121 SELAH

When God says, "Sela," you know it's time to pause, listen, and witness something deeper. Some journeys can't be explained; they can only be experienced. For over a decade, they've walked a path not defined by trends but by something deeper. Set apart, creative, unmistakably unique. This is the phenomenal story of the trailblazing 121 Sela. This is more than music, more than a group. This is a calling. And now the story is finally told. Welcome to Stories with Apostle Femi Lazarus.

Hey guys, I want to specially, um, welcome you for an amazing— and I know this is different, you've seen stuff— an amazing episode of Stories we're having today. And, um, Femi Lazarus. I don't even know how to describe it. Just for context, this wasn't planned. I just sensed by the Spirit that this is something God has in his mind before the foundations of the world. And today I have an amazing— I don't want to call him an amazing mind, that will be quite belittling. Femi Lazarus. This man has been used of God to pioneer what I believe is one of the most impactful music groups in Nigeria and blessing the world at large. I have personally been blessed by their works, and I've watched in amazement the mind, the creativity the excellence behind what they do. And this resonates so much with me because I believe that as we approach the coming of Jesus, we must begin to see different aspects of the church. The Bible calls it the multifaceted wisdom of God in these days and time. And as you know, when we see people who embodies that creativity plus priesthood, And that's something really amazing to see. And I have today in the studio P.D. Wilson. So good to have you here. Thank you so much.

Apostle, I'm deeply honored.

Nice to have you.

I have no words.

Thank you. Amazing. Amazing. And I want to thank you for what you are doing and what your entire team, what they are doing. 121 Cellar.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Glory to God for everything he's done in the last 12 years.

Wow.

How long we've been together? March 17th, 2013 was when we started.

2013?

Yes.

The first time I heard about you guys was when you were having a competition or something like that in South Africa.

South Africa. We represented Nigeria in South Africa for this Pan-African competition. Yeah, you know, there were 5 countries. Yes. Zimbabwe, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, South South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria.

And Nigeria.

Yes.

And you guys came second?

Yes.

In the competition?

Yes, sir.

Wow, that's, that's amazing. So first and foremost, I, I've seen your works, your songs, and I must confess that you guys are a blessing, probably more than you can ever imagine.

Thank you.

And, um, You know, I want to ask, what's the story behind the scene? What necessitated the formation of 121Cellar?

I will try to keep it brief. Yes, it's a very, very long story. But I remember very vividly in 2008 that I became dissatisfied. I was born to an apostle, a very powerful man of God, which, yeah, he's my dad, but I mean, to a very large extent, I have been able to, under his shadow, see a version of God that he doesn't even know he was mirroring that to us. He's a clergyman, he's preaching everywhere, he's astute, he's radical. That's what my dad is, a very radical man of God. He's a king's evangelist in Shagamu, Ogun State, Remo as a whole. My dad has been able to, uh, because he's become the, the focal point, he's become the, the window, the portal through which anybody who wants to have any access to the kings here would have to come through him. And that's because every single day he has fellowship with them. And he says, outside of pulpit ministry, I want to be impactful in culture.

Wow.

I want to be able to speak to the kings and influence their decisions. In fact, eradicate idolatry in this entire space, from the Akaribo of Remoland all the way down to every Bale in every city. 42 kings, fellowship with them every day.

What?

Every day. Then once a year, he does what he calls Obas Day in Remoland. It's a concert whose attendees are kings.

Wow.

Yeah, and so he speaks to them every day. He brings clergymen, kings to speak to these people. And so I'm just watching this man, I'm like, there is church, but there is society.

There's this also.

