The story of Afrobeats cannot be complete without highlighting the role of hype men. For a music style that is typically energetic and hard-hitting, the energy of a hype man is often needed to bring it alive. This is what Melody Ifeanyi Adigo popularly known as Melody M.I.A knows how to do best, bringing life to a party. The 28yo has carved a niche for herself as a party starter who knows how to get any kind of crowd going. In just five years, she has established herself in a male-dominated industry as the foremost female hype person in the country. In this interview, we speak to Melody M.I.A about her career so far, juggling hype with radio, her love-hate relationship with Lagos amongst other things.
In five years, you have become a household name in the hype scene in Nigeria. How has the journey been for you so far?
Melody M.I.A: It’s been interesting, and it’s also been tiring. It’s been interesting because just recently I found out that this was one of the things I used to do when I was in school, like partying. I didn’t like going to parties back in school. But whenever there was a party at my hostel or my department, from the beginning to the end of the party, I was there. Just there, doing the whole partying, dancing, and all of that. So to now be getting paid for that is just so awesome.
Flying to different countries, and different states has been very interesting for me, meeting new crowds, and having to break new crowds, because the way that people in the North will respond is not the way the people in the South respond. So that in itself has been very interesting for me, but the crazy part is that when I get booked, I don’t have breathing space. It has been nice overall.
Five years is a long time in the entertainment industry. What do you think has been responsible for your staying power?
Melody M.I.A: First, I believe it’s God. The other day I was having a reflective moment and I was like, “brah I don’t know how I’m able to do it the way I do it.” And there are things that God gave me to be able to stand out. One is the energy to be able to go for days. Then secondly, my love for music. I call myself a music crackhead. I feel like I hear music differently. That’s why I’m able to understand how music goes. The catchy parts of the music are going to be the catchphrases; the parts of the music that are going to be the highs and lows.
Also, as a trained OAP, I understand how to move on music, where you’re not supposed to talk so much on the music itself especially when the words are coming out, you can back ride on the instrumentals and all of that. So these are some things that I take into cognizance when I’m hyping. My hosting abilities have also helped me to stand out.
Do you have an alter ego?
Melody M.I.A: Well, obviously, yes. So I’m a couch potato. I don’t like going out. I’m very shy. I just like being with my friends and family. That’s what I love. But when we’re outside, then we’re outside, and we have to behave like outsiders. And that’s when you have the M.I.A come out and I’m bringing all the energy. The music is in my head and the crackhead behaviour comes out and I’m controlling the crowd. On a normal day, I’m just a very shy and quiet person.
We’ve seen a lot of Nigerian hype personalities put out music of their own. Like Seye Banks and other guys. Do you plan to put out music of your own?
Melody M.I.A: Yes, music is something that I am going to do. Because I love music and my guys are doing music. And I think, to be somebody whose name is going to be mentioned in history, you have to do music because it is everlasting. Music never dies, music will always be there. I mean, we are in 2023 and sometimes, you see people sample music from the 90s and the 80s. So yeah, I must make music. And not just because I want to be remembered, but also because I want people to understand how much I love music through the music I create. So, it might not necessarily be me singing, but it will surely have my tag on it, my input and influence. It will be something that you’d listen to, and know that Melody put together.
What inspires your style when pulling up for an event?
Melody M.I.A: To get to where I am today, it took me about 3 years of being on stage. The first thing I noticed was I had to be pretty comfortable. People who know me know that I am too heavy. And since I’ll be giving all the energy and going crazy, I do not want something that would make me so self-conscious that I won’t be able to deliver as much energy as possible. Another thing that I found out that influences my style is when I’m wearing gowns. I’m more girly. I’m more in tune with the delivery of what I’m doing. I also realize that I like to wear an outfit that highlights the feminine part of me because there’s one thing I tell a lot of people: I’m a hype person, but I’m a woman. So I’m not trying to look like a boy on stage. No. First and foremost, before hype person, I’m a woman and I need all of you to know I’m a woman and I’m a fine sexy woman at that and you must know. So basically that’s how we came about dressing to bring out M.I.A.
Another thing that influences my dressing is the type of events. What is the event about? So to know which one of the outfits we’re gonna pick, whether we’re gonna go for a gown, or a two-piece? What’s the theme of the event? These are some of the things that I factor in when putting my outfits together. One of the things that I wish I could put into my outfits but which I can’t is heels. I’ve done it. When I do clubs I do heels, but on stage, I wish to God that I could pull heels but I realize that except I want to break my ankles. So I just look for the best sneakers to go with my outfit. I think that’s basically what influences my style; the crowd, the type of party, the brand, and my comfort.
