In a post seen by Unmask NG on his Instagram story, the Zoom crooner said some operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him and took him into custody.

Although he didn’t mention the reason for his arrest, this publication believes that it may not be unconnected to profiling.

What you should know

In Nigeria, it is an open secret that security operatives move around on daily basis, hunting for young men they could accuse of doing fraud and extort from.

From EFCC to men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), these security officials raid hotels, religious centres, homes, amongst others, to hunt for young people to extort from.

It’s so rampant in the Nigerian society, such that the citizenry floated #EndSARS, a nationwide campaign/protest against police brutality.

However, even though #EndSARS almost led to anarchy under President Muhammadu Buhari‘s watch, the issue still lingers. The arrest of Cheque has proven this further.

The post Singer Cheque Queries His Nationality As EFCC Arrests Him appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

Born as Akanbi Brett Bamidele, Cheque is a reigning Nigerian singer and songwriter. Interestingly, in the short while his music career professionally debuted, his songs have secured massive numbers on streaming platforms.

Not only that, he’s one of the very artistes, whose hit songs constantly get airplay.

How Cheque’s career began

For Cheque, music started during his bachelor’s degree programme while he was an undergraduate of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

While he graduated in 2017, after which he started chasing music full-time, Cheque earned his first degree from OAU in Chemical Engineering.

Following his graduation from the university, Cheque was easily spotted for his musical talents by PentHauze Music and got signed almost immediately.

Before his breakthrough in music, Cheque was formerly known as Kyle-B. All thanks to Zamorra, a fellow musician who gave that to him.

Having completed his school programme, Cheque relocated to Lagos State, and a year after he had left school, he contested for ‘Murk Reminisce’, a music challenge game organised by indigenous rapper Reminisce.

After the show, he got a message from Penthauze boss Phyno, and as they say, the rest is history.

How Cheque secured his stage name

Unmask NG understands that Cheque is among the Nigerian artistes that could not figure out their stage names on their own. However, in the case of the Penthauze signee, some show audiences made it happen.

Cheque was invited for a performance at an event, and while serenading the audience with his melodious trap music, he continually mentioned ‘Mic Check’, and the crowd continued to cheer him up with that.

After the show, he just loved the way the fans he made at the event called him ‘Check’, but later styled it “Cheque”.

Cheque’s EP and songs

Since he debuted his career under Phyno’s watch, Cheque has released two musical projects –Razor EP and Bravo, with no less than 18 songs combined.

Not only has he featured on a song with his record label boss, but Cheque has also attracted interest from other music stars, that include Davido and his American counterpart Wale.

Cheque’s biography and net worth summary Profile Summary

The post Cheque’s Biography And Net Worth appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.

Your real name is Akanbi Bamidele Brett, where does the name Cheque come from? 

Before I started music, I would go to an area where they freestyle and watch the guys go hard for hours, admiring every single rapper or singer that came up to do something nice, so one day I was anxious to see what it felt like to hold a mic and when I did, all that could come out of my mouth was cheque , I said this 15 times, people started laughing, and that’s how the name got stuck to me. Anytime I went back, they would say “that’s the Cheque guy coming”.

What does your brand represents as an artiste?

I am a new school artiste representing unbound diversification and versatility. I fuse all genres of music into Afro, Trap, R&B, hip-hop, and pop. I also focus on lyricism and melody. 

When and at what point in your life, did you start taking music seriously?

I started making music seriously in 2015. At this time, I was in the University studying Chemical Engineering.

How were you discovered and signed by Phyno’s Penthauze Records?

In 2017, I had just finished school and I decided to come to Lagos so, through 2017-2018, I was just dropping freestyles on social media. This fateful day, I had dropped one freestyle for Ajigijaga reminisce’s contest and a couple of days later, I got a dm that surprised me. It was from Phyno. The rest, as they say, is history. I wouldn’t say I have challenges, it’s been more like a blessing in disguise for me to be able to absorb all the energy I can into making music.

You just dropped an EP Titled Razor, why Razor? What motivated the choice of songs?

The title of my EP is Razor because my intentions with this Ep is to cut though different genre of music and culture. The choice of songs however, came by just picking one or two from different genres of songs I have. I still have much more in store for the world to enjoy

What have the challenges been so far for you, especially during this pandemic and how have you been overcoming?

The pandemic has disrupted a lot of activities for everyone especially in the entertainment industry.

It has disrupted studio recordings, video shoots, I can’t go out as I want, it’s even affecting music promotions as much can’t be done on the street due to the social distancing rules. 

I have been making sure I do all the best I can to get through this stage, I set up a creation corner in my house where I write, record and do what makes me happy, which is music.

How do you think artistes and labels’ issue can be properly addressed to make the industry progressive?

I believe proper communication is key to a good relationship. That way, both parties can understand their goals and stay level headed as they both strive to achieve the agreed upon set goals.

If you had the power to influence a change in the Nigerian music industry, what would it be?

The industry definitely needs more new artistes with great talent. That’s the major change I would love because the Nigerian music industry is a multi-million industry and the more new artistes we have, the greater our chances to take over the world and make our voices heard.

The Nigerian MusicSphere has a lot of young guys making waves, what are you bringing different to the table?

 I bring an infinite vibe and mix of different genres. You can’t resist that.

Olamide and Phyno have made a name in the entertainment industry not just in Nigeria but Africa and beyond, what would you like to imbibe from their growth?

The level of consistency when it comes to Olamide and Phyno consistency is both unmatched and admirable. That consistency is what I envision for myself and hope to achieve.

The post How Phyno Discovered And Signed Me -Cheque appeared first on Business News in Nigeria.