And so on living under that kind of a home, I just began to wonder what I would call ministry, what I will call the work of God, what I will call. Yeah, so I remember then That's when the whole thing started. And in 2012 in particular, I was very— I felt strong to just gather a team of people. I love music. I'm a musician. I'm a creative. I'm a creative through and through. And I love choir. And so I just thought, okay, fine, I am going to put these guys together, and I am, based on the, the, the, the, the, the, the strong instructions in my heart, to teach. I'm primarily a trainer, actually. I'm gonna teach them art and teach them truth and find a way to combine these two forces together to create the most impactful structure that could communicate the essence, the purpose, and the centrality of Christ to my generation. But not only in the sense that it only gives us information about who God is and about our Christian walk, but much more gives us the superior wisdom that will help us to deal in life and basically be victorious in our space. So, and that's basically what started this whole thing. Then I was in school, I attended Funab, Abeokuta, and then so I had some friends that we would meet and basically, um, we just talk about the scriptures and then we talk about music. I would again, we talk about scriptures, I would talk about music, and then I would go back home to Shagamu. At that time I had moved, I was born in Badagry but I had moved to Shagamu to join my dad who started a church in Shagamu in 2003. Well, you know, I finished secondary school in Badagry rather And so, um, then I met some friends also in Shagamu, and the friends I met in Shagamu went to school. Someone went to Ife, someone went to, um, to UI, someone went to UNILAG. I met other friends, and they would always tell their friends about this guy who teaches us Bible and music, Bible and music.

First and foremost, were you born with a silver spoon?

No, I wasn't born with a silver spoon, especially if you, um, realize that my dad was a full-time minister. In Shagamu.

Shagamu of all places.

Yeah, of all places.

So yes, look at your output.

Yes, sir.

In 121 Sela.

Yes, sir.

One of the most fascinating thing about the group is that you've been able to create a blend that you are— when you listen to the songs, you are juicing different flavors.

Yes, sir.

The excellence, the priesthood— we're going to get to the issue of priesthood.

Yes, sir.

One thing also is that you've been able to create a blend that doesn't look so Nigerian. Was that deliberate?

Ah, deliberate, I don't know. But the Bible says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. There are many things that I got to do, not like I wanted to do. It just so happened that based on a long series of wiring— I remember very vividly, I was living with my uncle from 2021— 20— so from 2001 to 2007. And so first off, um, of course I didn't have any devices to play music with, so I was literally subject to his musical taste. And so my uncle would play music like, um, Arun Aishola, you know. I kind of figured he'll play Arun Aishola, he'll play Yinka Ifele, he'll play this kind of people. And so I'm musically talented, I got to realize eventually. But then what I realized that my musical talent did was take whatever it was that was music, that whether I loved it or not, but it made sense to me. So I understood by this objection, what exactly was going on in the songs. And so every single time new songs are brought into the house, I just processed them differently. So my auntie, one day— his— my auntie is my dad's younger sister that got married to him, so he became my uncle by in-laws. Yeah, whatever that is. So she brought in Hillsong and Westlife. Now, very funny combination at the same time, for like very strange combination. So I listened to Westlife, I listened to to Hillsong, and that kind of like opened another vista of a new, um, niche of music. Exactly. And so I hope I, I was able to then function in that also. So now I know Aaron Ishola's music, I know Yeka Ifele, I know Hillsong, I know Westlife. Then I get to school and my friends introduced me to Kirk Franklin and to all these people. And so with every passing addition, with every addition to my musical catalog, yes, I realized that I was actually creating. So I think 10 years down the line, I realized I could actually speak the language of music in every genre. Or in every style that I really wanted to speak, um, speak it with. And then, okay, I have a truth, I have a message, I have a mission. And so when I sit down to create music, I just realize that all of these different parts just keep coming in, and I'm like the guy who just wants to pick, okay, what do I need from here? Okay, this line of African percussion, or that vocal technique from Kirk, or this classical harmony, or this one. So I just find myself in that space where I'm a chooser, I'm a curator, I'm a potter. I have all of these different things. And so eventually when the music comes out, I don't even know sometimes.

What's the most dominant activity going on in your mind every time?

Music. It's just music. It's just me. It's just the possibilities of music, the possibilities of harmony. I hate convention. I love when things— I mean, our God is so diverse, is so diverse. And so every single time I sit down to create music, the options are endless, endless, endless possibilities.

So internally you're always creating?

Yes, sir. Always, always, always creating. Always looking for the best way to combine this.

How did you gather such men?

Majority of them were trained to become the men they are today.

No way!

It was my mandate to I wasn't— go ahead.

You discipled them?

