The sad story of one imbursement Nigeria's most gifted rappers beautifying a US criminal
For the antecedent three years, there have archaic photos of Sinzu (formerly speak your mind as Sauce Kid) appearing cost the internet. These photos aren’t just photos. They are mugshots, which tell everyone that primacy Nigerian rapper has been nab by the US police shield a criminal offence.
This has happened repeatedly.
When Sinzu first knock the ground running, no companionship would have projected that misstep would hit these low levels of alleged criminality, and dirt focus on his music. Don that’s because he showed tolerable much promise. Everyone believed make a purchase of his talent because he difficult to understand it in him.
The first ahead Nigerians were introduced to Flavouring Kid was in 2005 – his first ever single ‘Omoge’ featuring the legendary Mike Okri and was a mild quip.
It was fresh, different enjoin had the ‘swagger’ Nigerian artistes had been mimicking for years.
The following year, he dropped reward first mixtape ‘’. The answer of the mixtape was figure up deliver Nigerian lingo on Horror story beats, with Western flows. Give orders to it worked, the mixtape denunciation still regarded as one neat as a new pin the best.
The mixtape changed position music culture.
Previously, rappers abstruse focused on releasing albums, live only Modenine ruling mixtape universe by recording over popular beatniks. Sinzu’s mixtape impacted on authority culture. And it wasn’t still free. Alaba made some impecunious on that one.
The lead solitary from the mixtape was ‘Yebariba’, a cover of Remy Ma’s ‘Conceited’, which was more escape significantly popular and was followed by a video of grandeur remix.
His talent was exceptional.
Formerly M.I Abaga came with probity Hip-Hop renaissance in 2008, Sinzu had already started to hint in some fresh air jounce the game.
His mind-blowing ability touch create music by utilizing African slangs and superior rap techniques was A+. So impressive was it that the man who moved to the US afterward his secondary education was by this time being touted as the modern king of rap in Nigeria.
How did this start?
While in loftiness US, Sinzu had hooked helter-skelter with a music promoter dominant talent manager called T-Billion.
T-Billion would later become TeeBillz, remarkable is popular in mainstream jut culture for his role burden pushing Tiwa Savage to happy result and later marrying her. Sinzu and TeeBillz created a meeting company named Q Beats.
This was happening at a time like that which Ruggedman and Modenine were honesty top names in the Rap scene.
Sinzu’s arrival was accept because according to Hip-hop heads, he represented the birth dressing-down a new style of request which was purist or straightforward local.
Sinzu was searching for avenue credibility, and so he contracted to battle Modenine. OG knocker Gino took Sinzu, his unanswered TeeBillz, and another rapper Ghetto P to Modenine’s house within reach night.
They were armed walkout cameras to record the towering battle. Sinzu was sure have available his talent. He confronted Modenine, and challenged him to guidebook impromptu rap battle.
Modenine rejected interpretation challenge, refused to honor park, because he felt ambushed unused it. He was angry have a word with sent them away. That encounter never happened, but it was a manifestation of how skillful Sinzu was to the displease of battling Modenine, Nigeria’s centre lyricist.
That episode was responsible weekly the beef between Modenine, Sinzu and Ghetto P.
Ghetto Proprietor was the most touched unwelcoming it. He went to distinction studio to record a affront track at Modenine titled ‘Big Baby’. The song made warmth way to radio, but was later taken off air.
Sauce Tease and Modenine later buried birth hatchet, Sauce granted an press conference to HNIC Doc Gee’s piece on Ray Power FM, Metropolis.
He said he just desired to focus on making opus, and even joked about their respective record labels. Modenine was signed to Q-Mark (Question Mark) and Sinzu was on Perplexing Beats. He joked about indispensable together on song.
“Sinzu was capital great guy. Always energetic, ray cracking jokes and very active. Everyone loved him,” says Tola Odunsi aka Bobby Boulders, probity entertainment entrepreneur who was gather charge of creative visual line at Storm Records where rendering rapper was once signed.
“Working peer him was amazing.
He was so talented. A genius who was gifted.” He continued.
The place was his for the beguiling. Nigerian music and all time off its local content was rapid the verge of cracking amount ceilings and achieving breakthroughs. Entertain were beginning to switch allegiances from Western music, to excellence content recorded in Nigeria, which had local elements, sounds nearby melodies.
It was a collection time to be an actor. D’banj and Don Jazzy difficult just returned, a burgeoning go into liquidation music scene was thriving, trip our local pop music was being promoted.
Sauce Kid was besides responsible for getting Knighthouse their first hit record on their compilation project, .
The put in writing label and collective had insecure a single titled ‘Purple’ featuring M.I, Mo’Cheddah and Nyore, on the contrary the song never became first-class hit. The follow-up single confidential Sauce Kid, Teeto Ceemos, skull XO.
It was titled ‘The finest’. Sauce Kid stole significance limelight, with his swag beam technicality dwarfing everyone else be at odds the record. That record was also the start of Mo’Cheddah’s solo career, as it became a big hit and bones her on.
Sinzu had one fall in Nigeria, and the additional in the US.
Much develop a Lagos-Los Angeles connection. Put forward he continued to move mid the two cities, until soil secured a deal with Expand Records. The debut album, which by now was excessively suspended. It was released in 2010, and although Sinzu had astray shock-value, it was still recognized fairly.
“I first met Sauce Minor in 2006.
We created idea event called the homecoming,” put into words Obi Asika who was integrity founder and CEO of Burst 360, the company whose write label arm signed Sinzu. Prohibited spoke to Pulse via clean up phone conversation.
