Years after the break up of Nigeria’s best music pair, Don Jazzy and D’banj, reports are rife that Peter and Paul Okoye, the sensational twins that make up P-Square may also be on their way to a bitter separation. Ugochi Ndukwe chronicles the issues that might have caused the implosion of this beloved duo.
All over Nigeria and beyond, music fans and followers are still ruing the avoidable, acrimonious separation of now defunct Mo’Hits Records’ founders; singer, D’banj, and his producer and partner of many years, Don Jazzy. While both are still very active in the music industry and doing relatively okay, the contention remains that they were better off together while their separation was an injustice to fans. Now, these heterogeneous fans are about to have their hearts broken again as P-Square, comprising twin brothers, Peter and Paul Okoye, may, by now, be rounding off discussions with their lawyers on how they would share their multi billion naira assets and musical catalogues so that they can go their separate ways.
They are musical sweetheart of many and poster-boys of the Nigerian hip hop music industry. Youthful and good looking with finely chiseled bodies, energetic on and off stage, they gifted Nigerians a string of commercially successful albums that earned them a place among the pantheon of contemporary music stars in a short while. With the production wizardry, they could croak into the microphone and almost so effortlessly sell millions of copies, nick multi-million naira endorsement deals and performance engagements from the east to the west and everywhere around the globe. This is despite that their music thrives on sloganeering and ephemeral lyrics.
THE REMOTE CAUSES
In the last couple of days, blogosphere has been abuzz with reports that the end might have come for P-Square. According to reports pieced together from various sources, the root cause of the problem stems from the twins’ older brother cum manager, Jude’s overt disdain for Peter’s wife, Lola Omotayo.
As the story goes, long before the music stars lost their mother in 2012, she had allegedly been unyielding in her rejection of Lola as Peter’s wife. She is perceived to be too old, too wise in the ways of the streets and of Yoruba extraction compared to Peter, Igbo and in his early 30s. Even after Lola gave birth to Cameron, Peter’s first child, the family’s aloofness never wavered. Thinking that his mother’s death would allow everybody soften up and finally accept Lola as his wife, Peter was shocked beyond words when an adamant Jude said he would never support the marriage unless he got their late mother’s consent. Peter interpreted this to mean that nothing could make Jude change his mind. He was devastated but determined.
Sadly, his twin brother, Paul, was not totally against the union but because of Jude’s overbearing influence on him, he was ambiguous. When Peter eventually decided to go ahead with the wedding plans, he was not surprised at Jude’s patent indifference. Prior, the prospective groom had told his own friends that Jude always disrespected Lola who is also older than him.
Perhaps to underscore his disdain and dislike for his brother’s bride, Jude was conspicuously absent at the elaborate, star-studded traditional wedding ceremony held November 17 at the Ark Events Centre, Lekki, Lagos. Yet, he was in town. In fact, he and his brothers returned to Nigeria from Ghana where they had a performance engagement a day before the ceremony. From that point on, discerning observers knew that all was indeed not well with the brothers. What they didn’t know was that the battle line had been drawn between the Okoye brothers.
Over the past couple of years, Peter’s choice of bride had caused a lot of damages that were not too obvious to the public because they keep churning out good albums, get mouth-watering endorsement deals and sell out concerts across the world.
However, keen watchers did not fail to notice Peter’s gradual relegation to the role of a mere choreographer. Inside sources said though Paul is the better singer, both put heads together on the direction and lyrical component of songs to release. Sometime back, Paul had a dislocation in his back and was therefore less involved in their rigorous dance routines, allowing him to concentrate more on songwriting and composition. The inadvertent acquiescence to this arrangement saw Peter’s subsequent songs being consigned to their hard drive and other storage devices. Jude, with the connivance of Paul, reportedly saw this as a way of getting back at his obstinate brother who wanted to flout their late mother’s order.
But he seems to have forgotten that Peter is no longer the teenager that left Jos and abandoned his university education to make a name for himself in music? That as a man that he has become, he is responsible for his actions and inactions?
JUDE’S CULPABILITY OR IMMATURITY?
Years ago, when news filtered out from the singers’ camp that Peter and Paul got into a physical face-off, which left Paul with a cut to the eye, a lot of people still believed that it might not be true after all. But Jude’s cryptic post on twitter that evening shut everybody up. “After over 10 years of hard work, it’s over. Am (sic) done.”
Even if there was a problem, as the elder, should he be the one to make it known to the public? This opened the floodgate of comments and reactions. Many felt that Jude should have been more circumspect and flexible about the Lola issue considering that his impact on P-Square made them the global superstars that they are today. Jude is being quoted as saying that if Peter truly loved Lola as much as he is claiming, he should have been able to convince their mother before her demise. Hence, Jude tells whoever cares to listen that Peter is being remote-controlled by his much older wife; that he is under Lola’s spell.
Also, the contention is that while it’s not out of place to adhere to their late mum’s instruction that Peter should not marry Lola as reports suggest, being a bit more amenable for the stability of the group would not be out of place in Jude’s case. Similar to the tale of a King who reigned while his town prospered and another King whose reign was plagued with hunger and retrogression, nobody would forget either of them. Nobody would forget Jude’s role in the evolution of P-Square.
It is to his credit and business acumen that P-Square is Africa’s most sought after act and the most expensive maybe. Along the line too, he has made many enemies for himself because of his rigidity as regards performance fees for his wards. An artiste cum events manager who does not want to be quoted said, “If he left P-Square, where does he want to start from? Except he doesn’t want to do entertainment again, otherwise, people would make him pay for his misdeeds over the years. It would be in his best interest to ensure that the issues are amicably resolved and everybody accepted their roles and responsibilities in the family and in the band.”
Indeed, there is a thin line between love and hate while the line between fame and infamy is thinner. Jude has joined a growing list of celebrities riding the crest of popularity and seeming infallibility until a misdemeanor, a misstep brings them back to reality.
In a series of tweets, Peter who has been on a business trip in the United Kingdom lamented the poor management style of their brother, warning everyone to desist from doing any business on behalf of P’square with Jude. “Please whosoever makes any transaction with Northside Entertainment or Jude Okoye on Psquare’s behalf does so at their own risk,” Peter warned. Peter’s responses came after Jude had taken to his twitter page to urge their fans to pray for Peter, noting that, “He’s been going through a lot lately.”
In the same vein, Peter fired back at Jude, as he wrote, “You said I need Prayers! Bro you need GOD!” He then went on to say “Some ask why on social media. Do I have a choice! Insisting you must remain Psquare’s manager? And that your decision is final? #Psquare4ever” He then stressed that “Peter and Paul is Psquare”, noting that, Psquare will remain. “I repeat Psquare is not breaking up. Thanks for the love and support. I appreciate #NoMoreFamilyBusiness”
IS LOLA THE AGENT PROVOCATEUR?
Unlike Paul, whose wife, Anita Isama is not in the limelight, doe-eyed beauty, Lola, has been a fixture on the social scene long before Peter and Paul found fame and fortune in Lagos. Apart from the yawning age and race difference, the mother of two, like every other mortal, has a past that many are now using to haunt and taunt her. She and Peter had been an item for the past five years and saw him grow from just an upstart to a substantive music star with all the appurtenances that come with that nomenclature.
Since the report became public, all fingers are being pointed in her direction as the crooked wood that spoilt the bonfire. Those who do not even know the difference between Paul and Peter have called her many names. She has got commensurate support too.
