Tee Clay, African SoundBoi has been seated on the SauceNg’s hot seat to take his fans on a sweet and smooth journey into his musical journey and life as an independent-upcoming artist.
Take your time to savour all the sweetness of this in-depth interview in knowing more about your favourite artist.
- Advertisement -
Let’s take a ride!
Kindly Introduce Yourself To Your Fans
I’m Livingstone Oliver Zaccheaus. And my current stage name is Tee Clay.
- Advertisement -
I’m the forth born from the family of nine (six boys and three girls). I’m an indigene of Adamawa State from Larmude Local Government area. But I was brought up on the soil of Abuja. However, I was fully exposed to music in Jos.
How Can You Describe Your Music?
I could describe the kind of music I create as nothing but good music to listen to. It’s usually a reflection of life, motivation, love and intellectual awareness.
Kindly Share Your Educational Background With Us
For now, I have a National Diploma (ND) in Mass Communication at NTA Television College Jos.
What’s The Inspiration Or Story Behind Your Stage Name?
Hmmm, the story behind my stage name (Tee Clay) today is quite long and amazing.
And I’m excited to share the story behind how I came about the name with everyone.
At first, at the start of my career, I adopted “Livingstone Magbal” which is a combination of my first name, Livingstone and native name; Magbal as my stage name.
But as time was ticking, I thought of changing it because it was too long and not easy to pronounce for many.
And I also considered the fact that this our music industry really appreciates simplicity in stage name.
As a result of that fact, I decided to change it to “Stink Clay”. The word “Stink” was inspired by the hatred speech of “Go and find something better to do with your life instead of opening your stinking mouth, calling yourself a musician” I got from one of my family members who seriously kicks against my choice in chasing a career in music.
And the word “Clay” was derived from my native name – Magbal which means the Man from the soil that cannot be moved by anything except God.
However, I couldn’t go on totally with that name after seeking a professional advice from a music business consultant.
Anyways, after the long background check of the suggested name, I finally settled for “Tee Clay” as it gives the vibes of simplicity and originality.
Can You Tell Us About Your Recently Released Songs?
I’ve already released a couple of songs back to back that will worth your time. They include: Fake Love, Nkechi, My People, Maria, Can’t Give Up, Baddest Boy Cover, Konto Love and Feeling.
Currently, I’m working on a fresh single project with my producer, and it will be out any moment from now. I entreat you all to keep your fingers crossed.
Also, my debut EP/album is another fantanstic project I want you to anticipate.
Do you have any musical achievements?
Yes, I have a few great musical achievements.
So far, my music has touched many lives in one way or the other. And that’s one of the greatest musical achievements for me as an artist.
Another one is that, overtime, I have grown musically from a poor-production artist to a better-production one.
Also, my artistic ability on one of my songs titled “Fake Love” has won me the Most Creative Song Of The Year at Kein Awards early this year, 2023 in my local area at Kuje Abuja, Nigeria.
In addition to that, my growth on social media such as Instagram has been very impressive. From the space of 2018 to 2023, my account has grown from hundreds to thousands of followers. That truly puts a smile on my face.
What Would You Like To Achieve In This Music Industry?
In this music industry, I would like to be successful in every area of my life; financially, morally and spiritually.
And also to impact and brighten more lives with my music.
Who Are Your Biggest Artistic Influences?
When it comes to my artistic influencers, every good artist out there has influenced me in one way or the other.
But specifically, I will say Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Micheal Jackson. They’ve really inspired me greatly on a deeper level since I picked up music.
Also, I could feel the influence of Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Mavin Record’s artists, and other good artists out there.
They’re all shaping me to be a better version of myself.
How Do You Find Inspiration To Create Music?
My source of inspiration is countless. To mention a few, I get inspiration from dreams, vision, imagination and life experiences.
I usually give myself and my mind to nature and the people around me to be filled with inspiration.
When Is Your Favourite Time Of The Day To Create Music?
My favourite time in creating music is at night time, especially mid-night hours, because then, everywhere will be very calm and quiet, and that kind of atmosphere allows my thinking faculty to go deeper in dishing out awesomeness.
What Motivates You Into Becoming An Artist?
Actually, many things have pushed me into becoming an artist, but I will only mention the vital ones.
First, music is the easiest and only way for me to express my feelings. Secondly, my natural passion for music can’t be measured at all.
Thirdly, the music business has a higher return of investment if one eventually blows. And I believe I can hit it big in this industry with the help of God and my amazing fans.
How Do You Define Success As An Artist?
To me, my success as an artist is when my music is having a positive impact on people around the globe. That makes me feel successful.
How Do You Manage Your Work-life As An Artist?
It’s all about time management for me. As a passionate artist, I usually have schedules on my daily works, except for emergency ones because I also have other legit side hustles apart from being a music artist.
So in that case, I map out a list for my everyday activities, and this really helps me to manage my work-life as an artist.
Can You Share Your Techniques Of Overcoming Writer’s Block With Us?
One of my techniques in overcoming my writer’s block is simply through consistency.
Once the idea stops flowing, I consistently engage myself with other artists’ beautiful works to get filled up with energy and ideas to finish my project.
Also, I literally try to sleep on the idea. Whenever I feel tired or everything seems to look difficult and the idea is not flowing again, I simply go to bed to take a deep sleep.
After that, I return to the project with a clear mind and energetic body. Interestingly, the idea starts flowing ceaselessly again.
My other technique of beating writer’s block is focus. I always try my level best to stay away from distractions as they’re inspiration suckers.
There you have it all about the African SoundBoi, Tee Clay.