… Speaks on how K1 started performing at the defunct Laparis, death of Tulanpa and when he gave Halim Mohammed ‘Ipodo Warrior. ‘
In the midst of the current controversies surrounding KWAM1, a former entertainment reporter with the defunct Today’s Choice Magazine owned by Mr. Coker Onita, in this interview tells us how KWAM1 started performing at the then Laparis and why he gave Halim Mohammed ‘Ipodo Warrior. ‘
Halim Mohammed said you were the one that gave him the name ‘Ipodo’ Warrior. Is that true and why?
Yes. l did, when we were covering entertainment and society beat for Today’s Choice Magazine as a team led by Niyi Akinsiju. Tanko, as we called him then, was our Shrine correspondent, we drop him off at shrine and pick him up during night crawling. He was highly respected by patrons of shrine and the area boys. He had no fear of the notorious environment and criminality in the area. Halim would ensure no harm comes your way as he knew the leadership of the gangs and hoodlums in the area. I was not comfortable going to shrine without Halim’s presence. I called him Ipodo warrior due to his connections and knowledge of the area . He was navigating the area safely.
Halim Mohammed
Tell us the story of Laparias and how it concerns KWAM1?
We (myself and my boss, Niyi Akinsiju) became involved with K1 through Halim’s connections and relationship with K1 and his friend late Tulanpa. We visited his Surulere residence regularly then. It was at his home we suggested to him that he needs to do weekly shows to promote his music and for his fans to have access to live performances apart from party gigs. K1 agree but said he cannot do Fridays because he has booking on Fridays. We suggested Thursdays and we talked about a venue in Maryland he could use. K1 immediately asked to see the place and we drove to the venue in his blue Deawoo car about 1am to Laparias . That was how the Laparis started. It became meeting point of his fans on Thursdays.
BETWEEN Ayuba and KWAM1 who was more popular among music lovers then?
Ayuba was having Fridays gigs at Tunde Debasco then and had a fantastic publicist, Sherif Aderonmu, who was close to media circle . His work projected Ayuba positively. K1 was not into publicity at the time but he saw Ayuba’s media image as what is worth emulating. K1 sought media attention and publicity which helped him to clean up his image and his music became more appealing to wider audiences. K1 even tried porching Aderonmu and when could not, he went for Dayo Olomu, who was then the publicist of Premier Records!
Was it true that when Tunde Tulampa was going home from KWAM1’s show at Laparias that he had the accident that took his life?
Yes, unfortunately l did not go to Laprias that night because we lost our editor Hakeem Ikadun and as a mark of respect we were in a mourning mood.
The account we got was that he went to Ojuelegba to get some spirits and was driving back in company of one of K1’s aide Yinka and the car crashed into a wall at Maryland . Yinka survived it, unfortunately he passed away.
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