Seyi Shay, a Nigerian singer and composer, has talked candidly about how her career was affected by the passing of her mentor Sound Sultan. She revealed that she lost the motivation to pursue music after Sound Sultan’s death in 2021.
Shay said that the “toxic” nature of the music business also prompted her to take a hiatus at around the same time she became pregnant with her kid.
“My mentor, best friend, and father figure, who introduced me to the Nigerian music scene, passed away when Nigerian Idol was being filmed. In an interview with TVC, Seyi Shay recounts, “He died; Sound Sultan.”
I spent a year living in FESTAC with him and his wife when I first arrived in Nigeria. In order to make sure that his guys looked out for me, he co-signed me and introduced me to everyone in the business.
It was rather difficult for me to finish the filming after his death, but I managed to do it. Not being able to see him before he died was the thing that hurt the most.
During our break that weekend, I was scheduled to take a plane to New York to visit him.
He expressly asked me to bring him something. It simply ripped me to pieces. Without Sound Sultan, my mental health, and my peace of mind, I felt as though I lacked the will to keep performing music.
I so made the decision to take a brief vacation.
Additionally, I became pregnant during that time, and I convinced myself that I could never have a child in the toxic music industry I work in and under the relentless scrutiny I endure.
I simply felt that I ought to take a rest.
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