In My Next Life, I Will Spell Out Roles for Everyone in Black & White on My Music Project-Nigerian Hip-hop Star, Eddy REMEDY of ‘The Remedies’ fame speaking from the United States
*Says: ‘I don’t know if ‘The Remedies group’ may come back together for any music performance’
*Evergreen Moment: ‘The first was winning 6 awards in a night in our first year of music release. Second was the government recognition award we got for our contribution to youth development and job creation in the country’
*PLUS plans to release a book in the United States titled: ‘Afrobeat’s Origin-True Life Story as told by EddyRemedy’
*BY CHIOMA AMAECHI/ENTERTAINMENT Correspondent, United States
HE’S a familiar face in the Nigerian entertainment industry, especially in the 90’s. His name is EDWARD ASHIEDU BROWN, famously called ‘Eddy Montana’, an active member of an Afrobeat/Hip-hop group with a stage monika name of ‘The Remedies’. He led this music group, ably assisted by Eedris Abdulkareem and Tony Tetuila.
This Nigerian-American bares his mind in this chit-chat with the Editorial Board Members of NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER Inc USA, where he talked about the formation of ‘The Remedies’, accomplishments in Africa’s most populous black nation, music engagements and plans to release an Afrobeat book here in America.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: Millions of Nigerians easily identify you as Eddy of ‘The Remedies’ group in the Nigerian entertainment industry. How was ‘The Remedies’ group formed?
*EDDY: The REMEDIES came to be from me meeting Eedris Abdulkareem and wanting him to feature in one of my hit songs back in 1998 called ‘SAKOMO’. He would in a few days bring along Tony Tetuila and introduced us. He explained that he’d been taking him along his music journey. As that was happening, I was invited to Ray Power Studios for promotions by the late Steve Kadiri. After meeting these guys, it was only the right thing to do to take them (Tony and Eedris) along to the station since I also needed someone else to do the rap part of the song which was the original reason why I’d gone looking for Eedris at DJ Dammy’s studio. The purpose was for him to direct me to DJ Shina’s house where we’d heard that Eedris was staying at that moment. The rest is history.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: All over Africa, everyone knew that ‘The Remedies’ was a pioneering hip-hop music group that had you, Tony Tetuila and Eedris Abdulkareem. How was the name ‘The Remedies’ coined?
*EDDY: The name was coined from us looking for another artistic name as Monika or Stage Name SOLUTION. We saw ourselves as the solution to the dry contents Naija music was propagating.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: What were the successes and evergreen moments of ‘The Remedies’ group?
*EDDY: The first was winning about 6 awards in a night in our first year of music release. Second was the government recognition award we got for our contribution to youth development and job creation in the country. The most important: we were the ones that introduced the BLUEPRINT to this Afrobeat success story today.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: ‘The Remedies’ group was a major musical bloc on Kennis Music 🎶🎶🎶, how were you able to attain that feat then?
*EDDY: We were very creative.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: Can you mention your favourite hit on ‘The Remedies’ music?
*EDDY: Sakomo and Yarinya.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: Do you see ‘The Remedies’ group coming back one more time?
*EDDY: I do not think so.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: Are there any regrets for forming ‘The Remedies’ group back way then?
*EDDY: In my next life I will spell out all roles and especially everyone’s designation and input..all this must be agreed on black and white before embarking on the journey. People tend to forget how they started.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: As a Nigerian-American here in the States, how have you been able to blend-in the African hip-hop into American music culture?
*EDDY: It’s not been easy at all..culture is different here you know from where we are coming from. Still, we cannot leave our roots and culture behind because that is actually what defines us always, so we keep moving
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: Since you left Nigeria back to the United States, have you released other music albums?
*EDDY: No, I actually took a brake from releasing any work for now until my book AFROBEAT’S ORIGIN -TRUE LIFE STORY AS TOLD BY EDDYREMEDY is released.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: What music projects are you working on presently?
*EDDY: I am more involved with showcasing my live performances in our local government areas round here..then maybe in a year time I could be talking recording and releasing an album
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: If you are asked to pick one particular American music superstar to do collaboration with from this list: R.Kelly, Usher Raymond, Babyface, whom will you choose and why?
*EDDY: R Kelly.
*NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER: Finally, how do you see the music 🎵 industry in Nigeria as at today?
*EDDY: Well, if you go back to my interviews some years ago wen we were reigning I’d told everyone that our music was going to rule the world for a long time (years) before another country finds a new sound.
DONATE TO HELP BUILD A SPECIAL APPS FOR JOURNALISTS AGAINST LIVER ELEVATION & KIDNEY FAILURE:
CERTAINLY, Good journalism costs a lot of money. Without doubt, only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government. We are ready to hold every corrupt government accountable to the citizens. To continually enjoy free access to the best investigative journalism in Nigeria, we are requesting of you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavor.”
By contributing to NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all without fear or favor.
Your donation is voluntary — please decide how much and how often you want to give. For offline donation, email: letters@nigeriastandardnewspaper.com or call +2348037128048 (Nigeria) or +16825834890 (United States of America)
donation
