Okechukwu Ukeje, popularly known as Mr. Raw, talks to ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about his fashion and styleWhat is your style?
I am more of a ‘keep it simple and
straight’ casual dresser. Somehow, I think jeans and T-shirts work for
me a lot because of the nature of what I do, though occasionally, I rock
corporate wear and African/traditional attire.
You rap but you don’t always wear the blings and chains that rap artistes favour. Why?
I disagree with you! Dressing is a thing
of the mind. It is a way of expression. When it comes to dressing, I
believe a lot of people have a choice of what they would like to wear
out before purchasing the clothes they wear out. There are people that
are not artistes but they still dress the way other people believe
artistes are supposed to dress. I am just being me. No particular mode
of dressing should be attached to the word ‘artiste.’
I have seen a lot of us, both home and
abroad, that rock corporate wear more than the bankers. Most times,
before I step out of the house, I will remember this saying ‘dress as
you would like to be addressed’. Maybe that’s why I am always conscious
of what I wear out, and being someone who is not a fan of tattoos,
earrings, etc, I have a picture of the ‘me’ that I want people to see.
Do you consider anything before you dress?
Yes I do. The way we dress says a lot about us in public places before we even start talking.
One would have expected you to wear dreadlocks or do a stylish hairdo but you are just normal, why?
I strongly think it’s a thing of choice. I am not a fan of dreadlocks or stylish hairdo. I love to keep it straight and simple.
Sagging is the rave of the moment for artistes. Are you part of the trend?
I have never sagged and I never will.
It paints a bad picture of whoever sags though on the stage, it makes
some artistes look all swagged up but sagging while working or on the
road, while on a visit to friends in their offices, in the church?
Hmmm… Imagine a politician sagging to address the voters or a lawyer
sagging in the courtroom. Believe me, most of these people that sag will
not allow a doctor that sags his pants to operate on them or a lawyer
that sags to represent them in court. This simply means that sagging
paints a picture of irresponsibility when it comes to people in other
professions but in entertainment, it is a way of showing you’ve got
swag!
What do you love wearing as a person?
A smile
Is there a difference between Okechukwu Ukeje and Mr. Raw?
There’s a big difference. Ukeje
Okechukwu is the normal everyday guy, the guy next door. The guy they
call ‘Mr. Raw’ is the artiste, the guy that uses his ‘Igbotic’ voice to
make something out of his life through the God given gift of music. Mr.
Raw is an entertainer and Ukeje Okechukwu is the name behind Mr. Raw.
What is your fashion craze?
I love shirts. I love the colour white
and I have lots of white tops but generally, I think my fashion craze
is tops (shirts/Tee shirts- V or round neck etc).
Are you a perfume freak?
Yes, I am a perfume freak. I buy
perfumes that can last me for over a year. I can use two or three
different fragrances at once. It feels good to smell good.
Have you ever made a fashion mistake?
I have when I was much younger though. I
can’t remember any particular incident but sometimes, when I look at my
olden days pictures, I will just laugh my heart out. I find it
difficult to believe I wore some of those clothes! To think I actually
felt cool in those funny outfits to the extent of snapping pictures in
them.
What can we never see Mr. Raw wear?
You will never see me wearing skinny
jeans. It is boot-cut all the way, or flare jeans. I am a ‘big jeans’
person so I will never be seen rocking a skinny jeans.
Do you wear designer labels?
I wear a lot of designer labels both
Nigerian and international. If the clothe is good and the design is on
point, I will rock it. I have three Nigerians that I rock their designs
well and they are all Naija-based designers. They are Kelvin Madu, AKA
Chimex; Marco Martinez; and Pages by Princess Aibi.
What can you not leave home without?
Since we are talking about fashion, I cannot leave home without wearing my armour of God.
Even with all the competition in
the music industry, you are still very much on top of your game. What
has been your staying power?
I will say hard work and being prayerful
have helped me. I always try my best to come out better than my
previous jobs. Also, being open to criticism has helped me a lot to a
point that I don’t feel threatened. That’s why, most times, I see myself
encouraging a lot of artistes to do more of indigenous rap and I am
glad I am as supportive as I can be. Finally, na God dey do am for me o!
How well is your latest work doing in the market?
My latest album titled, ‘The Greatest’,
is doing incredibly well in terms of market sales and online sales.
Also, judging by the offers I get from different promoters to perform at
their events, it is a sure proof that the streets are enjoying my
latest work and I thank God for that..
Your style of music is yet to change, why?
I will answer this question with another
question. Do people really change their styles? No! Do people really
change their names? No! They just add titles to their names and that
doesn’t mean the name has changed; just like using my style on a reggae
beat, highlife, makossa et cetera. My Style is what people identifies me
with, just like my name. That’s the reason why when people hear a new
song, they will be able to guess if it is artiste A or artiste B simply
because they are able to recognise the styles of the artistes. My style
is still going to be the same! I have a voice that sounds so ‘Igbotic’
to a point that even when I’m rapping in English, people still think I’m
speaking Igbo language in my songs. It makes it easier for people to
differentiate me from others.
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