I was born into abject poverty – Music producer Masterkraft

Most likely the name Sunday Ginikachukwu Nweke would not ring a bell but once Masterkraft is mentioned, then most of Banky W, Flavour, and Phyno’s hit songs would come to mind.

No doubt, the ever smiling music producer is one of the best on the continent especially as he just concluded works with rave-of- the-moment American singer, Jason Derulo, but life has not always been a bed of roses for the beat maker.

In a chat with  PUNCH Saturday Beats, he hinted that he was born into abject poverty and life as a child in Ajegunle was like sleeping in thorns.

“Growing up in Ajegunle was an experience for me because I was raised in abject poverty. The only thing that gave me joy was music especially because I was born in a white garment church. Playing music in church gave me hope. 

At a point in my life, I had to hawk; I sold ‘pure water’, tin tomato and also tissue paper, that is just to mention a few. At a time, I had to work as a houseboy just to survive and I did that for about two years. 

Then I complained to my father that I did not like the job and that I wanted to come back home. When I got back home, I began to play the piano. That’s when I began to produce music. My childhood was very tough and challenging but I am grateful to God that none of those things hindered my future,” the beat maker said.

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Although he was a brilliant kid who dreamt of becoming an accountant, his hopes were unknowingly shattered by his parents even though he had a scholarship to attend two schools. He said, “I was a very intelligent student as a child and I remember that when I took my common entrance examination, I was the number one student in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government and the government gave me scholarship to two schools but my parents did not know the meaning of scholarship.

 I tried to explain it to them but they preferred that I serve under an ‘oga’ for about six years. They believed that as soon as I was done, they would open a shop for me at Idumota and I would be selling jewellery. That was how I was not able to go to school and I went to serve someone for two years.”

Luck smiled his way in the guise of MI and Banky W, who he said gave him a breakthrough in his career. Masterkraft also acknowledged the role Kenny Ogungbe played in his life via his Kennis Music record label.

“I taught myself how to play the piano and I thought I would become a mogul by just playing the piano till I met a friend that played instruments. He went for Star Quest and won, so he wanted me to produce for their group. At the time, when you won Star Quest, you would be signed under Kennis Music. When I did the first two songs for them, Kenny Ogungbe liked it and that was how I became a part of Kennis Music label. That was in 2009. 

The turning point for me was when I produced a song and they needed a rap artiste on the song; so they called MI. He came to the studio, listened to the sound and asked if the song was produced in Nigeria. He later asked to see me. Instantly he called Banky W and told him about me. Banky tried calling me but I did not know it was him, so I did not pick his call, that was how he sent me a text message and I was so excited when I got the text. 

The next day, Banky W came and he told me about a song he was working on and in less than 30 minutes, I was done with the beat. He was so amazed that he promised that my name would be everywhere and that was how I made it to his album. I saw myself in the newspapers and it was Banky W that paid for it. From there, I started working with EME and I was the vocal coach for Wizkid and Skales,” Masterkraft said.