Paul Okoye, one half of the renowned music duo, P-Square, has once again spoken about the complexities behind his strained relationship with Peter, his twin brother and other half of the group.
Though many believed that the duo had buried the hatchet and were now at peace with each other, Paul indicated that there was a fresh storm brewing with the troubled group.
Speaking in an interview with City FM, Paul, said, “Out of four brothers working together, everybody plays their part. It is not just a money thing.
“At some point, it felt like I was the one doing all the music, so I had to move, so he (Peter) could do the music as well. I was accused of claiming that I was the singer, while he was the dancer. Whenever we went to some places, people would ask who was the singer and who was the dancer, and I didn’t know he was taking it to heart. I once told him not to let those things get to him, because that was the part people saw him play.”
Paul also traced the tension between them back to their 2014 collaboration with American rapper, TI, on the song, ‘Ejeajo’, noting that the sound was different from the traditional P-Square style fans were used to.
He added that in order not to widen the rift between them or lose ‘the P-Square touch’, he suggested that both of them should contribute five songs each to the album.
“All of a sudden, he (Peter) said he wanted to quit, and I asked him if we could make the news public but he refused. The implication was that if I went solo, people would see me as a bad person. That was why I decided to speak.
“Otherwise, I have over 200 songs that I don’t know what to do with them. I feel the fans need to start knowing (these things).”
Recounting an incident that happened earlier in the year, Paul stated, “Something happened this year. I was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a petition written against me and my elder brother.
“When I got there, I asked them what happened. They had already printed out the statement of my (bank) account, and they started an investigation. However, one month ago, they called us and our elder brother, and declared us innocent.
“The only difference was our lifestyle. He took us back to a bank statement of 2007 over a $200,000 credit (I got), though we traced his part of the funds to a vehicle he bought. After the truth came out that I was innocent, he still did not apologise.
“I am not speaking up, because I want to bring anybody down. He accused me of selling our (music) catalogue; the same catalogue I wrote 99 per cent of. For now, I just want to continue my thing.”
However, when Saturday Beats reached out to Peter Okoye’s manager, Emem Ema, for his comments on his twin brother’s claims, she said, “He has no comment at this time. When he has something to say, he will do so.”
However, in an interview with The Net NG in 2017, Peter had stated that he often felt sidelined by Paul and Jude. He stated that he was living in fear that if he made any wrong move, the group would scatter. He added that he did not get adequate credit for all the work he put into the group. Despite noting that Paul was a better songwriter, he stated that he contributed a lot of creative thinking to the team beyond dancing.
After several break-ups and make-ups, the brothers reconciled again in 2021, and many thought they had let go of their differences. With the latest development, it is apparent that is not the case.
In a similar vein, when our correspondent reached out to Jude, their elder brother and former manager, he said, “Whatever I have to say about P-Square ended eight years ago in 2016. I have not been involved with P-Square (since then).” – Punch.
