Since Queen Ure released her maiden album, Popori, it has received both positive and negative comments. In this interview with Reporter, Lukmon Akintola, she speaks on the album, romance and her ex-husband, Soul E.
Queen Ure
Last year, you released your maiden album titled Popori, how has it been doing in the market?
It is doing okay. It is marketed by Uba Pacific, one of the biggest marketers in Nigeria. As at the time of the album launch, I didn’t have a marketer. But during the course of the year, I got one.
Between then and now, I have shot four videos from the album. So, I will say the album has done well and I am happy.
You seem to be measuring the success of the album by the number of videos you have dropped, should that be a yardstick?
Of course; if the album is not successful I would not be motivated to shoot videos for the songs in it.
A lot of people expected more than you gave in the album, why couldn’t you do more?
The album on its own is lovely and a successful work, but the problem we had was that it wasn’t everywhere. That it wasn’t everywhere was the responsibility of the marketer. You know how they would market it with everything they have got if they buy it from you and how theywould do it if it was a different arrangement. I think that is whathappened.
Have you started work on your second album?
I am still pushing my debut album, but that is not to say that I am not writing songs. I am doing that too. The songs will make up the content of the next album. But right now, I am still on this Popori album. The next video coming out will be Popori remix.
Who would you feature in the remix?
I want to feature a big artiste, but the arrangement has not been concluded yet, so it won’t be right to discuss it.
In recent times, controversy seems to have eluded you. What has changed about you?
I am still me. I have never been a controversial person. I am not controversial, but some journalists who claim to be my friends have presented that image of me to the public.
In your album, there is a song titled I Have Found Love, did you write it for someone in particular?
I have loved a number of times and I like the feel. That was basically what brought about the song not necessarily because there was a boyfriend.
Is there a boyfriend now?
No, there is none.
What about a man friend?
It is the same thing. If there is a guy or a man in your life, it is the same thing. But for now, there is none.
Why?
That is the way it is.
Are you available?
Yes, I am available.
Then why don’t you have a boyfriend or a man friend as it were?
I just want something that will be for real. I am not the kind ofperson you see with different men. No, I am not that kind of person.
If I must be in a relationship it must be a serious thing and maybe Ihaven’t seen someone that is serious.
How long ago have you been without a man?
I would like to keep that to myself.
You love wearing short dresses, are you comfortable when men stare at your legs?
It is normal with every girl. If they don’t stare then you are not a woman.
So it is a welcome development if they stare. It is normal.
A lot of people often describe you as one old lady who loves young men, why is this so?
The truth is that a lot of people who say stuffs about Queen Ure havenever met me. I go out and when I introduce myself they get shocked and ask ‘are you the same Queen Ure?’ And I am like, how come you felt she is this kind of person without meeting her.
There were speculations that you may not have been happy with the fact that your old friend, Soul E remarried. Is this true?
I know where that speculation came from. I was dealing with something serious and a call just came in asking me what was my comment on the fact that he was remarrying and I told the person what came to my mind. It was a spur of the moment thing. I wish him well. Marriage is a beautiful thing and I hope that this time around, he is in it for the realreasons and he won’t play games.
If you were a friend to Soul E’s wife, what would you ask her to watch out for?
Life always gives more and more opportunities to change and meet other people. I am very sure that he would have changed. He can’t be the same person that he was years back because if he is, then it is going to be a disaster.
You recently started a fan club; tell us about what motivated it?
It is something that I have been thinking about for a longtime. It is a platform for charity and empowerment. I am calling all my friends around to come and join me to do what I love doing most which ischarity work.
How do you hope to manage it?
Every month there will be a visit to a motherless home to inspire and motivate them. We will also make donations of what we can. The first visit we made was on December 21, 2013. We went to a medium security prison in Apapa, Lagos. The next outing will be on Saturday, January 25 and we will be visiting Little Saints Orphanage, Dopemu, Lagos.