Entertainment
“Slum King”, my most challenging project, says Tobi Bakre
Tobi Bakre, the lead of Africa Magic’s new crime series, ‘Slum King’, on Saturday said the movie production was his most challenging project so far as an actor.
Bakre, a two-time Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) ‘Best Actor’ winner, disclosed this while speaking during the preview of “Slum King”, in Lagos.
He said that the production was hectic as he had to read through the Bible as his script and shoo for two months at a strech, unlike every other movies he had featured.
“This is my most challenging project so far, the first time I was given a Bible to read as my script but I’m proud and confident to be part of this. Africa Magic, you created greatness, thank you.
“Delivering my role was very hectic in Slum King, this was a longer project, we shot for two months, everyday doing a lot of work which was emotionally and mentally sapping but as a professional, I ensured I delivered my role appropriately.
“I acted as Edafe, a young guy who had to go through unfortunate circumstances, losing his parents and entire family at a very young age and life just changed in a twinkle of an eye,” he said.
Bakre described himself as a self driven fellow who is optimistic to be one of the greatest actors out of Nollywood.
Speaking on his work relationship with his colleague on the job, Olarotimi Fakunle, who acted as Bale, Bakre described Fakunle as a great and amazing actor.
“Olarotimi is a great actor, one of the best actors I have worked with till date. He is so amazing and he is an open book, he is ready to teach and I feel even beyond acting, he should be a producer, director and a lecturer when it comes to this space of acting.
“We had a brotherly interpersonal relationship, I learnt a lot from him and he is also humbly open to learn too,” he said.
Commenting on the morals the series relayed, Bakre said, “I’ve learnt a lot of life lessons stepping into the shoes of Maje, as we are all victims of our circumstances and what becomes important are the decisions we make when trying to get out of them.
“The people you see on the streets are also human beings, collectively, we can work together to build a better community for ourselves.
“And generally, we should all spread love and empathise with one another.”
Earlier, Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content, West Africa Channels, MultiChoice Nigeria, said that the first episode of the series would be aired on Oct. 8, on Africa Magic Showcase by 8.00p.m, after which it will be showcased every Sunday on DStv channel 151 and GOtv channel 12.
Tejumola described the script of the series as an amazing one as she commended the producer of the and the cast for their efforts in producing an outstanding series.
“We are incredibly excited to present this powerful and gripping drama that takes viewers on an emotional journey.
“It is all about showcasing the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.
“The team has worked tirelessly on this project and it is a testament to the remarkable storytelling that MultiChoice is committed to delivering,” she said.
Also, Chichi Nworah, producer of the series, “Slum King”, said that the series was produced out of the quest to tell stories of where a lot of people come from, particularly the slums.
She said Slum King was conceived in 2021 and prepared for three years to come up with the series.
According to her, the series relays the story of how people move from high to low but not basically about crime.
“The production of Slum King was quite hectic, I fell sick all through the production process as well as the director, and the casts.
“We have been able to tell the story of how people in the ghettos have dreams but don’t eventually get such dreams actualised.
“After three years of labour, a true masterpiece has emerged. A big shout out to the dedicated team who invested countless hours of their time and effort breathing life into this project,” she said.
“Slum King,” the highly anticipated limited drama series from Africa Magic, created a buzz long before its official release,” she said.
Slum King is an intriguing story of Edafe ‘Majemijesu’ Umukoro, who witnessed the massacre of his family by armed robbers at age 11 – robbers, who had entered his family home because he unfortunately forgot to lock the front door.
Sad events force ambition on an indifferent Edafe, causing him to detest his lowly status and develop an appetite for power.
Trapped in the cycle of guilt and trauma, Slum King takes us on Edafe’s journey from a disturbed tout in the slums to become MAJE, the charismatic king of the slums.
Michael, son of the veteran actor, Emeka Ike has said that he is dead to his father and he does not need anything from him anymore.
Michael disclosed this during an interview with Chud on podcast, in reaction to his father’s video where he spoke about his family affair.
