Ash Hamman brings 'Trouble' to Dubai

Ash Hamman talks to City Times ahead of the release of his new music video Wahala (Trouble).

Despite the title of his new single Wahala (Trouble), Nigerian-born resident of the UAE Ash Hamman is far from a troublemaker. The recording artist is in fact a level-headed businessman who shies away from the term media mogul. Having lived in Dubai for the last eight years, Hamman hasn't only seen the music industry grow, he was part of it.
With singles such as Bounce 2, Body 'n' Soul and a self-titled debut album in 2011 that was the seventh best-selling album by a UAE act, Hamman cemented himself in the Dubai music scene and is still pushing the boundaries.
"The spirit of being in Dubai is you have to keep it moving. Everybody wants to see what you're doing and how you're doing it. You have to come up with your own ideas, come up with your own stuff, break barriers," Hamman tells City Times while we sit in one of the yachts used in his latest music video.
Breaking boundaries is exactly what Hamman has done. His still unnamed album is due for worldwide release and the first single, Wahala, is the most expensive music video ever filmed in Dubai, Hamman claims. Due to launch on September 11, the six-figure cost of the video covers everything from expensive cars, yachts, clothes, and equipment.
That's not all that's under Hamman's hat. As CEO and president of events and production company Immaqul'8 Entertainment, he's working on a movie and a possible TV series.
As a musician why did you make Dubai your base?
Moving to Dubai was a bet between my mom and I. She wanted me to try something different. A different vibe, a different feel from the US, from being in Nigeria, from being in the UK. So I came for ten days and it was amazing. I met beautiful people, the vibe was fresh and energetic. Everything was positive. So I figured why don't I just come here and do the course I was supposed to do in the States, which was film production. Then I started doing TV, film and live shows. I almost became a resident performer, for every artist that came here I was the one opening up.
How much does Dubai influence your music?
My environment highly influences my music. So Dubai does to a point and getting work done here is easier for me. Because the luxury of what you need here is in access. It's easy to get whatever I want. I'm not really into flashy stuff (laughs) but if you look at my history the videos have always been simple. I would do that every time. So I did Wahala to make a statement, like - look I'm in Dubai I can do that too, it's easier and I'm still relevant. But then again that's it. I don't think I'm going to do something like this again. It's a one-off.
How would you describe the music scene in Dubai? And how has it changed since you've been here?
Drastically. When I first got here, there was no MTV in Dubai. Everything was so fresh and everybody was very supportive. Now, it's starting to be like the American scene, if that makes sense. People are trying to have segregation like my crew, their crew and all this. Which doesn't make sense. The world is small and Dubai is tiny. But, in terms of growth and the industry, it's rapidly growing. That's for sure.
What would you like to see happen in the music scene in Dubai?
I'd like to see everyone come together and work together. Genuinely.
How much of your roots influence the kind of music you create?
However you look at it, the rhythm, the melody has always been African. So it's always been a part of me, even in composing the most R&B track. I still needed that melody, so that melody always came in. I either used the African influence to make it very African or a very melodious R&B track.
What would we find in your playlist?
I have a lot of old-school inspirations because I love old-school music, from Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass to Madonna and Queen, the list goes on. I also like the Miguels, the Ushers. I like P.Diddy for the business sense he has behind everything he does. And African music is growing. Worldwide everyone is listening to it right now.
You seem to be doing everything from singing, producing, directing. Which role do you feel the most comfortable in?
Well I studied film, I did music, I write songs and. alot of artists don't make money from music. Whoever told you that you can make money from music in Dubai, except if you're an Arab artist, is lying to you. You're not going to make the millions you think you're going to make off of music. When I started, I hooked up with the guys who were friends from school and are still a part of Immaqul'8 right now. And we started providing services for people, so when we bought a camera we did corporate shoots and still funded the music I love to do. I'm more of a business man. I love music, it's my passion. But I like to go off for a bit to work on the business behind it. If I don't, nothing is going to work.
Did you plan to make Wahala the most expensive music video ever filmed in Dubai?
I think what we wanted to do, cost a lot of money. If that makes sense. It wasn't planned. When we looked at it, we thought this is the highest we've ever done. It wasn't just us, we partnered with one or two production houses. We came together and it was expensive. The kind of cameras we used, the kind of lenses we used, the time we had, the location permits, the food, the yachts we used. Initially I was trying to cut costs.
What prompted the collaboration with Nigeria-based artists Orezi and Igho for Wahala?
We were chilling in Nigeria, in Igho's apartment and we started to talk about girls and stuff, typical boy talk. We got to a point where we talked about a girl that has caused a lot of trouble for artists recently. It was all jokes and we came up with lyrics and the song sounded fun. And we just vibed on it. I did a verse, Orezi did a verse, Igho did a verse. And we thought let's put it out there, people will like it.
What would you say this album is about?
It's about being free, open minded, loving, celebrating and moving forward. This is my first album technically. Because the first album I put out was exclusively for the Middle East. This is my first that's going to go out worldwide.
What inspires your material?
It comes to a point where you just make music because you want to make music. It goes back to the traditional concept where you just write. Then I realise, well everyone is talking about a specific thing and you pick the track that makes sense. I record whatever I feel then I pick what I want. If you notice artists like Tupac and Biggie, they've been dead for a long time now and there are still albums coming out. Because as an artist you just keep recording.
What's coming up next for you?
We are currently working on a movie. Here and in Nigeria, it's a horror movie. I'm also very hooked on TV shows and even the Wahala project might be a short TV show (reality). We have so much content, so much behind the scenes footage that we might as well let people know what it's like doing a high-budget music video as an independent artist. It shows the drama, the issues we had... there was a lot of drama. People were missing flights, cars got messed up, so all these things were all on camera.
How do you feel about the label media mogul?
I think I'll accept that name when everything is out there for everyone to see. I'm not trying to be that, but the world is so much more real now, people just want to see the real stuff. I prefer the behind the scenes to the music video. I prefer the outtakes, the arguments, the issues, how everything is being done. All that stuff should be documented and when it does, it becomes content. And if you think about using it, you become business minded or whatever you want to call it. I'm constantly thinking about how to expand. We will be doing a lot more of these shoots and video because I'm working on some long-term projects and I'm bringing lots of artists here. From all over the world. I'm bringing them down here to Dubai because I'm trying to promote Dubai and myself with what I've established here. It's exciting.
What would be a reason for people to watch the video to Wahala?
Because I'm doing something different, because it will be fun to watch. Everyone was having a good time. And I did some crazy things on a Lamborghini too.
Explain your process as a musician.
It's more organic than anything else. But being organic sometimes makes you sound old-school or turned out. Sometimes it's pink season, everyone is wearing a pink shirt or a pink tie. You can't say because everyone is doing that, you're not going to do it. You want to throw something pink just so you can be relevant. So being organic always gives me my own concept but still I'm always looking at what people are doing and think, maybe I should have one track like Wahala. Wahala is commercial African music.
maan@khaleejtimes.com