Rising Music Star TerryTheVoice On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry
An Interview with Karina Michel Feld
I wish someone told me that there are many ways to reach a destination. I’ve learnt that there are several roads to success and there is no one strategy that works. Everything is possible! A producer once told me that the only way I can succeed in music is to focus on just one approach and make it my own, but I think that limited my creativity for a while until I broke free.
As a part of our series about rising music stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing TerryTheVoice.
TerryTheVoice is an artist and voice actor from Nigeria who started his career as a radio personality on GO Uni Radio FM with his unique bass voice. He has worked on The Headies, an awards show dedicated to the Nigerian music industry and Big Brother Nigeria and voiced ads for Linda Ikeja Blog, PayPorte, Instant Apartment, Tuvia Mobile, and Gartner Callaway. Always wanting to make music Ugochukwu Terrence Odenigbo came from a family with a history in the arts. His grandmother was the head dancer of a musical troupe before the Nigerian civil war and his cousin, Rex Papi, is also an artist. TerryTheVoice released his debut single ‘Price on my head’ in 2019 with over 200,000 streams and counting.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in the catholic Christian faith and a family of 7. We lived in a small town called Enugu, located in Southeast Nigeria). Enugu means “top of a hill” and this was evident in the topography and weather (it was quite cold). I have so many interesting memories from my childhood there, but the most striking was the interesting visits to the then Polo Park. Enugu was also home to the most delicious delicacies, I miss it a lot. We grew up having all we needed and always put prayer first. Mum used to be a choir mistress and always dragged us to church. Lol
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
It all started from my school’s radio station, working with the production team to produce voiceovers for commercials. I was always around production equipment and it was only a matter of time, until I developed interest in creating not just voiceovers, but music. In 2019, I put out my first single and here we are!
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
My most interesting encounter was my first meeting with Sizzla Kolonji at the Judgement Hall in St Andrews, Jamaica. Sizzla took me to the rasta temple to pray (connect spiritually) and trade energies before we moved to the studio to create some beautiful piece of magic. It’s been the most fascinating part of my career.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
That would be not believing in myself first before selling my craft to others. I learned that I must first believe 100% before taking the next step. Believe first before getting others to believe.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Right now, I have a couple of singles, there’s a big single dropping at the end of the month called Get Down. Right now, my focus is not really on creating albums or EPs, especially after the success of “The Voice.” I just want to keep the energy and consistency with some new, amazin’ singles.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
First off, without diversity, there will be no variety. Then again, people need to know what’s going on in other parts of the world and understand other cultures, values and ideologies. Diversity can connect different people and culture, and is critical in today’s equality conversation. The more people of diverse cultures and beliefs work together, the more the equality narrative is driven.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- I wish someone told me that there are many ways to reach a destination. I’ve learnt that there are several roads to success and there is no one strategy that works. Everything is possible! A producer once told me that the only way I can succeed in music is to focus on just one approach and make it my own, but I think that limited my creativity for a while until I broke free.
- I wish someone told me about financial prudence early enough. I’ve now learnt the hard way to keep track of my expenditure, especially in this music business.
- I wish someone told me that I don’t have to move too quickly to succeed, but work at my pace. I have learnt that the sky is big enough for everyone; there is no competition. It’s you versus you! Rather than compete, collaborate and explore together. I wish someone said this to me: Terry, slow down!
- I wish someone told me not to react based on emotions. Never make decisions when you’re too angry or too happy.
- I wish someone told me that to deal with things the way they come. Everything happens for a reason, but in time, we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whatever is going on, there is a reason for it. Don’t let it affect your day or your progress going forward. A positive outlook creates room for success, and in its time, everything will fall in place.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Just get started! You don’t need to get signed or wait for someone to discover you. Some artistes just sit around, waiting for people to invest in them, but that doesn’t work. Just keep creating! The road to success can be slow, but with consistency, you’ll reach the expected end.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Equality! If all people have equal rights and access to justice, opportunities and healthcare, our fortunes will be upturned as a people. As an African, and more importantly, a Nigerian, I think this is the most important movement for us to champion.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’m grateful to Mum, my eldest brother and my manager. They have been critical to my success. Mum’s endless prayers and support, my brother’s tenacity and social connectedness and the valuable guidance of my manager have made this journey a really smooth one.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I’d rather move correctly than move fast. — Rick Ross
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
Drake! I’d love to have a chat over coffee or drinks about his next song with me. I also want to meet Elon Musk and pick his brain on where DOGE coin is headed and how soon I can go to the moon!
How can our readers follow you online?
Easy peasy! @terrythevoice on Instagram and Twitter and @terrythevoiceofficial on Facebook.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
