Singer Ric Hassani shares his perspective on why gospel musicians transition to secular music, arguing it’s primarily about finding personal fulfillment and genuine artistic expression, not just financial gain, as he discusses his own journey
[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igerian singer Ric Hassani has offered his unique perspective on why gospel musicians often transition into secular music.
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Speaking with HipTV Trending, Hassani opined that the shift isn’t primarily driven by financial gain but rather by artists seeking personal fulfillment in their craft and pursuing their true calling.
He believes that gospel music requires a specific gift of ministration, a spiritual aptitude not everyone possesses. Hassani recounted his own experience of starting out in church music, only to realize it wasn’t his authentic path.
Hassani emphasized that creatives are fundamentally driven by a deep desire for artistic expression and personal fulfillment, rather than solely by financial reward.
He pointed out that even hugely successful artists like Wizkid and Davido, who have amassed immense wealth, continue to create music because of the inherent satisfaction it brings them.
Finding Your True Calling
Hassani noted that everyone has their unique talents and callings, and it’s essential for artists to pursue their genuine passions.
In his view, artists like CeCe Winansand Whitney Houston possess distinct gifts that enable them to effectively communicate spiritual messages through music.
Though Hassani identifies as a strong Christian, he feels his purpose is to impact the world through a different kind of music.
He believes he’s meant to reach a wider audience with his sound, rather than strictly through gospel ministrations like Frank Edwards or Mercy Chinwo.
He openly admitted, “If I enter church music now, I fit no bang. It’s not my thing.”
Ultimately, he encourages artists to follow their true callings and find profound fulfillment in their creative work, regardless of genre.
He summarized his thoughts: “Gospel is beyond singing. You have to be blessed to be able to interpret God’s words through music.
For example, there is no way a Katty Perry would communicate God’s words through music the way CeCe Winans does.
People leaving gospel music for secular music is not about money. Creatives or people who blessed with these gifts like money, everybody likes money. But the real fulfillment is being able to do it and exist doing it.
I feel like CeCe is blessed with being able to communicate the Holy Spirit through music.
Whitney Houston is blessed in a different way.
“So, I don’t feel this idea of everybody must be in church. Some of us were made for the world. I also have Christian songs. I’m a very strong Christian. In all my albums, there is at least one gospel song. But that’s not really my calling.
I meant to impact the world in a different way, with a different kind of music.
I’m not going to do it the way Frank Edwards or Mercy Chinwo is going to do it.
If I enter church music now, I fit no bang. It’s not my thing.
“People leaving gospel music for secular music is not about money. Creatives or people who blessed with these gifts like money, everybody likes money.
But the real fulfillment is being able to do it and exist doing it.
Even the Wizkids, the Burnas that have all the money in the world… If it was really about money, then Davido has no business doing anything because he has all the money he would ever need.
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“So, it’s not really about money. The kind of satisfaction that comes from being able to think of an idea of thing and put it on the record and create music is beyond money. It’s bigger than any satisfaction money can give you”.
Ibrahim Onipede is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
