Despite the ever-changing landscape and emergence of new artistes, rapper Jude Lemfani Abaga, known professionally as M.I. Abaga or M.I., has asserted his enduring relevance in the music industry. As one of Nigeria’s pioneer hip-hop artistes, he remains confident in his artistry and contributions. He spoke on Jay On Air, a podcast programme.
With a career spanning over two decades, the songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist has consistently pushed boundaries and innovated within the Nigerian music scene.
MI, the moniker for ‘Mr Incredible’, an assertion of relevance, stems from his continued creativity, lyrical depth and adaptability. His influence can be seen in many younger artistes who cite him as an inspiration. He remains a respected figure, and his music continues to resonate with fans across generations.
Reflecting on his career, artistic relevance, and how his priorities have evolved with age, the Crowd Mentality (2006) crooner in a recent interview, said he doesn’t feel intimidated by the rising wave of younger artistes dominating the music scene.
“In terms of comparing myself to artistes that are hot, I truly don’t have that part. To me, what matters is how good you are, and I have not yet felt threatened in that space and in my career,” he said.
The one time chief executive officer of Chocolate City, a thriving record label founded in 2005 by lawyers Audu and Yahaya Maikori, and Paul Okeugo, acknowledged that he is not at the centre of today’s pop frenzy such as Wizkid or Davido, but insisted he hasn’t lost anything essential.
His words: “I can really look at Odumodublvck, Shallipopi, Falz, Ladipoe, Blaqbonez and love their talent — but it doesn’t intimidate me. What I do and how good I am at it fills me up and makes me secure in myself as an artiste.
“I’m not Davido, I’m not Wizkid; they are in the red-hot moment. I’m MI. Has MI lost something? I don’t see it. I can still work, I can still go forward, I still have the fans I had; I still have the skill. That’s what’s important.”
Speaking on lifestyle changes, the Chairman hitmaker said his financial choices are now different from what it used to be. He revealed that he once owned six luxury cars, but now drives a small vehicle and spends wisely.
“There are some status things that you become comfortable with. My wife and I travel to America quite often, and it’s impractical for me to fly business class on my own money. Imagine paying $10,000 to go see family — it’s just not practical
“I used to have six massive cars, now I have two small cars. My wife has one, I have one. The cars Davido is buying now — N100 million, N200 million — in our time, they were N20 million,” he said.
“So it’s not like I’ve lost anything; I’m just not in that hot moment making billions to buy a ₦200 million car. Now I don’t care anymore. Do you know how much an economy ticket is? I live in Nigeria, where people need money. I have staff who work with me, and they have real issues. So those priorities have shifted for me,” MI added.
