Upcoming rapper Cleo Thelma shares with Pulse Music how music started for her, her influences, future projects and more.
How long have you been doing what you do? How did you get started?
I've been rapping for about six years. I started when I was in high school but professionally I started in 2012.
I started out as an OAP at Cool FM then came up with a reality show called Demgurlz which was aimed at building up the first female rap group in West Africa, that was short-lived, we moved on and dropped a single featuring Dammy Krane titled ‘What is the matter’?
I started out as an OAP at Cool FM then came up with a reality show called Demgurlz which was aimed at building up the first female rap group in West Africa, that was short-lived, we moved on and dropped a single featuring Dammy Krane titled ‘What is the matter’?
play
Cleo Thelma
(Cleo Thelma)
Is there an early memory you’d like to share about getting into your craft, such as when you realized this was more than just a hobby or a passion?
Yes, when Don Jazzy listened to my song and liked it and even helped in rearranging the hook to the song ‘Ogwuego’, that was when it was very clear that I was definitely going to make a living from this.
How would you describe your sound?
My sound is Hip hop with a rich blend and touch of culture and reality.
Who are your influences? What is some advice that has stuck with you?
My influences are God, my environment, society and life in general.
Advice that has stuck with me is to stay true to myself at every point. I never try to be anyone in my song.
Advice that has stuck with me is to stay true to myself at every point. I never try to be anyone in my song.
play
Cleo Thelma
(Cleo Thelma)
What do you hope people take away from listening to your music?
A touch of reality, a sense of self-belief and self-confidence as well as positive vibes good music.
What new project do you have coming up and what inspired it?
Ok I have this project I'm working on – it’s a 8 to 10 track EP titled “The Matriculation aka (Girls hostel)”.
I just needed to do something to relate to girls in general. I've always seen myself as a champion for the average girl child, this EP directly or indirectly addresses issues that relates to or that affects girls you see in campuses and hostels, boarding schools. Basically, it's the Head girls project.
I just needed to do something to relate to girls in general. I've always seen myself as a champion for the average girl child, this EP directly or indirectly addresses issues that relates to or that affects girls you see in campuses and hostels, boarding schools. Basically, it's the Head girls project.
play
Cleo Thelma
(Cleo Thelma)
What else can we keep an eye out for?
Looking at getting gigs and opening for a number of people, travelling to different cities and releasing more singles and videos.
