Nkeirouka Ezekh Нкеирука Хилариевна Езех
Born	(1983-10-17) October 17, 1983 (age 28) Moscow, Russia
Team
Curling club	Moskvitch CC, Moscow, RUS
Skip	Liudmila Privivkova
Third	Anna Sidorova
Second	Nkeirouka Ezekh
Lead	Ekaterina Galkina
Career
World Championship appearances	9 (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
European Championship appearances	10 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Medal record Curling Winter Universiade Gold 2003 Team European Championships Gold 2006 Team

Nkeirouka Khilarievna "Kira" Ezekh (Russian: Нкеирука (Кира) Хилариевна Езех) (born October 17, 1983 in Moscow to a Nigerian father and Russian mother^[1]) is a Russian curler of Nigerian-Russian descent.

At the 2006 Winter Olympics, in Turin, Italy, she was part of Ludmila Privivkova's team. A year later her team won the 2006 European Curling Championships. She also represented Russia in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics as second on Privivkova's team.

Teammates[link]

2010 Vancouver Olympic Games

Ludmila Privivkova, Skip

Anna Sidorova, Third

Ekaterina Galkina, Lead

Margarita Fomina, Alternate

External links[link]

• Nkeirouka Ezekh on the World Curling Federation database

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nkeirouka Ezekh

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Tony D, born Anthony Depula (Date of Birth 1967, died April 5, 2009), was a hip hop artist from Trenton, New Jersey. Although he was a hip hop artist & DJ, he was most famous for being an influential producer in hip hop music. He was the producer behind Poor Righteous Teachers and YZ. He has also produced tracks for DJ Muggs, Young Zee, Outsidaz, Pace Won, Blvd Mosse, King Sun, Scott Lark, and Shawn Lov.

Tony D was the first artist to have a record released on Mark Rae's burgeoning British Grand Central Records independent record label (then called Gone Clear Records). His other albums were released on Cha-Ching Records and 4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram Records, and he was a part of the group Crusaders for Real Hip Hop, which released one album on Profile Records.

Tony D's early records were sampled by several artists, including Naughty by Nature on the hit "O.P.P." and by Heavy D without permission. All cases were settled out of court.

Apart from Tony D., Depula was also known professionally under the names Harvee Wallbangar and Grand Pubha Tony D.

Later in life, Depula hosted a weekly hip hop radio show on Princeton Universities 103.3 FM, which aired in Central New Jersey.

Depula died on April 5, 2009, after being involved in a car accident near his home in Hamilton, New Jersey.^[1] He was reported to be 42 years old, making the year of his birth to be either 1966 or 1967. An investigation of the accident is pending.

Discography[link]

• Music Makes You Move (1988)
• Euro-K (1990) (DJ mix)
• Droppin’ Funky Verses (1991) U.S. R&B #71^[2]
• Deja Vu, It's ’82 (with Crusaders For Real Hip-Hop) (1992)
• Flav (Beats) From The Cave (1994)
• Pound for Pound (September, 1997)
• Master of the Moaning Beats (2001)

References[link]

Nicki Minaj
Minaj at 2010 MTV Music Awards
Background information
Birth name	Onika Tanya Maraj
Born	(1982-12-08) December 8, 1982 (age 29)[1] Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, R&B, pop
Occupations	Rapper, singer-songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Young Money
Website	mypinkfriday.com

Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj ( /mɪˈnɑːʒ/), is a Trinidadian-born American rapper and singer-songwriter. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and when she was 5 years of age she moved to the New York City borough of Queens, where she grew up.

After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, Pink Friday, in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release.^[2][3] She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time.^[4] Her second single, "Your Love", reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002.^[5] She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List.^[6] Minaj was named the 2011 Rising Star by Billboard.^[7] Her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was released on April 3, 2012.

Early life[link]

Maraj was born in 1982^{[1][note 1]} in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain.^[8][9][10] Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry^[11][12] and she lived in Saint James with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City at the time. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens.^[13] According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.^[14]

She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet.^[13] She graduated from LaGuardia High School.^[15][16] At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program.^[15] She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia but lost her voice on the day of the audition.^[15]

Career[link]

2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money[link]

Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007 after releasing Playtime Is Over with Dirty Money Records. She released another mixtape on July 7, 2008, titled Sucka Free, under the label Be. On April 18, 2009, Minaj released a third mixtape and appeared in XXL magazine.^[17] She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards.^[18] Minaj released Beam Me Up Scotty, another mixtape, in April 2009 under the label of Trapaholics Records; it received positive coverage on both BET and MTV.^[19][20]

