I’m Now More Responsible – Terry G

Terry G is a recurring decimal in the ever dynamic music industry. The singer is one of those that popularised street music. Creative and versatile Terry who says he’s a different man from Gabriel Amanyi (his original name) recently released a gospel tune. He speaks with SAMUEL ABULUDE on his brand, staying power and other sundry issues
How many times have you changed your name?
I have changed my name more than four times now. Different people call me different names like Akpako Master, Free Me, Spiritual Madman, Cooperate Madman, Ginger D Ginger, Swagger D Swagger, Intellectual, Who be that before I now changed to Terry Gzus and right now Terry Genius.
What is Terry Genius all about?
I think Terry Genius will be my last change of name. The Terry Gzus has been creating controversies over the time, but people still don’t understand despite the fact that I try to make them understand, even if it is not spelt as Jesus which is Gzus people still don’t understand because they sound the same. But I try to make them understand that even the name Jesus has been there before Jesus Christ was born but they still didn’t get it. May be because of the Christianity background.
Did you change your name due to religious treat?
No, people still call me Terry Gzus. Even sometime, when they chat with me and they type Jesus, I correct them that it is Gzus. I have not been tackled but I just want to niche that positive vibe.
How would you describe this year of your career?
We have been progressing, I thank God. we have been travelling. Business is moving, I just got some more buses for my pure water factory. I have been doing my stuff, I have been going for shows.
Since you released the master tracks like Free Madness, Aye Logan and the likes. You have not been the Terry G we know. What exactly is the problem?
At the end of the day, I have seen that I can live a social life and live my personal life. There is nobody in the industry that is perfect but how do you project it? I think that was my fault, so now I have been able to balance social life and personal life, but I am not perfect. I am still an intellectual, spiritual. It is just that I am now more responsible. I know what duties are, I know what public services are, I know what to do when I am out there. Those are the stuffs I had no clue about because of the neighbourhood I grew up in. I had no guide.
What would you say about artistes that do more beat, less content songs?
‘Free Madness’ wouldn’t have been so fresh till date if it doesn’t have content. Of course, it’s what will make the song last long and not the beat.
What do you think about New School artistes glorifying internet fraud?
It is what is trending and I cannot judge anybody.
Your son is six years old, are you not planning on having another child anytime soon?
When I am ready, I will.
Has your mother not been disturbing you to have another child?
My mother does not bother me about that. My mother is very cool, she is nice to everyone. But right now, I just want to invest in my son, he is in Chelsea Academy and he is still going to school, so I need to focus on him for now.
Most people think that Terry G water has died?
No, may be because it has not gotten to their area but if they go online they will see people posting Terry G pure water.
Won’t you marry your baby mama?
She is not worried about that. I don’t have a clue of marriage for now and we are still both young. We have been through the struggle for years together and she handles most of my businesses. I think we are not in the stage for that now, when the time comes, we will do that.
Do you believe in the marriage institution?
Of course I do. Marriage is all about trust. Same sex can marry. I am married to her already even though we are not married.
For you to say same sex can marry. Does it mean you support homosexuals?
No, God forbid! I mean marriage is an agreement between two people.
How is she coping from the pressure from her parents?
No, she is in charge. She is the only child of her parents.
Doesn’t she feel threatened?
No, because she knows the kind of person I am. She knows Gabriel, she does not know Terry G. She criticises me a lot, she is so classy.
Was she the one that influenced your new song Chimo Chimo?
No, Chimo is a song I had to sit down and ponder about before writing. You know the industry is a game. Before you play it, you have to check out the players. But I am not in a competition. I make sure that whatever I put out is not in anybody’s league. Chimo is a rap song, it is a positive vibe. So at the end of the day, if you are competing with me, you have got to follow me. The song didn’t really change my style. It is like a swap, it is good. You can’t keep eating rice, you will get tired of it. I want to win more fans and when we are talking of winning more fans we are talking of adding values. I want to add value. By God’s grace, let additional value come to our lives.
What does Chimo means?
Chimo means God.
How was the journey like convincing your parents to take a switch from gospel to the circular world?
I think, convincing my parents was quite difficult for me. I had to run away from the house. Even till date, this dreadlock is still a threat, it is one of the things they never wanted. My mother was a bit supportive but still, they both never wanted me to do it. I am the first child and all they wanted me to do was to portray the way of the Lord which I am doing right now. At the end of the day, we are all servants of God and we have been sent on different areas and we don’t know what tomorrow holds. I don’t know how I found myself doing this even if I had ministered in churches. I was just looking for a way, it was then I met Faze through Shola Animashaun and it was through my church. I ministered before Daddy G.O Adeboye and he laid his hands on me and said I was going to preach to multitude. People were falling under my anointing, I used to have power before but now, it had disappeared but it is something that we can get back, it is about the connection. When I was still ministering in the church that was when I started deviating. There was a particular time I smoked cigarettes and I got to mingle with bad friends but people still fell under the anointing when I sang then. I am a blessed child. But immediately, I felt sad because I knew what was going to happen to me if I didn’t connect back.
Why don’t you try doing gospel?
I think anything that happens to me is God’s plan.
Why did you disband your House of Ginger band?
It was not working for me. I probably was not in the right stage to set up a band. I was so much in love with the talents and I didn’t put structure and business in place. In a nutshell, it was not coordinated.
What were the things you lost disbanding your band?
Absolutely nothing. I didn’t lose anything as I was young then.
Why have you not signed anybody to your Terry G production?
I just like to help talents, I give you my blessings, I don’t need to tie you down. Even the House of Ginger I didn’t sign anybody despite everything I did.
When are you going to do a gospel album?
I will do gospel singles, even in most of my circular songs, I still praise God indirectly but nevertheless I will still have gospel singles. Talking about gospel album it will be a dream come through for me.
Do you think you have done well with the couple of singles you have dropped this year?
Yes of course, all my songs are good sounds although I didn’t drop them back to back.
What do you feel about people saying Olamide emulated you in his latest single ‘Poverty Die’?
I feel so great, I feel so excited. Even before Olamide did that song, when I hear people use my slangs and copy my style I feel so great because I am not dead.
Don’t you think having a collaboration with WizKid could bring you back to limelight?
I have it already, I have featured Wizkid, he has also has featured me too. I believe so much in my craft. I am so patient. I took a while to do some other things so now I should take my time before pushing collaborations which I have already cooked. I have a song with Flavour, Phyno, I have Ice Prince. I have them all.
Having all these body of works, don’t you think it is a smart time to push out an album?
I don’t think so.
In the past you acquired a Ferrari but We have not been seeing your Ferrari. What happened to the car?
Lagos frustrated me, our roads are bad so I had to toe the car to Abuja. Now it is in my small house in Abuja.
Since you broke into limelight, have you been committed to your baby mama?
Yes, I am a responsible man.