Soul E insists dating Queen Ure was the biggest mistake of his life...Says Okotie didn't snatch Ure from him

Soul E & ex, Ure

Recently married crooner, Soul E, is back on the scene again after several years of self-imposed leave. In this chat, he candidly spoke on where he has been, plans for revamping his music career, new love and his ex, Queen Ure, whom he dubbed the biggest mistake of his life. Enjoy the encounter


What has kept Soul E in business since he started almost 10 years ago?
I would like everyone who cares to listen to know that Soul E carries a grace which has kept him in the business since 2006 when it all began. I have not been confined to the dustbin of history, people always want to know what new thing is happening to Soul E. That tells me that I am still relevant. A lot of negative reports have been bandied about me, I will like to denounce them and state clearly that it is not true. I have only spoken to two media houses as we speak.

How does it feel to find love and be married again?
It is a beautiful thing. Marriage comes with responsibility. So many things changes about a man’s life. Human beings respect the marriage institution, when a young person is married, he becomes a man. So, I am excited. I am married to a wonderful woman who understands me. I call her my best friend before I call her my wife.

The news of your marriage took many by surprise, why the secrecy?
Well, the press have not been friendly with me in that aspect. My wife is a reserved person and she appealed to me to have a private wedding. Ironically, we witnessed a crowd of over 1,000 people today. Where they came from, I don’t know. I purposely did not make noise about my wedding because I wanted to separate my career from my private life.

It was observed that your showbiz colleagues weren’t in Delta with you at the wedding; please correct us if we are wrong?
I wanted it so. I have colleagues but not friends. We only meet at shows. I don’t have celebrity friends who we visit each other at home and interact with our families. There wasn’t any of my colleagues at the wedding. We only had family members and well-wishers. Yet it was as if the whole Asaba people came all out to celebrate with me.

Tell us your love story with your wife.
We met through facebook in October, 2008. Ever since then, we have been five and six even till now. We actually got married in court two years ago. We only did the traditional marriage few weeks ago. The attraction was her motherly attributes. She didn’t mind all the bashing I was getting from the media. After God, it is her next because she was the only person I turned to for succour. She is understanding, patient and slow to anger. This is a girl that never knew what a club looked like because she has her Christian upbringing. I would just say that I am blessed to have her as a wife.

Let’s talk about the music of Soul E, how true is it that you have embraced gospel music?
I has said it before and I will say it again that I am a soul singer. That is the inspiration for the ‘Soul’ in my name. If you listen to my songs, you’ll find out that they are inspirational and soul-lifting songs. You see that in my debut song, Soul E Baba Dey Here, E Soji, E Be Like Say (by Tuface Idibia). I don’t want to brand myself as a Gospel artiste or a secular artiste, I am just a Soul singer. It can come as a gospel or love song. I released a gospel album last year entitled The Message and it sold 600,000 units. We did a lot of church tours and it was marketed by an outfit in Alaba. We achieved this without ‘publicity’. I will release a new album entitled Take Over before my birthday in March. People will see a more matured, refined, R&B, soulful and classical Soul E. That is really who I am. It is strictly for the mature mind. I am not in music for competition.

Can you explain why we have not seen Soul E do any high-profile collaboration with other artistes?
It is not that I don’t believe in collaborations. A few of the high-profile collaborations that I have done were those that I was featured not the other way round. For instance, E Be Like Say was a song by Tuface Idibia and Intoxicated by Jesse Jagz featuring Wizkid and I. I am of the belief that if established artistes all pick up young musicians and let them ride on their back, we all will be instrument to the birth of new successful musicians. But if I must do collaborations, there are artistes whose music I admire like Banky W, Sound Sultan, Tuface Idibia, Femi Kuti, Lagbaja, Timi Dakolo, Omawumi and Tiwa Savage. I don’t have anything against Nigerian artistes but if your music cannot add any value to my life, I can’t buy your CD and play in my house before my son.

Oh so you have a son?
Yes, I have a four year-old son by my wife. He is just handsome like his father. What I am saying is that there is a lot of garbage in the music industry that children can’t listen to. Yet we have seen timeless music from people like Sunny Ade and Lagbaja among a host of others. Did you see Lagbaja’s performance at Glo CAF Awards? He turned the place upside down. He is a chairman. I have not met him before but that dude is music personified. He is creative and his music makes meaning. I was fortunate to be at one of his concerts in Europe (Germany to be precise) and white people went mad for him. I love P Square for their stage performance (not necessarily their music). I think they are the biggest music export from Nigeria. I saw their sold out concert in Australia.

