Born Imohiosen Patrick but professionally known as DJ Neptune, the popular Nigerian Disc Jockey and Record Producer speaks about his life and career.
We are in a new year, what are some of your hopes and aspirations, and what should your fans expect from you in 2023?
For the year 2023, it’s going to be more music, more touring and just living life. I put out a song about two weeks ago featuring Ruger. It is doing very well and widely accepted. It is part of a build-up to my E, Greatness 3.0 which would be released in the first quarter of this year. We are looking at April by God’s grace. From March, I would be touring East Africa. In April, May, we are hoping to tour Europe as well. For me, it is just basically music and more tours this year.
You are a family man; how do you strike that work, home balance, considering the fact that, like you said, you would be travelling a lot this year?
There is time for everything. I just got home from a trip to Port Harcourt where I went for work, now I am with my family. I always make out time for my family. There will always be a time for work and a time for family but you always need to strike a balance between both.
Your work involves you playing gigs at night. How is your sleeping pattern?
To be honest, I do not have a sleeping pattern mostly because when I am supposed to sleep my brain is working. However, our bodies are not firewood like they say so I try to get as much rest as I can, especially when I am going into another city for a gig. So, if I arrive early, I try to take short naps to be well energized. It is crazy because we work mostly at night but it ends eventually and when it is time to retire, I go back to my base and keep it going the next day. It is what I signed up for, so it is good.
In the past, disc jockeys were known to only play at parties. Now, they release their own records and albums. What made DJs evolve?
It depends on how you want to position yourself as a DJ and where you are comfortable at. If you just want to be a radio DJ and that is your comfort zone, then there is not problem.
If you want to be a touring DJ – moving around the world with an artiste, that is okay. I think it is an individual think to look at yourself and know your ability. But you also need to push yourself further to do some things that people may think is not needed or you do not have to, especially when you have the skill set to do them. They say the only constant thing in life is change and the game is evolving. There are new ways to brand yourself so it’s a matter of grabbing your opportunity and utilizing it for your benefit.
You started by thrilling people at parties before you became a radio DJ. Later, you were the official DJ of rapper Naeto C. Now, you are releasing music. Walk us through your career evolution…
I will say that it is just that human factor of not wanting to settle for less. So, when I was doing my street gig, playing for a particular fast food, I told myself that I wanted to go global and be known beyond my immediate environment. Luckily for me, I was able to get on radio and I played for Ray Power FM for six years. With that, the brand became a household name.
After that, I believed I had conquered my immediate community and radio as well so it was time to look elsewhere beside being a radio DJ. Luckily for me, I met Naeto C and I became his tour DJ back then. We toured around the world. After being on tour and getting more exposed, I saw what other DJs were doing, I felt there were more opportunities asides from being a regular touring DJ and I told myself I could do more.
Music is something I have always wanted to do. I wanted to be a musician but it did not work, however, that knowledge is still there. With my years of experience, my eyes were opened to something and it was only right to incorporate it into my musical knowledge. That was when I started collaborating with talents and gradually, it kept growing. Later, I realized that we can shoot nice video for me to brand myself better and put my face out there. Through that, I would be a force to reckon with in such a way that everyone would be asking for DJ Neptune. It is a process that you need to follow through and if you do it properly, I do not see a reason why you should not succeed.
We learnt that your passion for music began when you were as young as 10 years old. What fascinated you at such a tender age?
While growing up, my father had a huge turntable, speakers and amplifiers in the house so during the weekends, he would begin to play some country music, few Nigerian and African songs. From there, I fell in love with music when growing up. Also, whenever I was in church, I would want to play with the drum set. At the time, I was just playing but gradually I started picking up and as I was growing older, I listened a lot of radio shows, DJ mixes and radio shows just to enhance my knowledge. I remember that I would go to Oshodi to buy Maxwell cassettes tapes of DJ mixes. I would buy books filled with lyrics to songs just to sharpen my knowledge without me knowing that it would be what will take me far in life. I feel having to have equipped myself at an early age played a positive role in what DJ Neptune has become today. When I met a disc jockey for the first time in my life, I knew this is what I want to become in life. Before then, I was fond of recording Friday night mixes from different DJs at different radio stations.
When I was in school, we used to have a secondary school party, and I would nominate myself as the man behind the music. So, it is just something that started as a hobby and the passion came in at some point. Now, look at where we are today.
What were the challenges you faced. Did your family embrace you being a DJ?
To be honest, they were not positive about it and I understood because the generation of our parents did not understand. They saw people in such professions as those who are trying to waste their life away. They felt that I was just trying to be wayward. That was their ideology but I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I knew where I was headed even though I did not know it will be something this big. I just knew that I had the passion and it gave me joy. I also feel joy whenever I see people dancing whenever I am playing.
I had to leave my comfort zone for some years just to prove my point to my family. I left home for two years but by that time my father had died. It was a tough period but I wanted to chase my dream. It was not an easy decision but because I knew what I wanted and gunning for, I just had to put myself out there. When I left home, I promised myself that I cannot afford to fail or disappoint myself and everyone around me. Then again, there is always the grace of God and I would not deny that fact. God’s grace is fully behind me.
In the span of your career, you have not been caught in the web of scandal. How have you been able to avoid scandals?
I just mind my business and let my work speak for me. I don’t go about indulging in things that do not concern me. I would not say it is easy but if you know where you are going, you will stay focused.
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