Rave of the moment Adebayo Abraham, popularly known as Shanko Tiphe, in this interview with Ebenezer Bajela, talks about his rise to stardom, his Chelsea dream and Eagles chances of winning next year’s AFCON
A video of you freestyling is one of the most trending topics on social media recently. How has this impacted you?
It has been a life-changing experience for me because I didn’t expect that to happen, but now I am expecting more after the song made it into the Top 100 songs in Africa on Shazam. I plan to drop another hit by next month.
When did you discover that you had the talent?
I’ve always had a passion for music since I was around 10 years old but it wasn’t something that I wanted to do even though I know that I am talented and I know how to sing. It has always been easy for me to flow with anything, even when I wasn’t prepared and that was why I could easy compose a nice song on the spot when they gave me that beat in the trending video.
When did you take music seriously?
It was just recently after the video surfaced on social media. That gave me hope and I believe I can actually make a career out of music. I just have to take it seriously and I thank God it’s been going well for me.
A lot of people assume the video was staged…
(Cuts in) Nothing like that at all. It is totally not true that the video was planned because I was at work and people could see from the video when I came out from under a car. I was shocked but I just knew that was the opportunity I had been looking for and I just had to give it my best and the rest is history.
In some of your videos online, you put on Chelsea jerseys, does that mean you a fan of Chelsea?
Yes, I am a big fan of Chelsea and football. I watch football a lot and I think I have been supporting Chelsea since I was just 12 and I know that we’ve had our ups and downs, but it is a phase and I know we will come out of it soon.
At 12, which player influenced your decision to support Chelsea?
Actually, it was Frank Lampard that influenced me to start supporting Chelsea but unfortunately, he was already nearing the end of his career with the club. Not long after I started supporting Chelsea he left for Manchester City but I still remain a Chelsea supporter. I cherish Mikel Obi as a player too but it was Lampard I love most.
How have you been feeling lately with Chelsea’s poor performance?
At times I wish we don’t talk about it because they’ve been given the fans heartbreak. We understand that rebuilding a team can take time and I have no doubt in me that one day they will get it right again because the mocking is too much, my friends who support other clubs make jest of me both in school and at home.
Do you think Mauricio Pochettino is the right manager for the club?
I totally believe that he is the right man because he is friendly and from the look of things you can tell that the players like him. I am sure that they will start getting the results they deserve.
A lot of European players and clubs listen to Nigerian songs, one of which was played during Declan Rice’s unveiling at the Emirates Stadium. How will you feel having your song played at Stamford Bridge?
That would probably be the biggest achievement of my career and I will be forever grateful to God if I see that happened. I will continue to work hard and hope that one day my songs will be regarded as one of the best in Nigeria.
As a Chelsea fan, what is the dream?
The dream is to one day be at Stamford Bridge live to watch Chelsea play.
While you were younger, did you play street football?
Of course I did and I think that’s what almost every kid does. I played as a right winger then and I was very good. I have speed and if I am to rate myself as regards my speed, I will say 70 out of 100, but my dribbling skill is top notch and I can dribble anybody.
Do you think you’ve still got the skills in you?
Yes I do. I am a young boy and I can tell you I still have it in me even though I haven’t been playing football for sometime now, but some things cannot be taken away from you. I may not have the speed that I used to have, but I can still dribble very well and I know that for sure.
With the dribbling skills and your pace, why didn’t you consider a career in football?
I don’t think my heath would allow me to thrive as a professional footballer because I am very fragile and I have a very small stature. I am not strong enough; I don’t think I have the strength for the training and I am also very worried about injuries. These were the things that scared me away from playing football, especially the fact that I have a very small stature.
But we’ve seen players with small stature doing very well and Lionel Messi is a typical example…
(Cuts in) That is Messi and players like that come once in a generation. Messi is a great player.
What’s your assessment of our current Super Eagles team?
I was unable to watch their last game because I was in the studio trying to record some songs, but I was following the game on LiveScore and I am not too impressed with their performance.
Do you think the team stands a chance of winning the next AFCON in Ivory Coast next year?
It is possible if they remain consistent with their performance because we have very good strikers that are doing very well for their clubs. They just need to stay focused but my concern is the coach because I don’t think he is good enough. Personally, I think we need an indigenous coach and not a foreigner, we have good coaches that can do it here rather than going abroad to bring in a coach.
Who do you think is Nigeria’s best player at the moment?
It is definitely the king of Napoli Victor Osimhen. I call him king of Napoli because he was their highest goal scorer last season and he played a major role for them to win the league title. Even for Nigeria he has been the country’s top scorer recently.
Were you involved in any civil disobedience to play football?
Never. From the onset I have always been respectful and I have the fear of my parents at heart and I have never had the confidence to stand up against them. I do exactly what they asked me to do and if they ask me to stay indoor I obey them.
When did you started the mechanic apprenticeship?
I started this year and that was around April but I have put it on hold for now because this music industry is funny and you need to make good use of your time. I need to go all in for it and I can’t do that with the mechanic work and also I am in 100 level at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology in Ikorodu.
