Ric Hassani, the Nigerian singer, has opened up about the difficulties he faced breaking into the music industry.
In an interview on CreativiTea podcast, Hassani revealed that he worked at a bank before his music career picked up.
He also said his entry into the music scene was met with rejection, largely because his sound did not align with what the industry considered commercially viable.
“When I first came to Lagos, nobody wanted to sign me because I came to Lagos with a different type of sound,” he said.
According to the singer, his turning point came when one of his songs was used in a proposal video shared by a wedding blog.
He said the unexpected buzz got him an invite to perform at an event.
The music star added that the payment from the show was more than his monthly salary as a bank staff, and that gave him the confidence to chase music fully.
“Somebody was getting married on Bellanaija. So they posted the proposal video, and then my song was in the background,” he added.
“Normally, when they post a proposal video, the comments are always about the couple. But this time, everybody was like, what song is that?
“So they called me for a show, and this was more than my salary. So I left Access Bank. I said, I’m not doing it again.”
Hassani’s talent has earned him numerous awards and nominations.
He was nominated in three categories at the 2016 All Africa Music Awards and received two nominations at The Headies 2016, including Best Alternative Song for his track ‘Gentleman’.
