Monyeazo Abebe is a Video Jockey with
Soundcity cable channel. She tells Ademola Olonilua about building her
career and also clears the air on some rumours trailing her
How did you get into the entertainment world especially being a VJ?
I got into the entertainment industry as
soon as I moved back to Nigeria from the UK. I had been away for about
11 years, so moving back was a major step and decision. While I was in
the UK, I had delved into various extracurricular activities apart from
law school and my education in general. I was into dancing, acting,
public speaking and so I knew that once I moved back, the aim would be
to put all my skills to work. Within the first few months I was back in
Nigeria, I heard that Soundcity was hiring, I did a screen test, my boss
liked what I brought to the table and here I am.
What got you attracted to the job?
The major attraction for me was the
platform that working as a VJ provided; the opportunity to meet
different people from different walks of life.
How has it been building your brand, what challenges have you faced?
Building my brand so far has solely been
done by myself and although I’m a DIY (Do It Yourself) person as I hate
to rely on anyone, it has been tough because without the general
knowledge or help of say a publicist or some sort of representation, I
would do or say certain things forgetting I am in the public eye. That
is about to change now. I have a very good team behind me now.
How come you love tattoo so much?
You know how people say tattoos last
longer than friends? Well that’s why I love tattoos. It’s a form of
expression and a way to tell a story that stays with you forever. I like
to view my skin as a canvas and every memory or experience, be it good
or bad is jotted down, never to be forgotten.
Do the tattoos have certain meanings?
I have eight tattoos. A few are
symbolic, a few are quotes that have shaped my life and trail of thought
such as “the err of the past is the wisdom of the future” which I have
written in Sanskirt. I’ve got the most meaningful one to me being the
one on my wrist and it is a dedication to my grandmother who passed
away.
While growing up, what did you want to be?
When I was younger, I wanted at a time
to be a cheer leader. Yes, it sounds very ridiculous but when one is
young, one is so naive and innocent and fails to see reason in a whole
lot of things. However, I very quickly outgrew that phase and wanted to
be a lawyer.
Would you still practise law or you read law to please your parents?
My parents were not surprised. My mother especially has always been my number one fan, so she has supported me all the way.
You have had your fair share of media criticism, especially concerning your smoking habit; how have you handled it?
Now for the record, I am not a smoker.
Smoking shisha was all I did when I went on holiday. Shisha is all part
of middle-eastern culture and I will not apologise for trying something
that is in no way harmful to my health. When I get such reports or
stories about me, I get very annoyed because blogs love to blow things
out of proportion. Smoking shisha in no way puts me into the category of
having a ‘smoking habit’.
There were reports that you had a sex tape, how true is that?
Now this truly has to end. I know nothing about it.
What were your early days like?
Growing up for me was fun, a little
lonely as I am an only child from my mother. I was spoilt rotten by my
mother and I still am. There was nothing I lacked as I was such a girly
girl. I had the best dolls and prettiest dresses and wanted to be in
every way like my mother. It was so bad I would dress up in her clothes
and try to put on some of her make-up. Those were definitely good times.
Why did you give yourself the pseudo name Moet?
My full name which is Monyeazo has
always been shortened to Mo since I was a child. It was not until I was
doing my GCSE that a friend of mine started calling me Moet because
according to him, a bottle of Mo’ was the same as a bottle of Moet and
he went around calling me Moet and it just stuck. Yes, it’s not a very
exciting story but it literally happened that way.
You have some bikini photos online, for what price can you strip in front of the camera?
I don’t see why having a bikini photo is
such a big deal but I guess that’s just me. Neither do I see how being
comfortable in your own skin and going to the pool/beach in your bikini
correlates with you being comfortable to strip completely nude. I can’t
give you a price because in all honesty, I would never strip or pose
completely nude; that is just extreme.
You have had some stints with modelling. How was it for you considering that you are not tall?
I did beauty and glamour modelling.
