* Who is Mac Roc?
My name is Efeoghene MacDonald Idu. I am a Music Producer, Computer Scientist, occasional Actor, Consultant, Model, Musician... (laughs). I'm actually a whole lot of things, but for now, I do music as a major. My music go way back 2002 when i started learning how to play the piano. I'm a Pianist before a Music Producer. My music production is just a branch off from my piano life.
* Has music always been your passion?
Yeah...! It's been a passion and that's why I'm still in it. It's something I wake up every morning and I just want to do. I don't see my self living happily without doing music. So it's just a very strong passion for me.
I started my school in Lagos, where I did my kindergarten and then I moved to Yola. I did part of my primary school in Yola before my family relocated to Benin, where I completed my primary, secondary and tertiary institution. I attended Benson Idahosa University where I studied Computer Science. NYSC (National Youth Service Corp) brought me to Abuja in 2010 and since after then, I've taken up different professional courses pertaining to my fields.
* How has the music journey been for you since then?
It's been awesome! I've just seen myself as a very special child, enjoying special favours. I hear people say how they've had to hustle for donkey's years and all that, but I've not really had to struggle like that. I've been doing music production professionally since 2012. It was at that time I got my first internship at a studio. It's been a great experience so far.
* What projects have you worked on?
I'm not the regular producer that just stick to the studio. I do a lot of work on my own. I do a lot of covers. That's one way I've been able to gain grounds a bit in music, within Africa. I do covers for popular songs. I just remix them on my own, after taking permission from the artistes. I've done covers for Mavin Records' Godwin (Don Jazzy acknowledged it), Timi Dakolo's Wish Me Well and a lot of others. I do collaborations where I get to feature artistes on my stuffs. All these are part of the projects I do together with my commercial works. I just call it the triple C. That is the 'commercials', the 'covers' and the 'collaborations'. They are what make up my projects. Even though I've done quite a number of high profile jobs, I'm not so crazy about high profile names/works. I believe the underground artistes are the future of tomorrow, so it's always important to associate and work with
them. I'm more concerned about the quality of my work.
It entails a lot. Most often, people think that beats making is music production, which is very wrong. We seem to have more beats makers than music producers. Music production entails arrangement, lyrics assessment, composition, mixing, recording, beats making, mastering, etc. Music production is the whole package in one, and with it you can do commercials, movie scores and a lot of other things. It's just like you building a house and beats making is only just plastering the house. That's to tell you that someone has come to dig the foundation, someone has painted, fixed doors... and the rest. So beats making is just a fragment of music production. There are people who just major in beats production, but that doesn't mean it covers for music production. Being a music producer you must actually be, if not pro, then semi-pro at a particular musical instrument. At the least one instrument.
* Do you have any upcoming project?
Yes I do. 2017 by God's grace, I should compile a long over due cover album. It's going to be a collection of contemporary Nigerian classics. It's going to contain yankee fusion, foreign rock, teckno fusion, ballads, etc. It will be about 8 to 10 songs. There'd be an online release before the hard copy.
* Tell us about your personality
Urrrmm...okay! I'm easy going oh. My perspective to life is not a 'do or die affair'. I'm always happy. Anyone that has done something with me will actually testify that I'm always happy.
(Laughs) I'm a human being na! But I've trained myself to always be happy even when things are not going well. So, that's just my person.
* Are there music producers that you'd love to work with?
Yes! Cobhams has always had my admiration, right from my early days as a keyboardist. I even daydream working with him. He's one of the very few good music producers we have. I really can't remember some other names I'd have love to mention, but Cobhams is top on my list.
* Would you be like one of those Abuja exports that will be leaving us soon or you're here to stay? Hmmm... here to stay?
Exports actually sounds better. I know where my market is and where my strength lies. For now I'm just refining and developing myself. But eventually, like you said, I'll be one of Abuja exports to the world.
* Give us some juicy gist, is there a special someone?
(Smiles) Right now, there's no special someone. I get this question a lot. Last week was my birthday and a lot of people kept asking where's 'the one'? I don't have one yet. I'm not a normal guy and we have a lot of normal ladies out there. So I'm still searching and digging everywhere for the right one.
* Who's your celebrity crush?
Tiwa Savage!!! I've crushed on Tiwa for a very long time now. There was a time I was hustling to do one song with Tiwa. I kept sending emails of my work to her. At the end of the day, I just told myself Tiwa is a human being, I'm also a human being. She's good, I'm good. One day, we'll eventually meet and we'll probably have a joke about it. I actually don't believe in hustling too much for connect. So, yeah, Tiwa has had my heart for a while now.
Right now, when it comes to your worth, people want to undermine or underpay you for your worth, and it's a major problem. Artistes that want to record songs are always looking for help and slashed prices. It's really not my fault if you can't pay for my services.
* What does the public not know about you?
I'm a shy person. People can't really tell because outside I'm very outgoing and outspoken. Also I'm good at encouraging people a lot and you'd think I have enough of it, but sometimes I need to get encouragement from others. I really don't have people I can tell things to. I end up encouraging myself. There was a time I lost my studio. I was really devastated and depressed but most people didn't know. I was still very radiant and normal out there, but the situation really got to me. I got out of it eventually.
* Who's your ideal woman?
My ideal woman is someone that's very understanding. The life of artistes in what ever capacity, is quite different from the norm. When people are closing from their jobs, that's when we have to go perform at an event. You get more attention than usual from fans especially the ladies, and so, a woman who can understand the demands and nature of the job is ideal. She should at least have a little idea of what I do. She should be interested in what I do, to a very large extent. So my ideal woman basically, should be understanding, strong, interested and supportive of my work. My critic and number one fan.
* What kind of woman would you go for in terms of physique?
I used to be crazy about the physique 'thingy' before now. But that changed after I dated a girl who didn't have as much physique as I wanted, but tuned out to be the best I've had so far. Right now, its not so much of the physique, but the quality of the woman in terms of content and value. There are a lot of well-shaped ladies, but most of them are very very empty inside.
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