Kemi Adetiba: A passion for the arts

The multi-talented Kemi Adetiba believes strongly in the 'can do' spirit in pursuing her love for the arts.

The New York Film Academy graduate has had stints on radio and television as an on-air personality on Silverbird's Rhythm 93.7FM and also as a presenter on M-NET's Temptation Nigeria and as a field reporter on Studio 53.

X2 caught up with the co-host of the 2009 Hip-Hop World Awards, who also directed the video for the awards' theme song, "(How Much Do You Want it) A Prize to Die For". She spoke to us about her experiences during the awards and her future plans.

Tell us about the Hip Hop World Awards experience.

It was a fantastic experience because during that time Banky W and I became very close. We were in Dubai and Brazil together. He is like my brother. It was also extremely gruelling with a lot of fighting, breaking up and making up.

Everybody was under a lot of pressure and some let loose at certain times but there was a lot of team work. We all worked under a conducive environment with Ayo, the HHWA initiator. It was a nice experience.

Were you satisfied with the outcome of the awards?

I am a highly principled person so maybe I'm a little bit biased. You know how it is with all these things - you try to put in a hundred percent but you don't get what you really want at the end of the day. The Hip Hop Awards is the most credible and prestigious award around.

You know there are a whole lot of them going around.

I can promise you one thing - that they [HHWA] are learning from the mistakes they made this year not because I will be there but because I know Ayo is a good manager. I was privy to some of the meetings they had so I knew all the expectations they had.

What was the idea behind the awards theme song video you directed?

At first, Ayo didn't want me to direct the video, but I begged him to give me this opportunity and promised to do my best. There were a lot of people he could have chosen to do the job so he told me over and over again: "I'm going to give you this opportunity so you had better not screw up!"

I wanted something different and creative because I never tow the line. I wanted something which will also tell the story of the "Prize to Die For." I thought of the concept for a heavyweight title fight, so thought of characters like the boxer, coach and boxer's girlfriend. Banky was supposed to be one of the commentators during the fight but he missed his flight, so we had to pick up something that was still tied to the relevance of the story. I am happy no one noticed it at the end of the day.

What was your childhood ambition?

I always knew I was going to be in the media someday. My childhood friends, who see me around say so as well. Music was and still is my first love. I remember as a child I used to lock myself up in my room, most times it was usually dark. Then I would touch one tape and tell which was which; it was that bad! I thought I was gonna be a producer but God had different plans for me.

When did you realise that you wanted to direct?

Everything I got myself into was supposed to happen at that time. It was more or less like an evolution for Kemi Adetiba. When I started doing TV, I still contributed to all the elements behind the camera although I didn't know all the technicalities back then but I had the concept.

I had the eye for creating emotions and putting things together and so all I had to do was learn all the technicalities. That's why I am into directing at this stage in my life.

What do you think is the problem with Nigerian entertainment?

I think we are happy with where we are. Nobody wants to learn and some are not even ready for change. No doubt, the industry has exploded but a lot still has to be done.

What are your current projects?

I am currently busy working on some adverts, reality shows, as well as television content alongside Dragonfly Production Company. We will also be producing and directing music videos for some top Nigerian artists.

Despite the entire busy schedule, do you still have time for some romance?

Well, I will just say I am open to romance for now.