Nigerian singer and songwriter Seyi Shay has revealed how the death of her mentor, Sound Sultan, deeply affected her career and contributed to her decision to step away from music.
In an interview with TVC, Seyi Shay explained that after Sound Sultan passed away in 2021, she lost the drive to continue. Around the same period, she became pregnant with her daughter, which further encouraged her to take a break from what she described as the “toxic” music industry.
“During the filming of Nigerian Idol, my mentor, my best friend, who was like a father figure to me and the person who brought me into the Nigerian music industry, died. He passed away; Sound Sultan,” she recounted emotionally.
Seyi Shay recalled how the late music icon welcomed her into his home when she first came to Nigeria and personally introduced her to the industry:
“When I first came to Nigeria, I was living with him and his wife in FESTAC for a year. He co-signed me and introduced me to everyone in the industry to make sure those who were his people looked out for me.”
Seyi Shay described the pain of not seeing him one last time:
“What hurt the most is that I didn’t get to see him before he passed away. I was supposed to fly to see him in New York that weekend when we had a break. He asked me to bring him something specifically. It just tore me apart. I felt like I didn’t have the will to continue to do music without Sound Sultan.”
Alongside her grief, the singer said pregnancy shifted her priorities:
“There’s no way I’m going to have my child in the toxic music industry that I’m in and under the scrutiny I was constantly under. So, I just thought I should take a break.”