IKe’s son who stated that he was trying to make peace with his father said, “When I watched the video I was like God this is insane. Is this the person I want to form peace with? I was wondering what was going on. This family is trying to reason if they can get her to talk to him. I was thinking there is something we can get out of it.
“I told my sister to get to understand how things should play out. I’m not trying to dictate but my father felt I was dictating for him. I was trying to tell him what should happen in this incident. There should be peace somewhere.”
Michael then expressed his displeasure with the way his father was talking about their private affairs.
“I told him we need to talk. I added that I’m not happy about the way you’re talking about our private affairs. Can you just stop it? And I had to tell him the disrespect he left on the family. I decided that this not the kind of person I should have respect for,” he said.
Michael who condemned his father attitude noting that Ike told him he will never prosper.
“The next morning I create ten minutes film. He sent mail to me, it’s not the first time, he had always sent mail to insult me. He said, ‘you’re doing music, you will never prosper. Don Jazzy will never see you. If I see you on the side of the road, I will spit on you”, he disclosed.
Asked what he wanted from his father, Michael retorted, “I’m dead to my father, I don’t need anything from him.”
Emeka Ike’s marriage to Suzanne Emma faced allegations of battery, leading to its dissolution by a Lagos Island Customary Court in 2015.
Emeka Ike, while speaking during a live interview on Rubbin Minds, Channels TV, asserted that his marital issues got him depressed for a very long time.
He revealed how his ex-wife, Emma, made him lose all his properties.
“My secondary school, St Nicolas College on CMD road, Magodo, was shut down, over N480m investment shut down that year, and all I heard was constant battery.
”I was always saying, common I never beat this lady, I went on air, called her, ‘saying babe, do I beat you, but then they said, you are a star and they can always manipulate things and all that.”
“Later I discovered that she was actually the one behind the whole thing”.
“You have to be a very successful man to be a woman beater, , because no carpenter or poor man is a woman beater,and there are people like Iyabo ojo to back them up,” he added.
While speaking with journalists, Emeka Ike opened up about challenging moments in his life, including struggles in his marriage and clashes with fellow Nollywood actors.
Singer and actress Ego Ihenacho has revealed that Lagbaja was supportive when she told him she was leaving his band
Ego, who left the band in 2006, disclosed this in an interview with the QEDNG publisher, Olumide Iyanda, in which she spoke about her experience working with the masked musician and her journey as a solo artiste.
Speaking on why she left the band and how Lagbaja supported her when she told him she was leaving, Ego said: “I just felt I needed to move on and it wasn’t as dramatic as people thought it was. There was nothing and it wasn’t something I’ve been thinking about for a long time.
“So, it was probably a month after, it just came to my mind, my gut feeling said okay that was the time to move and I told him sometime in October and I mean, it was expected, I wouldn’t stay there forever, as passionate as I am and as ambitious as I am about music.
“In fact, I’m surprised I even lasted that long. You know, so he was very supportive, he was happy-sad you know, he was like ‘Okay, I always knew you had this in you so when do you want to?’ and I was like ‘Okay, we just started the new year, December will be like my graduation, so that was like a farewell show and that was it and I moved on.”
Ego added that working on her own was tough and she had to fight for her place as a solo artiste but that she was able to succeed with the help of those who supported her.
“Musically, it’s been good, tough, but like I always say, I took some things for granted. It’s not Lagbaja anymore, it’s me with my band. So, you’ve seen me with a band so it’s not going to be hard for you to call me for shows but it didn’t happen that way.
“I really had to fight for my place as a band and it was encouraging, I had people who supported me by calling me for shows and it was great. I got the Glo ambassadorship and other opportunities. It was just a mix of the good and bad and here I am, also as an actor, so I’m grateful for the journey,” she said.
When asked if she missed the monthly show at Lagbaja’s Motherlan’, the Wura actress said: “I miss Motherlan’ a lot. Like I said, it was just a vibe. There was something to look forward to. we had everybody and there was just that common thing for everybody at that time, you know, the jokes, the music, we had the old, the young it was just amazing. It was just a nice vibe so I miss that.”
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