THE EVOLUTION ‘CUPPY’ OTEDOLA
(IN HER WORDS)
Today is my 26th birthday… My house is already amassed in cards, flowers, and presents congratulating Cuppy. But who is Cuppy? We’ve all heard about this Cuppy girl, both the good and the bad, but do we really know her? I mean, you may think you know who I am, but who am I really? Before Cuppy, there was Florence the teenager, and before Florence there was Ifeoluwa the child. In order to really understand the evolution of Cuppy and soul behind the brand, you need to look at my story from the very beginning…
I was born in Lagos on a humid Thursday at Citizen Hospitallocated at 86 Norman Williams Street in Ikoyi on November 11th 1992. That year, of course, was hectic year for my family with my grandfather, Sir Michael Otedola in power as Governor of Lagos State. Whilst I was shielded from the political side, my mother recalls being in the hospital showered in gifts and visits from people she didn’t even know. Ifeoluwa, daughter of Nana and Femi Otedola had arrived! And what a merry child I was, absolutely full of joy! Cheeky but cheerful is what everyone recalls about Ife. At the time, we lived in Ilupeju then moved over to GRA Ikeja where I attended Grange school for most of my primary. In between swimming lessons at Ikeja Country Club and prayerful evenings at Fountain of Life Church, the mainland was always my childhood haven. Visits to the Island always used to infatuate us, I overwhelmed once we cross Third Mainland Bridge… Boy, I did not know what plans God had in store for my life.
When people ask me where I feel nostalgia the most, I tell them in Epe. Odoragushin inside Epe is my hometown and where our Otedola family legacy was created and will always be conserved.
I have so many fond memories of playing with pigs on our family farm whilst learning Yoruba songs and eating ogi and akara. Epe always reminds me of stress-free life, I go there to escape Lagos wahala; my father does the same. That is the reason I decided to have my photoshoot there, specifically in my late grandfather’s home. I couldn’t think of a better way of celebrating my new age than paying homage to my past.
My grandma, Lady Doja Otedola is Cuppy’s biggest fan, she is truly the strongest woman I know - she taught me to have a voice. My upbringing is truly the rationale behind my success. It’s a story consisting of strength and seclusion. Here is my story, in my own words…
I remember moving from Lagos to London, more clearly than I remember moving from Ikeja to Victoria Island. You see, things happened so quickly. My mother founded Garment Care LTD in 1996 and my father established Zenon Petroleum and Gas LTD in 1999. By the start of the new millennium, the year of 2000, our whole life had transformed. Being eight years old as the daughter of two budding entrepreneurs meant I enjoyed life, but it also meant I had to grow up fast. My three siblings; Ola, Temi, Fewa and I; all found ourselves in England for boarding school leaving our beloved Nigeria behind. The rationale for this was, as most parents claim, better education, however we all know the schools in Lagos are great. Looking back now, I realize that both Nana and Femi Otedola needed their children in boarding school so they could focus on their demanding businesses; a sacrifice certainly worth making.
England was cold, the accent was confusing and the food was bland. Luckily, I had one escape: Music. I cannot begin to tell you how powerful and healing music is. Boarding school in England came with its challenges bewilderment, bullying etc. I would always curl up in bed after a long day and listen to music from Nigeria.
My catalogue as a teenager was already vast - from Fela Kuti to Pasuma to 9ice. Other students always used to laugh at me because of my short Afro. It’s funny that now the same kids are the ones begging for tickets to my ‘Cactus on the Roof’parties. Boarding school as ‘Florence’ was not all grim, I have to say I was a bright child and loved to learn, I always flourished academically and built a disciplined spirit through education, one I still have till today. Holidays were always exciting as I got to
go back to Lagos, but every time I went back things were different, my father’s empire was rapidly growing. A newer car would pick me up from the airport and each house we moved to was getting bigger and bigger.
The summer of 2007 is when the actual Cuppy you all think you know was birthed. Having created a reputation for myself as a ‘music geek’, we had all just finished our GSCE exams and a friend was having a party, so I was asked to DJ. There is only one way to describe my DJ set that evening- atrocious! Everything from my beat matching to music choice was wrong, but that gig was unforgettable for me as it’s the day I knew I had fallen in love with music. The remaining years I had in school turned into an obsession of filling my free time with everything music - I learned to play the viola, I took up Music as a A-Level, and even decided to start my own band. My parents could see my passion very quickly deepening and my father began to organise internships for me in trading companies in order to steer me in a more conventional path. After a few more horrendous performances, I actually got my first paid show at 18 years old, it was for a wedding in London and my fee was £50 which was about N12,500 at the time. I played for about six hours and impressed the couple, (I played Azonto six times!), so I was able to get more gigs off that. I cannot tell you how good it felt being paid for something I would have done for free anyway; my eye really opened that day to the possibility of making a career out of music.