Yes, majority of them. A lot of other people added to the list. When I moved to Lagos in 2016, I met amazing guys. I met Pakele, I met Femi, I met Midele, I met Mayo, and a couple of other amazing guys who were already like doing well musically. I mean, vocally they were very astute and strong, but then The ones who were with me in Shagamu— because let me just give a brief story. So between 2013 that we started and 2016 that I moved to Lagos, what we had was time. I was in school and I have— I had all of these friends. And so, and I always had to go back to Shagamu every weekend because of my dad's church. So whenever I go back to Shagamu every weekend Um, I would have time with these people in Shagamu to teach music and to teach Bible. But when the family got bigger, having— they would evangelize to their— to all other friends. We decided to start what we call retreats. So every month from 2013 to 2016, we would have 4 days where all of those people gather in Shagamu, and we would basically just of course, have that time to teach ourselves the scriptures and to teach ourselves music. And so we did it 4 days every month from January, February, March, the entire year 2013, 2014, same thing. I was— wow, yes, I was in fact serving in Jigawa in 2014, and then, well, I would always use my 14K allowance to come all the way down to Shagamu for these meetings. Well, so I'd say One-to-One Cellar is a product of that very radical immersive workshopping of people, training, building capacity in them. And they would all travel down with their money, all of them. So we're not even thinking, oh, we want to be artists. We just love the idea that we can become people who are able to use God's resources, maximize it, and with the mission and the truth in our hearts do good work with it, whatever that would eventually turn out to be. So, um, I'd say that really was what galvanized the kinds of people that I have now. Then many other people came into the system. We do it till today, actually, but not as intense as 4 days. So, um, when I moved to Lagos, we're doing twice a week, Mondays and Fridays, 6 hours.

So you're in Lagos now?

I'm in Lagos now. So what we do in Lagos now is one day, because my people have become so big, they're celebrities now. So, but Unfailingly every Wednesday everybody must gather between 10 and 4 PM for the same thing. We train, we sing, whether or not we are—

Unfailingly every Wednesday?

Every Wednesday.

Every week?

Every week.

You guys still gather?

10 to 4 to train, to read.

What do you mean by 10 to 4?

That's the time, 10 AM to 4 PM.

To train?

To train, yes.

Musically?

Musically, biblically, culturally. Philosophically, everything that, that we know we need.

You have Bible study?

2-3 hours compulsory. They know, they know it's a thing, you know. We listen to messages twice a year. We have retreats at Redemption Camp, um, that's, um, from in January and in July, you know, where we just had to pray for 4 days straight.

What's your biggest worry about your group?

Survival, especially considering the fact that, um, the model that I'm running with is not, uh, there's no a particular blueprint for it. So it's tough many times to get people to focus on something that they may not necessarily see how it would translate to their finances. And so I know for a fact that the immediate need many times shadows the ultimate. And so it's really been tough. People have come, people have gone, people have misunderstood me many times. It's been tough as a leader, um, having to stand in between the vision and the need of the people. You know, especially the immediate one. Speaking of money, um, I, I don't not like— I do not not like money, but the mission has always been the, the bigger priority for me. And I have made mistakes in the past, having to sometimes not be as objective about the reality, you know, while just going with radical passion for Jesus. You know, I've hurt people as a leader, and I've had to learn over and over again that, okay, there can be a delicate balance— maybe not balance, but just attention on things that have to do with creation and material. And, um, but I think for me, my own biggest challenge has been I don't want this thing to then color and, and, and, and toxify what we have as our pure mission to really impact souls. And, you know, saturate their minds with Christ and his principles. It's a saturation mission that we are on, you know. Fill— Bible says until the earth is filled.

So for everyone in your team, yes, sir, this is ministry.

It is ministry. They know it is ministry. I do not fail to say it. I am not trying to get you to become the biggest stars on earth. I want you to know music is a means to Christ's end. And if you, if you know it well enough the theory of it, the application of it, you really don't know what the weapon you have in your hands to be able to saturate the minds of people with Christ. Yes, they know it's ministry.

My biggest fear in— there's been attempts at these models in the past. What if you have a case where someone becomes announced and feels that I'm too big for this group?

