Wale Thompson prepares for a come - back

Contrary to the expectations of his critics, it appears that the last has not been heard of Wale Thompson and his style of juju music.

At the last check, the exponent of juju hip hop, an idiom that emphasises a fair mix of juju and elements of Afro hip hop music, may be staging a dramatic comeback on the music scene.

Thompson’s flourishing career suffered a setback after he had a car accident  years ago. Before then, he was one of the toasts of the music industry, following the success of his upbeat hit-song titled ‘La la le Friday’.

After ‘La la le Friday’, he released two albums that did not, however, quite do justice to his image as an innovative juju musician.

In an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday, Thompson said the second album, titled My Logo, failed to attract the attention that it deserved because it was recorded around the same time the  crash occurred.

 “The album could not be promoted because I was on hospital bed most of the time. It would have ended up almost a perfect follow-up to ‘La la le Friday’,” he added.

Thompson has been away from the music scene for quite a while. During that lull, he spent the time shuttling between the United Kingdom, where he lived temporarily, and Nigeria.

“To keep body and soul together, I have been busy doing gigs and playing at parties. I have been quietly warming up to come back,” he said, with a note of self-confidence.

A few weeks ago, the Nigerian entertainment scene rippled with excitement when it was reported that the soft-spoken musician had taken delivery of a brand new set of music equipment. The development had immediately signalled a possible return to the grand old days of smooth flowing juju music.

Source: Punch

Now that he is back on his feet, Thompson is really eager to stir up the scene with No Rivals. The video has already been shot on locations in Lagos and he hopes to release it next week, while the album will debut in April before Easter.

 “This is more than a comeback album to me. I have worked very hard on it. I did some research and experimented with various music studios in Nigeria and abroad before recording the album. I know it will help re-launch my career to greater heights. My music will rule the world again” he says.

Thompson notes that the title was inspired by his miraculous survival from the accident that kept him off the limelight for some time. “I believe God allowed me to survive the accident because He had a bigger plan for me. Second, all the support that I have received from my friends, relatives, associates and other well-meaning Nigerians shows that I am destined to succeed,” he says.