Popular Nigerian singer, Temitope Adekunle, better known by his stage name Small Doctor, has recounted how he rose to stardom.
While speaking in an interview on a Channels TV show, ‘Rubbin Minds’ with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, the singer, who is well known for his hit song ‘Penalty’, opened up on his days as a bus conductor in the commercial city of Lagos for almost a decade.
“I had recorded my first single, I had been gaining airplay in my hood back then. Agege, Ogba, all those places.“But person no fit just stand dey believe say dem go dey call you for show.
“Those times if you’re opportuned to be on the stage you go beg with the fact that they’ve been playing the song all the while. So I just needed to have some other things to just keep the ball going.“Despite my early successes by going to school in my neighbourhood, I had to make a living, detailing his regular bus routes in Lagos.“I was a conductor for years, almost a decade, From Agege to Ikeja, Ikeja to Maryland, Maryland to Yaba.
“I shuttled that place for like three to four years. I moved to Oshodi to Mushin under bridge. So it was from Oshodi to Mushin, Mushin to Oshodi I spent like six to seven years.
On dropping out of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), he said:
“I decided to go to school (UNILAG) during that time but had carryovers and could not concentrate due to lack of funds and time so I dropped out.”