The Nigerian Entertainment Industry has been thrown into a state of mourning following the passing of Veteran Sound Sultan. While to many, Sound Sultan May have been a familiar face; to some the legend of the music icon is somewhat strange. Here is a peek therefore, into the Life and times of the icon; Sound Sultan
Sound Sultan (born Olanrewaju Fasasi on November 27, 1976 – 11 July 2021) was a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, comedian and recording artist. He is regarded as one of the pacesetters of modern hip hop music in Nigeria.
He was born in Jos, Plateau, Nigeria, to Mr Fasasi Liadi Alarape and Mrs Fasasi Adeyinka Ajarat. He is the fourth of six children.
From 1981 – 1987, Sound Sultan attended Stepping Stone Nursery and Primary School. After which he proceeded to the Federal Government College Ogbomosho for his Secondary education from 1988 –1993.
Afterwards, he went on to obtain a degree in geography and regional planning from the Lagos State University (LASU) in 1999. Sound Sultan is married to Chichi Morah, now Farida Fasasi, and they are blessed with three children.
In 1991, he had taken an interest in music, miming at school parties and writing his own lyrics.
He attributes his early influence to his elder brother Baba Dee who studied theatre arts, and received most of his early stage experience through Baba Dee. He started learning to play the guitar after his secondary school education and was in a band by 1999.
Sound Sultan’s career in show business started in the 1990s, when he hosted shows to raise money for studio sessions.
By 1999, he had won numerous local talent-hunt shows. He released his first single “Jagbajantis” in 2000, which was a hit in Nigeria. After independently releasing other singles and featuring in hit songs of other artists, he was signed by Kennis Music.
Under Kennis Music, he released four albums.
By 2007, his contract with the label expired and he partnered with Baba Dee to start Naija Ninjas, a parent organization for a record label, production outfit and clothing line.
After starting as a rapper, he worked in different musical genres from R&B to Afrobeat, soul and Nigerian Fuji Music.
Under Naija Ninjas, he released Back From The Future (2010) and signed artists such as Karma Da Rapper, Young GreyC, Shawn and Blacka.
Sound Sultan began a working relationship with Wyclef Jean when featured alongside 2face Idibia and Faze on “Proud to be African” from Wyclef’s Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101 album. They have collaborated on two other projects: “King of My Country” (2009) and “People Bad” (2012).
In 2015, Sound Sultan released the rap single “Remember” after a long absence from the music scene.
Acting
Until his demise, Sound Sultan was also known to have played roles in films and here’s a list of those movies:
Campus Queen (2004)
Head Gone (2014)
The Washerman (2018)
He also featured on Basketmouth’s trendy show, Papa Benji, where he acted as Professor Alloy also known as Aquaman.
Basketball
Sound Sultan previously played basketball for the Dodan Warriors, so he is an experienced basketballer. In 2015, he partnered with investors and purchased shares in the Lagos Islanders basketball team. Afterwards, he became a facilitator of the African Basketball League and was one of the special guests at the first NBA African Games.
After the fallout of the African Basketball League, the veteran singer sealed a deal with the organizers of the Continental Basketball League to become a team owner of the Lagos City Club, and a facilitator of the league’s entertainment.
Illness
On 12th of May, 2021, It was reported that Sound Sultan is somewhere in America where he is receiving treatment in form of chemotherapy as the musician was reportedly diagnosed with throat cancer.
Death
Unfortunately, he died July 11, 2021 at the age of 44 as a result of an illness.
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