On this segment of 237showbiz interviews, we caught up with former New Bell Music and now Godmother Sound artiste Tilla Tafari. Trying to squeeze out some juice from her,  below is how it went down.

237showbiz: Hello TILLA aka God Mother!  Nice to have you on our platform @237showbiz. For fans who are getting to know you, who can you tell them Tilla is? 

Tilla Tafari: Hi man,thanks for having me I appreciate it. I go by Tilla Tafari aka The Godmother Don Dada from Bamenda. I am a musician and painter;and I love all forms of art. I am an introvert and love pets especially cats. My last cat’s name was Courage.

237showbiz: Some artistes discover their talents, others are discovered, then polished, what was your case like? Like how did you get into making music? 

Tilla Tafari: From birth,I have always been attracted to all art forms. I started taking lead stage roles form nursery school all through till I started visiting a recording studio (then called discothèque). At 14 I took on rap battles and by 17 I was into street rap and  Vzone mixtapes. In 2014,at 23,I put out my first official video,”Fire burn dem” and Extended Play(EP), “The Godmother” in collaboration with Magasco and Kay Dwin under BBoy Entertainment and that’s how I got into Music.

237showbiz: Many of your fans including myself knew you way back while at New Bell Music. Do you agree your former label brought you to lamplight? 

Tilla Tafari: New Bell Music definitely brought me a lot of attention but for the lamplight,I doubt that. Being there was the darkest period of my life. I would say they stole my shine. Before I went there, Fire burn dem was popping and I was already making money from my music. Through out my stay there,I made zero money and after I left I was unable to sell my music. I went back to square 1. It has taken me 2yrs ever since to climb back to this position musically,mentally and emotionally. Soooo… You see my friend!

237showbiz: Pantana,  epicish etc you’ve stepped on uncountable tracks more than any female rapper in Cameroon, which featuring would you say was the “Baddest?”

Tilla Tafari: Baddest collaboration??? “Ghana Must Go” ft Groovie Selecta. Making this song was so uplifting in spirit. We gocused on tapping into a different galaxy of diverse energy to channel a higher frequency on the record. Groovie is a fire ball. I Love creating with such energetic artists yuh knwo! Just the experience makes being an artist all worth it.

237showbiz: Music,  especially the rap game is full of competition. No matter how much you swerve, it will still come knocking. As ”Camer’s Best Female Rapper” do you see yourself maintaining the crown in the next two years? 

Tilla Tafari: First of all,I am a queen and I’ll always wear my crown regardless. Secondly, I am honored to be considered as,”Camer’s best female rapper”. Lastly,besides being “the queen of Camer rap” in 2yrs I strive for a whole lot more. Thank you.

237showbiz: Who is your favorite Camer music producer? 

Tilla Tafari: Afanyu

237 showbiz: Your fans think you’re not only talented, they also realized you’re very sexy after they heard your line ”Check my backside e dey like mountain”  Let’s make it clear. Is Tilla in a relationship? 

Tilla Tafari: Smh. Really??? They only realised I was sexy after that line? Lmfao. Lawd Am offended and for that reason I will not tell it. Rrrrah! Hahaha

237showbiz: Many people fall in love with their favourite artistes for various reasons, talent, looks, voice, charisma & swag etc In your own opinion what do you think you’re loved for? 

Tilla Tafari: I think I am loved for my music cus I realized a lot of people know Tilla’s music but they dunno Tilla physically.

237 showbiz: Who is your Camer celebrity crush? 

Tilla Tafari: No one right now,am taken.

237showbiz: Too much French in the lyrics of Anglophone artistes is a topic that never gets old  @237showbiz. Do you think the artistes are over doing it?  

Tilla Tafari: Art is limitless and can be expressed in all languages. A lil bit of language diversity never hurt anybody,but speaking one language all your life and trying to sing mostly in another language especially without really mastering the right pronunciations and slangs of that language is just a NO NO and a sure way to run out of content. What is more important as an artist is purpose. Personally, I don’t listen to unoriginal music but in a country as hard as this I guess people gotta do what they gotta do to survive. But the again.

237showbiz: Let’s talk about your own label God Mother Sound. As a label owner, do you sign younger talents? 

Tilla Tafari: Yes God Mother Sound signs other talents. I am currently putting together a structure that will suit our artists and best represent the Company.

237showbiz: Tell us  more about #TRT. The three songs you Released.

Tilla Tafari: The Reggae Trilogy is a compilation of 3 reggae songs which are an extract from my, “Your Highness” album. Reggae music is a part of me which people haven’t  really gotten to know yet and instead of 1 song, I decided to put out 3songs to make a bold and lasting statement and also in order for #Tillarmy to have some familiarity with this part of me before the album drops.

237 showbiz: You’re one of those artistes who complained about theft. Several YouTube channels who upload artistes music, videos on their private channels. This is a global problem as many people are victims. How can this problem be solved?

