Cuppy Speaks On Challenges Of Being DJ From Well-Known Family

Nigerian female disc jockey and singer Florence Otedola known professionally as Cuppy linked up with an international magazine, F Word in London, where she opened up on her challenges in the creative industry.

Cuppy, who happens to be the second daughter of popular business magnate Femi Otedola said the pressure against her in the cause of carrying out her duty is usually much in Nigeria.

According to her, things are different abroad, but still challenging because she is “not just a female but I’m a female of colour” 

She stated that people have overtime watered down her hardwork, based on the family she comes from.

“I think the narrative is constantly changing. As for me, it depends on where I am. Being a female DJ back where I’m from in Nigeria is very challenging because you often feel like there’s a lot of pressure working against you. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, women are very much seen as not ambitious and not very vocal which is the opposite of what I am. Then overseas, things are also different but still challenging, as I’m not just a female but I’m a female of colour. This means that when I am performing internationally, I have the added pressure of making sure I’m representing my people well. I also have to make sure that I’m representing for the music I play which is predominantly Afrobeats.

“It’s always important for me to represent and show people what we have. That’s a lot of pressure! The possible sexism, the possible racism and also coming from the family I come from, which is very entrepreneurial, people tend to water down my hard work. I’ve been in this game for a while and I’ve learnt to always allow my ambition to lead me and not let anybody [make me] feel like I’m less than I know I am.

On how she came up with her signature pink hair, Cuppy said the need for her to own her own femininity because of the male dominated industry as a DJ and artiste.

“The inspiration behind it is; I basically wanted to own my femininity, especially because I’m in a male-dominated industry as a DJ and as an artist. I wanted to really encapsulate my colourful personality, also quite striking but also fearless. I’m basically re-writing the narrative of pink, which is delicate, and overly soft. You know! Cuppy is a bold, strong character, and for me, the pink hair allows me to express myself that much more.”

Admitting that she is a foodie, the singer said explained she derived her stage name from cupcakes which she loved while growing up.

She said: "When I was growing up I loved food so much that my cheeks were slightly round and merry, so everyone started calling me Cupcake. To cut a long story short, I do love cupcakes. I was baking a lot when I was younger which is something I’ve been doing a lot during the lockdown. When it came to choosing my name, it just made sense. Cupcake is shortened to Cuppy, and it when it came to starting my own company, I chose my favourite flavour which is Red Velvet!"

Meanwhile, Cuppy is working on her first album dubbed "Original Copy" which would be released on.