Chocolate City artiste, Ice Prince, talks about fame
and music, JAYNE AUGOYE writes
Over time, the ostentatious lifestyle of the average
Nigerian artiste has been a source of concern to
many music fans. Considering the unstable nature of
‘superstardom,’ it is a common belief that many who
fail to plan suffer for it. As such, there appears to be
an unending debate over how these artistes manage
fame and control their finances.
For 27-year-old Panshak Zamani, also known as Ice
Prince or Chocolate City Golden Boy, who lives like a
true superstar, there are clearly no limits to how false
stories are peddled around many Nigerian artistes.
Ice Prince is the proud owner of a Bentley GT, a
Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle, among others.
Laying to rest some speculations that his Bentley
was bought with a loan facility from a bank, the
2013 BET Awards winner says, “No, it is not true! It
was paid for! Bought it in Abuja from Sir Kefiano! He
has got all brands of vehicles! “
On how he handles his earnings and fame, Ice Prince
gives a word of advice to fellow celebrities, “As an
artiste, it is good to have real life mentors and
people that handle your finances. It is better to put
yourself on a salary instead of just blowing the
money as it comes and life will be easier.
“You need to also understand that the life of an
artiste is usually very expensive. So, One needs to be
cautious. It is quite a new experience to have fame
and all that. Sometimes it’s a problem managing all
of them. But one thing that keeps me focused is that
I always remember where I’m coming from, no
matter where I am. While there is always pressure to
keep up with trends, I believe that it pays more to be
yourself and be real to the world around you.”
Despite the fact that he became famous as a hip hop
artiste, the singer chooses to be referred to as a
musician that raps.
“I really do all kinds of things with my music and I
like to dream bigger than just a rapper. I know how
to use my voice to sing, chant and do stuff that is
not necessarily rap. So I like to be seen more in that
light of a guy who can expresses himself with his
voice however he feels more comfortable.”
One area which strikes a chord in his heart is what is
left of his hometown, Jos. He becomes emotional
when asked to speak about his views on the current
crisis that has engulfed the once peaceful city.
“It’s really sad because growing up in Jos was like
the best thing that ever happened to all of us from
that part of the country. It used to be the most
peaceful place on earth. It provided us an enabling
environment to express ourselves and grow into
what we are. So, it is really sad to see what is going
on right before us.”
On his relationship with his son, the single father of
one says, “My son is a blessing and I’m grateful to
God for giving me him. I have a cordial relationship
with the mother of his son. We are good, just trying
to bring the boy up.”
The singer, who once admitted that he dropped out
of the University of Jos where he was studying
Zoology because of financial constraint, says he
plans to go back to school some day.
“I intend to one day get some real education and
study something else apart from what I know now,
which is music. But truly, I can’t say when I’m going
back to school yet. I pray I get the chance to do so
one day. I’ll love to study History,” he says.
Apart from music, he is also involved in some
projects. He says, “I am working with a few artistes
at the moment under my # SuperCoolCat outfit. This
is not a label but a collection of young people with
the same dream working together.
“There’s a girl called Ruth Cobhamz who I can’t wait
for the world to listen to; an amazing rapper called
Stunt and a few producers, such as Sammy Gyang,
Chopstix, City monster GRU and TMXO, who just
produced my newest track with Joell Ortiz and MI.”
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