We’re proud of our relationship with God –FTK

Talented twins, Taiwo and Kehinde Falobi, tell Saturday Beats how they have managed to combine academics and music. They also disclose their close relationship with God and plans for the future

How did you come about your stage name, FTK, and what does it mean?

FTK is just an acronym of our name. It means Falobi Taiwo and Kehinde and we chose that because we wanted to remain who we are and not any other character

Basically, we do Rhythm and Blues and also Hip Hop. In the two years that we have been into music, we have released about five solid tracks and two videos which currently enjoy massive airplay in the country. One of the songs, Shout Out, is dedicated to the plight of the Chibok Girls. It is like a wake up call to all of us to show support for the missing school girls from Borno State. It is a great song.

What is it that attracted you guys to music?

We didn’t venture into music proper from the outset; we started out as dancers first of all. Back in the days, we used to listen to P-Square and Michael Jackson a lot and would try to emulate their dance moves. We also listened to Tuface and Akon a lot. But it was not until about two years ago that we finally embraced music proper and ever since, we have been working extremely hard to be better artistes every day. To help develop us along this line, we had to enroll for proper training at a music institute in Lagos where we were taught the rudiments of the art. Today, we proudly play a few musical instruments and also know how to use our voices better.

We are still in school though; we are studying Mass Communication at the Babcock University. We also plan to build careers in broadcasting, public relations and advertising.

Does it not bother you that people could think you are simply capitalising on your being identical twins to be another P-Square?

People would always have their opinion but it does not mean that is the fact most of the time. P-Square are identical twins and dancers, we have similar traits but then we are FTK and we won’t try to be anyone else regardless of how much we admire them. We are very different from any other group.

Don’t you fear that doing R n B music in a clime like Nigeria where the market mostly favours commercial music could reduce your chances of becoming a household name?

Rhythm and Blues is the style that best reflects what we believe in and besides we are really not into music because of financial benefits alone. Rather, through our music, we intend to touch lives and bring to light some of the social issues that affect the common people in our society.

But then, as trained musicians, we are versatile and not static. Besides being an R n B group, we also do a lot of Afro Pop sounds, what many people refer to commercial music in Nigeria today. So, we believe and know that the market would accept us.

How challenging has it been trying to make a name for yourselves?

When we started in 2014, we couldn’t get our songs to be played on air because we were seen as relatively unknown and lacking the kind of sound that people could dance to. Not so many people gave us a chance.

There was a time we took our first song to a radio station in Lagos and we were turned down because they felt it wasn’t a commercial song. It was a bit disappointing for us. Even when we shot our first video, no station wanted to air it. But by the time we recorded Shout Out and shot the video, we received some level of acceptance. Since that point on, God has been faithful to the FTK brand as we have performed at a number of high profile shows and also enjoyed an improved airplay of our songs.

What difference are you bringing into the industry?

Our sound is totally different and we have a great message attached to each of our songs. We are a combination of music and quality dance.

Ladies must be all over you, how do you manage the attention from them?

Being twins and the fact that we are always around each other, have helped push ladies backward a bit. Even though we have a lot of female fans who actually always want to have us around them, we are focused on our academics and music.

We appreciate all our female fans but then at the moment, we are putting all our energy into our studies and music.

Combining academics and music must have been tough, how have you surmounted this challenge?

With the help of our manager, we have been able to maintain a great balance. He handles everything that has to do with our music once we are in school. In most cases, we only attend shows during weekends so that our academics, which is very important to us, do not suffer. We have actually turned down a lot of shows just to attend to our studies in school because education means a lot to our future.

However, in spite this seeming challenge, we have managed to honour almost all of our professional engagements. This has been made possible only through the grace of God.

Which artistes do you dream of collaborating with in your future songs?

We surely would like to collaborate with Tuface because he is one of our biggest influences. Also, we would like to partner with Dare ‘Art’ Alade whom we regard as the R n B king of Nigeria. Olamide too is one of the artistes we would love to work with.

When writing your songs, what inspires you?

The things that inspire us to write a song are the things happening around our immediate environment. Also, we are inspired by the things that common people can relate to all across the country, the things that connect us as a people.

Has being twins robbed you of opportunities or opened doors for you?

Being identical twins has been a blessing for us. At the first glance, people fall in love with us and give us a chance to prove what we can do. We bless God because we have not disappointed in such situations.

How has education imparted your music career?

The fact that we are able to write good songs and communicate well through our song is as a result of the education we have. Without education we are nothing.

Does your family support your music career?

Our father has been very supportive since he found out that we had passion for music. The same goes for every member of our family including our mother. They have opened our eyes to the importance of hard work and dedication in any endeavour. The support has been amazing and we are indeed very grateful to them.

We also acknowledge God’s goodness upon us. Even though we are into music, we do not undermine His grace upon our lives because without Him we cease to exist. Our relationship with God is intact and something we are very proud of.

In the next five years, where does FTK want to be?

We want to be globally known in the next five years. We are working very hard to get to that level where people cannot do without having a song of ours in their homes and mobile devices. We trust God to get us to that level.