Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Seyi Shay has revealed the devastating impact that the death of her mentor, legendary musician Sound Sultan, had on her career and personal life, in what represents one of the most candid admissions from a major artist about grief’s role in the entertainment industry.
In a deeply personal interview with TVC, the acclaimed singer-songwriter disclosed that Sound Sultan’s passing in 2021 left her questioning whether she had the will to continue making music at all. The revelation sheds new light on Shay’s conspicuous absence from the Nigerian music scene over the past three years, a period that coincided with both profound personal loss and the arrival of her first child.
“When he passed away, it was really hard for me to complete the filming, but I made it to the end,” Shay recounted, referring to her work on Nigerian Idol during the time of Sound Sultan’s death. “I felt like I didn’t have the will to continue to do music without Sound Sultan.”
The relationship between the two artists ran far deeper than a typical mentor-protégé dynamic. Sound Sultan, whose real name was Olanrewaju Fasasi, served as Shay’s introduction to the Nigerian music industry and became a father figure to the artist who had relocated from the United Kingdom. Upon her arrival in Nigeria, Shay lived with Sound Sultan and his wife in FESTAC for an entire year—an arrangement that speaks to the profound trust and familial bond between them.
“He was the one who co-signed me and introduced me to everybody in the industry to make sure that those who were his people look out for me,” Shay explained, highlighting how Sound Sultan’s endorsement opened doors that might otherwise have remained closed to a returnee artist.
The circumstances surrounding Sound Sultan’s death in July 2021—he died in the United States while battling angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma—added layers of regret and anguish to Shay’s grief. The singer revealed that she had been scheduled to visit him in New York during a break from filming Nigerian Idol and that he had specifically requested she bring him something. That visit never materialized.
“What hurt the most is that I didn’t get to see him before he passed away,” she said. “It just tore me apart.”
The timing of Sound Sultan’s death proved particularly challenging for Shay, who discovered she was pregnant around the same period. Rather than viewing her pregnancy as a source of joy that might offset her grief, Shay saw it as an additional reason to step away from an industry she described as “toxic.”
“I got pregnant and I told myself there’s no way I’m going to have my child in the toxic music industry that I’m in and under the scrutiny that I was constantly under,” she stated. This admission provides rare insight into the pressures faced by female artists in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding entertainment sector, where public scrutiny and industry politics can take a significant toll on mental health.
Shay’s decision to prioritize her “peace of mind and mental health” represents a notable departure from the typical celebrity response to personal tragedy, where public figures often throw themselves deeper into work. Instead, her choice to step back entirely reflects a growing awareness among artists about the importance of mental health and self-preservation.
The singer’s revelations also underscore the often-overlooked role that mentorship plays in the Nigerian music industry. Sound Sultan’s death at age 44 not only robbed the industry of a beloved figure but also left artists like Seyi Shay without crucial guidance and support systems that had been integral to their careers.
As the Nigerian music industry continues its global ascent, Shay’s story serves as a sobering reminder of the human cost of fame and the importance of support systems for artists navigating both personal tragedy and professional pressures. Her eventual return to the public eye, marked by this candid interview, suggests a possible new chapter—one informed by loss, motherhood, and a deeper understanding of what truly matters in both life and art.
Sound Sultan’s legacy lives on not just through his music but through the artists he nurtured and the industry relationships he helped forge—a testament to mentorship’s enduring power even in its absence.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Nigerian singer Seyi Shay stepped away from music for three years following the devastating loss of her mentor Sound Sultan in 2021, who had been her guide, protector, and father figure in the industry.
The combination of profound grief, her pregnancy, and the toxic pressures of the music industry led her to prioritize mental health over career—highlighting how personal tragedy and industry pressures can derail even successful artists and underscoring the critical but often undervalued role of mentorship in Nigeria’s entertainment sector.
