A songwriter, singer, actor in the popular Kannywood industry and the founder of North-East Records musical industry and other numerous businesses, Shuaibu Ahmed Abbas, popularly known as Lilin Baba, has offered some tips for interesting artistes who would want to venture into musical industry to get through with less difficulty.
The artiste who won multiple local and international prizes and awards also opined that no time is late for one to begin a successful career in the creative industry.
He stated this while celebrating the third anniversary of the North-East Records in Kano. Fielding questions from journalists, Abbas recounted with nostalgia how he used to sell ice block at a local market called ‘Bata’ in Fagge local government area of Kano state. He noted that he was greatly inspired by Lil Wayne, P. Square, Sa’adu Bori, among many others.
The multiple award winning artiste further revealed that in 2011, he moved to Abuja to stay with his brother where he setup his car and mortgage business. “It’s been an interesting experience. It requires a little guide to setup a music industry. People really helped me to get where I am today as a musician. My relationship with Mr. Bangis in my early days in Kannywood and a talented producer called David Dee really helped. I tapped a lot from their experience and counsel which helped immeasurably in setting up of the North-East Records.
“Today, the industry is a reality and I thank them immensely. I know it must amount to certain financial effects but the truth is that it doesn’t need too much money. The challenge is to get someone who can afford to put you through.
“This is an industry that craves for a great mentorship. I am lucky to be blessed with probably the best mentors in the industry. They guided me, tutored me and ensured that all things went perfectly in line with global best practice”, he said.
