Patoranking: I’m the spokesman of the ghetto

Patoranking, Nigerian reggae-dancehall singer has said the central theme of his new album is his lifestyle, upbringing and background.

The singer whose real name is Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, in a recent press parley, revealed that the album — “God Over Everything” — is about God and love.

“I’m somebody that my music depicts my lifestyle, everything that has to be about my upbringing and how I rose to fame. Patoranking generally, the life and times of Patoranking.

“The album is about love, about God, and it’s about where I come from, and where I’m headed to. Inasmuch as you are trying to dance, just always remember that it is still God over everything. No matter what you possess, no matter what you do in life, it should be a thought that has to go with your day to day activity. No matter the amount of money I have on earth, it is still God. That’s why we chose the title God Over Everything.”

While noting that he is a “representative of the ghetto”, Patoranking said, “I write my music around my life and where I come from. I try to be a spokesman for them. Most of the time, I’m thinking of what some particular set of people are supposed to be saying, and I’m saying it.”

“Songs like ‘Make am’ will tell you that, you know what is going on in the country. This is me giving people assurance that no matter how things look rough and tough, there’s nobody that cannot make it”, he added.

Patoranking further revealed that he chose to collaborate with a wide array of diverse artistes on the new album in a bid to explore new sounds and appeal to a vast audience.

“I started as a reggae dancehall artiste, and the truth is, the country is not rich when it comes to that culture. They love the sound because it’s different, and it’s new to them. And you know Nigerians. If you want to be here for a very long time, they don’t need to see you coming. I want to make music for everybody. I brought Phyno because he is from the east, so we need to give them something from the East.

“I brought KWAM1 because I was born here in the West, we need to give the Yorubas something. I brought in Sarkodie because of my Ghana fan base, and Ghanaians in the diaspora. I brought in Elephant Man and Konshens because ‘My woman my everything’ is really doing very well in Jamaica, so I needed somebody to bridge the gap.

“I brought Olamide because the streets is where I come from, and Wizkid is to take it international. I try to make music for everybody, not just for the Patoranking you know, and for the Nigerian pop market. I went too hard in some tracks, and not in others. I didn’t go too hard because, to be honest, I want a four year old to be able to sing Patoranking’s music.

“At the end of the day, I want to make music, irrespective of the genre, irrespective of how it is being done. I just want to get it done, and get it delivered.”

The singer, who was recently rumoured to have been detained in Entebbe airport, Uganda, noted that the “God Over Everything” album was delayed because of the need to further connect with his fans.

Patoranking also stressed that he needed his brand to be “felt” everywhere in the country so as to have a wider reach.

“One of the reasons why the album was delayed was: we could have dropped an album after ‘Girlie Oh’, but I just felt that I needed the acquaintance, that I wasn’t acquainted to the people. I felt that I wasn’t felt all over the country.

“Down South, down North, they didn’t know me. I needed to get closer to the people, and that was why I had to delay the album for a while, and we kept up dropping singles.”