The Sugababes to mention but a few, has hosted major shows and concerts in far and wide Nigeria, Ghana, Nairobi, Tanzania, Zambia, Dubai, Malaysia and the USA plus he was also inducted into the Carribean Fashion Hall of Fame in Bridgetown, Barbados.
What are your full names?
EDUN, ADENRELE OLUFEMI.....some call me Denrele, Twisted minds call me DeWERE and the warped ones yell WEREnle.. 86 yr old Grandma calls me Akanbi when she's pissed at one of my younger siblings and my Nationality confused Mum calls me RajeevRaja!
I currently work with Channel 0 (Africa's #1 music/lifestyle channel), also co-hosted GloNaijaSings (as the backstage weirdo), co-hosted the 2012 BigBrother Africa StarGame finale and in a 6yr VJ rollercoaster career, i have 18awards to show for it!
Born without a STOP button, i am! Try not to love me,i dare you!
Born without a STOP button, i am! Try not to love me,i dare you!
Describe your background experience growing up ?
If LadyGaga has become some sorta course of study in school, then my Mum should be a final year project for all and sundry! Where una wan make i start from??
Funny she was cool with my whole identity from d start,i guess she thought i was going to get tired of the whole charade and go back to being 'normal' but when it didnt happen quickly...the poor lady raced off to MFM to begin d 70days prayer/fasting programme! One hell raising episode i recollect vividly was the"Mono-Sleeve Phase"....i was fond of choppin off a full length sleeve off every shirt i owned (i had bout 3) and when em shirts started fallin apart,i jumped right onto my Dad's church shirts! He didnt mind but my mother abused me in over 7 different languages!!!
Why am I talkin bout my Mum here? Maybe because I haven't seen her since 2002, she relocated to Ireland. Well, my mum says I'm "Abnormally Abnormal" and my Dad says I'm "One of life's unexplainable mysteries" but I call myself the 8th world Wonder! (Abeg if nobody will sing your praises, do it yourself!). My Dad is from Ogun state (Abeokuta, Omo Egba l'omo), my Mum's dad is Indian and her Mum is Mauricien and I was born in Hamburg Germany so e Jo ntori Jesu, where on earth would you say I'm from? Lets just leave it at being nationality confused!
I'm the first and only son, I have two amazing but troublesome sisters Ronke and Jumoke who I was always forced to babysit every time 'konji' grabbed my parents......They always had to go let off steam sum where! I went to so many Primary schools, had double promotion twice, gained admission into St Gregory's College in 1991 and finished in 1997 with the best result in Art Class (Mind you, we never had a Literature teacher from SS1to SS3 and I scored A1 o!). I couldn't gain admission into the University (i was under 16) so I had to take up a teaching job at a primary school close to our family house. I was also playing lead character on the popular NTA network soap opera "Kidivision 101" and so I would resume at the school from 8am through till 3pm and then race off to NTA in v/I immediately. By 11pm max, I was home. So I didn't have a regular childhood, it was work work work! My Dad had lost his job and so I learnt the art of self dependence sharply!
Long story cut short, I got admission into Unilag with the 1998/99 session. All my mates were scoring 270 and above only for me to score 209! I vex ehn? I eventually had to settle for English Education at the Dept of Curriculum studies,Faculty of Education. I joined Theatre 15 and was involved in major stage productions, got into modeling, did a few soap operas and a couple of TV commercials, got heartbroken by Titi (who is married now), had a couple of dancing gigs with RuggedMan, LexyDoo, 2Shot, Lady Di....too many to mention and now you are asking me questions!
Life of a hustler abi? Abeg hand don dey pain me!
To be continued**
What inspired /inspires your kind of fashion?
Goodness me, it took me over 20 minutes to brood over this question! i dont have any inspiration lifted frm anyone (i inspire myself, set my own principles and follow my own guiding philosophies),but before y'all label me the Horror Lying flick of the Decade....i would say i just lifted from here, there and everywhere and fused all of it into mine! Give or take,Lenny Kravitz for his punk rock swag, CharlyBoy for his edgy consistency, LadyGaga for her outrageous extremity (and i started wearin 10inch platforms before she did) and lemme see, the Japanese Harajuku culture.....i would blend in with no hassles watsoever!
Trends?? i aint no label whore....although im very conversant with whats tasteful and tasteless in fashion and i actually keep up with whats on/off the runway.......Im very Fashion Forward as an individual but trends-wise,i might lift alil frm vintage, avant-garde, new-age and integrate it into the complete Denrele look! I might drop my guard a lil and follow trends but an overall evaluation would still make it look like MINE!
My first Runway modeling job was for the House of Kese Jabari and that was in 2001. I had just 3 pairs of jeans (Skyblue, wine and black) plus 2 shirts and I had to remix those clothes every time I stepped out of d house everyday. Needless to say, I witnessed the all pervading air of high fashion and I was sooooo sucked in! I wanted all my garments to look like they just stepped off the runway, however tattered they were and I also wanted to be difference from the boy next door! Talk about an androgynous look!
Free matter, na the craze dey put money for my account o!
