EntertainmentNigeriaRudeboy Opens Up On The Cause Of PSquare’s Split, Life As A Solo Artiste

Paul Okoye of PSquare, now professionally known as Rudeboy has opened up on the cause of the rift between him and his twin brother, Peter aka Mr P, which led to the music group’s split in 2017, as well as the challenges he faced as a solo artiste.

It is to be recalled that the music group, PSquare, made up of Paul and Peter Okoye, his twin brother, had parted ways in 2017 and the split was said to have followed a disagreement on the role of Jude Okoye, their older brother, as manager.

However, the duo put an end to their years-long bitter feud and found their way back to each other after 5 years as solo acts.

Speaking with Joey Akan, the music journalist, about his controversial split from Peter, Paul, regarded as the creative engine of PSquare, revealed that the split was caused by family issues and not music-related like rumours had it.

“I kept silent. I never said anything. I never said anything, because I knew what the problem was. It was a family issue, and it turned out that PSquare had to pay for it. PSquare was just the sacrifice,” Rudeboy said when asked how he handled the backlash that trailed the group’s break up.

He added that he kept mum about the reason for the split due to his respect for his family.

“It was a family issue, it had nothing to do with music. And because I respect family so much, I owe nobody any explanation,” Rudeboy said.

He continued, “If it was music, what is there? We’d have written an agreement and said, “Okay. Let’s do this and give it to the fans.” But it’s not music, that’s why it’s difficult. And I’m sorry, till I leave this world, I’ll never open up at any point. It is a promise I gave my mom and I’ll never do that.”

On how the the split affected his music career, he said: “For someone like me, during the period when I was in the group, I didn’t handle my social media myself. I wasn’t into the social media thing, because to me, it was more like a division.

“My own was just to go into the studio, record the songs and get them out, then ask what next. We talk about the video. Next? So, how do we do the next song? I was more like inside the box. My job was to go to the studio and record the song, write to the producer and all.

“That was what I did. So, when I became solo, I needed to understand and study the music industry, because all I knew was to go to the studio and record. Do you expect me to ask myself what was next? Because I never knew what was next then. That’s why it took me that time. I needed to study marketing, and how to relate with the media because then, I wasn’t a spokesman in the group.

“I’m sure everybody is aware of that. I wasn’t speaking. They knew that I only kept quiet, I didn’t talk. So, I needed to just try to fix those loopholes, because otherwise, I’d just have been. And that’s why when I dropped my first single, everybody was like, “Try to do radio stations,” and I was like, “Wetin concern me? Abeg, leave all these ones. Drop single, e go blow.” Actually, it blew o. It worked, but they were telling me not to take that risk. ‘When you release a song, go to the media and announce’. But before I no dey am now? They said, ‘No. Why did you think they would ask you only to dress and go for interviews? It was because somebody was arranging it for you’.

“So, I had to fix all those things and I had to relate with people. It took me time and as I was doing that, I was learning at the same time, and I was releasing the songs and the songs were moving, the numbers were moving. So, I had no choice. The moment I got to that point, I said, ‘It’s about time’.”

When asked what his hit track, “Reason With Me” did to his career as a solo artist, Rudeboy answered: “That was when I got fresh air that I’m back. That’s what that song did to me. That song made me realize who I was before. Let me tell you one thing. You see, what happened even during the breakup psychologically affected me. I forgot who I was. I forgot music was me. But I saw the anger from the fans and it made me totally blind.

“So, while I was releasing singles, I was happy but I wasn’t confident. The music was doing numbers. There’s what they call confidence. Confidence is when you go to a country and you know there’s one song they are waiting for you to perform.

“Each time I released a song, it popped but still, there was no confidence. “Reason With Me” changed everything totally, because let’s be honest, the song didn’t have anything. It was a poor man’s video. No dancing, no shaking of bumbum. Do you understand what I’m saying? But I started realising that I was growing fans. I’m not talking about Instagram fans. I am talking about fans all over the world. You know those subscribing to online music platforms. There was too much. There were a lot of flags and they kept popping up.

“That was the PSquare spirit. So, that was when I was like, Yes. I could go to a stadium and give them the microphone and they’d sing the song from the beginning to the end. That was the breakthrough.”