If it does happen that way, sir, to be honest, beyond just being a corporate entity, I have also in my mind registered that I'm also dealing with a collective of individuals.

Individuals, yes.

And so my mission is not necessarily to make only the corporate entity become a thing in the sense that they are known for the mission, also individuals. That's, that's, and so that has happened about thrice now.

That's a, that's quite a risky vision. It is, but it's the best way to go.

I agree.

I believe that the No genuine kingdom leader should keep people down because of defeat.

I agree, sir.

Or should use smallness as a way to achieve loyalty. Oh, you know, so I just must say that you have your mind in the right place.

Thank you, sir.

Just that it comes at a cost.

Yes, sir.

Um, there's a question I've been wanting to ask you.

Please, sir.

You know, um, for how long do you think this can survive?

I don't know. All I have is today and tomorrow, if God gives me life next tomorrow.

Are you scared when you think about questions like this?

I am very scared, but at the same time, I thank God for my pastor, Dr. Lide Odesote, who has stood by me and will help.

You have a pastor?

I do have a pastor.

You have a local assembly?

Yes, I'm a leader in my local assembly. I've been there since 2008.

In that same church?

In the same church in Shagamu. Started in Shagamu, then we had a daughter assembly in Lagos.

So people in your team too have their churches?

Oh yes, they do.

And their pastors?

Oh yes, they do. Everybody— you cannot be in my group if these systems are not in place. It would be counterproductive for me.

The question on my mind is, who is this guy? I, I, I, you know, my questions can be quite—

no problems, I do my best—

brutally honest. Yes, in the sense that because I'm a leader, yes, and I always remind myself, yes, I don't want a system where the gap between me and my people in terms of success is wide.

Mm. Profound.

And as God closes that gap, it is also important that people know that the door is open if anyone has something that God wants them to do.

Wow.

Now, such thinking comes at a cost, but it is important that you've paid the price in your mind.

Wow.

So that if anything happens, you are in the right place.

Yes, sir.

And relationship can be kept. And one of the things I'm discovering about One to One Cellar is that for you, this is not just a gathering of artists, it's not just, um, a ministry, it's a family.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Oh, it is a family. Oh, it is a family. We've grown over the years to to see the end of the gospel. Thank God I was talking about my pastor and how he's helped me define what outcomes are. So when I say survival, um, my mind frame and my value system for defining that is completely different. And that's another challenge, because as a leader, if I tell you that I have arrived, my members sometimes could be wondering, what does arrive mean? Like, I'm here. We released the demo last year, September, and one lady commented on our YouTube and said, I've been having this cough with my husband for a long while. The day I listened to them was when the issue ended.

Oh wow!

I said, that's the destination.

Is that not amazing?

I said, that's— we don't have money in our accounts. No, we're broke right now. We're all broke. But that, that's it right there.

What do you mean you're broke?

We're not— let me speak it.

How do you fund those excellent videos? Ah, sir, and the production of the songs?

Improvisations. Um, using the little to achieve the much. I remember very vividly after I released Shoemaker. God has really helped me over the years. He knows that, um the— it's almost like people like myself are naturally disadvantaged because we're not pro-money, if you get what I mean. Pro-Vesco.

I don't want to go there. Any task to music, Nigeria, church, money— I kind of don't just want to go there. But I get what you're saying. Reality, it's— I get it.

If you're really going to be very missional, you must be ready to die. He must be ready.

Is that the mind you work with?

Yes, it is. If it comes, okay. But I mean, we can't serve God and mammon. It's just the truth. But God is the God of money in the sense—

he actually— one of the things I've been trying to get people to understand is that One, we need loads of resources.

Loads.

To do what you're doing. Loads of it. I know if you get 500 million now, you know what to do with it.

I do. It's done. It's finished.

It's finished already. And that's exactly what provision is.

Yes.

It is provided for a vision.

Yes, sir.

You know, I believe that Number one, God doesn't owe people. One of the things I learned early in ministry is that God's work done in God's way will never lack God's provision. It is not enough that it is His work.

Yes, sir.

It is important that it is done in His way.

That's right.

