Mira Oto, likes to refer to herself as a genius. She has proved those claims many times over with the way she has taken charge of various creative projects. With world domination on her mind, Mira’s mission is to save the industry from mediocrity, one artiste at a time.
Q: Who is Mira Oto?
Mira: Well, Mira is a genius. I say this quite a number of times, and it may seem like I toot my own horn a lot, but it is what it is. Mira is a genius that wears many hats, from fiction writing to branding, creative Marketing, A&R, copywriting, all-around idea box. We thank God for what he put in this pretty head.
Q: Why do you call yourself a genius?
Mira: Well it’s a mixture of pride and truth. To be honest, I don’t think there’s ever anything I’ve tried to do and outrightly failed at. Plus late last year, I was to join a campaign called “Genius is common”. It’s a movement to push that there’s a little bit of genius in everyone. Not an equal distribution, but a substantial amount.
Q: You have many jobs, yes? Explain them to me.
Mira: Well I won’t say, I have many jobs. I have one paying job and a lot of passion projects that will give me money. Eventually.
Q: You can’t stop there. Tell us about the passion projects.
Mira: I work as a creative Marketing Intern at Mavin Global, as a participant of the Mavin Future Five. I’m a talent manager, I manage this amazing producer, The Beat-Oven. He doesn’t have sense sometimes, but he is more than good at what he does.
More recently, I started managing this really beautiful Ibadan based singer. Her name’s Taade and by the time we’re ready for her to storm the Industry, it would be epic. I’m also on a bunch of artiste teams, there’s this guy; The PDSTRN. I call him ‘cheat code’ and soon you’d know why. And then more recently, I joined Zamorra’s team as his strategist. There are also a few side projects I’m not sure I can mention yet, but when it comes out, it’d be beautiful. There’s also XO Don, an amazing singer too. Make Dunsin and XO no go kill me
Q: That sounds like a lot on your plate, don’t you get overwhelmed?
Mira: Every two days. But I can’t give in, so I get up and do the damn work.
Q: At what point in your life did you decide, yes, this is what I want to do. Was it a conscious decision or did you just fall into it?
Mira: Okay so in 2019, I had these ideas that I felt if an upcoming artiste could implement, it wouldn’t necessarily make them a superstar, but they’d be almost if not just as branded as the big guys.
I’d chosen May to be my test subject at that point. That was the end of the year, 2019.
But at the beginning of 2020, I felt I didn’t know enough, so I was going to learn all I could by writing about it. So I took up writing again, but this time for money so I could put it into researching artists’ careers. Then I met even more artistes, and I started showcasing the fact that I was opinionated about their choices. Long story short by January 2021 I’d gotten an offer from a label to come work for them. By mid of 2021, I’d applied for MFF, and by the end of summer 2021, I’d gotten an offer from the label manager of Marlian Music and Mavin Global. I doubt I’ve ever made a better decision.
Q: That sounds like a very direct path. You knew what you wanted and stuck to it. Is this something that your family knows about? And if they do, are they comfortable with it?
Mira: Well they definitely know about the decision.
If it’s something they’re comfortable with, I’ve never really asked. Plus my family knows me enough to know that I should be allowed to do what I want. They learnt the hard way.
Q: What does the hard way mean?
Mira: Let’s just say for more than half of my secondary school days, they thought I was a science student and were shocked to see my WASSCE selected subjects.
Q: Oh my God.
Mira: Since then, I didn’t need to say too much. It’s a “I know you want this, but this is what I’m going to do, ‘cause it’s what I want” type of situation. My uncles are really supportive though so they’re the ones giving me mind.
Q: Where do you see yourself going in this industry? What do you want to do in your career?
Mira: So my general answer is always impacting the lives of new school artistes but beyond that it’s world domination. Today it’s MFF, tomorrow it could be a marketing associate in Universal or Warner, next could be a director. Heck, my own thing would definitely come in as well. For now, though, I’m taking it one step at a time, impacting lives, changing careers, and saving the Industry from mediocrity, one artiste at a time. I’m a superhero basically.
Q: Mira the superhero. Sounds splendid. What’s your favourite thing about the industry?
Mira: This is a tough one. I think it’s the talents and opportunities. There are so many talents, so many opportunities, but limited access. It’s the challenge that this reality brings for me.
Q: Inspiring. God when? What’s your least favourite thing?
Mira: The gatekeeping. God, I want to slap every single person that tries to gatekeep all parts of the industry. Yes, mediocrity shouldn’t be encouraged, but give people the chance to grow and don’t be an asshole about it. From A&Rs, to artistes, to producers, the gatekeeping is mad, and they try to make it seem like if you don’t play to their tune, you can’t go anywhere. You’re either paying through your teeth or kissing your way up a bunch of smelling asses.
Q: That bad?
Mira: It’s even more terrible. There’s also the fact that everyone is trying to prove smart. You see an upcoming artiste who’s unable to help his own career, ‘start up’ a label and makes a promise to help a fellow upcoming because he wants something from that upcoming and doesn’t want to pay. Something you’d be outraged at, you’re doing it to your fellow upcoming. Anyhow sha, it’s like my boss says, soon the frauds will be exposed.
Q: Sounds like a tough world. What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you?
Mira: Hmmm I think it’s when this person kept trying to give me industry advice at this recording camp I went to. In my mind I’m like, it’s my fault for coming here as an independent A&R and not as a Mavin employee. Babe was legit going on for two days about ways to enter the industry and how my unreserved honesty wasn’t it because it wouldn’t let the upcoming artistes want to work with me. First off, how many do you think can pay for my services? Secondly, you’re not that guy sis! Ooh, or how a friend’s manager thought it wise to undermine my intelligence. Talking about, “you don’t know anything just cause you’re in Mavin”. Well of course not, I’m in Mavin cause I know things. Basically, it’s people thinking I’m stupid.
Q: Must be the babyface. Do you have any regrets so far? Any chances you wished you had taken?
Mira: None at all. If there are steps I didn’t take, it’s probably cause it wasn’t best for me then. I tend to overthink, so definitely no regrets.
Q: Word to your younger self?
Mira: Don’t let anything or anyone change you. The world is mad already.
Q: Is there anything you think I should have asked?
Mira: How much is remaining to complete your Seychelles trip fare? These are the issues.
Q: Lol. Okay, so how much?
Mira: It’s 50 million by the way. Crowdfund for me.
Q: I’ll set up a gofundme.
Mira: Thank you.