These are types of modelling where height does not come in as a
hindering factor. I absolutely loved modelling and there were times it
gave me extra money when I was in the university. With my modelling
jobs, I truly had my first taste of independence and being able to fend
for myself and it felt good.
You have been rumoured to have
amorous relationship with the likes of Don Jazzy, Dr SID, May D,
rappers Terry tha Rapman, M.I, Loose Kaynon, Beazy and producer Kid
Konnect. Did you date any of them?
We are back to the rumours again. Well
to clear the air, I didn’t date any of these men. I’m friends with all
of them and I may be closer to some more than others. But it is and has
been nothing but friendship. I’ve actually always wondered how this list
was put together as there are some names amongst this ‘list’ that I
haven’t spoken to in months.
Have you considered delving into other aspects of entertainment like acting or even music?
Yes, acting is a major interest of mine
but music, no. I will just sit, listen and criticise constructively as
my job says I should.
You have also been a dancer at one point in your life. How did that happen and are you still dancing professionally?
Dance was something I loved. I trained
to get the qualifications to dance professionally but I do believe at
the time shuffling dance classes with modelling and my studies became
too tiring. It ended up not being a passion or dream but a burden, so I
outgrew the thirst and the yearning for dancing. So, I’m not dancing
professionally anymore.
You flaunt your butts a lot. Would you say that is your sexiest body part?
Again it’s the blogs. I don’t go out of
my way to put up pictures of my “booty.” I have other pictures but it’s
just those ones they choose to talk about. I don’t think it is my
sexiest body part mainly because I don’t consider myself sexy or a sex
symbol but if there was a part of my body I would say I found sexy, I
would say my small waist.
If you were offered an opportunity to enhance any part of your body, where would that be?
I would never go under the knife. We are
all insecure and have body or weight issues but I would imagine plastic
surgery would be addictive. So, no I wouldn’t even go there. On the
other hand, have they started finding ways of stretching people’s legs?
When they do, I will be the first on the list. Anyway, I am just joking,
I love my short legs and I wouldn’t change them or my body because it’s
amazing that one thing you may not necessarily like about yourself,
someone out there loves it.
How would you describe yourself?
I’m not someone of many words when it
comes to this question but I am someone who people may be quick to judge
or make assumptions about but underneath my exterior, I’m in some ways
nothing like you expected me to be. I’m the literal interpretation of
the saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’
Taking a trip down memory lane,
tell us of your experience when you had your first kiss. How old were
you and how did it all happen?
My first kiss I believe was when I was
fourteen and it was horrible. Being the only black girl in my class, I
was tossed to the only black boy in my year from the male version of my
all girls boarding school during a social night we had. I had no idea
what I was doing. I just remember it being very sloppy but hopefully
now, I’ve had a little more practice.
What is your worst fear?
My worst fear is lack of perseverance. I
can be very impatient at times and most times, the thought of failing
makes any normal person give up. But I’m so frightened of making a rash
decision due to lack of patience and perseverance which in the long run
will make me miss out on all the positives. There is no harm in failing
and trying again till you get it right. This is what I aim to
incorporate into my life everyday.
Is it more difficult being a VJ because you are a lady? Is the job feminine friendly?
I don’t think it’s easier or more
difficult being a female VJ. What I do think is being a VJ is difficult,
period! People think it’s so easy to stand before a camera or crowd
and keep people entertained but it really isn’t. Nothing has kept me so
much on my toes and challenged me as much as the work I am doing now. In
manner of intensity, this stumps everything I have ever done.
Have you got wooed by a woman before?
No, I have never got wooed by a woman.
If you had the power to turn back the hands of time, what would you love to change?
I got a tattoo inscription on my fingers
a year ago that says ‘no regrets.’ I do believe that if I say I would
go back to change anything, it would defeat the purpose of me getting
that tattoo. I wouldn’t go back and change anything. The journey has
been tough but it has been equally pleasant and every experience good or
bad, has shaped me into the woman that I am today.
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