I built my N110m house on mortgage –Dr. Sid

Popular Afro hip-hop singer, Dr. Sid (real name is Sidney Esiri), looked quite smart in a pair of red leather Versace sneakers when our correspondent approached him for an interview at a location in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The word ‘Surulere’ – a slang word of sorts borrowed from Yoruba – and the title of his latest hit song was boldly inscribed on the black T-shirt he had on.

The word is also an indication that Dr. Sid, who actually cut his teeth as a back-up vocalist for Da Trybe Records, has indeed come a long way on the music scene.

A dental surgeon by training and the son of the late actor, Justus Esiri, the singer’s foray into music began 10 years ago when he was an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan.

Later, after he was signed on to Mo’ Hits Records, he dropped the singles, Pop Something and Something about You. By 2011, he had succeeded in attracting the attention of music fans across Nigeria and then,  gone ahead to win the Hip-hop World Revelation of the Year Award at the Hip-hop World Music Awards.

Dr Sid’s excitement about the future includes the official release party of his Siduction album – scheduled to hold on May 9 – and his plan to  explore other business opportunities.

Today, he is an MTN ambassador and the proud owner of a luxury home in in the Lekki area of Lagos, rumoured to be worth N100m.

Unlike some of his peers, who would rather inflate the cost just to give the impression that they have ‘truly arrived’, Dr. Sid chooses to come out clear on the details of the property.

“I put a mortgage payment plan in place, based on the savings I had made four years before I started a career in music. I am still paying for the house. And by the grace of God, I will get a second one soon. I pay close to N1m a month and sometimes, more. I am going to do this for the next 25 years and I am not ashamed to say it,” he reveals.

Clearly a chip off the old block, the singer runs a production company. But he says that ever since his father passed on in 2013, he has been trying to complete his unfinished projects.

“I have just completed a TV series for the Ministry of Agriculture. My dad was working on the project before he died. I had to finish it,” he says.

Despite growing up in the household of one of Nigeria’s most successful actors, Dr. Sid is just making his debut in Nollywood. He was cast in Moses Inwang’s latest movie entitled ‘The Last Three Digits’ alongside established actors like Bimbo Manuel and Rachael Oniga.

“I have always told my dad I wanted to act, but he would tell me not to worry that once he found the right script, I would come on board. But when he heard I was starring in a Nollywood movie he felt proud of me. The movie was shot in 2012 before he died,” he says.

Not one to blow his trumpet, the singer is quick to correct what he sees as a wrong notion.

 He says, “I am the son of a man considered to be one of the most popular actors on TV in the 1980s. So, all my life I have been in the spotlight for as long as I can remember. People see me as a celebrity, but I don’t see myself as one. That is one of the qualities that keep me going.”

Despite his achievements on the music scene and his growing popularity across the country, the singer claims that he is sometimes underrated by Nigerian music fans.

He says, “I sometimes feel so. But then, perception is reality. So if people look at you and don’t see the goodness in you, it hurts. But I think it is only a matter of time; things will surely get better.

“A critic will only criticise an album he doesn’t understand. If you listen to my album and cannot understand the concept behind its creation, do you criticize, it? If you don’t understand a song, it is best to ask the artiste to explain instead of making sweeping assumptions.

On his decision to stick with Mavin Records since the collapse of Mohits, he says, “I am happy and honoured to be signed onto Mavin Records. I have a lot of respect for Wande Coal. He made a brave move and I wish him all the best. But I will not support anyone bad mouthing the label. With regards to Mavin Records deal, Don Jazzy has given me the opportunity to leave whenever I want to, but I won’t leave and start saying something else.”

With his marriage scheduled to take place in July, the chubby singer is visibly excited to talk about his fiancée, Simi Osomo. He says that though she is not a celebrity, she clearly understands the demands of his job and the challenges.

“She understands what she is getting into. My female fans, respect me and I also feel my relationship inspires them in different ways. So I guess that from lust and attraction it has moved to admiration,” he says.