DJ Butter Makes Bold Come Back With Bizzack

AS a DJ in Nigeria’s commercial hub and entertainment hotbed, it is little surprise that Ola Mariam Seriki, a female disc jockey well known by her stage moniker, DJ Butter, has received little or no recognition in the mainstream Nigeria entertainment industry.

But with her new body of work titled DJ Butter’s Bizzack, it is obvious that she is set to take the highly competitive Nigeria music industry by storm. The new work, a 75 minutes non-stop music, is a compilation of R&B and hip-hop songs that was popular in American scene in 2015, which listeners can download freely from the internet.

Having most part of her life in the United States of America, where she was sent to at age 14 by her parents, it is believed that the new compilation will be a big break for DJ Butter, who indeed is a prodigal child that has come home in the entertainment world, as she at a point in time when her service was needed became a civil servant at the Lagos State Ministry of Lands.

“I’m excited that I’m back on the DJ page. I didn’t think that I’m not cut for desk work. I felt like I had lost my passion”, she exclaimed in her American accent, whilst pleading forgiveness

For the petite energetic DJ, the meaning of album title is a reminder to the fans that she is back on the entertainment scene. “It is just me as I would sound when I play on live shows. I want people to hear it and give jobs,” she said.

Speaking about her stint at the Lagos State Ministry of Lands, she said: “I didn’t totally leave the industry; although it was a creative hiatus. It is true that I have been at the back burner, but I was studying the Nigerian environment. My plans were different from what I saw when I relocated from the United States of America. You need to understand the people to be able to leverage yourself.”

She added, “Nigerians are different from Americans in that they are not straight forward. Unlike in America, they talk without backing it up; they make promises they would not keep. I don’t know why people are like that. The entertainment industry itself is closely-knit in my opinion. You have to know the right people, you have to kiss arse. Nigerians love that and not just in sexual way. But I like my work to speak for itself; not one man or woman to be the deciding factor. I know that I am good in what I do.”

On her stage name, she explained that Butter was a nickname that family and friends called her from childhood; so it was natural to adopt it as her trade name. Her interest in DJ was kindled because she enjoyed the works of DJs at parties.

“I had fun and I knew it was to the credit of the players. I did not plan to become a DJ, but I love the lifestyle. People reacted well the first time I played and that convinced me that I am in the right profession. I t suited my personality. I taught myself the rudiments through research but I learned the skills in order to be able to operate the turntables,” she said.

On her life as DJ, Butter says: “It has been great and has exposed me to many things. I have travelled a lot playing gigs and I have met people and made lasting relationships. I have also been exposed to all kinds of music, both the ones I would never have known.” 

To take her game a notch higher, Butter said she has set up a mini studio in her room, adding that her new work was single-handedly produced by her.