So what is keeping Soul E busy at the moment?
I have been on a marathon rehearsals in preparation for an international tour. I am working with a management in the US who have lined up a couple of tours for me from February through April. I will be going back and forth. I hope to release three videos before the end of the year. I wouldn’t like to talk too much on that for now.

Would it be right to say that you regret the friends and associations you made in the past like Colossal Records?
The owner of Colossal Records still remains my boss for life and I have a reason; he believed in me when no one else did. They flew a production team known as Beatbrothers from Sony/BMG to produce my album. I am the first Nigerian singer to be so honoured. For your information and this is the first time I will say this, the beat that announced Soul E to the world was first rejected by Ludacris. The beats inspire the lyrics not vice versa as it is done here. But he didn’t like it. Colossal trained me to work that way and to play live band.

Still on regrets, do you regret meeting your ex-lover, Queen Ure?
She is a mistake. I can repeat that for you. There is no reason, she is just a mistake.

But you were in your right senses when you met her...
Yes I was and I take full responsibility for my actions. But I insist that she was a mistake. It is like one of those mistakes everyone has made some time ago in their lives. Everyone has made make mistakes, including you (Reporter). Ure was one huge mistake.

How long were you together?
We were together just for one year. To be precise, it lasted just nine months. What made the difference is that it was over publicised by the press. It was so over celebrated that people thought that we had been together for 20 years. It got to a point, I had to ask her why all the noise?

But you never wanted the noise?
Of course, I never did. I can’t remember Ure and I paying anyone to hype or publicise our relationship. Whatever they wrote about us was basically a paparazzi job; they follow us to the saloon, malls and outings. It was like the Kanye West and Kim Kadashian romance drama.

If you had any chance to re-write that part of your life, will it be the same?
Trust me, I ‘ain’t gonna’ make that mistake ever again. It ‘ain’t gonna’ happen.

What was it about the Love Villa church that you both ran?
It was all Ure’s idea. Let’s be real, if you are dating a girl, you support her vision. She told me that she always wanted to start a ministry. This was something she nursed before we met. At that point, I was her fiancée. But because I was in the picture, what people read and heard was that Soul E has started a church. Well, all this is now in my past.

How do you react to rumours that you snatched Queen Ure from Pastor Chris Okotie?
Take a look at me and Pastor Okotie, who among us look like the person who can snatch something from the other? (Laughs) I am his boy and he is like my father. He is everything bigger than me and I am no match. That allegation is false. I have a lot of respect for Pastor Okotie and will continue to do so.

Ure and Soul E could have had a child, what happened to that botched dream?
(Laughs) Ure is very fertile and so I am. We are not God that gives children. We were just together just for nine months.

Up until now, you have never told us the real reason you broke up with her, why the secrecy?
This is a personal vow that I made to myself. I do not intend to break that promise now or in the foreseeable future. It is a secret that will go with me to the grave.

What if she comes out to speak about it will you make any rebuttal?
She is free to but I would have no response whatsoever to her.

If you run into each other today, what will be the reaction?
We don’t talk. When you are trying to be pleasant with someone and you get funny attitude in return, what do you expect. The Bible said that be wise as serpent and harmless as dove. I don’t go where I am tolerated but celebrated. I would rather keep to myself and leave my dignity intact than to make myself an object of ridicule. I enjoy respect and adoration from my wife and that is enough for me.

What advice do you have for younger artistes?
Please open your eyes before you sign any contract and seek counsel. Do not be desperate. At that level, you might be seeing yourself as an up and coming singer but just one hit single can change the equation. Then it will be too late to alter your contract when the fame comes. Secondly, if it is possible to do away with women or men as the case may be, it will help your career. Attention from the opposite sex will always be there for you to contend with as an artiste. Marry if possible or just do away with flings. Be devoted to one person; that way you can avoid all the unnecessary scandals that would cause distraction to your career.
By FEMI SALAWU-ENTERTAINMENT EXPRESS