You know, so it doesn't lack God's provision. But I must tell you I mean, it's, it's amazing that you're saying what you're saying, and that also shows us the quality of the people.

Yes, sir.

That you're working with, and the quality of person that you are. You've— have you found yourself in cases where you have to use personal money to fund these things?

That's the only case.

Oh wow.

Till today.

Amazing.

Thank God for my beautiful wife, who also is a member of the team, who—

oh wow, yes, let's give her a big hand.

I love you, Mo. Yes, I mean, having to be a member of the team, as, as a— she's a member of the leadership. She handles the marketing, the strategy, content direction, and everything.

Wow.

So she knows that we need money, but then we have two kids and there's money in our account. We operate a joint account. And so anytime I say we need to fund that, she knows that there's no garri at all, there's no rice at all, and she goes, that's more important, let's go.

Are you serious?

So her understanding, her partnership with the Lord's work, her benevolence to just—

what does it take? Let's say, for instance, permit me, if you don't feel confident answering this question, you don't have to answer. Look at a song like Shoemaker.

Yes, sir.

What does it take to produce such song? From— just give me an average figure— from studio, the singing, harmonization, mixing and mastering, then to video production.

The production cost me about $1,500. The video cost me £2,000. That's, that's about 4 or 5— 4, I don't know, but But you get it, £2,000, one for one, five. Yeah. Then, and that's even minus the fact that, okay, it's not like I paid my people because it's— we are the artists.

How many are you?

16. 12 singers and 4 band members. So by the time I look at the cost of the studio, because all of that— Emeka Emile is the producer. He's, um, very beautiful. I think he's the voice of the future. And so he's expensive. Even the 1.5 I said, it's because of partnership.

Yes. So then £2,000, the quality of camera that you use.

Oh yes, sir. La Vic Slim Showroom were the guys who— in fact, the £2,000 was just gear rentals. I didn't particularly pay them, they partnered with me. Gear rentals, location scouting, costuming. I did all the costuming myself. I know my my way around Lagos and know where to get this stuff. And so it's very capital intensive what we do, very extremely capital intensive. Excellence is expensive. We cannot, um, um, you cannot divide it any further.

If someone tells you now—

Yes, sir.

121 the seller.

Yes, sir.

Seen your works online.

Yes, sir.

We want to give you a million dollars.

Yes, sir.

But take Jesus out of your songs, what will you do?

Can I be very honest? The conversation of taking Jesus out of song is complex. It's not a one road, it's not a one-way street.

Yes.

The first time we heard the name Jesus was in the New Testament. There's been 4,000 years of Jesus without mention.

Yes.

From Genesis all the way down to—

Yes.

So the question is, what do you mean mean by taking Jesus out of my song? So I have a perspective that figures of speech, for instance, him, his, her, you, can have a frame of reference.

Yes.

And we can decide for what we need to do to be all things to all men, to decide to use pronouns instead of the actual name.

Yes.

So my, my explanation of my definition of taking Jesus out of song is not in the very—

it's not like an outright, outright use of the name, the gospel Now, so you know why I asked the question?

Yes, sir.

Um, there's something you guys do.

Yes, sir. You will—

you probably would have been basking in the melody of the song before you know what is happening to you, and you're like, Shoemaker, what are you talking about?

Yes, yes.

Because I believe the direction of that is about fixing your life. So you probably will stumble.

Yes.

Into that and you just, oh, enjoying it, enjoying it, enjoying it. Then before you know it, a seed is sown in your spirit. So, um, so I, and you know, and I'll be, I'll be very honest with you. I've hosted Gaise Baba, talked about, um, um, what in the world is Afro gospel I've had that conversation. Yeah, even though it was a conversation where I just wanted to hear from him.

Yes, sir.

I've heard about the concept. I understand that, um, there is more to God than just a particular genre of music.

Correct, sir.

I believe in diversity. I believe in creativity.

Yes, sir.

And that's why the things that you guys do resonate. So now, in respect to the pronouns, him, direction of the song and all that, someone say, you know what, take off the direction. Um, anything directed to him. Don't just do it, just come into neutrality, just be neutral. Think about nature, think about all those stuffs. And then $1 million, what will you do?