Tilla Tafari: I don’t know if the content theft situation can be solved,but it can be controlled. Artists or content generators just have to individually figure out ways to go about their content maximization.

237showbiz: Your TOP 3 female rappers from Cameroon? 

Tilla Tafari: For now Inna Money is the only female rapper from Cameroon I listen to and a lot of other underground rappers.

237showbiz: Majority of fans don’t buy songs online, they don’t click YouTube links. Apart from that, do you think hate, envy and jealousy is a few of those challenges holding down the growth of Camer music? 

Tilla Tafari: Oh yea,besides people not buying music online or clicking YouTube links,there is definitely hate,envy and jealousy in the Camer entertainment industry. The label artists hate on the indi artists and the indi artists envy label artists and underground artists and some fans are jealous of both the indi and label artists. We need to close up to form a structure,pick artists with leadership skills and let us all move in one direction. Seriously, Everyone in this industry can literally step up and start cutting checks to the next level in 2months if we all decide.

237showbiz: Does Tilla offer free services?  Such as collabos, adverts or do you charge? 

Tilla Tafari: Does McDonalds offer free food like burgers and fries? Uuuh I don’t think so!

237showbiz: Talking about ”Palava” Many have noticed you always have problems with the artistes, producers and directors you work with. For instance, Edi Ledrae for producer and Merlin for director. Don’t you think you’re painting yourself a bad picture with these feuds?  

Tilla Tafari: I don’t want to play the victim role here but trust me,being an independent woman in the music industry is not an easy task and will get you in all sorts of mumble jumbles. I have personal goals and a purpose that be ameliorated but can’t be changed especially by people who are too shallow minded to comprehend certain objectives and principles. For the record, you never really know the real stories,plus the positivity of my art will forever be greater than any negative feud anybody can cause.

237showbiz: People leave Cameroon to other nations for greener pastures, a wife will leave her husband because he maltreats her, please tell us why you left New Bell Music because you already made us know it’s a no go zone for any upcoming artiste. 

Tilla Tafari: The answer is in your question.

237showbiz: Magasco, Stanley Enow,  Locko, Jovi, Tzy Panchak & Mr. Leo. One person gets the Groom’s price?

 Tilla Tafari: Maybe but not so sure.

237showbiz: Are you also a victim like the upcoming artistes who claim they are being neglected? 

Tilla Tafari: Cameroonian music as a whole is being neglected not just the upcoming artists. There is a lot of disrespect even for main stream artists. Cameroonians rather cry in sickness (crisis) than rejoice in healing (music). They are so used to failing and barely surviving that winning or “making it big” seems ridiculous to many. Smh

237showbiz: We are yet to see a Tilla album. Don’t you think the Tillarmy has been patient enough? 

Tilla Tafari: I really appreciate Tillarmy for being there for me all through yuh knwo. I wish Tillarmy divine favor in their every endeavor. They deserve the very best. The album is everything wrapped with a ribbon on it. Can’t tell when but the album will be out this year.

237showbiz: If music has to come to an end worldwide,  what other art will you get engaged in? 

Tilla Tafari: I am naturally a creative person so if music ends today world wide I could be a lot of other things like a painter, photographer, actress, chef, home decorator, basketball, or an entrepreneur and sell the things I create or sell all sorts of other things.

237showbiz: Which Camer artistes will you like to work with? 

Tilla Tafari: I would really love to work with Charlotte Dipanda, Locko & Blanche Bailley.

237showbiz: Where do you see your career and label to be in the next 5 years ?

Tilla Tafari: In 5 years I will have full signed artists to God Mother Sound and I will be putting out my 3rd album. I will be ready for the restaurant business and I will also be running an orphanage and a musuem I both mother.

237showbiz: Some artistes, producers and label owners tend to exploit artistes, use their ideas then dump them. What can you say about this? 

Tilla Tafari: I think the music industry is always gonna be what it is;full of opportunists! Best advice I can give artists is to try to always have a mentor to whom they can always go to for career advice in order to better avoid such exploitative situations.

237showbiz: An advice for not only upcoming female rappers but women worldwide? 

Tilla Tafari: To all the women in the world, I say pick up your crown and wear it sister cus you deserve it! Let nobody make you feel any less about yourself. You are worth everything and you deserve it. Want it, dream it, hustle & grind till you own it! Woman eh!!!

237showbiz: Well God Mother, that was what we had in our minds this time around. Promise us we can stop by anytime. Thanks for letting us share your journey with us. @237showbiz loves you. Until next time..

Tilla Tafari: I appreciate it. Thank you for having me man. One love #Jahbless.

Well you heard it from the Godmother herself. Now its obvious those who had no clue about her have managed to get one or two. Please tell us what you think.  The comment section is all yours..

LISTEN TO THE REGGAE TRILOGY HERE

Interviewed by:
Victor Kange
(#NaTengiYesu)