Going by Femi
Otedola’s reputation and influence, the oil billionaire could have given his
daughter, Florence Otedola known in the entertainment industry as DJ Cuppy,
anything she wants including any plum job she desires. But his daughter has
charted a course for herself in the music industry as a singer and DJ. In
this chat with Showtime Celebrity, DJ Cuppy opens up on her relationship with
her dad, her upcoming tour of eight countries in four weeks, and her
relationships with men:
What is your tour all about?
I think the Cuppy
brand has come a long way in-between having my first and second degrees and
building a career in Disc Jockeying in a very conducive environment. And I know
how well my brand has been accepted. I am very happy about that. I am not only
going on the tour to inspire Nigerians but also to inspire all young African
women around the world. If I look at my career plan, there is a long goal ahead
and I hope we are going to come back with a very good result. I work very hard
and I take my job very seriously and that is why I got support for this tour
from amazing brands like GTB and Dangote Foundation. I think they have seen
something in the Cuppy brand and that is why they are supporting us.
What else could you have done besides disco jockeying?
If I were not into
Disco Jockeying, I think I would possibly be an oil trader. Before I got into
this entertainment business, I was working very seriously with my dad and we
had a lot of plans. My father is still one of my biggest supporters and I think
it is very important for someone not to put all his/her eggs in one basket. And
that is why I am also into education.
Would you have been this successful without your father?
That is a very nice
question. It is very good to know that people could have the same platform but
some are big while others are small. I always say thanks to education, which,
seems to be an open door for everybody. But if you are not good and if you are
not bad as an individual all you need to do is to keep on going and doing what
you can. I would not say that I am an exemption but I have been doing this for
a while now and I became bigger than I was in terms of this DJ work because I
do it often. I think practice makes perfect.
Why did you choose to be in this career instead of many
other jobs out there?
I think it is very
important to follow your heart, choose the job that you like to do and you will
never waste a day in your life. It is about personal fulfillment and with my
dad I think I told him this is what I want and he told me that if I want to be
a DJ, I have to be the best of it.
Was he not disappointed when you told him you wanted to be
a DJ?
No, he was not. I
would like to use this medium to advise every Nigerian that there is need for
us to support our children in their careers. My dad was one of the first people
to say to me, “Cuppy, I know you can do it but you must be the best”. He is
also my biggest critic as well and it is fantastic having that support and
challenge. He is giving me that competitive drive; he made me not to get
comfortable with my brand and my skill. So I think my dad is someone who is
actually bigger than what people think. Cuppy brand is doing very well because
of him.
What would you say inspired this African tour in eight
countries?
This tour was inspired
when I looked at my environment and potential. When I said I wanted to do eight
countries in four weeks, a lot of people looked at me like I was crazy. You
know the people that I had in mind that I actually wanted to work with said
they were not really going to do this tour in four weeks. But after much
considerations and everything and also with a great team and support from my
brand, we are able to put the tour together. We also have challenges ahead but
we are going to move on.
Most of your songs have this foreign touch, what would you
say inspires your songs?
For over ten years I
lived in UK and USA before I came back to Nigeria, so I feel it is very
important to get inspiration from your environment. And I wanted music that
will open the minds of Nigerians, we are the biggest economy in Africa. So
there are lots of influences from the western world coming in. I also wanted to
bring in the western influence into Nigeria through music; I am also an
advocate of Nigeria. Wherever I go or whatever I do, I make sure I represent
Nigeria. It is important for me to have that experience and also bridge that
gap. As a brand I want people to walk into an environment and feel Cuppy
without even seeing my face. So it very important to be unique, I am also
putting all my time into this industry.
Many people are of the opinion that you wouldn’t have been
what you are today without your father. Did your father influence you?
Thank you for that
question, I think it is wise to know that in April I was appointed one of the
tourism ambassadors. A lot of people asked me how the thing came about. I would
say it was because I did a song titled, “I love my country,” which
was a great song, and the Minister of Tourism listened to it and liked the
song. He thought it was a great way of inspiring the youths in Nigeria through
song. So being a tourism ambassador in this country, I am looking at my
potential role in tourism because the inauguration committee thought it would
be great having someone that would represent Nigeria. I am a representative of
the new Nigeria. A female DJ so unique and I think I am honoured by a
presidential inauguration. I am also looking forward to working as well.
What do you have to say about the rumour of the romance
between you and Asa Asika, your tour manager?
I think the story
between Asa and me goes a long way. We have known each other for over 10 years
now, even before I started as a DJ. If you look at him as an individual and the
way he comes across, you will see he is a guy who knows his onions. I think I
cannot do this tour without a tour manager that knows his job and also well
informed like him. He is no doubt very ambitious.
I think that when we
were putting the team together there were many people we considered. We taught
about a new generation but the team we have here, I would say, is the best.
This can be a good or bad team but all I know is that within ourselves, we put
together a good team. It is also fantastic that we have a friend on board. So
we are not dating and we have not dated.
Are you in any relationship now?
I can tell you that I
am certainly not. Unfortunately with the tour coming and all the things we need
to do, I do not have time to get in anything like that. Maybe I will find
someone around Africa.
Who is your ideal man?
I am someone that is
very ambitious and my career is very important to me. I am a very young
individual. I like someone that is very confident and self assured, someone
that is also very ambitious. Maybe in the future, that is something I will
focus on or care about. For now, I am still learning about myself and I believe
this tour will result in my coming back as a different person. I can tell you
what I like now but I think that changes with time. Every young person is still
discovering him/herself. There are prospects to that except if you have a
husband for me (Laughs).
You said something on your instagram about having a crush
on Koredo Bello?
Yes, the two of us
always joke a lot. We always have jokes to share between ourselves. But dating
is far from it. I think he is a great artiste who gets me excited as a result
of his talent but nothing between us can be taken as anything serious. He is a
good act and I think he has a lot of fans that look up to him.
You seem to enjoy a lot of goodwill; everybody wants to be
Cuppy’s friend. How do you know those who are real?
I think everybody
knows how important I feel about my relations with people. I am a very friendly
person and people who come with the wrong intention tend to realise that they
have to change their intention. I also think that I associate myself with very
good people. I still have to say that work is not allowing me to associate the
way I want. I have my friends tell me that I do not have time for them any
longer. I am still trying to figure out how to handle all those things.
Do you think as the daughter of a big oil mogul, your
admirers are intimidated by your father’ status?
It is something that I
cannot answer because I actually do not see myself in that light. I see myself
as an individual. My dad and I are two different individuals and we have
differences in the way we approach life. He is somebody that has continued to
support me. I have never seen myself in that light, I think I am somebody that
is very approachable and I love meeting people.
Tell us about your last relationship.
That is very hard to
talk about because it was a long time ago- precisely two years. Because for me,
anything that’s worth doing is worth doing well. In order for me to achieve
what I wanted to achieve as the Cuppy brand, I have to give more than a hundred
percentage attention to that.
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