9ice admits he was heavily influenced by Wyclef Jean, saying he ‘copied’ his style in his music journey.
During the early days of his career, Nigerian singer Alexander Akande (also known as 9ice) admitted that he sounded similar to Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean.
According to the ‘Photocopy’ singer, he was not the sole Nigerian artist who imitated Wyclef’s sound at that time; however, he was superior compared to others.
9ice stated in a recent interview with SPS, that he abandoned replicating Wyclef Jean’s style after uncovering his distinctive sound.
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He stressed that his music genre combines various influences, such as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Bob Marley, Ayinde Barrister, Kwan1 and Pasuma.
He stated that his source of inspiration was Wyclef [Jean]. In the early stages, he sounded completely similar to Wyclef. Although there were others who also imitated him, they believed he did it better than anyone else.
“I transitioned from a Wyclef-sounding style to crafting my own unique sound, influenced by the music of Bob Marley, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Ayinde Barrister,Kwan1,Pasuma and Obesere – artists whose sounds I grew up listening to.”
