The Players
MecMen is a duo
made up of brothers Meca and Menty. Founded in 2007 by Meca, the older
brother, their watchword has always been to entertain. “We naturally
love to entertain. A smooth melody has always been our weakness and
therefore it only made sense that we combine both passions and make
tunes.” The name MecMen was gotten from a combination of their names.
The History
Meca, whose real
name is Innocent Oleforo, started off as a poet and later switched from
writing poems to writing musical lyrics. Then, he says, “my writing
drifted from stanzas to bars. 16 bars suddenly became more appealing.”
In 2006, he
decided to learn the art of music under the tutelage of Jimmie
Richardson, at ‘Surround Sounds’ in New Jersey. “Music was and is still
like fire to my soul; it consumes me beyond belief, I crave it day and
night; it’s an addiction that I just can’t shake off,” he says. Later
on, he released a debut single as a solo artist, ‘Stay on Top’, under
Richardson’s supervision.
Menty, whose real
name is Charles Oleforo, was born in Lagos. His love for music began
from his childhood days because “he was always surrounded by music
while growing up.” In high school, alongside some of his peers, he
engaged in mock lyrical battles organised by friends. In 2003, he
relocated to the United Kingdom and won several dance-offs mimicking
the late pop icon Michael Jackson. After earning a nursing degree in
2006 from Montclair State University in New Jersey, Menty says he is
now ready to face his passion for musicmaking full time.
The Inspiration
MecMen reveals
their music is highly influenced by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Timaya, and
international acts Akon, Kanye West and Kenan. They also disclose their
passion for sport.
“We both are
pretty good footballers. [We] would not say we are top of the league
materials, but we enjoy competition. We are also good at tennis and
basketball,” Meca says.
The Music
MecMen recently
released three singles, ‘Tonight PM’, ‘Shayo Everywhere’ and ‘Omo
Naija’. ‘Tonight PM’ is delivered on a high-paced note which makes it
appealing for the club scene. On the track, the duo sing to their love
interest, begging her to follow them home.
Their next two
singles, ‘Shayo Everywhere’ and ‘Omo Naija’, also tow the high-tempo
lane. On ‘Omo Naija’, they sing impressively about flying the Nigerian
flag high, saying they are true Nigerians.
The ‘Whether’ Forecast
Cloudy
