MARTIANSHIP coming through – Interview

You may have heard that ‘warri-no-dey-carry-last’ , well this Delta (Nigeria) born gospel artiste  is a living witness to the glory of God. IBK-Spaceship Boy is a music producer, rapper, singer and song-writer with a strong vision to add value to the world through his music.Young people have described IBK’s music as ‘new school gospel’, ‘very 2010-nish’, ‘futuristic’… You just haven’t heard anything like it before. GospelMet hooked up with the SPACEMANSHIP Boss across the 7 seas, and what did we find … On your marks …get set… GO!

Martian IBK

G.M: Who is IBK?

IBK is a man on a mission! A man who believes his destiny is loaded in his name (Ibukun: meaning blessing). I have been created to be just that to my generation. A man with a passion to teach and learn from those he serves. I am also an ‘outta tha box’ kind of guy.

G.M: What do you mean by ‘outta tha box’ kind of guy?

Ok! That is, I don’t make music the contemporary way. It is art to me, like wanting to do what hasn’t been done.

G.M: Yeah, it  shows in some of your tracks which I have listened to, we will get to that shortly. When did you discover your love for music?

…like growing up! When I was 5, i remember pulling up a chair, climbing on it to gain access to play a Leo Sayer record. Plus, I started writing songs at the age of 6, Primary one (laughs).

G.M: That is amazing…

I was singing with my sister in the kitchen one day. After we were done, she later said that I had a good voice, if only I could develop it.

G.M: Brilliant! Let’s delve into your music proper. What exactly is the genre of your music, ‘coz I cant place it, especially in this track, ‘Tongues’?

IBK ANSWERS : Me neither (chuckles).

It is a compendium  of genres, I call it spaceship music. It is about breaking the laws of music with music.

G.M: I see! How do you handle the fact that your audience may get carried away in the ‘compendium’ and not catch the Message – the good news – the gospel?

Different people say different things about my work! But I try to drop a message for everyone in it.

G.M: We’ve gathered the fact that you are doing stuff with Cobhams in his music school. Tell us more about that, and how are you finding it?

Great! It is a blessing and an opportunity for me to share what God has given me and teach the art.

At the school, we not only do voice training, but also incorporate music communication skills. I am the Director for the school, and I teach practical voice training  there as well. I also do sessions with the trainees and supervise their work. They have to get value for their money.

G.M: Would you be looking into getting into competitions like Naija Sings, Project Fame or even Sunday Best, Kirk and Donnie were in Nigeria this year?

For me as a contestant, No! As a judge, maybe (satisfied smirk). The students we train eventually go for competitions of the sought or make records afterwards. We just train them to be better at their crafts. Going in as a contestant ain’t my route to stardom or fame! I am too busy trying to create something new and get a message of hope out there. There are people on the streets looking for jobs, I wanna tell them they don’t need to wait to get employed, they have talents in them that can generate income.

G.M: Where is Martianship (ur brand name) going in a couple of years?

Martianship in the next 2 years is gonna be a well known brand that operates on a blue ocean. Our products will be unique, carving it’s own niche of audience share…if what you have is fresh and unheard of, create a demand for it. These early years are the opportunity to show what we are capable of producing.

G.M: Any last words and would you like to give a shout to anyone?

Well my last words are, let’s be the best we can be and achieve the best we can  in life through Christ! You have a talent, use it to his glory, let’s love and give as Christ did.

Big shout out to everyone who has supported me thus far, my father and mother, siblings, gee-vader, Cobhams, Bez, Segun Balogun, Caleb, Dan Iyere, Oscar Giwa. God bless. Fans and future fans, keep suporting good music – songs that bring healing and light in areas that you had no idea how to handle. Ammo’ be bringing that good music to y’all on a regular so keep listening and God bless.