many never even believed existed. For instance, a majority of Nigerian conservatives had over the years, held the rap genre of music at arms length but today, courtesy Ice prince and his ‘Oleku’ vibes, opinions and changed and so has the perception of many who have witnessed his musical elucidation.

He was once armed with nothing but his dream and a bag of aspirations and challenges but today, Ice Prince has ridden on the burning wheels of his music and the Chocolate City platform to emerge one of Nigeria’s shinning stars.

As his career continues to grow so does his pocket and if you’re one of those who has always wondered how the chocolate-complexioned singer acquired his first million, then this might interest as the rapper revealed this and other interesting details in this interview.

Like many of his kind, music as he remembers it, began with the church choir but after he met the duo of M. I. and Jesse Jags, everything changed. They bonded so much, they began living together.

His participation in the Hennessy Artistry remains a huge part of his career as he had fun, competed with other great minds and won N2.5 million.

When asked if he earned his first million from the Hennessy Artistry, he shakes his head and replies, “No. I got millions when my dad died. My first million came through inheritance. My dad was a policeman. I love the cops and if I had a chance today, I would be a policeman.”

Ironically, the rapper admits that his dad would never have supported his music career and as fate would have it, his dad passed on in 1999. His mum on the other hand, expressed her stand by paying for his first studio sessions.

Just in case you’re already wondering what Ice Prince spends his money on, he easily lets the cat out of the bag when he says, “I spend my money on clothes. When I travel out of the country, I don’t come back with a dime because I end up spending all I earn on clothes. I don’t really wear blings so I spend my money on T-Shirts, jackets and shoes. Sometimes, I would pick up a shoe and wonder where I bought it from. I also spend my money on my family because I have a family back in Jos and I take care of them. I also spend my money giving back to the industry that has put me where I am today. There are times when young artistes seek financial assistance and I do my best to offer a helping hand. I also spend money on fuel to power my generator. It’s not fair because we travel out to places like Kenya where they have constant power supply. Why is the story different here?”

He’s in a relationship at the moment but expressed his preference for keeping details of his relationship off the press radar. As for getting married, he says, “I’m gonna chill and I’m not in a rush to get married. My role model Jay Z married at what age?”

It was interesting that despite his own unique abilities, Ice Prince still holds a fellow Nigerian in a very high esteem and it I didn’t come as a surprise when he revealed the identity of the artiste in question. “2 Face is a god with a small ‘g.’”

As far as collaborations go, Ice Prince appears to have an incurable addiction to the Abaga brothers; M.I and Jesse Jags and he explains why. “No matter how many times we’ve worked together, I’m always ecstatic about it.”

Of course, like most celebrity acts, Ice Prince has equally had his good and bad days and he shared his experiences. “I’m way ahead of my peers and it’s wonderful. On the flip side, I’ve been to shows where nobody cares about you. I’ve been introduced on stage and the crowd did not clap or sheer me. They were staring at me. I was once bounced from an embassy because they didn’t know who Ice Prince was. There have been ups and downs. I’ve had to carry speakers for an event. I’ve had to pay for performances before. I couldn’t believe it myself because it was one of the biggest music bodies in Nigeria and they made me pay a fee of N1, 000 to perform at a show in Jos. They sent us letters saying we have been billed to perform adding that we were expected to pay a fee of N1, 000 to be at the show. This was in 2005.”

Just in case you’re one of those still trying to run a ‘lab’ test on his musical dexterity, save yourself the effort by breezing through his hit single, ‘Oleku’ Featuring Brymo as well as the countless collaborations he has been involved in. The list includes Jesse Jags, M.I., Kenny Saint Brown (KSB), Ruggedman, Kel, Djinee, MoCheddah, Whizkid, Banky W, Eldee, Tha Suspect, Sound Sultan and so many others.