In August 2009, Minaj signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, with distribution from Universal Motown Records, after fellow American rapper Lil Wayne discovered her and secured the record deal.^[17][21] She then had a solo rap verse in their single "BedRock," which became a commercial success, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Minaj also appeared on "Roger That", which charted at number 56. The song, and in particular Minaj, received positive reviews from critics.^[22] Both songs were included in Young Money Entertainment's debut collaborative studio album We Are Young Money, which was released in December 2009. The album charted in the top ten on the Billboard 200, reaching number 9 and later receiving a Gold Certification by the RIAA. She was then chosen by Mariah Carey to be featured on her single and music video for "Up Out My Face". Critics praised her collaboration for helping to maintain Carey's feminine image and providing a polite track for the female R&B singer.^[23]

[edit] 2010–11: Pink Friday

Britney Spears and Minaj performing the Femme Fatale Remix of "Till the World Ends" in the Femme Fatale Tour.

After a major record label bidding war, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had been released from a 360 deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing.^[24] In an interview with 95.8 Capital FM, Rihanna stated that after the two collaborated on "Raining Men" from her album Loud that the duo would be teaming up together for a possible second collaboration on Minaj's Pink Friday.^[25] Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album.^[26] On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel that the album's name would be Pink Friday, in reference to Black Friday.^[27]

Pink Friday was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions.^[28][29] A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April.^[30] In August, Minaj released "Your Love" as the first official single from her debut album. The single peaked at 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Rap Songs chart. Minaj became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List^[6] and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002.^[31] In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously.^[4] Minaj released a joint single with The Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am titled, "Check It Out", which is Minaj's most successful single to date in Europe. "Right thru Me" was released September 24, 2010; the music video was released in late October. "Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single. The track featured Canadian rapper Drake and was released on December 7, 2010, becoming a success on the Billboard Hot 100. The single peaked at number 5 on the Hot Rap Songs.^[32] The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release.^[3]

On January 29, 2011, Minaj appeared on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest, performing "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life". On February 9, 2011, it was announced that Pink Friday had reached number one on the Billboard 200 in its eleventh week on the chart.^[33] It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the The X Factor.^[34] Starting in June 2011, Minaj will be supporting Pink Friday by serving as an opening act along with Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on Britney Spears' sixth concert tour, the Femme Fatale Tour, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale.^[35] She also was featured on the official remix of Spears' track "Till the World Ends" along with Spears and singer Kesha, which charted at number 3 in the US in April 2011.^[36] "Super Bass" was released from Pink Friday in May 2011, the single charted within the top 10 in many countries including; United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and more.^[37] The song gained positive reviews from critics.^[38][39] Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift, as an unknown character.^[40][41] Minaj is also featured on French DJ David Guetta's 2011 album, Nothing but the Beat on "Where Them Girls At" and "Turn Me On".

[edit] 2011–present: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was first announced through Twitter in November 2011 and was released on April 2, 2012 in the United Kingdom and April 3, 2012 in the United States. The album features collaborations with producers Hit-Boy, Dr. Luke, Rico Beats, Kenoe, RedOne and Oak. Cash Money A&R Joshua Berkman told HitQuarters that Minaj was extremely particular about the beats and music she used saying: "She wouldn't just rap or sing on anything – I could give her a thousand tracks and she may only like one or two."^[42] Preceding the album's release, three promotional singles were released: Roman in Moscow (which didn't make the final cut of the album), "Stupid Hoe," and "Roman Reloaded." The album's first single, "Starships", was released on February 14.^[43] "Starships" became Minaj's best-peaking single in the United Kingdom, when it reached a peak of 2. It has also peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it her second top 10 arrival following, "Super Bass" in 2011. The music video was released on April 26th, 2012.^[44]

On February 12, 2012, Minaj debuted her song "Roman Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards. It was the first song ever performed on the Grammy stage by a solo female rapper.^[45] The exorcism-themed performance drew a mixed response online.^[46][47]

She was featured on Madonna's twelfth studio album, titled MDNA, alongside M.I.A. on its lead single "Give Me All Your Luvin'", for which a music video has been directed by Megaforce.^[48] The trio performed the song for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.^[49] She was also featured on a song called "I Don't Give A", another track from the album.

