Singer Seyi Shay has opened up on how the death of her mentor Sound Sultan in 2021 nearly ended her career.
The 38-year-old spoke in an interview with TVC, recalling how she lost interest in music after the dearh of the rapper and singer.
“During the filming of Nigerian Idol, my mentor, also my best friend, who is like a father figure to me, and also the person who brought me to the Nigerian music industry, died. He passed away; Sound Sultan,” she said.
“When I first came to Nigeria, I was living with him and his wife in FESTAC for a year. He was the one who co-signed me and introduced me to everybody in the industry to make sure that those who were his people look out for me.”
According to her, Sultan’s death left her broken.
“So, when he passed away, it was really hard for me to complete the filming but I made it to the end. What hurt the most is that I didn’t get to see him before he passed away. I was supposed to fly to see him in New York that weekend when we had a break. He asked me to bring him something specifically. It just torn me apart. I felt like I didn’t have the will to continue to do music without Sound Sultan, my peace of mind, and my mental health. So, I decided to go on a little break.”
She added: “Also, during that period, I got pregnant and I told myself there’s no way I’m going to have my child in the toxic music industry that I’m in and under the scrutiny that I was constantly under. So, I just thought I should take a break.”
Sound Sultan, born Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi, died in July 2021 in the United States after a battle with cancer. He was 44.
