Project Fame provided me platform to meet people –Ruky Olotu

Ruky Olotu is the first-runner-up Project Fame Season 7 ( 2014); the talented female artiste talks about her new video ‘Show Them’ released by her group R-CUBE and other vital issues in this interview  

Can you tell us more about your life after Project Fame?
It has been interesting, Project Fame provided me the platform to meet other people and really enter the music industry and because of that I was that, I was able to meet quite a number of celebrities and music stars. In all, it’s been good after Project Fame. For me, personally I’ve learned so much and become a bit comfortable. I’ve actually been happier after Project Fame and more confident and happier.

Was Project Fame instrumental to your singing career?
I did a couple of songs back in 2010 before the 2014 auditioning. Because I was still in school, I was not able to focus but I had already started singing but that also helped me because I was already doing music then I met people who now directed me to apply for Project Fame.

How many albums do you have to your credit?
I don’t have any album yet. We are still working on that. What we are trying to do is to at least bring a few singles that would circulate the market before we bring out the album. That is what we are doing at this level.

Could you tell us more about the group R-CUBE?
R-CUBE is a girl band group which consists of me, my sister and cousins Rouna and Rubunu, we just shot a video. I just released it last week and it is on promotional level and we are still trying to get more radio play. As soon as this single is out there in the market and people are hearing it, we may not even waste time before we will bring out more.

What is the song all about?
The song “Show Them” is basically a contract between me and the person that will wear the Versace dress that he bought from Aba market and the person who wears a Versace dress that he bought from a Versace shop. They will wear it and people might not even know the difference. They will wear it and will go to the same place and event and we were like, whatever you value and whatever you have, you should offer the world. You don’t have to go and kill but we should be content with what we have and show it out confidently. We highlighted everything like if I’m wearing a Brazilian hair or if I’m wearing a human hair, it doesn’t matter, it is your choice really. People are driving Mercedes Benz and you are entering Keke Napep, it doesn’t matter, Show Them.

What do think is unique in your songs that will make you create impact in the music industry?
First of all, we want to start by bringing our music with what people can see even if they are in primary school and we want to reach out to the younger group and to our age group as well. The thing that will make us stand out is because of the fusion in our music- how we mix the genres together because I’m more of the RnB, jazz and pop. People say I’m pop. My sister is RnB and Reggae and then my cousin is jazz and soul. Listening to our songs, you will hear the difference generally that we combine into one song to make it work.

What challenges are you confronted with and how do you intend to overcome them?
My present challenges right now is first of all circulation and getting my music to a wide range of listeners and viewers. Basically the marketing, I can say that is the biggest challenge and if I can get a setup that will really help push the songs out there, that would be really nice- people that have the right channel, big promoters, people that know what they are doing and have done it before.

What are your plans, do you want to go fully into music or you want to practice your profession?
My profession is still there and I intend to use what I studied in school to help me with some areas of what I’m doing but for now I want to focus on my music.

After Project Fame, have you had other performances?
Yes, we have performed in Freedom Park, Lagos, we have performed in Industry Line, we have performed in MTN Project Fame and a couple of other performances as a group.

Do you have plans of remaining as a group or as Ruky?
I’m Ruky in R-CUBE and we still want to express individuality so that when people are listening to us, they could differentiate who is who that is singing and also when we decide to do our singles people can choose anyone us they want to preferably listen to. In R-CUBE, we want to have dynamism- a particular way of handling things.

Where do you hope to see Ruky in the next three years?
MTV Award, BET Awards, Grammy Awards and others by God’s grace. I intend to have been able to gotten a name out there that when they hear a song, they will know I sang it and be able to reach very far even across Africa. I want my song to heard across, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana etc.

You are youth corps member, a musician and an artiste. How do you combine these three personalities?
That is not easy at all. Sometimes, I don’t even feel like I’m an artiste. Sometimes, I get uncomfortable and angry maybe if they just wake me up that I have to perform somewhere in a particular radio station and maybe I have my NYSC CDS the next morning; this is very annoying. It is not that easy to double that entire but I am hoping to be better and hoping to learn.

So far have you faced any form of harassment in the industry?
I’m very much aware of that and I don’t want to say that I’m dating but put myself in a situation whereby that wouldn’t happen or I might not come across that. So I’m that it wouldn’t happen to us and the fact that we are all girls, that may be a disadvantage but we want to dwell on the trend that we have as a group and see how we can build on that and avoid such.

Who is or are your role models in the music industry both in Nigeria and outside?
First of all, I have the Mary Mary Sisters. They had a huge influence on me while I was growing up and my younger sister. I have Grandy, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Mary Debrde. In Nigeria I would mention Eva, Waje and Omawumi.

Are you planning to go for any reality show again in the future?
No I don’t. Could you tell us more about yourself? I studied Business Information Systems at the University of East London. I love to dance, to sing, and to make new cool friends.

What advice do you have for the young ones who would like to tow your line?

You think about what you want to do and what kind of song you want to sing about and believe that is your calling and if it is, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Don’t let anything discourage you and push forward and put everything in the hands of God. Be positive, do good and never lose faith. If you believe, then you would see.