WHO IS THIS QUEEN?

lolade.

multimedia content creator.

​

"I spent my life in foreign lands. So many men have tried to kill me, I don't remember all their names. I have been sold like a broodmare. I've been chained and betrayed, raped and defiled. Do you know what kept me standing through all those years in exile? Faith. Not in any gods. Not in myths and legends. In myself. In Daenerys Targaryen. The world hadn't seen a dragon in centuries until my children were born. The Dothraki hadn't crossed the sea. Any sea. They did for me. I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms, and I will."
―Daenerys Targaryen

she's a fiction nerd, but Dany's speech means more to her than make-believe. she's from Surulere, Lagos State (born, raised, and still lives in Surulere). her great-grandfather once owned all the land that is now Alaka, Iponri, Costain (and some say, Ijora) in Surulere, and because of this piece of history, she perhaps presumptuously calls herself "Queen of Lagosians". At 24 y/o, she was probably the youngest managing editor in the world ever.

Stories fuel her, discovering what people love most about them, especially relating to mental health and positivity and identity, things she struggles with. she is working on publishing the stories and recording the songs she's been writing for the last 15 years. Her passion for these two things was sparked by the pure joy and relief she got from them, reading and listening to people sing words she relates to. Her family loves stories and songs too, so as a girl, she would listen to Prince and Yinka Ayefele, Lagbaja and TLC, while talking about Chinua Achebe or Charles Dickens at the dining table with them. Like most creative Nigerians, she's been singing in church since she was five, and she wrote her first book when she was nine, in her school exercise book she still keeps. Of course, it was never published.

she wasn’t always convinced she was talented enough to be an author or musician though, and for years being book smart meant she was forced into science class. But she made sure she was posted outside her comfort zone to Calabar for NYSC, where she was lucky to meet amazing mentors who helped her discover her passion for the arts and to pursue it. she wrote scripts and starred in short films for a local non-profit, and used the stipends to take vocal and piano lessons for six months. she also fell in love with the food, took French classes, volunteered with the World Health Organization on immunisation campaigns, and made some incredible friends. Today, she posts covers of popular songs on her social media and works her day job managing publishing projects including Betty Irabor’s memoir, Dust to Dew, which sold out in six months.

her other lifelong passion is art (she misguidedly studied Architecture at Covenant University because of this, and hated it). she has many 'realistic' sketches of Rihanna and Angelina Jolie lying around the house, and between 2008 and 2017 when she started her first major full-time job, she did countless fashion illustrations in journals she still looks over with longing today. Although she doesn’t draw much these days, art and design continue to be an important and meaningful part of her life.

we’ve said a lot, but ultimately, this queen just wants to sing and write. It’s all she's ever wanted to do. she has all these great ideas, and for so long, she's struggled to find an audience. she feels stuck in her world. she wants a platform to express herself, and that is what this site is about. Are you wondering what it's like to be a liberal in the City of Lagos, an unforgiving conservative society? she'll be sharing her experiences and opinions with you here.

she hopes some of it will resonate with you, and while she knows she has a lot to learn, she appreciates you all for being part of her journey. lolade is her passion project. Discover her and all the content she has to offer. Perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you. Perhaps you'll become one of her lolipops.