•Music Star, SAMSON BB Tells City People
On Sunday 5th February, 2023, City People Entertainment, celebrated Samson BB and friends. It was a great moment with Samson BB and the dignitaries at the party like Ayuba Sanusi, Alhaji Igwe (King of Boys) Mr. Ajibola, Drey Autos, Mr. Sabiko (Egungun Malaysia), Omoba Ademola enjoyed themselves.
City People Reporter OLUSOLA ABIODUN interviewed Samson BB. Below are the excerpts of the interview.
Kindly introduce yourself?
My name is Samson Egbeyemi, popularly known as Samson BB. I am the CEO of Broadband Entertainment. “Samson” is my real name while “BB” is “Broadband” which I combined together to form my stage name.
How did music start for you you?
It all started from church, as a small boy back then, I love music and had passion for it right from time. Actually, I don’t vividly remember when it got started but I love music. Then, my father used to play Haruna Ishola, Kollington, Barrister especially, King Sunny Ade. My dad loves his songs. At that time, I used to listen to “Orisun Iye, Oba Alase Jesu mo be o jekin nrowo Ikore san” I love music right from time, I will say it is God’s gift. Let me say it started, because I love listening to music. God gave me the spirit.
My mother gave birth to me in our church, Cherubim and Seraphim Holy Micheal Church of the Lord Perotubo, Agege. I started as a church choir, Sir Prophet Olawale Kogberegbe is the founder of our church and sometime then, I will come to Church to listen to the arrangement of the choir songs due to my love for music, so I will come around every reharsal time, I will stay outside behind the door. From there, I knew my part which is Tenor and I will be singing tenor.
There was a day, a woman came and saw me at the place I used to stay eveytime I come to listen to the choir. So, the woman walked quitely and watched me as I was singing with passion alongside with the choir. I wanted to join the choir but I didn’t have the courage to do that. I was singing the song as if I am the owner of the song, so, the woman came to my back and caught me and said that “hmmm, hmm!! mo mue, so you are the one that will come here to steal our song to sing outside. I said no! I was scared, she said don’t worry and she took me into the choirmaster of our church and she said “I can see this boy really has passion to sing, what can we do? And the Choirmaster said “do you really love this choir?” I said Yes, that’s how my journey started.
How many years have you been in the music industry?
Well, musically I started playing music early 1990’s, but not professionally. I could remember I played for many bands. Vividly, I could remember I played for fuji, juju, then I played mouth organ for fuji and Juju. Around 1996, 97, 98 I have been playing music, my mum supported me but my dad did not, the thing is, maybe my mum had a message then that music is my career. My mum supported me, even when I had to go for over night shows, because then we do have overnight parties, from street to street. I joined fuji music band, before Juju music band.
The only thing I do was to play mouth organ for them. I have like three fuji musicians I played for then, I played for Saheed, Malaika 2, I played for Performer, I played for Olumide Gbogbo Capito Road but he is late now. There was a particular day, one of my close friends, Abbey Awesola, the CEO of Awesome band. Though we met at SS1 we have been friends ever since and I can see he has passion for music too. So, Awesome and I created a band called “Better Life band” in Sango Secondary School back then in the year 1997-98, so from there we started relating. There was a day, Awesome called me and said I can’t continue to be playing Fuji music that it is dangerous for my music career. He introduced me to a guy called Yumyte and Brother Jide Johnson is also a Juju music. He also introduced me to Wale Menton, Dele Taiwo, I backed up for Sir Shina Peters a month ago, I also played for Soul winner band and Tunde Samson band; Abbey was the one that introduced me to them. Later, I left fuji music, join Juju music band. Then we finished our Secondary 2001 and proceeded from there; from Secondary School, Abbey Awesome joined Suga Band, and later Suga Band wanted to create another band, so Abbey called me’ said “you can sing in English, Sugar Band want to create new brand, I want you to come for Audition” I know you can sing hip hop”. So, I joined Sugar Band but it is called Stunt Band, Sugar band was the one that created Stunt Band. So, I was the lead singer for Stunt Band. From there, I had enough experience, I learnt a lot of music both Foreign, Local, Nigerian music, and every other genres of musics, that’s how it began. I spent four years with Suga Band. I started my own band in 2012, I marked 10 years of my band Broadbannd last year.
Over the years, what are the challenges and how did you overcome them?
There are lot of challenges. Look at the situation of the society of today, Can you imagine I performed at one burial for five hours nobody sprayed me because of this Cashless Policy of a thing, so this is part of the challenges, that’s one. Two, Sound Instrument challenge, and it is the biggest challenge I ever had, at a point I cried to God, that God please I need to get my own Sound Instrument. At times, you will call Sound Instrumenter that I am booking you for this date, all of a sudden they will say, I am not available. So, that is another challenges for me. There are lots of challenges but these are the ones, I could remember for now. There are times, there won’t be parties, we will only be running club show or sit at home.
When did you have your breakthrough, when did music band became well known in Lagos?
My breakthrough, it was when I met Iyabo Ojo, CEO of Fespris Lounge and Bar, I met Iyabo Ojo 2020, I don’t use to go out, I stay at home connect with my fans online. I can say when I met Iyabo Ojo people started knowing me, because she really helped me a lot. She called me, and she said I was told that you can perform and you can sing very well, and you are an entertainer, and I said Yes! She said I should come and perform at Fespris Lounge in Lekki, I went there to perform, she was impressed and asked me can I perform the following weekend I said Yes, so, I performed there again, and ever since then I have been performing there at the Fespris Lounge, and it was there I got my first Car Toyota Camry (Big Daddy) for free through Iyabo Ojo. That was when I realised I am going somewhere and it was then I got my breakthrough and people started knowing me in Nigeria and Abroad.
Tell us about your educational background.
My education started in Ajegunle Primary School at Agege, from there, I went to Sango Secondary School, and I finished in the year 2001. Though, I lost my dad at a time and later on lost my Mum also. So, I couldn’t continue due to lack of financial support at that time. I went to Lagos State University LASU but no financial support, I had to drop out. Now, I wish to further my studies, but it will be on professional course, it might be music or business study.
What other things do you do apart from music?
Apart from music, I don’t do anything. If I don’t go out, I will hangout with my friends and move around to know what is going on in the music industry. I love Business, I want to invest in music instrument business, but it requires capital. Apart from music, Music instrument business is what I want to do.
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