Nigerian singer Ric Hassani shares the pivotal moment he decided to leave his banking job to pursue music, following an unexpected breakout hit

Ric Hassani music career began with a bold decision: leaving a stable job at a top Nigerian bank.

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The Nigerian singer recently opened up about this pivotal moment during an interview on the CreativiTea podcast.

Hassani explained that while breaking into the music industry presented significant challenges, he did not hesitate to make the switch once his big break materialized.

He faced considerable difficulties gaining traction in the music scene.

Hassani explained that he experienced rejections primarily because his distinct sound did not align with what the industry typically considered commercially viable at the time.

“When I first came to Lagos, nobody wanted to sign me because I came to Lagos with a different type of sound,” he recalled.

However, his unexpected big break arrived after his song was featured in a proposal video posted on a popular wedding blog.

He revealed that his song, rather than the wedding proposal itself, captured the attention of netizens. Many comments flooded in, asking whose song played in the background.

The buzz generated by the video led to an invitation for Hassani to perform at a show.

This development ultimately turned things around for him musically.

He added that the payment he received from that single show exceeded his monthly salary as a bank staff member.

This financial incentive propelled him to resign from his banking job and fully dedicate himself to music.

Hassani recounted the specific incident: “Somebody was getting married on BellanaijaSo they posted the proposal video, and then my song was in the background.Normally, when they post a proposal video, the comments are always about the couple. But this time, everybody was like, ‘What song is that?’ So they called me for a show, and this was more than my salary. So I left Access Bank. I said, I’m not doing it again.”

Since his breakout, Hassani has firmly established himself as one of Nigeria’s premier vocalists.

His unique talent has earned him numerous awards and nominations.

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He received nominations in three categories at the 2016 All Africa Music Awards. Additionally, he garnered two nominations at the 2016 Headies Awards, including Best Alternative Song for his track ‘Gentleman.’