Rotimi Talks About First Time Fatherhood And His Journey To Become An International Superstar
Building on the success of his steamy single “In My Bed (feat. Wale),” which earned an RIAA gold certification, he dropped his first studio album, All or Nothing, on Aug. 27.
One month later, Rotimi, 32, and his 33-year-old fiancée Vanessa Mdee, a Tanzanian singer/songwriter, welcomed their first child into the world. The proud parents announced the birth of their son, Seven Adeoluwa Akinosho on Instagram.
Probably best known for his role as Dre in STARZ’s hit drama series Power, Rotimi has been developing his comedic chops. Following his role in Coming 2 America, it was announced in June that the New Jersey native of Nigerian descent, whose full name is Olurotimi Akinosho, landed a role in the reboot of the classic film, House Party.
If all of that wasn’t enough, Rotimi dropped a deluxe version of his All or Nothing album on Oct. 15. He told BET.com that it’s an exciting continuation of the album’s unique blend of R&B, Afrobeat and Dancehall that features “some heavy hitters”.
In an interview, less than a month after welcoming his first child, Rotimi spoke about the joys of fatherhood, his new film and his unwavering passion for music.
BET.com: First of all, congratulations to you and Vanessa on the birth of your first child. What were your emotions when your son came into the world?
Rotimi: I was in that space of joy and felt an overwhelming amount of love--the kind of love that you really can’t explain. Every issue or every worry or doubt that I had in the world just vanished. It brought me and my fiancée closer together because we’re figuring out this whole new thing that requires us to rely on each other that’s making us even better friends.
BET.com: How has fatherhood changed your life?
Rotimi: It’s made things more simple as I put life into perspective. You know, every man wants to do the right thing and be a provider and make the right decisions. And now, it’s like you just really have to. It grounds everything. It’s beyond being about me at this moment. Everything I do is about him and the future.
BET.com: What’s the story behind your son’s name, Seven?
Rotimi: We had another name in mind, but I thought Seven would be perfect because it's like completion. And she was like, ‘oh my God, I love that.’ Seven in the Bible is the number of completion. And his middle name, Adeoluwa, means ‘God’s crown’ in Yoruba. We wanted a really powerful name that speaks to him and his family, and he completes us. That’s the perfect name.
BET.com: Let’s talk about your growing music career. Your debut album All or Nothing landed in August, and it’s amazing. Now, you have a deluxe album that dropped on Oct. 15. Tell us about this new project.
Rotimi: We got some heavy hitters like Busta Rhymes featured on a record that’s really dope. I had to put my guy Ludacris on one as well. And yeah, we opened it up to international artists like Eliad who’s one of the biggest artists in Israel. My music has content for the world.
Having one of hip hop’s icons in Busta and a legend like Ludicrous, and one of the growing legends in the Middle East just embodies what I stand for musically. And then, of course, there's a couple of records where I do my thing. I'm excited for people to get this. It’s a continuation of All or Nothing.
BET.com: What was the inspiration and vision behind All or Nothing? Was there a statement that you wanted to make to the world with this first album?
Rotimi: The statement was that this is who I am, and I'm going to give all of me to make a project or not even do it at all.
Most people know me first as an actor and they’ve grown to know me as a musician. I do my art; everything I do is all or nothing. My personal life, my love life, it’s all or nothing. It embodies who I am at this point in my life.
BET.com: You said people know you primarily as an actor, but you’ve been passionate about music since your childhood. Do you see yourself first as a musician and secondly as an actor or vice-versa?
Rotimi: I see myself as a creative person. If somebody gives me a deal to go on tour and the money's right and the timing is right, we’re going to rock it. I think that ultimately I'm just a creative. I take pride in being a Renaissance man and just making great art and just being an entertainer.
Acting wasn’t in my plan. It was never anything that I wanted to do seriously. Everything had always been music since I was four or five years old. [I sang at] Nigerian weddings and joined the Children’s Choir of New Jersey. Being a singer was always my purpose and what my mom and dad set out for me to do.
I was just, you know, a broke college kid who went to an audition and ended up being good at a craft and never turned his back. Almost 10 years later, I have a real love for the arts in general and acting and just being in front of a camera, delivering emotions and making people feel things is such a cool thing.
BET.com: Another congratulations is owed because of your role in the upcoming House Party remake Is there anything you can tell us about the film?
Rotimi: We really can't speak much about it. What I will say is that it's a group of hungry young actors who really want to show that they're talented in the comedy space. We know there’s a lot to live up to with the original House Party, which is a classic, so we give it our all. We pushed each other. We challenged each other’s funnybone and really made an awesome project. Being a part of a classic franchise is really a blessing.
BET.com: What's next on your agenda?
Rotimi: We’re planning the All or Nothing tour. It will begin in January 2022 and take us across the country and overseas. Also, my fiancée and I have been getting into business ventures and getting into real estate and buying properties. But right now, I’m enjoying being a father. I love being home. Getting to know him is a beautiful thing
Check out Rotimi’s latest musical adventure, the All or Nothing deluxe album on Apple Music, Spotify and other streaming platforms
