Nollywood, the vibrant Nigerian film industry, has produced countless talented actors since its inception. However, some movie stars tried to expand their creative horizons by having music careers; which turned out to be failed missions.

Here are 10 Nollywood stars who once tried to have music careers.

Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD)

RMD has been notable in Nollywood since the late 80s. He has had his stint with politics too as an ex-commissioner for culture and tourism in Delta state. Before then, he was appointed as the special adviser to the then-Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2008 for a tenure that ended in 2009.

The acclaimed actor, who has won multiple awards for his film roles, released an album in 2008 titled ‘Amen’. Despite his star power, the album failed to make a significant impact and was largely panned by critics.

Genevieve Nnaji

Nnaji is an actress, producer and director. In 2004, she released her debut album titled ‘One Logologo Line’. The project produced a hit song ‘No More’, which got her fans grooving. That, however, was the only chance she got to impress her movie fans with her musical talents; as that aspect of her career fizzled into oblivion.

Jim Iyke

Another high-profile example is Jim Iyke. Born James Ikechukwu Esomugha, Iyke began acting in 1998 and has featured in hundreds of Nollywood movies. He is the founder of Untamed Records, his music label. Iyke’s genre of music is rap, and his debut album titled ‘Who Am I?’ featured some of Nigeria’s top artistes such as 2Baba and the late Sound Sultan. The project however received little commercial success and failed to establish him as a credible recording artiste.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde made her debut in the Nigerian film industry in 1995. The filmmaker began her music career in 2005 with the release of her album titled ‘Gba’. The project produced hit songs such as ‘Naija Lowa’ and ‘The Things You Do To Me’. Jalade-Ekeinde would later reveal that she still earns royalties in dollars from her songs, despite being inactive on the music scene for several years.

Nse Ikpe-Etim

Nse Ikpe-Etim’s foray into acting began at the University of Calabar, where she studied Theatre Arts. She is popular for her powerful performances in movies like ‘Reloaded’, Fifty’, and ‘Shanty Town’. In 2016, she released a single titled ‘Awww’. The song, which was meant to showcase her vocal abilities, was met with a lukewarm response from fans and music critics alike.

Tonto Dikeh

Tonto Dikeh made her music debut by releasing the singles ‘Hi’, ‘Itz Ova’ featuring Snypa, and ‘Crazically Fit’ featuring Terry G. In June 2014, D’banj signed the actress to DB Records. Just like her colleagues, Dikeh’s musical efforts were not well-received. Critics noted that her vocal abilities were not strong enough to compete with singers in Nigeria’s crowded music scene. The actress later announced her departure from the record label in March 2015.

Desmond Elliot

Desmond Elliot is a Nollywood actor, director, and politician. In addition to his successful acting career, Elliot has also attempted to venture into music. In 2011, he released a single titled ‘Omo Pasta’. The song, however, failed to gain much traction or critical acclaim.

Charles Okocha

Charles Okocha, who is fondly called Igwe 2Pac, has been featured in hundreds of Nollywood films. In 2019, he won the Vskit Voice Competition. Okocha recently released a single titled ‘We Asaaaaa’, a pronunciation for the word ‘We Outside’. The song follows his earlier single ‘Am O Shine’.

Dakore Egbuson-Akande

Dakore Egbuson-Akande is another acclaimed Nollywood actress who tried her hand at music. Akande demonstrated her singing prowess with a song titled ‘Don’t Make Me’. In 2009, the actress released ‘Dakorious’, her debut album. Akande worked with one of Nigeria’s best producers Cobhams Asuquo on the project. However, the project failed to make a significant impact. The actress’ foray into music was generally seen as an unsuccessful diversion from her acting career.

Stella Damasus

Stella Damasus’ first introduction into the Nigerian film industry was in 1992 when she starred in ‘Abused’. She later gained prominence after her second movie ‘Breaking Point’, which was produced by Emem Isong. The film star, however, started her career as a singer and worked as a studio session singer at Klink Studios in Lagos. Damasus was a member of the band Synergy, later renamed G-factor. The music band was founded by Jaiye Aboderin, her late husband. ‘Love Me Quick’ is one of her popular songs but Damasus’ fans seemed to prefer to see her on movies rather than stages.