My weird look? People thought I was mad

Denrele Edun is a self-styled entertainer. He started his career at a very tender age as a actor in the then popular kiddies programme, “Kidivision 101.” He later veered into modeling before finally picking up a job as a presenter at the Sound City Entertainment. HVP encountered him in his office, where he shares his story….ExcerptYour background Aderenle Olufemi Adeyemi Edun is my name. In India, I’m called “Rajeev Raja”.

But my native name is Akanbi. Born 26 years ago to Mr and Mrs Edun, I’m of mixed parentage. My father hail from Abeokuta, while my mum is partly Indian, and partly Mauritian. Actually, I was born in Germany. But I can’t say exactly where I come from. The fact that my father is a Yoruba man, gives me the privilege to trace my root to the Yoruba race.I am the only son in a family of three. I have two younger sisters. For about eight years now, I haven’t set my eyes on my mum.

I’m a hustler. I’ve done the rounds of entertainment, starting with acting in Kidivision 101 when I was eleven . I won so many awards for St. Gregory College, Lagos. I finished my secondary school at the age of 15, after which I picked up a teaching job before securing admission to study at University of Lagos. This development however prompted my decision to stop featuring in Kidivision 101.
It seems you have had all that you needed so easily in life…
Not exactly. Many people would have attributed my success to the fact that I had a very good upbringing. Though, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, life was a little bit pleasurable at the out set when we were residing in Germany until my father lost his job and left the whole family at the mercy of my helpless mother who was a full time house wife.
At that time, my mother had to forget her background, being a German woman, came to Nigeria and started hustling for us.

She took up four odd jobs at a time, just to keep the family alive. It would surprise you to know that I was seven years old when my dad lost his job. At that time, things were very hard for us. And from a duplex, we moved into a conducive one-room apartment and it was at that time that my mum gave birth to my younger sister. Unfortunately she died at birth but my mum later had another baby girl.

Looking at my mother, and all that she was going through, I decided to struggle for myself and make a meaning out of my own miserable life. At the same time, I was watching my mum with all her patience and sincerity. She was struggling for the family and at the same time, she stayed by my dad throughout those years of joblessness.
She took up a teaching job and also embarked on private coaching lessons, the proceeds of which she was using for the upkeep of her family.

All those qualities were what built me and gave me confidence to be self-dependent to the extent that I had to do some jobs, especially Kidivision 101. I was getting stipends from it and was using it to cater for myself while I was in secondary school.
The same way, I paid my fees throughout my years in the University.
My belief resolved around the fact that there was no need for me to disturb my parents since there were two other younger sisters they were catering for. So, it wasn’t really easy but the fact remains that I had to do some things just to fend for myself. By the time, I started modeling, (the essence), the acceptance was terrible.


What happened?
Life have been negative all the way. There were times when I was walked out of the classroom. I was being bugged here and there. Even at the bus-stops, students used to call me different kinds of names and because I didn’t have a car, I used to be the centre of abuses at the bus-stops.

It was always another problem whenever I entered a bus. Passengers would vacate the bus just because of my presence. I was always fighting with conductors everyday.
On the family side, my parents were comfortable with me. They knew that I was focused. My grandma thought I was running mad.
cousins thought I was useless, that I didn’t know what I was doing with my life. They believed I wasn’t focused. It might mean anything to you or anyone who cares to know but the truth is that, it was really difficult to make any meaning out of what I was doing then. I had a lot of challenges.

Let’s share some of those challenges
When I started modeling, the first person that discovered me was Kesse Jabari. He saw me at the MBI office, where I was to do a programme (Just Gisting) with Mike Okoli. Kesse Jabari told me, that I would be a good model for him, that I’m good looking with my skinny body and at that time, I was very young.

And when I was called to see him in his office, the models (tall, huge and big) I saw discouraged me but fortunately, I became the major face of his brand despite the fact that I was the youngest, skinniest and the shortest. But those challenges made me strong. I saw them as an experience and adventure.
I always see myself as the youngest amongst other models and I’m always picked at the end of the day. People started seeing me as a threat at every audition simple because I caved out an identity for myself.

And one of the major challenges I faced was gaining recognition from a negative society. People hissed at me anywhere they found me then especially in my school. It was a terrible condition.
Was it the same style of dressing now?
It was worse. But, now those abuses have turned out positively for me because I’m now the same person that everybody wants to be associated with.

You mentioned some problems you encountered with your close friends in school…
The only person that understood me was my best friend, Linda Ikeji. We were so close that people started calling us names, “the unserious two”.Other friends were just there because they had no choice than to talk with me. But, some of them were genuine and some were friends because they were curious to know what I was trying to portray through my style.
So, I would say that, I didn’t really have a best friend. The only friends I had were in my group: Thearte 15, which was the group I joined. Richard Mofe Damijo, RMD, Kunle Bamtefa, Francis Agu, Felix Okoro, Kayode Peters and Bunmi Davies were part of the group and those were the people who were directing plays that we did then.

It was a Theatre group where everybody was experiencing his individuality. And for me, my clothes were reflections on my personality and I was accepted into that clique. And that was when we were doing rehearsals and stage plays. I became some lecturers delight but there were many that could not understand what I was doing.
They thought I was a drug addict, whereas I don’t smoke or drink. So, they were always delaying my result. There was a particular lecturer that made my stay in school very frustrating.

There were times where she had to send me away from the class despite my punctuality just because of the way I was dressed.
Some of the lecturers understood my personality but some did not. But, I never bordered since I knew where I was going .
So, I said to myself, “you can turn this negativity into positivity. As long as people are talking about you, it shows that they acknowledge your existence”.



Are your parents of age?
My dad is in his 60s while mum is in her 40s. My dad married a German lady first but she died. It took him a while before he could get out of that problem. But later, he married my mother. Unfortunately, I’m the first child to my both parents because the first marriage could not produce any child.

Your punk hairstyle, costumes and all are extensions of your personality…
My hair is natural and my clothes are fun. It’s for people to admire my creativity. I do my clothes myself. Actually, I make my hair and my clothes myself. I have a sewing machine in my house. I came about this style out of my fashion craziness.
I started modeling and in the course of that, I asked myself, so people can wear clothes on the runway like this? Actually, I wanted to distinguish myself from other models. Today, people want to emulate me. But they can’t be like me because I am the original. I have modeled for all the famous designers in this country and I have exhibited my talents outside the country.
So, how long does it take you to dress up?
If I’m in a hurry, it would take me like 20 minutes and that is if I’d made up my mind. My room is always scattered. And most times, I dress up in my car since I know the kind of event I’m going for.

Your choice of buttons, zips and pins, shoe laces are amazing.
I picked up that style just because I wanted to be myself and I love them so much. At times, I buy clothes at the market and turn it to my style.

Who are your role models?
I follow my philosophy. But there are people I admire in this country, although, I wouldn’t tailor my philosophy alongside theirs. There are people like Funmi Iyanda, but, if there is any other person that I would like to steal his job, it is Ryan Seacrest.
By Ebun Babalola