Harrysong: My Wife is My Best Friend; She’s a Very Understanding Person

Harrison Tare Okiri, better known as Harrysong, is one artiste who has held on to stardom through hard work and tenacity. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist recently shared a message he got from a lady threatening to expose sex tape involving him. In this interview with Ferdinand  Ekechukwu, the ‘Ofeshe’ crooner describes it as “cheap blackmail” and revealed why he decided to go public first. Newly married 

Harrysong denies the sex tape drama being a publicity stunt to usher in his upcoming album…. Excerpt

Harrysong, how are you and your baby and wife doing?

My family is perfect…

Can you describe your experience of fatherhood?

It is responsibility and I’m ready for the responsibility.

What’s up with you at the moment you have been busy travelling lately?

I’m busy doing shows because I have a recent song that’s banging and amazing on the streets right now which is the ‘She Knows’ song, featuring Olamide and Fireboy DML, it’s on top chart right now. That’s why I’m busy travelling and doing events. But at the same time, we are also recording and preparing to drop another single because we would drop an album in the next two months. It’s called ‘God Amongst Men’, that’s the album for the year.

Can we talk about your scandal you recently informed the public about a sex scandal involving you?

I don’t really see it as a scandal. It’s just a blackmail; a cheap blackmail basically.

Could you tell us more about it? Why did you decide to go public?

Why I thought to inform my fans is because I have stayed at least for a while so I wasn’t sure if the person has evidence or a video evidence of me according to what she said. But I wasn’t even expecting it to come out now because it happened six years ago and why is she bringing it up now just to come collect money from me basically you know. So, that’s why I just thought. Because I didn’t have a control of it you know. So that’s why I just thought to clear it out should in case she decided to really want to drop the video if she has recorded me, because I don’t know if she did record me. I don’t know but yeah she said she has video evidence basically so I just thought to clear my fans first should in case she comes she wouldn’t hit us too hard and we try to protect my image and my name, my brand and hard work.

But how did your wife take the news you know she’s a woman?

No, no…. my wife is my best friend; she’s a very understanding person. She’s cool.

Is the lady still threatening you at the moment?

No. I have reported her to the police, my lawyer is aware of it, and the police are trying to get hold of her. I have blocked her. I’m not in contact with her anymore. I have handed her to the Nigerian police.

How many times have you paid her, and how much have you paid so far?

I have paid her twice. The law told me not to reveal how much I paid her until they get hold of her.

Not that she ask for any specific amount prior to you paying her?

No, she didn’t ask for any specific amount.

What will you do if she makes good her threat to expose you?

It would be really, really heavy on my side. It wouldn’t be easy for me to handle. But as at this point, I’m praying to God as I would also want the world and my fans to pray that she does not have it; I pray she’s just bluffing. I pray! Even you that is interviewing me now, ‘follow me pray that she’s just bluffing o!’ because if she truly has that video man, it’s not going to go well.

And you don’t think she truly has it? You don’t think that encounter she truly recorded you in any form that you weren’t aware of?

I don’t know because I’m not sure! And because it’s six years ago! I can’t even remember, yes! I can’t even remember a lot about that. I have met people before that time. I’m a man. So, that’s why, first of all I was begging. If I was sure, I would not even have begged or paid. But because I’m not sure, I don’t know. That’s why at least I begged for a while, paid once, paid twice, until I now see that she’s insisting; she just needs money, and insisting on actually putting out her evidence you know. I know there’s nothing else I can do about it because I’m not on her side.

In the light of the sex tape scandals, what do you make of people making tapes of their sexual activities?

First of all it’s against the law. If you don’t have somebody’s permission you cannot record the person. That is why I am on the right because police is going to look for her until they get her. I don’t do that on a normal. I don’t have this kind of things on my phone! I don’t go and I’m having sex and I want to record it. I don’t do it! I’m not even supporting it. So, this one if she truly has it, it’s illegal and it’s against the law. And it’s like a trend for some women now. They try to take celebrities where they can record them, hold evidence and get money from them.

But why do you think she could be coming out at this point, at this particular time to blackmail you?

She may just be broke and needs money. All she talks about is money, money, money. She just needs money, I think so.

And this is not some kind of publicity stunt on your part in anticipation of your upcoming album?

No! In all my careers have you heard anything like this from me?

 I’m actually going to that that if this is the first time somebody will be coming up with such blackmail, no previous encounter of such?

Yeah. I’m a very serious person. I don’t have time to joke…

Early last September you posted something like “Don’t marry a woman that is heavy on social media, that can’t have the discretion to know what to post and what not to post, because everything becomes content to attract brands to her (sic).” Why do you believe that marrying a social media addict can be detrimental to marriage?

Yes. The negative effect that social media has got on marriage is much more than the positive effect. And marriage is personal. Marriage is a personal thing; it’s not a general thing. It’s about two different people from two different upbringings, from two different backgrounds coming together to want to build one home, not two different homes o… One home! So, first of all, social media is a social place, a social platform where the mad, the craze, the drug addict, the one that has different sexual mentality, some are illiterate, some are literate.

So, the people there are different people. So when you bring your personal home that you want to build into a platform where different people of different opinion, different backgrounds, people that you are not seeing; you can’t see them. They only have an opinion when you bring an idea. Yes! So it’s not good and it’s not safe when you want to build a home you bring it public place.

So, when you are a social media addict, try as much as you can to keep your home serene. Because when you start to bring it to them, when they begin to give you opinions and drag you, don’t say that they are putting mouth in what doesn’t concern them o! You first of all brought them into the matter because they have no idea about your home basically. So it’s just for the safety of people that actually interested and homely enough to want to build a good home you know. So, social media is not actually the place. I just advised for people to be careful about that basically.        

How is Altarplate Music doing?

Altarplate is doing amazing, it’s doing fine. Thank you.

What new talent have you got on it at the moment?

Yes after my album we are going to do an unveiling of one of the artistes that’s going to take over the industry. His name is Meshach. So watch out for Meshach!