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Sound Sultan 1976-2021: 7 Things To Know About The Late Singer And Activist

Sound Sultan

Yesterday, Sunday, July 11, 2021, the Nigerian entertainment industry lost an icon as singer, songwriter, actor, and activist, Olanrewaju Fasasi, popularly known as Sound Sultan, breathe his last. This has thrown the country, especially fans and colleagues of the late singer into a sorrowful state.

Also a recording artist, the Jagbajantis singer died at the age of 44 in the United States and will be remembered for pioneering the birth of the Nigerian music industry as it is today and for also playing his part in the development of modern hip hop music in the country.

As an activist, he called out societal ills through his music. He wrote songs on issues like bad governance, corruption, poverty, inequality, etc.

It has been known that the singer has battled Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma also known as throat cancer (a rare kind of cancer) for a while and had traveled to the United States in May 2021 for chemotherapy treatment where he eventually died. He was buried the same day at the Masjid Al Aman Cemetery, in New Jersey according to Islamic rites.

A statement from the family signed by one Dr. Kayode Fasasi read:

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of multitalented veteran singer, rapper, songwriter Olanrewaju Fasasi aka Sound sultan. He passed away at the age of 44 following a hard-fought battle with Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.”

Tributes have continued to pour in from all and sundry in celebration of his life and legacy which saw him contribute immensely to the growth of the Nigerian music industry.

Sound Sultan

Here are 5 things you should know about the late Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi popularly known as Sound Sultan.

1. Brief Biography

Born in Jos, Plateau State on the 27th of November 1976 as Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi, the late songwriter, Sound Sultan was the fourth of six children born to his parents – Liadi Alarape Fasasi and Adeyinka Ajarat Fasasi. He attended Stepping Stone Nursery and Primary School in Lagos for his primary education before proceeding to the Federal Government College, Ogbomoso in Oyo state to complete his basic education. The Remember hitmaker would later graduate from the Lagos State University in 1999 with a degree in Geography and Regional Planning.

2. Music Career

Born in Jos, which was the go-to town for raw musical talents in the 1990s, Sound Sultan picked up interest in music also buoyed by the fact that his elder brother, Dare Fasasi, popularly known as Baba Dee, was already into music. He started penning down his own lyrics which he would sing at school events while in primary school. He learned to play the guitar with the help of his brother and continued developing his musical talents while participating in local musical talent hunt shows (most of which he won).

Sound Sultan was signed up by Kennis Music in 1997 and worked with the label until 2008 when he and his brother, Baba Dee floated their own record label dubbed ‘Naija Ninja Entertainment Production Company’. Under Kennis Music, Sound Sultan released four albums including Kpseeeeeeew (2001), Textbook (2004), and Naija 007 (2007). He signed several artists under his record label including Young GreyC, Blacka, Karma Da Rapper, and Shawn. He also released the album Back From The Future with his label in 2010.

3. Work With International Artists

Beyond the Nigerian shores, Sound Sultan was one of the Nigerian artists who have worked with globally acclaimed artists like Sarkodie, JoeEl, Honorebel, and Wyclef Jean, among others. Perhaps, it is his work with Haitian/American rapper, Wyclef Jean, that stands out. Together, they released a body of work including King of My Country, People Bad, Proud to be African. The latter also featured other top Nigerian music greats such as Faze and Tuface Idibia.

4. Acting Career

Sound Sultan was a multi-talented entertainer. He was not only a musician, he was also an actor who had a couple of movie credits to his name. In 2014, he, alongside others stars such as 2baba, Basketmouth, Akpororo among others starred in the movie titled Head Gone. The comedy movie which was produced by the late singer and directed by his brother, Baba Dee, was universally acclaimed. Others movies the late star appeared in include Campus Queen (2004) and The Washerman (2018).

5. Business Endeavor

Asides from music and entertainment, Sound Sultan had an eye for business. He was the owner of the Nigerian basketball team, Lagos City Stars who play in the Continental Basketball League. They were crowned the champions of the 2017 basketball league season. He was also a facilitator of the league entertainment.

6. Awards And Recognitions

Sound Sultan was nominated for, and equally received several awards in his line of work including the 2012 Headies Award for Album of the Year with Back From The Future. The same year, he was made a United Nations (UN) Ambassador for Peace for his exemplary lifestyle and career. In 2018, he received the City People Music Special Recognition Award.

7. Marriage and Children

Before his death, Sound Sultan was married to the beautiful Chichi Morah, his long-term girlfriend in 2009. Although she now goes by the name Farida Fasasi after she converted to Islam. The union was blessed with three children.

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Celebs

“I can never marry a Nigerian” — DJ Cuppy

DJ Cuppy has decided against marrying a Nigerian man, and she has a reason that says as much about the unique pressures of dating as a billionaire’s daughter as it does about the men involved.

