…Tells his story to stardom from an ordinary barber
By Christy Anyanwu
The winner of Big Brother Naija Season 6, Hazel Oyeze Onuo, popularly known as White Money, after leaving the Big Brother’s House has established himself in many fronts.
Today, he is a serial entrepreneur while his first love, music, has been keeping him up and doing. Secondly, his Smokey Jollof Rice is one delicacy people crave for.
In this interview with Sunday Sun Celebrities Rendezvous, he opened up on life after Big Brother House, his music, cooking skill, love life, among others. Excerpt:
What were the challenges you faced when you left the Big Brother’s House?
The major challenge I faced was stability because I did not have a management going into the house so I came out with a very huge stardom that it takes a level of certain kind of professionalism to be able to maintain and manage. So, that was a big problem for me. The bookings were crazy. There was no structure on ground coming out so it was a bit hectic. The first three months were a bit hectic and a bit dicey, but by the grace of God, I was able to pull myself together and get things going for myself.
Would you say going into the Big Brothers House was a blessing to you?
I think that is the biggest miracle I have had in my life apart from the gift of life because the show has made me who I am. The show has put me on world platform. The show has given me world recognition, I’m a popular person, I’m a notable person in the society, I have a voice, my voice is heard, I’m seen, I’m recognized, I’m respected, all these were never my position before Big Brothers. After Big Brother, I became something that even I myself became something I never imagined I would never become. It is a blessing to my life and to my family and friends.
What inspired you to go into the House?
What inspired me to go into Big Brother was my background – poverty. Poverty didn’t look good on me. I have a good body, but I was lacking a good structure (laughs). The main motivation was poverty. I had to stand up and do something. And because I’m a guy with very big dreams and I want to do big things, I needed a very big platform to showcase my risen talents and qualities of mine. Big Brother came to my rescue. Being set aside, being backward, being poor, being broke was one of the biggest motivations.
Were you a fan of Big Brother before going to the show?
Before I went into Big Brother, I was a big fan of Big Brother from Big Brother Africa. I literally understood the game, understood how it’s being played and understood everything about the show. The number one rule and number one law of the show is “Be yourself”. Whether good or bad, people would still like or hate you.
After Big Brother, tell us what you do?
So far, since I came out of Big Brother, I have dropped four songs professionally, e.g, Selense, Na we we, Egwu and Jeda. I dropped Jeda, on 3th of February 2023. It’s a love song. It’s for the season. You know February is marked as a month of love even though every day is a day of love, but February is specially marked as a month of love. Jeda is an inspirational love song that tells a story about a guy telling a woman how he feels and professing how he’s going to love her. The visuals and audio dropped on February 3rd. 2023. I have got an amazing feedback so far.
What motivated you to start White Money Smokey Jollof?
That food has been a part of me in as much as it’s not my number one on my top list. My top list is my music, my career. It has been part of me from day one. Food is now my number two. So, I decided to go into online 24 hours cloud kitchen whereby we sell strictly jollify rice, but it’s not a regular one, Smokey one where we do 24 hours delivery service in Lagos and Abuja. That’s how we came about the White Money party jollof and it’s activated, and since then it’s been an amazing journey so far. It’s been good, it’s a good inspiration, it’s a good source of income and with time we intend to have a sit-in restaurant where people can come in and sit to enjoy their food.
Could you tell us more about you, growing up and stuffs like that?
My name is Hazel Oyeze Onou. I’m from Enugu State, Awhum in Udi local government. I’m from a family of four boys. I’m the last child. I will be 32 this year. I’m a businessman; entertainer, musician, songwriter, and I would say I’m a serial entrepreneur (I will put it like that. I’m a jolly good fellow, I love to cook, I love to drive, I love to make people happy, I love to see people progress, I love to see the good things of life, and I just love everything that God created. It’s amazing to me. I’m an introvert. I don’t really like coming out unless it involves money because the lifestyle now is expensive. So, if I’m coming out it has to worth it. I don’t like fight, I’m a peace maker. I love peace a lot. My favourite kind of food, I love swallows, I love poundo and ogbono. In terms of foreign dishes, “my party jollof”.
How did you come about the name White Money?
The name came from the Holy Spirit. I would not lie. I used to answer different names. I remember how I got that name. That can never escape my mind anytime soon. I prayed about it. It was in my salon where I used to hustle at Ojuelegba. No 32 Ojuelegba road. I used to cut hair there. I was a barber, I went to bed I made a shabby prayer that God I want a name that would cause controversy. That was how I woke up with the name ‘White Money ‘on my mouth. I didn’t know what it meant, but I remembered my last prayer and I just guess it is my name. I got to the salon the following morning, I said from today, everybody call me White Money. That was how it stuck from 2012 till date. The name began to gain street recognition. By the grace of God, it was in 2021 that the name became a household name.
What advice do you have for the youths?
To be honest, the sky is very big. It can contain everybody. Never give up in your dreams no matter what people did to you. I still get hate comments. People still talk trash. Why is he singing? Never give up on your dreams. Always surround yourself with the right and positive people. Friends and families are big impact on your career choice. The circle of friends determine how far you go in life. It is better you don’t even have a friend at all than have wrong friends. Wrong friends would lead you to do wrong things all the time, but you need the right people to channel your dreams, to make your dreams come through. Anything you are doing, as long as you keep your hands clean and you believe in God and you are doing it with all your strength, all your might, I promise you, one day, the whole world would hear your name. God will announce you by Himself. Consistency is the key to success.
What lessons have you learnt about life?
I have learnt that everything that goes up must come down. So treat everybody equal. Life is not balanced, you are not sure about tomorrow, so live everyday as if it’s your last. I learnt that money is just numbers what counts is your integrity. Always have your integrity intact. Let people be able to vouch for you, speak on your behalf, talk about you in your absence the way they would speak of you in your presence. Don’t chase money first. Chase integrity, chase knowledge and when money comes you will know how to use it. When you chase money and you have money without all these things intact, you will make mistakes.
You are a celebrity, do you still relate with your friends at Ojuelegba?
I relate with those who are helpful. I don’t relate with everybody. It’s not possible to relate with everybody. That is the philosophy of life. When you go up, there are lots of people you can’t take up with you. Especially when they are not ready to leave the position that they were. In that case, you can only do what you what to do for them. But those you know that are willing to come out you help them. I’m in touch with few of them not everybody to be honest. “Even me that blow sef, I’m still limping. I never stand finish’. I have to check on the weight I’m carrying so that I don’t fall”.
When you were in the House you don’t have any lover. Any woman now?
Currently, there is no woman in my life, but I’m chasing one. I hope she accepts. I have been chasing her over one year. She never agreed. “No bi say she get boyfriend o. it’s only her I’m praying to God. If she gree, I’m okay. That is just the only woman that I want. The one I really want has not accepted me. I have been chasing her since I win. ‘E don reach one year’.