Again, first of all, the answer is no.

Yes.

And the answer is no on the basis of what this guy knows that I'm saying, because we could be saying the same thing. You could say, speak about nature, Romans 1:20. All things, like the Bible says, the invisible things of God, even if it's eternal power and Godhead, are revealed by things that are made.

That are made, yes.

Right, in my mind, so if you tell me to think about nature, you know what to direct it to. I know it's exactly Psalm 19, Psalm 24, do you understand? So I can— he is the creator of the earth. He's not only the creator, he's the blueprint of the earth. He's literally the one who, if anybody believes in Big Bang Theory, Jesus boom, big banged into creation. The Bible says be wise as a serpent, be gentle as a dove. Of— he's the all-wise. Wisdom was trapped in serpent. Gentleness was trapped in everything. The lion, bravery, that's Christ. Colossians 1:16, for by him all things were made, and I mean for him, and things in heaven, things on earth, things under the earth. He is literally— is the center of redemption, the center of the gospel, center of, center of heaven, is the center of creation, the center of, of the scriptures. He's everything. And so when somebody says take Jesus out, you can't take Jesus out. Out. You really can't. Technically speaking, you can't take Jesus out of anything. The conversation is hard, but if this is— if this person realizes that I know what I'm saying and he says, I'm saying take that one out, of course we know we can't even get into the conversation. So first of all, I will probe and probe and probe and probe up until the point where you realize this guy is not budging. And in fact, if possible, you won't even be able to last the conversation because you would realize that there is no way. Your breath— the Bible says he sustains all things by the words of his power. Yeah, bro, God sustains you. This Jesus that you take— if you, if you take it, you can't take him out. You are the one that goes, he remains. Like, so when I see music, I see music as a tool to by all means necessary reveal to everyone that Jesus is everything. He is culture, He is family, He is marriage, He is leadership, He is— name it. You talk about intimacy, people talk about, uh, why, why is divorce a bad thing? Because Trinity exists in eternal relationship, and He's saying, in the beginning it was not so. I didn't create this thing to end, right? And so yes, as much as I understand living in an imperfect world, like I was maybe at the extreme situation, some things might be necessary. But I'm saying Jesus is basically telling us that that there is no Earth. Nothing was made— that nothing that was made was made without him.

Was not anything.

Anything at all. So you can't take him out.

Even the reasoning, the mind, the intelligence of the atheist.

Oh yes, sir.

Um, he can reason because he gave me some mind.

Yes, sir. So he can believe there's no God. He can believe there's no God because belief was created. Belief.

To even believe there is no God is a sign that you have faith in God. Let me explain what that means. You have two hands.

Yes, sir.

Do you believe you don't have four hands? You know you don't have four hands. If you believe that you don't have four hands, yes, sir, then something is wrong with your knowledge.

That's true.

So if someone— you don't— if you tell me you believe there's no God, yes, sir, I look at you because that tells me fundamentally you know that there's God. So you are just trying to engineer yourself to deny what is obvious, you know. So probably because of my— I mean, it's absurd for anyone to conclude that there is such a thing as a Big Bang theory. I mean, the bang, the explosion that created the beautiful oceans, that created the trees, The beds up there, that created you and I. What an amazing explosion. We've had bomb blasts in Iraq, we've had bomb blasts in Iran, we've had bomb blasts in Ukraine. This has not produced anything good. We are the workmanship of this. We are, we are, we are, we are. Look at what Psalm 100 says, it is he who has made us and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pastor. And apart from singing, you're so sound. You are a priest and a teacher that is now singing doctrines.

Yes.

And you are very intentional about what you're doing, and you are also patient.

Wow.

There is music, there is 121 Seller, Yes. You're creating your own niche.

Yes, sir.

It doesn't make sense in a world that is used to speed.

Wow.

It takes someone who has seen something beyond the immediate to go your route because it comes at a cost. Let me tell you what God taught me about visibility. One time I needed to— someone recommended a man and sent me a video about a man of God, and I wanted more, and I was searching everywhere. I couldn't get his videos, and finally I got one. And God said to me, if you focus on the substance, you'll be sought for.

