Entertainment Lifestyle 

Music is an escape route for me – Treeps

Rising Afro-fusion artiste, Nelson Ezeagbor, a.k.a Treeps may not be a popular name yet in the Nigerian music industry but surely he does not flow like a new bee, he spills bars like an established artiste.
 
The Ojuelegba boy who prefers to be identified as an underground artiste instead of an up-and-coming started his music career officially in 2019 and has dropped some songs, including Wicked Whine, No Yawa and On My Feet (OMF). He will be dropping a project, Still a Lover, before the end of the first quarter of 2023. And another project, Can’t Find Balance, which he has already started working on.
  
Speaking to The Guardian on how long he has been doing music, Treeps said:  “Professionally, I started in 2019 but before then, I put out some songs in 2017 and 2018. My official debut single titled Wicked Whine was in 2019. I’ve been making more music, meeting people, and writing for artistes since my debut.
 

“Music has always been a part of me for the longest time. My grandfather, Isaac Ezeagbor was an artiste. He is the originator of Abadan music, a local Delta type of highlife music. Nobody else does music in my family apart from me. I have a cousin who is a chorister. I used to be under a record management but I wanted more, more professional assurance but it wasn’t happening.”
  
On his journey so far, he said: “It has been tough, uneasy, a struggle because as an independent artiste, there has to be a team, direction and the most important factor, which is money. Music is an escape route for me. Whatever anybody is doing to make a living is an escape route.  Music is an escape from poverty.
 
“After Wicked Whine, I did Deception; I didn’t put out music in 2022. I did the video of OMF and No Yawa. I shot No Yawa video in 2021 but I couldn’t drop it because things with the management went sideways and I had to chill.
  
“I’m not trying to do better than anyone in the Nigerian music industry, I’m only trying to do what I can do however far my destiny can carry me. I’m not in the race to do better than anyone or sound like anyone, I don’t write like anyone. I’m just trying to do me. I don’t sound like an up-coming, I don’t make music like an up-coming.
 
“Wherever my destiny can carry me to, I will get there. So, I’ve never been in a space where I have to put myself in a place where I’m trying to do better than another person or why I can do better than somebody. I’ve never thought about that. So, that is how I function.”
    
Treeps revealed what inspires his music: “Emotion is the biggest inspiration; I write and record from a place of emotion. When people listen to my song, they can tell it’s personal. Everything I write or sing about is personal; it’s either I am describing someone else’s story or my story. Music is everything to me. It is my safe space, it is where I find meaning.”  
 
The artiste who is planning to collaborate with Burna Boy, Fireboy and Omalay said “Wizkid is topnotch, I am his fan but I love Burna approach to songs.”
  
On his educational background, the 23-year-old Treeps said: “I was studying Geographical Science at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) but I dropped out at 200 level because I couldn’t continue with schooling. It wasn’t working for me. I was struggling a lot. I don’t know why but I was struggling a lot. I wasn’t distracted by my pursuit of success in music, though it’s a contributing factor but other things were happening in my life, which I can’t talk about.
  
“I was not a dull student, just a situation I couldn’t handle. My dad is still on my neck to go back to school, but right now, I wouldn’t say that I want to go back, I can’t deceive myself.”

When asked about his plans for the next five years, he responded: “Seriously, I have not set any goal or target for the next five years. I wake up every morning and think of what to do next. I wake up every morning and push myself to do what I want to do next. I will be deceiving myself by setting a five-year target to get some things done. I’m doing it as it comes. I’m doing it with my possible strength and I’m doing it well.”
  
On whether he believes in controversy as a way to promote music, he said: “Controversy is a business. It is what it is, but there is a limit I can go when promoting my music because I like to do what I can manage. There are controversies that can’t be managed. While controversial artistes are sad in their homes for doing something unreasonable, the public cheer them for following trends. I can’t go nude to promote my songs.”
   
On his role model in the music industry, he remarked: “I have a lot of people whose work I respect, I am a student of a lot of people in the Nigerian music industry but I have no one I can refer to as an idol.  I am not a bad boy, neither am I a good boy, but my parents are supporting my music.”

Sourced From Nigerian Music

Related posts