Can You Define your sense of style?
Wait first! Make i shine small Eyin WadupNaija before you start with ur fashion forward questions! #rolling up my chain encrusted sleeves and flippin back my lice infested hair**
Everyone can buy fashion, but STYLE you have to own. Fashion is our shared viewpoint on what is hot right now, but STYLE is an individual expression. Fashion is in the clothes, but STYLE is in the wearer and best of all, Fashion unites us but STYLE sets ME apart!!
Like really,would you have bothered with me if i wznt interestin subject matter 4rm a fashion perspective? #fake pout
I dont take myself too seriously, i am street, ghetto fab, punk rock, edgy couture....my size0 body simply embraces every look! I'm class and trash, a fashion hit and miss, tasteless and tasteful and a walkin Halloween ceremony (some whisper "Horror flick" too) but who gives a flying rocket? I wear what i wear because i want to and the final appraisal in the mirror tells me that im the sexiest kick-ass fashion-forward-freak who'l forever stop traffic in unwearabl rags (isnt that what i wear all the time?)
Im one of such ppl who plan their outfits for d following day before goin to bed, just in my subconscious nd i end up changing my mind in the mornin. Am so last minute that i arrive not to watch others arrive, but for others to watch me arrive (who dey even look my way sef?).
Style you ask? #looking around** Im such a scattered nitwit with no sense of style whatsoever! but i let my overwhelming personality shine forth in whatever outfit i strut my toothpick shaped body in! Even if i wear rags, i would forever stop traffic! My eccentricity blessed with attitude, topped with edgy extremity and finished up with a large dose of originality defines MY STYLE.......Looking good is not only the best revenge ever, its the greatest self confidence booster**
I don't wear what i wear according to my mood (that is sooo cliched *rolling my eyes*), i wear what i wear cos i feel like wearing it and let everyone do a backflip into the gutter if they dont like it! As long as i love the final appraisal the mirror throws my way,im ready to hit the road and kick ass! In a nutshell, my individuality defines my clothes..... ballsy,upbeat,funky,colourful,edgy,punk-rock,unpredictable and whoever said Fashion was pain had me in mind!Style is an expression of individualism mixed with charm!
I don't wear what i wear according to my mood (that is sooo cliched *rolling my eyes*), i wear what i wear cos i feel like wearing it and let everyone do a backflip into the gutter if they dont like it! As long as i love the final appraisal the mirror throws my way,im ready to hit the road and kick ass! In a nutshell, my individuality defines my clothes..... ballsy,upbeat,funky,colourful,edgy,punk-rock,unpredictable and whoever said Fashion was pain had me in mind!Style is an expression of individualism mixed with charm!
In a nutshell, my look is fun....not too serious but fun enough to get compliments! Its an eclectic sense of style blessed with madcap spunk, topped with overboard calculated madness, a dose of edgy eccentricity and finished up with unequalled unparalleled and unrivalled attitude!
Too much grammar abi?? Beauty fades but style is eternal.....
Too much grammar abi?? Beauty fades but style is eternal.....
Behind the spectacular dressing,crazy personality..Who is Denrele?
I'm an angel,i'm a devil,I am sometimes in between.
I'm as bad as it can get and as good as can be.
Sometimes I'm a million colors, at times I'm black and white.
I'm a million contradictions;
I'm a million contradictions;
Sometimes i make no sense, sometimes im perfect and sometimes im a mess.
I'm all extreme!
I'm all extreme!
For me,its part of the thrill and at times, part of the plan.
Try to figure me out, you never can!
Try to figure me out, you never can!
Tell us derenle’s journey from sound city to channelO
Soundcity was no doubt, an amazing mileage for me. Gosh, i miss those last minute gigs where i would be called up 10 minutes to an event and told to go report for the channel, artistes bugging my fones on lack of airplay for their musical vidoes, sleepless nights at the studio (i practically moved into the office and was staying there), moments where i would know next to nothing about an event and would stil ride high on apt coverage that would make Ryan Seacrest go green with envy, endless production meetings, production madness that'l make me grind my teeth on edge...........Everything! i miss everything; the Office, my desk, space, diligent but sometimes frustrating crew, the frequent trips to buy food late at night, crazy pranks i used to play on my colleagues, the hussle and tussle to get juicy interviews, endless trips outta the country.........i could go on and on! But thats a phase of my life that i bid farewell to. Great memories but Werepe has moved on!
Even if today feels like a "Nightmare",dont allow it to hinder you from "Dreaming" again tomorrow....i did not leave Soundcity, i was ousted out for Over Exposure! Now that was a trip.....i had to resign as the company decided i was too over exposed and over utilized for their brand. Thats what i heard anyway from a reliable source and this was decided upon by people who just joined the company, people who werent with the brand from the very start. It still remains a mystery to me but as they say, the human nature is too complex to understand. Life and its complexities! I was a lil worried at first, pondering on what career move to take and what direction to tread. The decision to leave Soundcity was not my idea at first, it never even crossed my mind but a series of shocking events and decisions taken by the company regarding my matter made me question my loyalty to the brand and hey, Life is too short to have any regrets, i held my head high, kicked all regrets to the kerb, kept up my hustle and Channel Ojust snatched me up!