She released her second single, "Right by My Side", which features Chris Brown, on March 27, 2012, after premiering on Minaj's website on March 20, 2012.^[50] Following the album's release, it peaked at number 24 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. It also peaked in the lower regions of the UK singles chart, at position #101. The third single, "Beez in the Trap", which features 2 Chainz was released to U.S. Urban radio on April 24, 2012. It was premiered on DJ Flex's radio show at Hot 97 on March 20, 2012. It has peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Rap Songs Chart.^[51] The video was premiered on April 6, 2012 on Minaj's official VEVO account.^[52]

Artistry[link]

Minaj in 2011 during Femme Fatale Tour

Image[link]

Minaj has been noted by the media for her curvaceous figure.^{[53][54][55][56]} In an interview with Vibe Minaj discussed her sexual image stating, "[w]hen I grew up I saw females doing certain things, and I thought I had to do that exactly. The female rappers of my day spoke about sex a lot... and I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing. When in fact I didn’t have to represent the same thing."^[57] In an interview with Interview, Minaj commented on her sexual image again stating, "I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.”^[58] Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "上帝與你常在" (shàngdì yǔ nǐ cháng zài)^[59] on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."^[60]

Alter egos[link]

While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting.^[61] As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them.^[61] In an interview with New York she stated, "To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. 'Cookie' was my first identity – that stayed with me for a while. I went on to 'Harajuku Barbie,' then 'Nicki Minaj'. Fantasy was my reality."^[61]

On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa".^[62] Wearing a colorful scarf around her head, she went around as the "healer to her fans" as she visited them at The Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse studios in New York City.^[62] Minaj made an appearance on Lopez Tonight on December 6, 2010 and presented a different alter-ego for the Spanish-inspired occasion, named "Rosa" (pronounced Rrrrrosa).^[63]

In April 2012, Minaj was asked if Roman, Martha and Rosa come out in the bedroom saying “No, they don’t come out in the bedroom, but other people come out in the bedroom,” she told Big Boy during his “Backstage Breakfast,” adding, “And there’s only one person that would know who that personality is". Minaj did not name her alter-ego.^[64]

For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski".^[65] She stated that in songs like "Bottoms Up" with Trey Songz it is not Minaj rapping, but instead Roman Zolanski, and claims that Roman is her "twin brother". She claims that he was born inside her, out of rage, and becomes him when she is angry. She has also said 'He is a demon inside her'. Roman has been compared to Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady, and on the song "Roman's Revenge" from Pink Friday, Minaj and Eminem collaborate, using these alter egos.^[66] On the collaboration, she said "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot."^[67] Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski",^[68] who also appeared on the song "Roman's Revenge", with a British accent,^[69] and on "Roman Holiday", singing for the first time.^[70][71] Martha appears in the video for "Moment 4 Life" where she appears to be Minaj's magical Godmother. In songs such as "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" it is Minaj rapping.^[65] Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.^[65]

Influences[link]

Minaj has stated that artists who have influenced her musical style include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Natasha Bedingfield, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott.^[72][73] She was also inspired by Janet Jackson,^[74] Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones,^[75] M.I.A. and Cyndi Lauper.^[76][77][78]

Product and endorsements[link]

During her career, Minaj has signed contracts with a variety of corporate interests. Companies she contracted with include soft drink manufacturer Pepsi;^[79] Mattel, which produced a custom a Nicki Minaj-themed Barbie;^[80] and MAC Cosmetics, as part of an AIDS-awareness campaign in Latin America.^[81]

Personal life[link]

Minaj is a Christian, and on Christmas Day in 2011, she indicated her faith in Jesus by tweeting John 3:16.^[82][83] In addition, she states that after her father went to rehab and started attending church, "he got saved and started changing his life."^[84] Minaj states that her heroes are "God. And my mother."^[85][86]

While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual,^[87][88] she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women,^[15] but added in an interview with Out magazine, "I don’t date men either."^[89] In an interview with Vibe she commented, "I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. And I say girls are beautiful and girls are sexy and they need to be told that, and if they don’t have anyone to tell them that and mean it, I’m gonna tell them that. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined."^[90] She reiterated her dislike of being labeled in an interview with Out, saying: "The point is, everyone is not black and white. There are so many shades in the middle, and you’ve got to let people feel comfortable with saying what they want to say when they want to say it."^[89]

During an interview in the May 2010 issue of Details, Minaj was asked if she felt hip-hop was becoming more gay-friendly. She responded, "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced, people view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."^[88]

In July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City.^[91] Telemaque was referenced in Minaj's song "Champion" in her second studio album.^[92]

Discography[link]

• Pink Friday (2010)
• Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012)

Touring[link]

• Pink Friday Tour (2012)

See also[link]

Nicki Minaj portal

• List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

References[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

	Book: Nicki Minaj
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Official website
• Nicki Minaj at the Internet Movie Database
• Media related to Nicki Minaj at Wikimedia Commons

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (May 2011)

Christogonus Ezebuiro Obinna (1947, Imo State, Nigeria – June 2, 1999), the Ultimate Dr. Sir Warrior, was the leader of the Oriental Brothers International Band which ruled the Nigerian highlife music scene for several decades.^[1] He modernized highlife music. His style remains an epitome of defined music with meaning, direction, and purpose. He played on various occasions in Nigeria as well as on the international stage in places like London and the United States of America.