What is your routine in preparation for an event?
Melody M.I.A: First off, I stay off every form of intoxication or whatever vice I have for a week. I stay away from all of that because I need to conserve my voice and to make sure I have enough fluid in my body. You know hyping requires a lot of energy. I add more water to my diet. I also stay indoors because I need to save my voice. I engage in a morning and night ritual of honey, ginger, and lemon. I boil it and I drink it every morning and night. Then I stop exercising for the whole week because I know I’m going to do workouts on stage. But I continue stretching, because literally, what I do instead on stage is cardio. So I need to stretch to keep my muscles intact and all of that. Then one last thing that I do on the day of the event itself is fruits. Oh, the week of the event I add fruits to my diet. On the day of the event, I take more fruits. I have to eat two hours before I climb on stage. If not, I’m going to throw up and if I don’t eat two hours before I climb on stage, I will not eat again. And it must be two hours before I climb on stage. I have to start preparing two hours before I climb onto the stage also. I stretch again. I do a lot of hot water baths before I go on stage, just to relax. Some people use cold water to relax their muscles, for me hot water works. So these are what I do to prepare before I go on stage.
Navigating an industry predominantly male, how has the process been for you in establishing your unique presence as a prominent figure in the world of hype, particularly as the face of hype for women in Nigeria?
Melody M.I.A: I think first of all because it’s dominated by men, my thinking and strategic head decided that first and foremost before being a hype person, I’m a woman. And I think that’s the reason why I never fail to let people know that I’m a woman. So that I don’t get lost in the haystack of men. And one thing I learned earlier before I even went into the hype scene was to tick every single step at a time, and know it is my race, not anybody else’s. So I don’t have to look at what others are doing. I just try to concentrate more. I do it based on say I’m a hype person, and not that “Oh I’m a woman, they won’t give me the job”, or “Oh, please give me the job because I’m a woman.” But because I’m very, very good at this.
Luckily for me, when I started officially playing with the big dawgs, I met Alhaji Popping. Alhaji Popping is such a celebrator of women. He believes that women do it better. So it was easy for him to accept me into the fold. Also, the men that he works with, like Tolu Daniels and Livewire, welcomed me into the fold. I think working with these people helps me to protect my energy and not care about whatever anybody else wants to say or whatever anybody is doing. They let me prove myself without judgment, and now nobody else can talk me down for being a woman, because evidence dey.
In our conversation earlier, you mentioned that you are into fashion. Can you shed more light on that?
Melody M.I.A: So this one is like one step at a time kind of thing. I am into fashion, in the sense that I love creating looks and bringing out something. I love styling myself. Because most of the things I wear outside the stage and on stage are what I thought about and put together. And already, I styled some of my friends. The brand M.I.A isn’t something that is just going to stop at hype and music, it’s going to also move into fashion.
Right now, I’m open to collaborations with fashion brands that are already out there. From fashion curators to modeling, to design, if that’s your thing, let’s go together.
What’s your advice to women who want to join the hype industry?
Melody M.I.A: My advice to women looking to get into the hype scene is to be strong. The entertainment industry as a whole is not very kind to women. So you need to be very ready to be strong enough to go the extra mile. Another advice that I’m going to give women who are starting in the game, is to be very careful. You’re a woman, and you know women are very attractive, people would want to sleep with you. So you have to be very careful with how you go about your business, how you move, and who you’re dealing with. Have it at the back of your mind that most people in the entertainment industry would want to cheat you. I said most, so you don’t have to shoot yourself in the leg. You have to be really, really careful about the places you go, who you’re dealing with, and why you’re doing this.
And last but not least, you need to be your own businesswoman. No agency, no manager, no colleague, no fan is going to understand what you’re trying to achieve. Most people are talented but they don’t look at the business side of their talent. But if you need this business to make a living, you have to take your business seriously in the sense that you are the one making the decisions. I think I’m going to use this opportunity to give a shout-out to WannixHandi, who are female DJs. I know we’re talking about hype but these women push for it. And that’s the thing about being a hype woman. As a hype woman, you have to be in charge of your business. Don’t leave your gigs in the hands of someone else. Because they would never, ever hustle the way you do. You need to have that hustling spirit. And you need to be the one in charge of your business.
You’re based in Ibadan and you work primarily in Lagos. Why haven’t you made the move?
