Young street music sensation Ahmed Akinbiyi aka Bella Shmurda speaks about his new album “High Tension 2.0” and how COVID-19 helped improved him as a person and music as a whole. Bella Shmurda drops his second EP, a 8-track EP on Friday, July 9th which he described as a personification of who he is as a person which is why he didn’t feature any big artiste on it. 
Below are some of the excerpts of Bella Shmurda’s interview with TOFARATI IGE;Â
Your music became popular at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force and there weren’t shows. How did that make you feel considering that you would have made more money from concerts if things were different?
Actually, I think the COVID-19 pandemic preserved my brand as an artiste. It also preserved my talent and longevity. The pandemic also gave people the time to get better and learn more. COVID-19 actually helped me to improve. Before, I just wanted to be an artiste, but now I want to be an entrepreneur.
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Some time ago, you were in Ghana with Wizkid. Do you plan to collaborate on a song?
Yes, we did something nice. But, it’s up to Wizkid on when it will be released.
Considering the struggles you faced while rising as an artiste, do you have plans to help up-and-coming entertainers in any way?
I think all up-and-coming artistes need to start attending seminars on how the music industry works. They need to know where they are going and be educated about certain things. Some artistes don’t really want to sing, they just want fame. Most times, artistes shout about money, but it is not all about that. They need to answer certain questions— ‘Am I talented’? ‘How well can I write songs’? ‘Will my songs touch people’s lives’?
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While coming up, I was also shouting that I wanted to be popular and make money. But, it’s very important to have a strategy. That’s why we need to educate them, so they can have a better understanding of the industry.
What are some of the things you wish you could have done differently as an artiste or person?
I cannot change who I am. However, I wish could be more of an introvert, because I seem to talk too much. At a point, I had to understand myself and note areas where I needed to improve. But, nobody is perfect though. Even with one’s talent, one cannot be the best. Nobody can lay claim to being the best musician. After the demise of heavyweights such as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Michael Jackson, music has continued. And after me, music will still continue.
What influenced your tattoos, especially the one on your forehead?
The one on my forehead is ‘God’, written in Arabic.
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