Ten years down the line, I’ve been able to go from strength to strength, I’ve gone from becoming a global DJ that plays songs to one that makes their own songs. To this date, my DJ skills have taken me to over 30 countries and I know this is just the beginning!
I started my company, Red Velvet Music Group LTD in 2013 whilst I was attaining my Economics degree at King’s College London. Despite my love for music and creativity, entrepreneurship was naturally my background and I saw a gap in the market for an African company that could consult in the European entertainment space. Moving to New York really opened my eyes further to the global market.
Whilst doing my Masters at New York University, I adapted a hustler mentality. Student by day, DJ by night I was juggling two lives and it was tough. Luckily, it wasn’t all in vain - my company now has three offices in London, Lagos, and New York and l have been lucky to work with some of the biggest brands in the world.
A lot of people ask me how I am able to achieve so much and I explain that Cuppy is ran as an international entity not as a local artist. My songs (Green Light, Vybe, Curreny, and Werk), may be catered to the Nigerian market but I will always have a global edge.
My journey is full of achievements, but not without adversities. I recently got myself in a bit of a pickle whereby I claimed I wasn’t a feminist. Here’s one thing about me - I don’t associate with what I don’t know, I was raised that way. However, having said that, looking at my career and things I have had to overcome, as I woman I now understand that feminism is fabricated within the Cuppy DNA. You see for me, I always felt that we gave men too much attention by seeking their approval through feminism. However, we all share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social equality of sexes. In my job, every day I am faced with challenges being a female in a male dominated industry. Sometimes I have to shout just to get heard. I cannot lie to you, being a Nigerian woman is sometimes exhausting.
Most of my career, I’ve felt misunderstood, and I still do.
Sometimes I feel like people expect Cuppy to be a certain kind of person, an ‘omobaba olowo’ (a rich man’s child), a brat, and when they don’t get that, it’s almost an anti-climax. Well, I’m sorry for the disappointment but I am truly a young Nigerian living and trying to make it big just as much as everybody else.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m not superwoman and I can’t do it all.
One thing that frustrates me is the perceived perception of perfection towards the Cuppy brand. Here’s a fact; I cry sometimes, I make mistakes, I hurt - I am human. Recently, I decided to make a conscious effort to be more open on my social media so people could get a better sense of who I am. Being open does come with exposure to criticism, but I am extremely thick-skinned! It’s a God given gift! Although, one gift God hasn’t quite given me yet is a husband, but I know that’s in the works!
Whilst doing my Masters at New York University, I adapted a hustler mentality. Student by day, DJ by night I was juggling two lives and it was tough. Luckily, it wasn’t all in vain - my company now has three offices in London, Lagos, and New York and l have been lucky to work with some of the biggest brands in the world.
I’ve decided to leave things to God, not just say it, literally do it. I’ve always felt called to help others and this year, I finally established my charity, the Cuppy Foundation.
As I’m getting older, I’m also seeing the importance of personal fulfillment. The satisfaction I get in sending a blind girl to Unilag now matches that of winning an award for DJing.
I feel like I have been brought into this world for a reason and I now have a destiny to fulfill. When people ask what’s next for me, I always tell them the truth - I have no idea. I’m still on an experimental path but regardless of what I do, I want to make sure I change the rules for young people in this country whether that is with or without music! The future of Cuppy is uncertain, but certainly bright... Maybe I’ll be President one day. The 2019 elections are coming up and we must take Nigeria’s future in our hands, anyone reading this, please VOTE. Nigeria has done so much for me growing up, she deserves that same love back.
Today turning 26 is a moment of reflection for me. I feel more empowered, more accomplished, but most importantly more ready to conquer the world. My motto is ‘Cuppy On A Mission’ it always has been and always will be. What mission you ask? World domination. The princess of Epe is coming for the international throne!
Today turning 26 is a moment of reflection for me. I feel more empowered, more accomplished, but most importantly more ready to conquer the world. My motto is ‘Cuppy On A Mission’ it always has been and always will be. What mission you ask? World domination. The princess of Epe is coming for the international throne!