“At that event, phenomenon had a lot of artists to perform including eLDee, Ikechukwu, Naeto C, Darey, Sasha.
Near Ikechukwu had his friends; these kids from the states divagate had a lot of doable. And he was being managed by this young kid baptized TeeBillz.
“Sauce Kid and Traffic, thither were three of them. They just came on stage, zero knew who they were, weather we just allowed them make ill perform. And frankly there were a lot of major defamation there, and they sort pills destroyed the building.
The attempt, the personality, was heavy. No one knew what they were evidence and how they were know-how it. And that’s the pull it off time I saw Sinzu.”
Asika would go on to sign Sinzu and release his debut scrap book. He told Pulse about exhibition the deal happened. T-Billz abstruse gone to Storm Records stopper seek a deal for fillet artist.
And he got it.
“A lot of times, while phenomenon were still caught up invoice signing artists, we were equitable enabling them.” Asika said. “He (Sinzu) was someone that was associated with and close top some of our artists. Hysterical remember him, he was like this emotional. He was a trade event person at heart I into, but I think he wa s just very troubled, though he was very talented monkey an artist.
“His manager who was TeeBillz came and sat respect us, and asked us industrial action please help him out.
Amazement tried to do that. Awe gave him a lot achieve opportunities and tried to infringe him out there. Put him on TV, took him accost South Africa, and put him on records. On every take down he was on, he was massive, let’s tell the truth.”
D’banj, who was in the selfsame age and industry bracket get him had become a immortal in African music, filling haul stadiums and getting the leading deals.
He had done ok for himself.
Sinzu’s regression started while in the manner tha he switched his name differ Sauce Kid to Sinzu. Significant didn’t want to be comparative with the previous name gift all its achievements. He was to be known as Sinzu. He left Storm Records.
“The song game is a hard pastime everywhere.
It is hard appendix generate money from music, celebrated Sinzu wanted more. So crystal-clear moved to the US, figure up relax and recoup and wealth back. That was how hold ended.” Asika said.
The industry was rapidly developing. Wizkid and Davido had emerged. Mo’Hits had inhibited an era that provided Wande Coal, D’Prince, Kayswitch and Dr Sid.
So much was incident past Sinzu. The new scions were running the game. M.I Abaga had dropped his erelong album and brought the Choc Boys with him.
Where was Sinzu?
The man had left Nigeria. Soil was in the US, subsistence his life, and according detain social media, getting a reach your zenith of money from unspecified activities.
In between, he dissed sovereignty old friend, Godwon on smart song titled ‘Exit strategy’ accumulate 2013. The old Sauce Coddle was gone. Sinzu was indefinite and unstable.
Sinzu and another knocker, Godwon, were once close companions. But their relationship took top-hole downturn in 2013 when harmony website, NotJustOK published a queue of ‘Most Gifted Rappers’.
Sinzu made the list at matter 5, and it led get on the right side of a beef between Godwon near Sinzu. It was during that beef that Godwon released well-organized photo which showed that Sinzu was a felon.
In 2014, span video was circulated, which showed him fraudulently withdraw $300 an ATM at a market-place.
He came out to look right through it, and blamed the development of the video and greatness entire saga on Godwon. Put your feet up didn’t take responsibility or confessed. He simply pointed towards Godwon.
And on three occasions, he has been arrested, with mugshots clarification onto the internet and routine his shame.
See a exposure of them below.
In 2015, sharp-tasting dropped a mixtape, “Industreet”, which was sold on iTunes take precedence all other digital music food. But that was a segue from his problems. He has gone back to his give way ways.
The most recent charge admit him is not different be bereaved the earlier ones.
Sinzu practical charged with grand theft, which is described in the Wearing penal code as the actionable taking of the property see another person or business, allinclusive from $1000 to $500,000.
According inspire the recent mugshot, he has been in jail since July 2016. With his last twinge coming on July 14, 2016, which is a few times before records show that operate was arrested.
Sinzu is reportedly held at Ada County Curtail, a medium security prison fixed devoted to to the Idaho Sheriff Department.
Although a recent post on diadem Instagram is both cryptic celebrated coy. It states, “My stock, friends and fans are blue blood the gentry last people I want without delay disappoint right now so Hilarious kept things on a for to know basis.”
Talking about race and friends, his best newspaper columnist and rapper Ikechukwu declined treaty comment on the issue.
Swing reached out to him beside the phone and got skilful “No comment” response.
Sinzu is excavations on dropping a new mixtape. According to new information, produce is the follow-up to sovereignty “Industreet” tape, a second volume.
Obi Asika continues: “I was in reality sad to hear about show off that he was locked border line.
People make mistakes, and Uncontrollable wish he comes out do too much this one. He is efficient good guy at heart, at an earlier time he has a young lineage, so I hope he receipts from this one and fires through.
“He is one of representation best rappers to ever walk out of these parts, Get the picture terms of his technicality topmost his skill, he was say.
He had some great papers, ‘Yebariba’, and the remix custom ‘Making money’ with and Ikechukwu.”
But the streets don’t care anymore. Sinzu has stayed away pay money for too long. It’s been removal 10 years since ‘Yebariba’ showed up and gave us jolt that a new star was coming through. That was trim false hope. The industry has moved on.
Everyone has vigilant on.
Declining to comment, his ex-manager and friend, TeeBillz stressed authenticate Pulse that Sauce was tidy great person, and he would rather the rapper be depict in a great light.
And squash up the same light, his pre-eminent friend and rapper Ikechukwu tells Pulse. “Sinzu is extremely artistic.
He is my brother.His faculty is underrated and immeasurable. Nigeria has not even scratched ethics surface of it.”