Chocolate City artiste, Ice Prince, talks about fame and music, Punchng writes
Over time, the ostentatious lifestyle of
the average Nigerian artiste has been a source of concern to many music
fans. Considering the unstable nature of ‘superstardom,’ it is a common
belief that many who fail to plan suffer for it. As such, there appears
to be an unending debate over how these artistes manage fame and
control their finances.
For 27-year-old Panshak Zamani, also
known as Ice Prince or Chocolate City Golden Boy, who lives like a true
superstar, there are clearly no limits to how false stories are peddled
around many Nigerian artistes.
Ice Prince is the proud owner of a
Bentley GT, a Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle, among others. Laying to
rest some speculations that his Bentley was bought with a loan facility
from a bank, the 2013 BET Awards winner says, “No, it is not true! It
was paid for! Bought it in Abuja from Sir Kefiano! He has got all brands
of vehicles! “
On how he handles his earnings and fame,
Ice Prince gives a word of advice to fellow celebrities, “As an
artiste, it is good to have real life mentors and people that handle
your finances. It is better to put yourself on a salary instead of just
blowing the money as it comes and life will be easier.
“You need to also understand that the
life of an artiste is usually very expensive. So, One needs to be
cautious. It is quite a new experience to have fame and all that.
Sometimes it’s a problem managing all of them. But one thing that keeps
me focused is that I always remember where I’m coming from, no matter
where I am. While there is always pressure to keep up with trends, I
believe that it pays more to be yourself and be real to the world around
you.”
Despite the fact that he became famous as a hip hop artiste, the singer chooses to be referred to as a musician that raps.
“I really do all kinds of things with my
music and I like to dream bigger than just a rapper. I know how to use
my voice to sing, chant and do stuff that is not necessarily rap. So I
like to be seen more in that light of a guy who can expresses himself
with his voice however he feels more comfortable.”
One area which strikes a chord in his
heart is what is left of his hometown, Jos. He becomes emotional when
asked to speak about his views on the current crisis that has engulfed
the once peaceful city.
“It’s really sad because growing up in
Jos was like the best thing that ever happened to all of us from that
part of the country. It used to be the most peaceful place on earth. It
provided us an enabling environment to express ourselves and grow into
what we are. So, it is really sad to see what is going on right before
us.”
On his relationship with his son, the
single father of one says, “My son is a blessing and I’m grateful to God
for giving me him. I have a cordial relationship with the mother of his
son. We are good, just trying to bring the boy up.”
The singer, who once admitted that he
dropped out of the University of Jos where he was studying Zoology
because of financial constraint, says he plans to go back to school some
day.
“I intend to one day get some real
education and study something else apart from what I know now, which is
music. But truly, I can’t say when I’m going back to school yet. I pray I
get the chance to do so one day. I’ll love to study History,” he says.
Apart from music, he is also involved in some projects. He says, “I am working with a few artistes at the moment under my #SuperCoolCat outfit. This is not a label but a collection of young people with the same dream working together.
“There’s a girl called Ruth Cobhamz who I
can’t wait for the world to listen to; an amazing rapper called Stunt
and a few producers, such as Sammy Gyang, Chopstix, City monster GRU and
TMXO, who just produced my newest track with Joell Ortiz and MI.”