Wow.

Just did something in my mind. Wow. I believe in visibility. I believe that— I don't believe in false humility, and I don't believe in— I believe God wants our light to so shine, you know. But at the same time, I'm willing to stay in my niche and stay with my conviction about what God wants me to do. I'm ready to sacrifice anything else for that. Wow, you know, when I look at 121Selah, and like I said, I didn't even know you're behind that. I mean, I saw people who are redefining, moving from the norm, and that's very, very impressive.

Thank you, sir.

Do you think at some point things will change financially for the team?

It is happening. I thank God for— God has been so kind to us, sir. Um, the tenacity that the grace for tenacity is given to me as a leader and to my people, um, to continue to just produce value. Yeah, beginning to speak for us in certain places beyond even the church.

Do you have like partners?

Not yet, but in the financial sense, in the financial sense. But all these years, I mean, we had an entire massive headline event in Port Harcourt, thanks to a very beautiful lady. Her name is Eviu, who introduced me to Femi Victor Kibo.

Oh, God bless them.

God bless you. Thank you. She introduced me to Onye Obanatu, who is one of the leading event producers in Nigeria.

Amazing.

And then a couple of other people, based on that relationship, that decided— they saw the value and they said, oh, we could build something together with this. And they literally came in and they just just carried our mat on their heads, you know. And then so we, we've enjoyed such great—

and you are having a program? Yes, in Abuja. In Abuja, yes, on the 13th of September.

Yes, it's a continuation of the Finding Home Tour. Yes, Transcorp Hilton. Yes, same production company. So I mean, speaking of kind and services and that kind of partnership, we've had lots of people. Pastor Iren, he gave us that venue in Port Harcourt for 4 days.

Apostle Uren. That is, that's who he is. You know, sometimes I go online and I don't care whether people say good things about other men of God. I don't care. I go online and I just hear him talking. I'm like, who is this guy? He's my friend.

Wow.

But I don't let familiarity set in. I don't get familiar with him.

Wow.

It was hear him talk.

Wow.

When our ministry started, we wanted to do things differently, so we used to sit down on the decorations of CCI to look at what they're doing, like, oh my God, these guys are so creative.

He's something else.

No, he's something else. So now that we are friends, yes, I still hold him with the same honor as I did in the days I was not close to him.

Wow.

So I just, I make sure I don't let— yeah, you know, yeah, it's my brother, we love each other, but hey, I recognize there's something here. So I want to thank him for— thank you so much.

He said, PD, this is your story, take it into theater, take it to theater. In fact, he publicly—

would you guys produce like a music movie?

Oh yes, soon. Oh, very— so I have a story that I've been working on for 14 years. Ah, yes, I can show you this once you're ready.

Please let us know, let us know.

Yes, it's called Stars. Stars? Yes. Wow. And basically in Stars I embedded every musical artillery that I could that can just make people see Christ at the center of everything. Wow. Yeah.

Have you seen this program called Preachers of LA?

Yes, Dedric Adams.

Tough conversations there. Do you see yourself as one who is going beyond music now into conversations?

Yes.

Um, because you're more than yourself.

Yes. There's a, there's a platform that I, I've not launched it, but it's called Gravity.

And we need to hold him to that. Gravity.

So, and that's because, um, music is not sufficient. It doesn't have the wherewithal to, to say so much. We can only just bait people in, but then the real processing has to, has to be done in teaching, discipleship, and conversations.

Wow, come on, say that again.

Yes, sir.

So we use music to bring them in so they can be taught, discipled, yes, and raised.

Yes. So I mean, we must know that every music minister must have this dimension of their work. You can't just sing and and say you're doing ministry, nobody knows what you're saying. They don't even know your context because it can be generic.

They don't even know your context?

Yes. Wow. So I believe every one of us must preach, teach, answer questions, have conversations alongside our musical.

You may not know this, But your team, One to One Cellar, God has given you a name. People can, might be anointed and don't have a name. In the book of Genesis 1, from verse 26 to 28, let us make man after our image, let him have dominion over the fish of the sea. There are different levels of dominion, power, authority. Name. God has given him a name above every other name. He gave Abraham a name, gave Jacob a name. Name that has weight and power that resonates in kingdom sphere is a sign of priesthood.

