Martins Onyemauchechukwu, who makes up the other half of 4kash, a highlife/hip hop duo that includes Emesiobi David, has declared that he sees music in him. He made the declaration in an interview at TheNiche office while talking about their new single, ‘Seshele’.
“It’s not that I chose music; I see it in me. That is why I bring it out,” Martins stated. “I am taking it very seriously day-by-day because if I sleep and wake up, it is what I am seeing in me. I see music in me all the time”.
The song, Martins said, features the current music sensation, Phyno, and a host of other artistes, and produced by Saint Uzi, who from the sound of it, knows what he is about around music.
“Working with Phyno was quite interesting, just like playing a game with one that knows best how to play it. His style of song complied with the ‘Igbotic’ rhythm is what I tag marvellous,” Martins gushed.
‘Seshele’ he said, is about dancing and celebrating. “It is Ghanaian. The song is hip hop”.
Apart from the new single, the KMB artistes, who hail from Imo State, have previously released two singles ‘Catch Cold’ and ‘Emili’, which have been receiving massive airplay on Star FM, Radio Continental and several music websites.
Martins, who, together with David, had been performing on stages in Lagos and beyond, said his goal now is for the world to hear and learn from him through his music.
Quizzed about whether Emili in the song of the same title is his girlfriend and hence the song is dedicated to her, the resounding response is a no coming across like he has no girlfriend. Although he agrees that ‘Emili’ is something like Flavour’s ‘Ada Ada’, Martins, who is the songwriter for 4kash, said he wrote it a long time ago. The said song is responsible for the duo’s appearance at wedding receptions every now and then.
Ask if he does not have one and the answer is prolonged laughter. Told that somebody like him who is in the limelight should have plenty of girls falling over themselves to have him, and Martins said “Not all of them will be my girlfriend; they are just friends”.
But does Emili exist? “Emili exists, yeah”. And you sang for her? “We call it rhyme when you want to sing a song, and the name that you choose matches the song, because not all the names will match what you want to say,” explained Martins, who added that he started recording his songs in 2008.
According to him, 4kash is ready to release an album of 10 songs this year.
The singer, who attended primary school in Imo State and finished secondary school at Immaculate Child Academy in Abia State, said he was on the verge of going for higher education. I’m just trying to go for my higher education now.
“My father was a builder, an architect, so when I go to school, that is what I will study,” he said.
Why the name 4kash?
“We choose that name because when people hear the name, they will know that it is about a person that has money or spends money. In this world, not everybody can meet up money-wise. And we know how we started, like when somebody would say, ‘money yab man’. So money yab us, for us to answer 4kash,” Martins said.
Considering that 4kash has started opening for musicians like Solid Star and a host of others, and particularly the familiar newness of its sound, it will definitely find a treasure trove of cash anytime now.
And their next performance? Next month in Festac Town at the opening of a new hotel.
