9ice Admits to Imitating Wyclef Jean Early in His Career

Veteran Nigerian singer Alexander Akande, popularly known as 9ice, has revealed that in the early days of his music career, he was heavily influenced by Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, to the point of mimicking his sound.

In a recent interview with SPS, the “Photocopy” singer confessed that he wasn’t alone in copying Wyclef’s style at the time, but he believed he did it better than others. However, 9ice emphasized that he eventually moved away from imitation and developed his own unique sound.

“My inspiration was Wyclef [Jean]. If anybody listened to me at the beginning, there was a time I was sounding like Wyclef 100 per cent. And there were other people that were sounding like him, but they felt that I sounded better than them when it comes to sounding like Wyclef,” 9ice explained.

He further shared that his distinctive style is a fusion of influences from legendary musicians such as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Bob Marley, Ayinde Barrister, Kwan1, Pasuma, and Obesere. These artists, he noted, played a significant role in shaping his musical blend as he grew up.