At the age of 27 in 1974, Warrior registered an indelible trademark with his universally recognized genre. His 1975 album Nwa Ada Di Mma with eight tracks touched the heart and soul of the world. The release of that album immediately established him as a master of music. He believed that God created him to be a musician. So, he dedicated his entire life to the service of humanity through his music. His works garnered him several awards worldwide. His witty words often spiced with Igbo proverbs were appreciated by all so much that he came to be called the Ultimate Star of Music.

The Oyorima Fantasia[link]

Combining Igbo vocals with deft guitar work and a solid rhythm section, Warrior created a unique style of music that for many people is the definitive sound of highlife music. Many refer to him as the Ultimate Head of Highlife. Early in life, he was recognized as a prodigy. By 11, he was recruited as a member of a men's choral group specialising in a music form known as Èsè. By 16, he was famed for his great voice and his mastery of the Èsè music.

Dr. Sir Warrior was one of the most gifted guitarists of Africa. He wrote and composed numerous songs. People asked him how he was able to release many albums within a space of time. He said that the first thing was not to force the self to get everything all at once. Instead, he added, he let the mind to feel the free flow of information that formed a flexible pattern of waves to the senses. Through stringent learning, he arranged his music suitable to the audience. In 1987, Eze Nri wanted to crown him the King of Highlife. But Sir Warrior rejected the offer, saying that "A King is born natural, not crowned."

Warrior was one of the most influential musicians to come out of Igboland, and one of the most famous in the world. He started playing the guitar in the 1960s, entertaining people in the villages and cities. His sonorous song Ana M Ele Chi remains evergreen. Through his music, he unrolled the Igbo culture to the world. He always had a sense of revolution, as he created a brand of highlife that is Igbo at the core, and at the same time universal in taste. He introduced the Oyorima concept as a definition of his music philosophy within the geo-spatial time frame. Oyorima is an Igbo word that means a refined feeling of rhythmic movement and balance. See Dr Sir Warrior in youtube

Biography[link]

Dr. Sir Warrior was from Umuhu Enyiogugu in Aboh Mbaise local government area of Imo state Nigeria. His name, Obinna, means "Father´s Heart" (God's Mind).^[2] The man started his music career as a part of the most successful bands in Nigeria in the 1970s, the Oriental Brothers International Band. The band later splintered, leading to Prince Ichita & the Great Oriental Brothers International Band, Oriental Brothers International, and then the original Dr. Sir Warrior & His Oriental Brothers International, simply called The Oriental Original. Warrior’s discography is luminous with over 100 tracks that continue to be great hits. He had about 12 platinum and 10 gold hits in his career.^[3] His 1978 album Nwanne Awu Enyi went gold, selling more than 7.8 million copies.

Primarily, the Oriental Brothers comprised Godwin Kabaaka Opara, Ferdinand Dansatch Emeka Opara, Nathaniel Ejiogu, Hybrilious Akwilla Alaraibe, Prince Ichita and Christogonus Ezebuiro "Warrior" Obinna. Ejiogu died shortly before the band's success. The first split within the group occurred in 1977 when founding members Dansatch Opara and Prince Ichita left to start their own bands under the Oriental Brothers moniker. The Opara brothers later joined the famed and distinguished Warrior’s band, The Oriental Original.

Though each of the groups had their distinct sound, they all shared the erstwhile band's passion for blending Congolese guitar picking and traditional Igbo rhythms. At a time of immense loss and great struggle after the Biafran War, the Oriental Brothers offered a rare light of hope. According to the Igbo magazine Kwenu, “the Oriental Brothers played a very important spiritual role in keeping many Igbo sane. They were the pride of a people traumatized by a war so vicious.”

