In this new interview, Singer, producer and video director, AbdulRasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, talks about his marriage to popular actres...
In this new interview, Singer, producer and video director, AbdulRasheed Bello aka JJC Skillz, talks about his marriage to popular actress and producer, Funke Akindele-Bello.
How did you coin the name JJC?
Back then, I had a heavy Nigerian accent, and everyone used to laugh at me. Hence, the reason I gave myself the name JJC which is an abbreviation of Johny Just Come, which is used to describe someone who just arrived a place. When I realised that they weren’t going to accept me, I decided that the best thing to do was to bring people from the neighbourhood together that had the accent and the swag. I created my own group, signed them and started promoting them, even though I was about 19 at the time. Two years later, we won the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Award as the best unsigned artistes from London. From that point on, all the record labels wanted to work with us.
As an entertainer, what has marriage changed about you?
It has made me more focused. It has also given me more stability and peace of mind.
You once said that you were wary of any kind of emotional attachment, why did you decide to get married to Funke Akindele?
In life, when you find the right person, nobody needs to tell you to settle down. It is like finding God; you may be a bad boy in the club today, and the next day, you’re in front of the church shouting ‘Halleluyah.’ Nobody can determine when that change will happen, and I’m very happy that it has happened to me.
How did you meet your wife?
She had an idea called Jenifa’s Diary that she wanted to do, and she was looking for a good director and cameraman, so she called me to help her shoot the TV series, and that was how we met.
Was it love at first sight?
Absolutely, it was an instant connection. In fact, it was love at first sight. I saw her,she saw me and, we saw stars. From that point on, everything was aligned.
What were the qualities you saw in her that made you know she is the one?
Ask every single man that is married, they will tell you the same thing. It is the same qualities that everybody wants.
So what are those qualities?
To be honest, I do not want to talk about my personal life. My wife is my baby and I cherish her a lot. If I start giving you all the secrets, people may want to snatch her from me.
Even if you do not tell us all, just give us a sneak peek…
The truth is I work really hard all the time, and a lot of the people I dated in the past used to complain that I did not devote time to them. But now, I have found my better-half who works as hard as I do, so it is a perfect combination, and the world is in trouble because we are the perfect team. As I am playing music, she is making me laugh. We have the perfect synergy, and what we are working on right now will blow people’s minds away. And I want to advise people in the entertainment industry to go and look for their better-half within the same industry, because it will give you more focus and direction.
But many people feel inter-marriages in the entertainment industry do not work, can you share some of what you have discovered that can help them?
Pray to God for direction because I did a lot of prayers and God answered. Different things work for different people. All I know is that God has given me what works for me.
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