What I love about blogging is the fascinatingly diverse people I have met on my journey. Ibe Bello is one of those fascinating people! And he is on 'Fire' right now! For those who don't know Ibe has a song called 'Fire' which is hands down one of my favorite songs of his. But it is hard not to really enjoy all of his songs. His music has a specific vibe to it. It is very up tempo, very fun. It makes you want to dance and get lost in the music. Most recently, his latest video for his song 'Memory' dropped on Halloween. It is pretty spooky! Ibe told me the song was inspired by him forgetting his girlfriend's birthday once. Ooops! Well, that won't happen again!
I was thrilled to be able to speak with him the night before the video dropped. I eagerly scribbled away trying to catch every word, and fully intrigued with what he had to say. That is why he is my Spotlight Series this week. I hope you get to know and appreciate him as much as I have!
I was thrilled to be able to speak with him the night before the video dropped. I eagerly scribbled away trying to catch every word, and fully intrigued with what he had to say. That is why he is my Spotlight Series this week. I hope you get to know and appreciate him as much as I have!
Ibe Bello was born the oldest of three children in NJ, where he lived for five years. His mother's side of the family was originally from Nigeria and from the age of 6 to 8 he lived there. "I picked up the dialect and culture living there," he said, "especially from my Grandmother. I learned a lot from her." It was at the age of 12 he moved to NC. Ibe was always very family oriented and in fact said that his mother was his biggest inspiration. "She taught me to work hard and to have a strong work ethic," he explained. It was the hard work combined with work ethic that got him noticed. Interestingly enough music was not his first passion. Granted it was always a part of his life in some form. When he was young he played the drums and still does. He was also very athletic. He played football, basketball, and ran track. "Anything I liked, I tried," he told me.
Professionally, Ibe first fell in love with photography. Which he still continues today. You can follow him @IBEphotography on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Photography was his first step into entrepreneurship and he learned how to navigate it well. With 11 years under his belt, Ibe has been to NY Fashion Week twice -twice!- that is still on my to-do list! He loves to work with models, and he has filmed many videos. Which was a contributing factor in what steered him into producing music. As an artist at heart, music had always played a part in his life. But when he tried rapping he realized it was not for him. Not to say it was bad, but not his particular style. He produced an R&B album called 'Boss Moves.' "I had a boss mentality behind it," he explained, "It was my first time coming out in to the world and saying 'I'm for real!" African beats seems to be his niche! Ibe explained to me that African beats "have a lot of percussions in the background. As well as flavor that makes you want to move you body." He is certainly not wrong. I've seen him perform twice now and both times I really felt moved to dance.
Professionally, Ibe first fell in love with photography. Which he still continues today. You can follow him @IBEphotography on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Photography was his first step into entrepreneurship and he learned how to navigate it well. With 11 years under his belt, Ibe has been to NY Fashion Week twice -twice!- that is still on my to-do list! He loves to work with models, and he has filmed many videos. Which was a contributing factor in what steered him into producing music. As an artist at heart, music had always played a part in his life. But when he tried rapping he realized it was not for him. Not to say it was bad, but not his particular style. He produced an R&B album called 'Boss Moves.' "I had a boss mentality behind it," he explained, "It was my first time coming out in to the world and saying 'I'm for real!" African beats seems to be his niche! Ibe explained to me that African beats "have a lot of percussions in the background. As well as flavor that makes you want to move you body." He is certainly not wrong. I've seen him perform twice now and both times I really felt moved to dance.
What always intrigues me is delving into the writing/creating process. Everyone is different! From musicians, to artists, to designers, to writers -everyone has their own process. Ibe is no exception. "I write first of course," he told me, "but I also try to find a beat that would make me want to dance -something people will like.When I start out, I start with something I personally like, then I see who follows it. I like to engage my fans." Ibe's songs always depend on the situation. But most of his lyrics are uplifting women, as well as men in a very king/queen mentality. Which is something very respectable. He also writes about love often.
He directs his own videos with his own artistic vision as well. As I mentioned earlier, the 'Memory' video -which is dope as hell!- is the concept of forgetting his girlfriend's birthday and... well I won't spoil it too much but let's just say she gets her revenge....
Another question I ask in every interview is what the individual is most proud of. I love hearing the responses. They are always so pure, honest, and inspiring. For Ibe Bello it is everything. From his photography career, to being a father for a four year old daughter, to his music, and being a disciplined person. He is proud of it all. As well he should be! "It has been and is a lot of long nights," Ibe confessed, "but you persevere past levels to reach new levels. It is not always easy. Sometimes you have to wait your turn. But when you know what you love, you go far."
So what is in store for Ibe Bello? Well for starters you can find his music on most streaming services. On November 12th there is an Open Mic Training Day, which he will be a part of. It is an underground artist showcase of talents. Ibe being one of the headliners! I know there is much more coming from him! And the more I know, the more I will share for sure!
He directs his own videos with his own artistic vision as well. As I mentioned earlier, the 'Memory' video -which is dope as hell!- is the concept of forgetting his girlfriend's birthday and... well I won't spoil it too much but let's just say she gets her revenge....
Another question I ask in every interview is what the individual is most proud of. I love hearing the responses. They are always so pure, honest, and inspiring. For Ibe Bello it is everything. From his photography career, to being a father for a four year old daughter, to his music, and being a disciplined person. He is proud of it all. As well he should be! "It has been and is a lot of long nights," Ibe confessed, "but you persevere past levels to reach new levels. It is not always easy. Sometimes you have to wait your turn. But when you know what you love, you go far."
So what is in store for Ibe Bello? Well for starters you can find his music on most streaming services. On November 12th there is an Open Mic Training Day, which he will be a part of. It is an underground artist showcase of talents. Ibe being one of the headliners! I know there is much more coming from him! And the more I know, the more I will share for sure!
A huge thank you to Ibe Bello for chatting with me! And keep an eye out for him, there are so many great things to come!
RSS Feed