I am currently a Channel Ambassador, concept developer and On-Air personality for Africa's #1 music/lifestyle channel, Channel O. I clinched the job in August last year after screen-testing for the brand on Children's Day, May 27, 2011. I remember that day vividly cos i was booked for a lot of gigs in Lagos and in my haste to meet up (and not miss out on the pay cheques), i got series of calls from everyone i knew affliated to the Mnet/Multichoice platform. i was actually the last person to audition, the board room was like a scene outta "The Celebrity Apprentice" and i flunked my lines big time!
But what won the stern faces over was my spantaneity, my ability to think outta the box and maybe, crack up everyone in the room.....i was myself in and out....scattered, disorganized but made great sense out of my usual nonsense!
Channel O is my work,my life! As i would say, your job is what you can be fired from but your WORK is what you live for! Your job is what you are trained to do, but your WORK is what you are gifted in! Your job puts food on your table but your WORK feeds a generation!
Star l'omo......i have been through the storm, had dirt on my name, im still holding on, champion of the game!
Star l'omo......i have been through the storm, had dirt on my name, im still holding on, champion of the game!
If you were not a presenter,What would you be?
Asides from dancing like a convulsed epileptic patient in the clubs? Or sticking my head out of my car and yelling loudly at passengers at every bus stop? Maybe ditching my sister's underwear in the freezer? better still, running stark naked up and down the corridors of the Abuja Hilton? Wearing my 10inch platforms and dancing effortlessly on them like they were my natural feet? Or arresting attention on the red carpet in whatever-bizzare-outfit-i-must-have-dragged-out-of-my-abnormally-abnormal-makeshift-closet?
Im such a happy kid, i thrive on ceaseless boundless energy! U2's "Beautiful Day" was written for me, no doubt bout that! Nothing brings me down, im so darn positive that negativity loathes the very sight of skinny me! Plus i make the very best outta every situation, hey Life is short......i live each moment like its the last! I dont drink, smoke, drive or swim but once i hit the dancefloor, its chaos all tha way.....I guess im more pleased with myself when my work goes smooth and i have pleased my audience tremendously, Im also more pleased with my family when everyone is relaxed and satisfied (endless lists of what-to-buy are always thrown my way) and above all, im happiest communing with my Heavenly Father who made me uniquely distinct from every other specie!
Deacon Denrele i hear you say? Dont start!
Well, since I studied Education in school and I have major background experience in the field, I believe I would have loved to be a Teacher. I ain't kidding here, I did My Teaching Practice at Ijeshatedo Grammar sch in Okota and I had to teach SSS1. No try me o! I scored an A, which is a 5. And it was a 5 unit course again. Omo, GP mi step up gan**
Would you say you’re repping Naija where ever you are?
I resemble person wey dey carry last for your eye? Do you think that I will travel out there and go fall WadupNaija breast? Nefffa! I speak my Yoruba as it should spoken, I refuse to adopt an all out Phonetic accent, I reflect the Naija survivor spirit in me and that's why I would forever stand out of the crowd.....Una no see as I resemble Karishika?
I'm the most patriotic countryman ever once I'm out of Nigeria. I must always dash out a Yoruba name sha!**
Whose your most stylish celebrity?
Too many to mention.....una go read, sleep, wake up and stil keep reading. Lemme spare you the myopia
Do you have a girlfriend or are you in any relationship at the moment?
Im single, searching, not married and ready to mingle! Im a walking advertisements, No Sponsorship #laughs! Im in a relationshipthough, with someone special. Someone who actually understands, tolerates and perseveres with the complex entity that i am, someone i love to bits, someone i dont take too seriously, a last minute individual who is alwyz never on time, someone who kicks ass..........Someone, Someone....that person is Denrele Olufemi Adeyemi Edun. Yes, you can go ahead and sponsor my burial. Im in an awesome relationship with myself and im loving every minute of it! Im riding solo* Afterall a kiss is just a pleasant reminder that two heads are better than one!
What’s your message to your fans and those who love derenle?
Always be a first class version of yourself and not a 2nd class version of anybody else!
Listen to learn and Learn to listen.
Two ways to know your personality; the way you behave when you have everything and the way you manage when you have nothing.
Don't go broke trying to look rich, Act your wage!
To wish you were someone else is to waste the person that you truly are........You are the best!
Finally, to all my twitter-holics, Facebook peeps, 2go, hi5, msn, yahoo messenger, BBM, blogspot, Google and every family person on all the social media platforms......I say the bestest thank you ever! E lenu bi Barbed wire!
Tell us how you see our efforts so far and where you see wadupnaija in the near future?
Haven't you seen your Oscar Award staring you in the face? Abeg grab am ASAP before another Winch go collect am o!
I think. Am starting to like denrele..
ReplyDeleteDnt just start liking him...he's d bomb,u'll love him
DeleteMehn dis guy is......*mwah
ReplyDelete