At UNN Nsukka, they are known as Ozioko and Ali. On stage, they are known as Vast and Smash. But, to the fans, they are known as Bracket.
After the release of ‘Yori-yori’, they now know they have no choice but to combine academics with entertainment. To them, with academics it is ‘loving loving’. With music, it is ‘wellee welle’e. Read below to find out if both are ‘Yori-yori’.
Why did you decide to choose the name Bracket?
Bracket is more like one plus one equals to one. So, it is a family that is why we chose the name Bracket. Bracket is one.
None of us can resist being Bracket, just like Peter and Paul said they are one not two. Bracket is one and not two. So, if you can’t bear V and S, that is Vast and Smash, we can split up anytime like that. But with Bracket, it makes it more concrete.
You just answered the question I was about asking, who is Vast and who is Smash. So, can we know a little about Vast?
My real name is Ozioko Nwachukwu from Nsukka Local Government Area in Enugu state. I am a student of UNN Nsukka studying Mass Communication in 200 level.
Let’s know a little about Smash.
I am Ali Obumenemel. I no be Hausa boy,o! I no know where popsy grab that name from (Laughs). He (the father) served in Sokoto. I am a student of UNN, psychology, 200 level. I am from Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu state.
What really motivated you guys into music?
It started from when we were small. He was on his own, and I was on my own way. We just listened to people’s songs, and we mimed them. We played Dr. Dre, Eminem. Those days we believed in rap very well. He himself (pointing to Vast) that is the lead singer is a real hard core rapper. He used to rap like Nas then because those days, we played people’s music a lot. So, one day he was like can’t we just start doing our own? Me? It was like it is too early. How can we do it? Let’s keep miming, and go to shows. But, at the end of the day, we started doing it and it turned out to be something great.
And again, we believed we are talented that is why we went into music, because if we didn’t believe in ourselves we can’t be here. Even right from when we had not written any good song, any tight song, we still believed that we would be more than Tuface who is too big. But we knew we would get there. That was the spirit that is exactly what was leading us. Then, we used to rehearse every Sunday, other artistes would be like ‘una wan release album’? That was how it started.
Being students, how are you able to manage academics and music?
God’s grace is working. All this while we have been writing exams, we have been off and on. And by God’s grace, they don’t fix shows during the exam periods. During the week there will be no show, weekend there will be shows, so we just travel and come back.
And we still expect to see the worst. You can never tell what the future will look like. A day might come, there will be show today and they will fix exams. For now, we don’t know what to do to that, but we pray it will never come. We were so lucky one time that some exams were fixed, and ASUU went on strike. That strike saved us, because we had shows from Tuesday till Sunday. I had exams from Tuesday to Friday, likewise him.
On your Happy Day album I saw three guys. Where is the third person that was once a member?
The third person is in school.
He is not on your current album?
Yeah, he is in final year, Electronics. So, he can’t really combine it again. It is not possible.
So, Bracket is just two?
Yeah, Bracket is just two.
What is the secret you guys did on ‘Yori-yori’ album that you didn’t do on your Happy Day album?
My brother, there is nothing like secret in music. It is God. When we did Happy day, let me tell you the truth, we were looking at doing something like Happy Day again. But with God’s miracle, God being with us, trying to make us reason very well, we had to bring out something that hit more than Happy Day. It is not that it is sweeter than Happy Day, but this one is taken over.
It is God.
Now, to your current album. What is ‘yori-yori’?
‘yori-yori’ is sweetness, from the expression of the video, you will see it. It is sweetness. Anything that can make your heart sweet is ‘yori-yori’, like when you see someone you love. When that person comes to you, touches your cheeks, grabs you, gives you a kiss, the way you feel, the sound is ‘yori-yori’. It is sweetness.
On the other hand, we still see ‘yori-yori’ on the Biblical level, because we generalize it as agape love. What we mean by agape love is the love that has been shown to us from the media, you guys, everybody, our fans that have been there throughout the Happy Day, the hard times and the good times. All of these make our hearts ‘yori-yori’. That is the reason why we did that song, it is for everybody. It is not just for you and your girlfriend, or you and your wife. It is for everybody.
You are students of UNN, in the next three years you should be through with your studies. What do you intend to do after that? Do you intend to pursue your professional careers, or keep the certificates aside and continue with music?
Such is life. One, for the main time we will keep the certificates aside. We just need the certificates because it is very important. We will keep it, but you know we are not going to sing forever. There is a stage you will get to, you know you will be performing for your old friends when you have the time. So, that is the time we are going to make use of the certificates.
We can’t sing music forever, like myself (Vast), I will like to be a presenter. I might still be into music and still go to any radio or television station to present one program or the other for them. So, the certificate is still important. At the age of fifty, you don’t expect us to be ‘yori-yori’ on stage.
Is it same person that rapped in Happy Day that also featured on ‘All My People’?
I told you about us rapping and singing. I (Smash) did it.
It is a food rap. Since you said vast raps like Nas, I had thought he was the one.
No, he (Vast) has run away from rap totally.
So, how do you rate the Nigerian music industry?
The Nigerian industry is growing. I can’t believe that today in Nigeria when you go to clubs, they won’t play any foreign songs, and they will play Nigerian songs till the club ends. And that is very good. And today, you will see Nigerian artistes making millions, driving cars. It wasn’t there. The people that sacrificed for all these things are Eedris Remedy, Tuface. Tuface enjoyed little, we are talking about Baba-Fryo, and co, they really suffered in the industry, and right now, they have nothing. But now, one show and you know what it is.
By God’s grace, somehow they say Alaba people did this and that. The Alaba guys still help to make the artistes, if not for the competition many artistes cannot be on their own. That is the way I am giving them credit, because they are trying to pay you and collect your album. And they market it, spread it everywhere. Do you know how much it takes to replicate CDs? It is so much money. And they will take it to neighborhood where people can really feel you very well. Without them, your songs cannot be heard.
What advice do you have for youths that want to go into music as a career?
The only thing is that if you know you are really tight, just keep on and go ahead. And one other thing I (Smash) do say is if you know you are not that good in music, find something else to do. And don’t leave your education because you want to sing. Just keep on reading and doing music, you will still succeed. Keep on believing in yourself. Keep on believing in God. And keep on staying away from trouble.
What advice do you have for people living with HIV/AIDS?
That is not the end of the world. And sometimes, how I see it is that they say someone has HIV, and he is dying tomorrow or next, at least they give enough chance to repent before dying so you can go to heaven. So, you have more advantage than people who don’t know anything and die. Some just enter car, next thing accident and they are not ready for it. Any situation you find yourself, thank God because it might be for a total repentance for you. No more messy operations.
Happy Day is gone. Now is ‘yori-yori’. Where will Bracket be five years from now?
By God’s grace, you are going to see Bracket that will be collecting MTV awards. That is what we are hoping for.
You will be seeing Bracket like Psquare, like R.Kelly. You will be seeing Bracket like all these big boys. We just arrived the industry; we will work harder to maintain the standard.
Thank you very much for the time out. More ‘yori-yori’.
Thank you. And more songs
