The American Story Sound Sultan Never Lived To Tell
When news broke in May that Olanrewaju Fasasi, music artiste better known as Sound Sultan, was diagnosed with throat cancer, many expressed shock.
While some of his fans wished him speedy recovery, others expressed shock and doubted the report.
Dare Fasasi, his elder brother, also a musician, known as Baba Dee, had denied that Sound Sultan had throat cancer.
Days later, Sound Sultan took to his verified Instagram page, to react to the news, which he hinted was false.
He had also used the occasion to felicitate with Muslims around the world on the celebration of Eid al-Fitr.
He had said, “Eid Mubarak to my lovely Muslim brothers and sisters. May Almighty Allah accept our fast as an act of Ibadah.
“Instagram! This is not the one with ram. I must not ignore the massive show of love. Thank you all. I will tell you my story myself it will be true THEN not false.”
Sadly, he never told that story as his family broke the news of his death on Sunday morning.
In a statement, the family said: “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our multitalented veteran singer, rapper, songwriter Olanrewaju Fasasi aka Sound Sultan.
“He passed away at the age of 44 following a hard-fought battle with Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma. He is survived by his wife, three children and his siblings.
“We, his family will appreciate the utmost privacy as we come to grips with this tragic loss.”
In May, he had gone for chemotherapy treatment in the United States of America, according to reports.
As tributes continue to pour-in for the multitalented artist, here are 7 important things to know about him:
Early Life and Education background
Sound Sultan was born in Jos, Plateau state on November 27, 1976 to Fasasi Adeyinka Ajarat (Mother) and Fasasi Liadi Alarape (Father). He’s the fourth child of five other siblings. He had his elementary education at Stepping Stone Nursery and Primary School, Lagos from 1981 to 1987. He proceeded to Federal Government College, Ogbomoso, Oyo for his secondary school education. Sound Sultan obtained a degree in Geography and Regional Planning from Lagos State University in 1999.
Like every other talent nurtured in the city of Jos, Plateau State, Sound Sultan discovered his musical prowess early enough as he was famous for always miming at school parties and writing his own lyrics. With the support of his elder brother, Baba Dee, Sound Sultan started learning how to play the guitar after his secondary school education. He became a band member in 1999.
After winning numerous local talent-hunt shows, and independently releasing other singles and featuring in hit songs of other artistes, he was signed by Kennis Music. He also established his own record label called ‘Naija Ninjas’ in 2008 where he released numerous albums and signed many artistes including, Karma Da Rapper, Young GreyC, Shawn and Blacka.
Sound Sultan is regarded as one of the pacesetters of modern hip hop music in Nigeria. He released his first single “Jagbajantis” in 2000 which was a hit at the time. This was the era when the hip hop culture was finding its footing in the country. Sound Sultan was amongst those who brought the genre to life.
Sound Sultan worked with big international artists including Haitian/American Wyclef Jean. His work with Wyclef titled “Proud to be African” also featured his friend 2Baba and Faze. They also collaborated on two other projects: “King of My Country” (2009) and “People Bad” (2012).
In 2009, Sound Sultan married his long-term girlfriend Chichi Morah, now known as Farida Fasasi after she converted to Islam. The couple has three children.