I’m an impulsive spender – Rapper, Fwesh Pwince

Nigerian rapper, FWESH PWINCE

Interview with FWESH PWINCE

By Samod Biobaku

Sixthsense34@yahoo.com

There comes a time in a man’s life when he steps out of his cocoon, takes a solid hold of the resources and talent at his disposal and then, after a momentary flash of genuine inspiration, he runs with the wind. Yes! He runs; not with his legs but with the will of his belief and the conviction in his heart.

At a very subliminal level, he bonds with the risks and chains of limitation and the bond glows so brightly within him, he becomes one unstoppable entity; spurred not just by his passion and divine grace but equally by what many have termed the left hand of God.

Sadly, not many live to experience this moment of intoxication because millions have had their dreams shattered and broken into so many forgotten pieces, they relegate their dreams and aspirations into the halls of unfulfilled memories.

Many have gone but one individual who has sustained the beating pulse of his passion is one of Nigeria’s budding lyrical chefs, IC popularly known as Fwesh Pwince (born Kingsley Chima Irozuru) 

With the flame of inspiration burning through American music star, Snoop Dogg and Nigeria’s Afro Beat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Fwesh Pwince silently vowed to mould himself into a musical brand that would stand the test of time.

In this interview, Fwesh Pwince spoke about his career, his role models and most importantly, what he considers his greatest temptation. 

Excerpts:

We’ve had quite a number of controversies over artistes and their lifestyles especially those of them who appear to spend more than they ear. What should we expect in this regard?

I will hit the nail on the head right there and say ‘No.’ It’s all about composure. The reward you get from music as a Hip Hop artiste is all the good things people see; the flashy cars and all of that. No doubt, the money will come in if you’re a good artiste with God on your side but when that comes in for me, I don’t see you’d see the extravagant lifestyle. I strongly believe in investing. I would invest strongly in my record label, my artistes, my family and by the grace of God, the community.

Let’s talk about girls. How many girlfriends do you have now?

I’m single. I’m serious. You look at me from head toe and assume that this guy must have like 10 in different places but I have zero.

Hope you’re not gay

No. I’m straight. The thing about it is that I should have a girlfriend as I am right now but at a point in time, I tried to talk to someone but eventually, I just decided to focus on music because I realized it would be a distraction for me at the moment. My mum is solidly behind me on this and I wouldn’t want any set backs. I’m not saying girls are set back – No. Please get that clear. A woman always has her own place but at the moment, I’m single.

Tell us about your ideal woman

She should be a girl with charisma. She should be God-fearing and beautiful. She has to be very pretty. She has to be complete in every way. I like them slim.

Favourite colour

Blue

Favourite meal

I like rice and plantain and vegetable on the side but I also like Ise Ewu (Goat Head pepper soup).

Dream ride

My dream ride would be a Bentley – all white; tint.

Dream Trip

Paris. I’ve been there before but I want to go back by myself to relax. I also would mind going to the Bahamas.

Favourite movie star

Female should be Angelina Jolie. The male would be Brad Pitt. He can play any role. His action roles are the ones that truly inspire me. You watch a Bradd Pitt and you come out feeling you can do anything.

Greatest temptation

My greatest temptation is spending. I could go to the mall right now with no intention of buying anything and I then I see something I like. I could be an impulsive spender; that’s when I spend out of the budget. That’s a big temptation for me. However, right now, I’m happy with myself because I’ve started working on it. I thank God we’ve made progress.

Meet I.C

My stage name is IC a. k. a Fwesh Pwince. The name I.C is derived from my full name, which is Kingsley Chima Irozuru. As for the other name, Fwesh Pwince, the name was given to me by a friend with a speech impediment. He was a very close friend of mine here in Nigeria. That was close to 6 years ago. Fwesh Pwince is a rapper and an international artiste presently recording. I’m a student in the University of West Georgia, U. S. A; where I study Business Management. By this time next summer, I should be done with school. I’m an African Hip Hop artiste.

What’s your music story?

I started doing music since I was little. I’ve always been into it. Back then, even when I hear commercials on TV, I always went close to the TV to mime it. Interestingly, my mum always knew I was bound for the entertainment industry. As far as inspiration goes, an artiste that really inspired me would be Snoop Dog from Los Angeles and Fela Anikulapo Kuti here in Nigeria. I was always inspired by the way he talked and sang about things in the government and all that. He was basically about positivity and that’s why I let my fans get a positive message out of my music. That was for Fela, for Snoop Dog, it was his delivery and his style of rap. He always had a conversational touch to his delivery and that was priceless for me. That was what really drew me into his music. His style of music was mellow; no gra gra. It’s very cool and everyone can relate to it. My musical upbringing didn’t have anything to do with the choir. I was not with any kind of choir. However, I was the church kind. I used to go for 6:30 mass; every morning at St. Leo Catholic Church with my mum. She made sure I went to church and I’ve always gone to church. My dad passed away before I was born. He passed away February while I was born in June. My mum is a government relations manager for a Brazilian oil exploratory firm here in Nigeria.

You’d agree with me that the industry has changed a whole lot from what it was about 10 years ago. Now, you even have artistes blowing up cars just for a music video. How far is Fwesh Pwince willing to go? Are you ready to sink money into this thing?

Well, I’m not here to experiment. I’m going in long term. Like I said in my Electronic Press Kit (EPK), I’m going in long term. If they blow a car, I’m ready to blow up a plane. With the support of fans and everybody, we will do what’s right.

Do you play any instrument?

Well, it’s sad that I don’t but I’m a quick learner. I can learn any instrument quick. I used to play the drums when I was in primary school.