Spain-based Nigerian DJ Key
By Obinna Odogwu
For award-winning Spain-based Dee Jay, Okechukwu Eze-Chude aka DJ Key, a popular Igbo proverb that says a chick that must grow into a cock must certainly start its development from the shell, is a truism.
Having started as a kid entertainer, DJ Key is today celebrated all over the world. Not only has he travelled virtually round the globe doing what he knows best; he has also won two major awards: Best African DJ in Madrid, Spain in 2014 and Best Nigerian DJ in European Union.
TS Weekend hooked up with DJ Key shortly after performing at an event in Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea recently and he opened up on his career, relationship with women, and other sundry issues bothering on entertainment.
Can you tell us about your background?
I am Okechukwu Eze-Chude. I was born in 1976. And I am a Dee Jay by profession. I have been into entertainment for about 11 years now. In 2014, I won two awards namely Best African DJ in Madrid, Spain and Best Nigerian DJ in European Union. And I thank God for that. I am happily married with kids. Entertainment business has helped me a lot. The Lord has been good to me.
What’s your educational background?
I studied here in Nigeria but I finished schooling at Liverpool, England. I studied Fine and Applied Arts at Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu. Klint Da Drunk was my schoolmate. That’s where I started getting the inspiration to be an entertainer. I love meeting people, because without people you are nobody.
At what point did you venture into entertainment especially disc jockeying?
It’s been a very long time but not as a DJ. For example, Obinna Nwokolobia Agu popularly known as Obiwon was my classmate at College of Immaculate Conception, Enugu. We used to hit the lockers in the classroom. We used to sing songs and rap at the same time. There was another of my mates called Chuka Okonkwo. He is now in the United States of America.
Obiwon and I used to go and do dancing competition at the Presidential Hotel, Enugu in 1989/90s. But I later left for Europe. I thought life was easy in Europe but by the time I got there, I found out that life was not a bed of roses. I had to look for a way to survive. I remembered my classmates especially Obiwon and the exploits we had in the entertainment industry back in Nigeria; how passionate we were about entertainment and music. So, I decided to breathe life into my passion again. That’s how I started as a DJ.
How long have you been in the industry before you won your first award?
When I came to Spain, I met lots of DJs that were better than me. I can’t just play music without dancing or doing something crazy, which makes the white men to recognise and like me. So, I became a bomb and began to win awards. In Spain, they call their DJs robots because when they get to their turntables they don’t move and dance, they just stand at a place like robots. Recently, I went to perform in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea and the people, especially girls, overwhelmed me. Everybody wanted a hug.
As a married man, how have you been able to handle advances from women?
Whoops! It’s not easy at all. Sometimes, I don’t blame 2Face Idibia (laughs). The last time he came to Europe, I asked him and he said it was not easy. You see, women want ready made clothes; they don’t want okirika. They look for men who have already made it. So, it’s not easy. The only thing I thank God for is that my wife is not a jealous type. But it is not easy, brother.
As you pointed out, your job has taken you virtually round the world. So as an international DJ, how would you rate Nigerian DJs vis-à-vis their foreign counterparts?
Nigerian DJs are better than DJs over there. This is because we play Afrobeats; we don’t play house music. But the Whites play what they call Techno. Their beats can last for three to four hours nonstop. It is not easy to mix. Even they themselves know this. But Nigerian music lasts for three to four minutes. The only people challenging us now are the South Africans. And the people that made them to be challenging us are Nigerian DJs like DJ Jimmy Jatt, DJ Smith and others. They taught them the job and they added their own ideas. You know, South Africa is also made up of White people. So, they added their own house beats to the Afrobeats. But the problem we have here in Nigeria is that the DJs over there are incomparable when it comes to money aspect. For instance, a White DJ earns N1 million per hour but an African DJ earns peanuts (laughs). So, do you see the difference? The white man will tell you that without music there would be no party. Yeah! Of course, without music, no party!
What’s the craziest thing a female fan has done to you while performing?
I have some pictures I will show you (laughs). But as you can see my mum is here. Women have done a lot of things to me. Every woman wants to go out with a DJ or a musician. It is normal. But it is left for you to control yourself.
How would you rate the entertainment industry in Nigeria and Africa generally?
The Western world has its way of life. We, Africans, have our ways of life. There are talents here in Africa. We are trying so much. That’s just the truth.
What did you find wrong about your profession?
Being a DJ? Wow! That’s a hard question. I can’t criticize what I’m doing to make money. It’s from the proceeds of disc jockeying that I am training my children, got my funky jeep, and still making a lot of money. At least, in a month I earn 500,000 to 600,000 pounds. The only difference is that I pay my tax, health insurance and others. But I think it’s a very good business. So, I can’t criticise it. For example, people are always looking at me suspiciously, and from their looks you can figure out that they’re asking questions like: ‘Why is this guy always dressing like this?’ Is he a gay or something?’ But I don’t care about my dressing. It marks me out from others. I only care about my job. So, I can’t criticise the DJ profession.
How far did you go with Obiwon, Klint Da Drunk and others before you left for Spain?
Like I said earlier, Obiwon was my classmate at CIC, Enugu. That time they used to call me Pasio MC. It was the name of a reigning perfume then and I liked it very well. That time we used to hit the drums on the lockers and we would be rapping. Obi is a born again Christian now. That’s why you don’t hear more about his music. He is into gospel. Sometimes when I am down I play his music. His song, Onyinye moves me a lot.
I met Klint Da Drunk last time he came to the club where I was working in Spain and he was like ‘what are you doing here?’ I said ‘you nko what are you doing here?’ They used to call us Ogbu oge (time wasters or unserious people) back then in school. In fact, Klint was the greatest Ogbu oge we had in IMT, Enugu. He didn’t use to come to class. But today he is somebody. When we met in Spain, he exclaimed ‘Ah! We that didn’t use to attend lectures are now successful’. I said ‘yes oh! Those that used to attend lectures are nobody’ (laughs).