I Was ‘Copying’ Wyclef Jean – Singer, 9ice Reveals

Alexander Akande, the veteran Nigerian singer, who is popularly known as 9ice, has said he was sounding like Haitian rapper, Wyclef Jean, in the early days of his career.

The ‘Photocopy’ crooner said he wasn’t the only Nigerian artist copying Wyclef’s sound back then but he was better than the rest.

In a recent interview with SPS, 9ice explained that he stopped copying Wyclef Jean after he discovered his own sound.

He emphasised that his brand of music is a fusion of his major inspirations like Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Bob Marley, Ayinde Barrister, Kwan1 and Pasuma.

“My inspiration was Wyclef [Jean]. If anybody listened to me at the beginning, there was a time I was sounding like Wyclef 100 per cent. And there were other people that were sounding like him but they felt that I sounded better than them when it comes to sounding like Wyclef,” he said.

“And from sounding like Wyclef, I got to my own original sound. Bob Marley, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Ayinde Barrister, Kwan1, Pasuma and Obesere are the people that I listened to while growing up and they formed my blend in music.”