Speaking in a resurfaced interview, the DJ and media personality said her last Nigerian partner spent more energy trying to secure a meeting with her father, business mogul Femi Otedola, than actually pursuing her.

“I can never marry a Nigerian. The last Nigerian I dated was already asking me when he could meet my dad. I don’t even think they actually like me,” she said.

The comment was received well because it touched something many high-profile women have spoken about privately, which is the difficulty of knowing whether interest is genuine or transactional when your last name opens doors that most people spend careers trying to reach.

Cuppy added that her father has no strong preference on nationality, only that she eventually gets married. She also used the moment to express happiness about her sister Temi Otedola’s relationship with star Mr Eazi.

Cuppy’s romantic history has rarely been quiet. Her most high-profile relationship was with British boxer Ryan Taylor, which moved quickly from a 2022 engagement to a 2023 breakup and a series of very public exchanges in the years that followed.

In early 2024, Cuppy posted something her exes interpreted as a taunt, suggesting they could not afford to be where she was without her help. Taylor responded in the comments with: “Neither can you.”

The back-and-forth did not stop there. In 2025, Taylor appeared on a podcast and alleged that Cuppy had expressed discomfort around Nigerians, claiming she discouraged him from hiring Nigerian staff and was uncomfortable when Nigerian fans approached her in public.

That allegation, largely unaddressed at the time, now circles back with some irony given her latest comments.

Before Taylor, Cuppy was publicly linked to Davido’s manager Asa Asika and Nigerian footballer Victor Anichebe.

She has since said she prefers low-key, non-celebrity partners, someone with a regular job, away from the spotlight that has followed most of her previous relationships.

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Entertainment

Davido Charges Entertainers To Speak Up More Amidst Worsening Insecurity

Davido

Davido, the Nigerian singer, has said entertainers are not doing enough to speak out against the country’s growing insecurity. The singer, via the social media platform X called on entertainers to speak more about the challenges facing the country.

In the post, Davido admitted that entertainers, including himself, had not done enough to speak out against injustice and the worsening state of affairs in Nigeria. He added that Nigerian entertainers must begin using their platforms to draw attention to the problems affecting citizens.

He wrote, “I can’t lie, we entertainers… we dey f**k up, I won’t lie, including me. We need to speak up. It’s too much injustice going on. Our country don go.”

The singer also maintained that he is not part of any “City Boy” group, insisting that he had spoken against the government in the past.

This comes after a social media user criticised him for not being sincere

“I no dey part of any City Boy group. When I called out the government on American media, you guys rained curses on me,” Davido wrote.

He added that his relationship with “ST” was only personal and did not mean he belonged to any political group.

The singer added, “I’ve been friends with ST for years, and that’s where it stops, and I call and complain to him all the time, even in person.” The singer’s remark comes amid increased calls from celebrities who are calling out the country’s leadership over rising insecurity.

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Celebs

‘I smoked 40 sticks a day for 13 years’: Ebuka opens up on nicotine addiction as Banky W revisits porn struggle

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu says he smoked up to 40 cigarettes daily for 13 years, while Banky W revisited his past pornography addiction on Mentality with Ebuka. Ebuka Obi-Uchendu has revealed that he began smoking in JSS3 and spent the next 13 years addicted to cigarettes, reaching a peak of two packs, roughly 40 sticks, every single day by the time he was in university.

The television host disclosed the latest episode of his podcast Mentality with Ebuka, which aired on Friday, May 22. The episode featured singer and pastor Banky W and medical content creator Aproko Doctor in a candid conversation about addiction, its origins, and the long road out of it.

“I started smoking in JSS3, which is crazy young,” Ebuka said. “It was basically peer pressure, wanting to prove myself, wanting to belong. By the time I was done with secondary school, I had become full-on. Got into university, and by university, I was doing about two packs a day. That’s about 40 sticks of cigarettes every single day.”

He added that his exit from the habit was less a dramatic decision and more a test of willpower. “The last stick of cigarettes I had was in February 2008. I didn’t quit. I just kept saying let me see how much longer I will hold out for, and now it’s been almost 18 years.”

Banky W used the same platform to revisit a confession he had made publicly before, his years-long struggle with pornography addiction, tracing it back to a freshman dormitory in a New York university where a classmate had shared an open hard drive filled with explicit content accessible to the entire floor.

“I wonder how many of us got trapped in that moment,” he said. He described the experience of trying to stop as a confrontation with something far more entrenched than he had anticipated.

“When it’s now time to stop, you realise you’re dealing with demons that are much stronger than you. That was where the reality dawned on me.” He said it took a deliberate journey to reach a place of freedom, and that he has since addressed the issue openly from the pulpit, part of what he described as a growing willingness among pastors to tackle subjects previously considered too uncomfortable for the church.

The episode is the latest in Ebuka’s Mentality series, which has carved out a space for honest, personal conversations that Nigerian public figures rarely have on record.

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