Former Chairman of Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Rivers State chapter, Mr Robin Maja (The Farms) has paid tribute to late singer and song writer, Olanrewaju Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan who died recently in America as a result of throat cancer.
Robin Mama, who spoke with The Tide recently described Sound Sultan as one of the pace setters of modern hiphop music in Nigeria. He noted that Sound Sultan’s demise had left a big vacuum in the Nigerian music industry. He stated that Sound Sultan was a talented, resourceful and enterprising musician, who had contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Nigerian music industry.
The former PMAN boss prayed God to give the late singer eternal rest as he prayed God to grant Sound Sultan’s family the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.
Sound Sultan, born Olanrewaju Fasasi, was a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, comedian and recording artiste. He was regarded as one of the pace setters of modern hiphop music in Nigeria. In 1991 he had taken an interest in music, mining at school parties and writing his own lyrics. He attributed his early stage experience through Baba Dee qe he started learning how to play the guitar after his secondary education and was in a band in 1999.
Sound Sultan’s career in showbiz started in the 1990s when he hosted show to raise money for studio sessions, by 1999 he had won numerous local talent hunt shows. He released his first single “Jagbajantis” in 2000 which was a hit in Nigeria. After independently releasing other works he was signed by Kennis Music. He released four album. By 2007 his contract with the label expired and he partnered with Baba Dee to start Naija Ninjas, a parent organisation for a record label production, outfit and clothing line.
After starting as a rapper, he has worked in different musical genres from RnB to Afrobeat, Soul and Nigerian Fuji music. He had said artistes should not be judged on the genre in which they perform, that the important thing was the message conveyed in the music. Under Naija Ninjas he released ‘Back From The Future’ (2010) and signed artistes such as Karma Da Rapper Young Greya Shawn and Black’s.
Sound Sultan began a working relation slip with Wyclef Jean when featured alongside 2face Idibia and Faze on proud to be African from Wyclef’s welcome to Haiti Creole 101 album. They have collaborated on two other projects, King of my Country (2009) and People Bad (2012).
In 2012, it was announced that Sound Sultan was made a UN Ambassador for Peace for his exemplary life style and career. In 2015, Sound Sultan released the rap single, ‘Remember’, after a long absence from the music scene.
After a fallout of African Basketball league, Sound Sultan joined forces with the organisers of the continental Basketball league to become a team owner of Lagos City Stars, the 2017 champions and a facilitator of the league entertainment. Sound Sultan featured on the Honorebels 2019 single ‘Bridal’, with Joe EL.
By: Jacob Obinna
