Patoranking sit with Playbak Magazine

Host : I'm your host Liz and we are tuned into Playbak Magazine. I am here with Mr. Patrick Okorie.

Patoranking: #Whayasay

Host: Best known as Patoranking, the Nigerian reggae-dancehall artist.

Host: Brother, you are here today and you just tore down the house, how are you feeling?

Patoranking: I feel, I feel very very good, I fell so happy about it. You know this moment is blessed. Um, I remember when I did a song, Alubarika like I never had a Visa, I never had a passport, but you know um thank God I am here right now performing. You know, those were the words I proclaimed, those are the things I wanted to happen and um I'm very it happened so it's like a dream come true.

Host: Awesome, beautiful! You just tore it down now by playing that "My Woman, My Everything", where did you get the reggae inspiration from?

Patoranking: Well you know I was born in the ghetto and the only song I was opportuned to listen to in the ghetto was reggae; and in Nigeria there's a sound, it's like um step-child of dancehall, made in Nigeria, it's called "Galala". You know for those that know "galala”, um, it's a fusion of reggae, those were the kinds of sounds I was opportuned to listen too and the love grew up from there.

Host: Beautiful, even on notjustok.com, My Woman, My Everything was rated one of the top 10 best songs, how do you feel about that man?

Patoranking: Um, well I will say big up my fans for giving me something to sing about, and you know um being supportive of my career. You know there are a lot of talented artists out there but you know they love Pato and Pato loves them as well.

Host: So also, right, I know that you have this new project coming underway do you want to talk about it for a little bit for the people?

Patoranking: For now the project we have in stock is Patoranking is in the United States touring, so we just tour, tour in the sense "t-o-r-e", we just tore New York apart and the next stop is Boston, so if your boyfriend name is Austin and he lives in Houston tell him to come to Boston this weekend! It's gonna be mad! You know madness, pure madness! Um for now that is what we're doing, we're here to promote ourselves in the states, relate with my fans, you know and make them family because I have, all my fans are my family, you know for the first meeting they're my fans and we turn family. So that's what we're trying to do.

Host: I see that while you were in states too, you ran into Fat Joe...

Patoranking: Oh yeah, yeah I met at the airport. Cool guy! I learned a lot of things from him today and you know, cool.

Host: Ok, maybe a little future collaboration with Fat Joe?

Patoranking: Um you never can tell, I know he followed me on Instagram and I did as well. You know just like the Warri people say, "na from clap you dey enter dance".

Host: African entertainment has really been emerging, it's booming; how do you see it making it’s platform here in America?

Patoranking: This is huge man, this is huge! You know for the fact that even the Americans are able to connect to our sound, our music it's, it's huge. Not just we having the mindset that we have to try to emulate their culture, we just have to grab their culture. You know I think it's a big one for us, you know you see in American movies they talk about Afrobeat and stuff, they use our songs for soundtracks... it's an epic opportunity for us, not just we, for those coming. I know the next generation are gonna reap bountifully out of it. So it's a welcomed one!

Host: And you just did a song with Di'ja?

Patoranking: Oh yeah, *sings chorus from song*... yeah Di'ja, wonderful act.

Host: How did you guys cross paths?

Patoranking: We were having a photoshoot for a magazine and the manager just played the sound for me and was like "Pato, I want you on the sound". I was like oh really? Cool! You know I like the sound and they mailed it to me, I went through it, I went to the studio rock on it that was it!

Host: Since you're touring in America, do you think you're going to be collaborating with any American artists?

Patoranking: Yo, for now, um, you never can tell. Like I said earlier on, you know "na from clap, dem dey enter dance" like the Warri people do say. If there is an opportunity for me to do that, definitely I will, you know but um collaborating with an American artist right now is not my major priority. You know, I want to get acquainted to my African family out here. You know I want to be able to build a relationship with them you know and that's what we're doing!