Rapper, songwriter, record and television producer, Abdulrasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skillz or Skillz, has no doubt is no doubt an enigma in the Nigerian entertainment industry, as he has made and continues to make his mark in the industry with recognitions for it.
From the release of his hit singles, We Are Africans, an Afrobeats anthem that galvanised African pride worldwide to producing for the British hip-hop record company and musical group, Big Brovaz, he has continued to put Nigeria and Africa on the entertainment global map.
His latest movie, Hakeem, Seeking Justice is the first ever action film in Nigeria, shot and falls into the Hollywood movie standard. The film centres on an ex-military officer, who returned home to find his family murdered. He embarks on a blood-soaked path of vengeance, and the deeper he goes, the more he realizes the conspiracy is far greater than he imagined.
Speaking on the movie, JJC Skillz said: “The title was originally ‘Seeking Justice’ but when we started the shoot and made T-shirts and caps, people were staring at us and thought it’s a movement. When we started marketing, we were asked who we were seeking justice for, and I said, ‘Hakeem’ and that is how it ended up as Hakeem.”
He said, “I believe that Nigeria has conquered drama as a genre. Nigeria has also conquered epic film making, except Action and Horror films. I went with action because I love action films. It’s very difficult to do an action movie because it’s technical and we don’t want people to make mockery of us. We have almost 10 fight sequences in the film including car chasing, explosions, all out chaos and action we would expect from Hollywood movies,” he added.
On the inspiration behind the movie storyline, the music act turned filmmaker states: “We wanted to explore an action-packed movie that will keep the audience at the edge of their seats, while still portraying a captivating and emotional story.
“I want the audience to know that Nigeria has upgraded and we can do it. My dream when I started music was that Nigerians will one day win the Grammys and I am alive to say it has come to pass. I am prophesying that Nigerians will win the Oscars with movies made in Nigeria.
“I believe that the ‘Special Forces’ are the only league of security that has the capacity to do what Hakeem did in the movie. Generally, Nigerians are not violent or into arms conflict. I needed someone that can embody vengeance and be able to deliver and the actor for the role of Hakeem fits,” JJC Skillz explained.