Melody M.I.A: Okay, um, I think the reason why I haven’t decided to move is because I like the peace that comes with Ibadan. If I’m being very honest. Lagos is crazy in the sense that everyone is always on the move. And after I finish making the crowd go crazy, I’d like to come back home and rest. As you know, I’m an On-Air-Personality, because I work with Jamz 100.1 FM, Ibadan and I could actually be in Lagos. But I love my 9-5. I feel like it’s going to be so hard for me to let go of it. I just have to be doing it because I love being in that conversation about music and making people happy via the radio or TV. When I’m in Ibadan, if my radio show starts by 3 pm, I could decide to leave the house by 2:45. If I want to be very stupid, it’s 2:50 and I will still get to work by 3 pm. I’ll still get to work before my radio show starts. There was a time when my place of work was 30 minutes away from my house, according to Google Maps, and I would still get there in exactly 30 minutes, unlike Lagos. If you’re living in Lagos, if your work is 3 pm, you have to start preparing by 10 am to leave your house because of the uncertainty of the road, to traffic. That’s how crazy it is, the hustle and bustle. If you finish the work by 7 pm, you fit no reach your house till 1 am, it’s possible.
I finish my work by 7 pm here on the radio, and in 10 minutes, I’m back to my house and I can rest. I kind of recoup the energy that I have dispensed at the events. I can sleep. I can do me. So I think that’s one of the things that scares me about leaving Ibadan. And that’s the reason why I have not actually moved. I’ve tried to move. It hasn’t worked so far. But I am not 100% fighting that I must move. We are just taking it a step at a time. When it is time and when I cannot run away from it anymore, I know I would have to move. But for now. I just want to keep enjoying the comfort and the space that Ibadan gives me.
You work a 9 to 5 in Ibadan, On-Air-Personality in Ibadan and you’re a hype person over in Lagos. So how do you juggle both jobs in between these two places?
Melody M.I.A: It’s not easy Because one major thing that I hate is leaving out of a box. And moving around means that I have to live out of a box. I have a partner at work. So thankfully, that helps me to deliver well on the radio because once the partner is there, he helps as a shock absorber or something like that for me. But it’s not easy because I do not like traveling. Unless the trip is more than a day, like maybe one or two days. Three days. One week. One month of travel. I enjoy that because I get to remove the stuff out of my bags and I get to see them. Otherwise, I don’t like it. But at the same time, even when I’m in Ibadan and I have gigs in Ibadan, they usually book hotels for me because I’m not going to go back to my house and that translates to living out of a box, so it’s almost the same thing.
The way I see it right now, I don’t even see it as traveling per se. I just see it as going from the mainland to the island or vice versa. Because I see that even those who are living in Lagos, also move to other parts of Nigeria. Because I also do gigs in other parts of Nigeria. When I travel, I travel with people who live in Lagos. So they also are traveling. So I see it as more of a situation whereby it’s not me traveling to Lagos. It’s just me moving from the mainland to the Island kind of movement. But one thing that is just a bit hectic for me is having to travel back and go straight to the radio station. Because if I have a gig on Sunday, and I’m traveling back on Monday, I’m going straight to the radio station to host my show. I would wish that I could rest. But that’s almost the same thing as people in Lagos who are doing radio, like Do2tun, and Seye Banks. Once they come back, they go straight to the radio station. So going straight to the radio station is the part where I wish I could just get to sleep for the day. But this show must go on. I would say that it’s kind of a small price to pay for the peace I enjoy in Ibadan. I’m willing to take it up as a challenge and a price to pay.
So what are the plans you have as regards your brand, M.I.A? Not just as a hype person but as an all-round creative.
Melody M.I.A: In this interview. I’ve mentioned that there is a plan for music. I’ve mentioned there’s a fashion plan, and of course, the bigger plan for education because I love education. Basically, fashion, music, education, and of course parties, which is the hype.
We are also going to have an M.I.A. experience. Not just a party that M.I.A is hyping, but something special for M.I.A the brand itself. I want people who love M.I.A. to experience me at least once at a different party.
Any last words for your fans?
Melody M.I.A: I just want to tell you that if you love M.I.A, you’re doing the right thing. You’re part of the Action Clan, and you should know that you’re never going to be Missing In Action. I want to thank you so much for loving me. Thank you so much for coming to all my parties. For spreading the news about M.I.A. You literally are M.I.A. The brand M.I.A is what it is because of you, and I do not take that for granted.