Style, Music, and Lyrics[link]

Warrior usually had a compact control of his music from the first beat to the last. People described him as the one musician who occupied the central stage, touching the right issues the right way and at the right pace. He was a national figure singing for unity, peace, and progress. His 1980 album Obi Nwanne was a message of hope for his country. He appealed to state governors and the president for continuous transparency in the leadership process. Sir Warrior was continuously held in esteem as one of the few artists with an inborn instinct of the nature of the musical note. With his distinctive personality and guitar style, he attracted numerous fans all over the world. The philosophy of this man can be summarized in the following ten precepts:

1. "Change is inevitable"
2. "No one sees it all or has it all"
3. "No individual is an island"
4. "The wise chooses according to his ability"
5. "The successful humbly grows outwardly starting from his niche"
6. "Principled patience and humility do not mean weakness or fear"
7. "Everyone deserves decent treatment, the benefit of the doubt, and even a second chance"
8. "Freedom for all and the common good are the foundations of progress"
9. "Our message is for the betterment of the world"
10. "Every act or thought has its repercussion and reward"

Perfecting the Beat[link]

Sir Warrior's music showed a consistent mixture of luster and class. Perfecting the beat was the order of his band. Something easily noticed is that Warrior's songs are generally swifter and brisker than those of his Igbo contemporaries. The tonal architecture, the melody, and the harmony of his music are perhaps the greatest in the history of highlife music. He embedded superb themes in each of his songs. The allegro was all the more kitted through the fingers of the guitarist Dansatch Emeka Opara, who on Warrior's death wept and said, "I felt that I had lost a rare gem, a powerful vocalist".^[1] Warrior integrated various sheds of highlife that relate to various age sets and various occasions. It is for these reasons that his songs remain in such a high demand. His 1978 album Nwanne Awu Enyi is one of the best Igbo highlife ever. That album manifested an all-encompassing guitar work. It was a fine rhythm, and it sold more than any Igbo music. In 1987, the track Onye Egbula Nwanne Ya immediately went gold. The epicurean guitar style of that track carried highlife music to another level. There were rich piano works in such luxurious tracks like Anyi Ga-Ebi and Kwukwaa Eziokwu. As a further testament of his originality, Warrior once again distinguished himself with his 1994 release of Ofe Owerri. The album marked a milestone in the revolution of highlife music, as it employed grandeur of beating so fascinating that it was voted the Igbo music of the year. The track Uwa Chiga Achiga from this very album remains an all-time favourite.

This generous, erudite and very likable personality often talked about the importance of humaneness and charity to the less-privileged. A man of numerous titles and vast wealth, Warrior himself built channels through which he gave back to the society. He extended his goodwill hand to the church and formed organizations that helped the needy. He emphasized justice and the dignity of man. He asked whether existence itself is worth it. Of these, he concluded that “we came into this world in the center of night, and that is the root of the problem”. In other words, our sight is very limited. So, we cannot be definitely certain of anything. Nonetheless, he said that to experience existence is better than not. As the world is slippery, he sang, one encounters both the good and the ugly: A gbakwuru ajo mmadu, a gbakwuru ajo mmuo. And for those that never see the good side of life, he reminded them that “it is with the accumulation of one’s good time on earth that one departs to the other dimension”. Therefore, it should be known that there is no one for whom it is good. One should be happy and jovial and take things easy step by step without nagging and much ado. Sir Warrior believed in the power of self reflection. He praised the souls that chose to do good. This was his fundamental philosophy of wisdom.

Successful career[link]

Dr. Sir Warrior is the father of modern highlife instrumentation. His works are being studied and classified. Igbo academics gathered to include the learning of the legend's lyrics in Music subject in the curriculum. His journey on earth produced beautiful and everlasting tones. He lived a fulfilled life by laying the foundations of modern highlife music and helping it evolve to higher levels. Sir Warrior was the first artist to gear highlife music towards the metaphysical realm. In the Igbo world, highlife is the music that blends tradition with universal truth and metaphysical feeling. It is like the Igbo form of Classical Music, and Sir Warrior contributed to making it flow in that direction.

The brilliance of this magnificent maestro keeps inspiring many who regard him as one of the greatest Igbo highlife musicians of the twentieth century. He departed in 1999 and is immortalized with the Imo State Heartland FM [100.5 MHz]^[4] dedicated to playing his tracks. He is survived by wife Chiamaka Obinna and children. His sons Uche Obinna and Ajuzieogu Obinna and his brother Emperor Teddy Obinna have taken after him.

Speaking of when Sir Warrior was alive, Uchenna his first child said, "He did not allow us to get interested in music. He wanted us to finish our education first. He would always emphasize that education was the best legacy, other things could follow later".^[5] The younger Ajuzieogu knew that he would one day be a highlife musician like his dad. Continued both Abia State University graduates, "As long as we intend to pursue music as career we will still abide with our father's wish". Quickly after Warrior's exit, fellow highlife artists knew it would be long before another person of his quality emerges. His legacy was summarized by Oliver De Coque, who in paying tribute to Dr. Sir Warrior, said, "He was a very good and amiable person. We have lost such a genius in highlife."^[1] He died after a battle with Diabetes.

Discography[link]