Nigerian singer-songwriter, Seyi Shay, has revealed the profound impact that the death of her mentor and close friend, Sound Sultan, had on her music career. In a recent interview on TVC, the artist revealed that she lost the “will to continue” with music after his passing in 2021.
In an interview with TVC, Seyi Shay described Sound Sultan, who passed away in 2021 after battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, as a father figure who played a pivotal role in her career.
Seyi Shay described Sound Sultan as a instrumental in her entry into the Nigerian music industry. “When I first came to Nigeria, I was living with him and his wife in FESTAC for a year. He was the one who co-signed me and introduced me to everybody in the industry,” she recounted. The singer explained that his unwavering support made him her “bailout and my defender” during her early career struggles.
According to her, at the time of his death, she was filming Nigerian Idol and had to push through the project despite her grief.
“So, when he passed away, it was really hard for me to complete the filming but I made it to the end. What hurt the most is that I didn’t get to see him before he passed away. I was supposed to fly to see him in New York that weekend when we had a break. He asked me to bring him something specifically. It just torn me apart. I felt like I didn’t have the will to continue to do music without Sound Sultan, my peace of mind, and my mental health. So, I decided to go on a little break.
“Also, during that period, I got pregnant and I told myself there’s no way I’m going to have my child in the toxic music industry that I’m in and under the scrutiny that I was constantly under. So, I just thought I should take a break.”
She added that the loss, coupled with the toxic pressures of the music industry and intense public scrutiny, made her decide to take a step back from music.
What hurt her the most, she noted, was not getting to see him before he died, as she had planned to visit him in New York with a gift he had requested.
She said his passing left her feeling lost and directionless.