Cralorboi CIC: THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN.

In the last four years, very few Liberian artistes can claim they have as many hit songs as Cralorboi CIC. The multiple award-winning artiste has solidified his spot as one of the greatest...

In the last four years, very few Liberian artistes can claim they have as many hit songs as Maurice Tosh Gayflor, aka Cralorboi CIC. The multiple award-winning artiste has solidified his spot as one of the greatest in the Liberian music scene and is regularly put into ‘Greatest of All Time’ conversations.

Cralorboi CIC has an album under his belt and multiple hit songs to his name. His song, “Weekend”, featuring Iyana, is one of the most popular international collaborations by a Liberian artiste. CIC has undoubtedly gained enormous recognition outside of Liberia as is evidenced by the numerous international collaborations on his album. This recognition, and his talent, were primarily why he was chosen alongside another musical icon, Scientific, to represent Liberia for One Africa Global Foundation’s digital COVID 19 concert. CIC also has an ambassadorial endorsement with telecommunications giant, Lonestar-MTN.

I sat down with Cralorboi CIC to talk about his legacy, music structure, and his journey in the Liberian music scene. The questions asked are highlighted in bold, and his replies are directly below.

A lot of people consider you the greatest of all time. Do you think you are the greatest of all time?

I feel fans have their way of terming artistes. They have their own ratings. The fans can rate based on work, their sentiments, or whatsoever. A lot of people call me the greatest of all time, but I leave it to the fans to decide. My job is just to make the music and not go spot chasing.

When I came into the industry, my main aim was to make a huge difference in the industry. It wasn’t geared towards wanting to be called the best. A lot of people rate me highly, and I won’t take away from myself that I have done a lot to polish Liberian music. But at the same time, I don’t want to go around saying I am this or that. The fans would determine who the greatest of all time is.

How have you been able to maintain longevity at the top of the Liberian music scene?

It’s just hard work and dedication. I put God first, and I always want to be better than myself. No disrespect to any Liberian artiste, but I don’t see any person as my rival. My 2021 should be better than my 2020. I keep my feet to the fire to always be better.

Additionally, I think character plays a major role in an artiste’s career. You can make a bad song a hit song with the right promotion. But if an artist has a bad reputation, it affects how people in the industry vibe and play his songs.

With so many hits, is your recording process geared towards making a hit?

I just go to the studio with a free mind, listen to beats, and pour out how I am feeling at the moment.  Sometimes I tell a story or get people to dance, it just depends on how I feel at the time. And I give every song my all, even on features. I treat every song like it’s my last song. This is because you don’t know who would listen to it. Opportunities are out there, and you don’t know who would listen to you and get interested. An investor could hear your song or a feature and get interested. Therefore, I treat every song like there is an investor out there waiting to hear my song. I give it my best. At the end of the day, most of my songs turn out as hits, and I am grateful for that. Also, I give every song my all because, at times, the song you would rely on to make a hit may not give you the breakthrough you want.

What are your thoughts on the Liberian music structure, and earning despite the structure?

Our industry is not as profitable as other industries, like the Nigerian and Ghanaian industries. I think the past governments have not done alot musically. Our structure is flopping, and copyright laws are not strong. Furthermore, music in Liberia is not as profitable as people think it is. Most of my financial revenue does not come from music. Passion drives me to make music. Right now, we earn by putting our music on streaming platforms. We do shows as well, but the pay bracket is quite low. This is because companies shy away from supporting Liberian artistes due to the lack of structure. The structure, or lack of structure, affects profitmaking.

But I thank God I have been earning a few. I got a couple of endorsements and got some good sales on streaming platforms. I won’t say I am making the money that I want, but at least I am in a position that I want to get better.

What change do you want to see in the structure?

I want to see a total revamp of the heads and the goals of the Music Union. I don’t think we have a music union. We have a bunch of people that don’t know how to run a music industry. I don’t mean to bash the leaders, but it is what it is. The union should reflect our goals, but we don’t see anything being done.

We need a fresh start, let’s get people that are creative. We currently have people that are underqualified there. For us the top artistes, we can find a way to work around the current structure, but the current structure is not good for upcoming artistes.

You acted in a movie. Are you considering a shift from music to other forms of entertainment?

I am a business person, not just a musician. Entertainment is a huge box, so you shouldn’t stick to one corner. As an artiste, you need a business mindset. You need to diversify your income because you won’t be “hot” forever. At the end of the day, when your days at the top are not as bright, you need multiple revenue streams to rely on.

Moreover, I always had a passion for acting. Going into acting is not strange because it was something I was used to. I do a lot of music videos where I have to act. Music is a door opener to a lot of things.

What do you think your legacy would be when you leave?

I believe I don’t have to leave for people to see my legacy. When I came into the game, my primary aim was to re-polish our music and use Coloqua in a refined way. I wanted our people to hear Liberian songs that are on par with other African sounds, but they should hear it in a language they would know and understand, which was Coloqua.

I was able to use my music to cut across two generations. I have been a follower of Liberian music from John Bricks, Takun J and Soul Fresh, etc.  So when I came into music, I came with a plan, I wanted to stand out. At the time, the older generation was cut away from modern Liberian pop music. So I used Coloqua in a way they could relate to, on a sound that the younger generation was used to hearing.

Do you think you would ever retire from music?

I feel no artiste ever truly retires, you just give way to the next generation. But my years doing music actively is drawing to an end. There are a lot of other things I want to get involved in. To a large extent, I have taken our music out there, made it more acceptable and more polished. I feel there are limited things for me to do now. Even if I leave the scene right now, the next generation of artistes coming up is good enough to accomplish them. We just need to put our music on the world stage now. In some years, I might decide to be less active on the music scene and give way for the next generation. However, I know that I still want to be relevant when I make my decision to be less active on the music scene.

NOTES

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