Exclusive: If I Had A Sister- Yemi Alade Recounts Regret

Nigerian music artist Yemi Alade at the launch of her jewelry collection on Thursday, November 5, at the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos spoke with Legit.ng on her fashion line the Yemi Alade Collection (YAC), her album King of Queens, and her foundation.

How do you feel launching your own fashion brand?

The feeling is beyond words and I am very excited about it.

Talking about the process in making this happen, how long did it take?

It took a lot of time for my partner and I to create what we have today. We had so many meetings which took a lot of sacrifice from my side because I'm hardly in the country but somehow, we made this dream come to life. Yemi Alade Collection (YAC), was initiated in order to give a piece of myself to everyone out there without forcing my lifestyle on them.

READ ALSO: Yemi Alade Releases Her Latest Music Video

You are also launching your foundation Mented, what initiated it?

This initiative was cooked up by the creative director of Bland2Glam, Mrs. Seyi Banigbe. It has been I have always wanted to be involved in giving my best to people, advising them and building a personal relationship with people and I figured this is a way to make it official. I would say, most of us in the entertainment industry while growing up had one or two persons who were there to listen to us and did not give up on us and that shows a true quality of a leader. As the popular parlance goes, “the minute you climb up that ladder it becomes your responsibility to reach down to someone and pull them up.” That is basically what mented is all about.

Are you going to be mentoring only girls or both sexes?

All I can say is for now is that I would mentor only the ladies.

Can you tell us one or two things you would embark on during this project?

This project is not about me alone but majorly about any female out there that wants to achieve something. All it takes is, if you have a friend who wishes to own a business what I have to do is to make contacts to people in that field or sector. So, it is not all about Yemi Alade.

[article_adwert]

What more should we expect from you?

For now, I am working on a new album titled Mama Africa and is slated to be released next year. The album is not talking about me being Mama Africa but referring to Africa being our mother and how we must work hard to feed her right. It is about me telling you a story about Mama Africa, so get ready.

What inspired the new video about our tour?

You know the fans are always here to follow you on that journey sometimes you need to open up to them. One of the things we wanted to preach with the video was the spirit of giving back to the society. There are displaced people all over the world, so what we wanted to preach in the video was the spirit of giving back and to inform people about this set of individuals. We should also learn to not to depend on the government all the time but learn to also do something on your own.

What would you say is your greatest regret in life?

Hmmm (clears throat), I am not a perfect human being I certainly have my own flaws, committed my own mistakes and I do have my own family problems to deal with. My only regret in life is maybe if I had a sister, I would have had someone who would have my back, who would have fixed the scruffy me, who would have fixed me. If I had that woman or sister, maybe I would not have made the many mistakes. But even if I had no one, God sent to me Omalicha (Rhythm Fm) and Omawumi who were there to fix me, who were patient with me and shaped me to the woman I am today. This experience is also what Mented is all about because I want to pull someone up the ladder.

READ ALSO: Yemi Alade Launches Jewelry Collection (Photos)

What is your advice to women?

They should always learn to reach out to others and do it with love even if the person fails to listen or realize the help you are offering, don’t let that stop you. At least let it be known that you tried.

Source: Legit.ng