9CE REINVENTS HIMSELF NICELY
Over the years, the stage name 9ce has travelled from Lagos to the furthermost part of Nigeria with super force. The name has registered itself in the minds of virtually all music lovers in the Southwest of Nigeria and indeed Nigeria. We all can attest to the fact that the history of contemporary Nigerian music is not complete without his name taking its pride of place. That is how much Alexander Abolore Adegbola Adigun “Alapomeji” Ajifolajifaola has done himself and for his country of birth when it comes to churning out good music.Ever since this amiable gentleman entered the Nigerian music scene with a bang in 1993, 9ce has never looked back not relent in his effort to remain relevant in the ever competitive music industry. And to say that we all love him, his style of music and his humility is to say the very least about this hardworking and all-round entertainer who has not only carved a niche for himself but has also set a towering benchmark for other musicians.
At the height of his new found fame in 1998, Abolore used his native Yoruba language to freely rhyme out a track that will become the “national anthem” of Nigeria’s home-grown hip-hop genre ; the track titled “Gongo Aso” quickly positioned 9CE as the undisputed rave of the moment from the year 2008 to early 2012.This semi dance-hall sophomore album titled “Gongo Aso” which was actually his first single and it’s the very one that first brought him fame.
Abolore hails from the “Pace-setter” state and this may be why he has blazed so many trails in the music industry ever since he ventured into music. And soon after “Gongo Aso” which will always remain the first local hip hop track in any Nigerian native language to be so successful, 9ce has churned out many more chart busting tracks with inspiration from “Gongo Aso” which remains the precursor in that area as many more artists followed in the footsteps of the master of the art himself.
Having done everything he had to do in the music scene,Abolore Adigun Alapomeji made a quick detour in 2014 when he ventured into politics.Abolore joined party politics and declared his interest to contest for a seat at the Federal House of Representantives ( in his native Ogbomosho in Oyo State ). Although he lost out in the primaries, 9ce was however compensated with a portfolio as he became the Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor,Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
And by the time he came back to his first love after his brief spell in politics, 9ce did not lose touch a bit but this singer-songwriter discovered he had work to do in order to catch up with the fast-changing music landscape that had welcomed so many talented music artists. And before you could say Jack Robinson, 9ce had called by his winning “mojo”. His re-invention was smooth and flawless.9ce has rediscovered his winning formula of old. His re-branding was done before our very eyes and to the chagrin of those who thought it was not going to be achieved. Recently, 9ce dropped a new video ‘Glass House’ and his latest single which is still making wave in the music industry and in the tracks of every DJs available. Even the radio stations are not left out in the frenzy of the song, which cuts between the old and the young. He has returned Mr 9ce. Keep it up man!