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

So I just want to say that So that you know that whatever it is that is your vision, yes, when you started, you're touching it.

Thank you, sir. So encouraging.

I, I'm meeting you for the first time, but I've met one-to-one seller. So maybe because, like I said, myself and media. So, um, but you know, thank you, sir. Your work speaks the quality of men that you have, um, the quality of ministers that they are, the leadership, the way you've been able to gather these people, um all these years. And I know as every organization, there will be people who leave. We breathe in and breathe out. People go, people come. Some will misunderstand you, and, um, it happens everywhere. Um, but lastly, the program on September 13th in Abuja, um, who can attend?

Everyone. Everyone who is on a search for rediscovery, for belonging, for family, who's yearning to, to rediscover their identity.

Because now you're gonna have— how many people can the place sit?

1,500 stand. It's a standing concert. VIPs and VIPs would have chairs.

Yes, to sit on.

But then, um, we want 1,500 strong people to come and find home.

And so those of our people in Abuja, you listening to that, Thank you. So let's go worship God. I myself will check my calendar once I'm here, that day I'm gonna breeze in and then, you know, just enjoy seeing you guys doing what you do. I mean, like Apostle William will always say, I'm rooting for you guys, you know. Usually what we do is that once we see someone coming and then We check our calendar, we give our venue also so that people can use for their programs. Mosaiko is having a music video. Do you know Mosaiko?

He's my very good friend. We have a song together, they've not released it. Are you serious? We're in Abuja in 2023 for a worship live recording.

No wonder.

He's a good friend.

No wonder I had the connection. Because that's also a priest.

Such an amazing— oh God, the song is titled The Cross, My Daily Death.

Wow, the one we did together, that you did together. The first time I heard Moses Ako, where he ministered, yes, the mic was bad.

Wow.

So he couldn't really sing.

Wow.

But God told me, follow after him, make sure you get close to him, bring him closer. So, so I, I didn't even know his music before I invited him. I had not heard anything online. I just— that day it was bad, but God said— so it was when he came to minister in a church for the first time, I was seeing what was— I'm like, wait, who is this? 'Who is this guy?' And then since then he's been coming. I mean, I believe God is raising a new breed in the body of Christ.

I believe strongly, sir.

And, um, you, you may not know this, but you're in the forefront of something supernatural, something amazing. These are the things we're advocating for, that we can have a generation of people who are excellent in their music and have their local assemblies.

Yes, sir.

You know, and I must say this also, You go to Covenant Christian Center, you see gays there. And that's— I mean, I appreciate him for that. Um, a couple of other— I was with Moses Blissfield a while back, and he said something, and maybe people don't even know. I just say this. I said, he said, he said, I'm 100% in Christ Embassy. He goes to his church seat. I said, that's brilliant.

Wow.

Now, I, I don't want to get into— I don't know, whatever, but I'm just saying whichever place, people should be in their local assembly.

I agree, sir.

And I want to thank you for what you're doing.

Thank you, sir.

I want to thank you for the amazing stuff that you're doing. You may not know it, but some other generations coming will not have to struggle because you are already charting a course for them. And, um, it's so beautiful to see.

Thank you, sir.

And God bless you and the entire One to One Cellar.

Thank you so much.

In Jesus' name. And it's, it's so brilliant. People have learned so much about you, the behind the scenes, you understand. And thank you for not keeping quiet about some of the struggles and, you know, the challenges here and there. At least now we know, listen to music, we can also contact. How can we sponsored 2 music videos. I'm looking forward to that day. I will say, how can we sponsor 10? How many music videos do you plan to shoot in 2026? I'm paying for everything. So we're going to see that happen. Thank you so much. We want to thank everyone connecting with us on today's episode of Stories. I'm listening to the story of 121 Sela. So beautiful to see. And if you're in Abuja, I'm personally inviting you to come. Let's worship together with One to One Cellar, um, 13th of September, 2025.

This year, not next year.

Okay, tickets available at www.onetoneseller.com. You can get your tickets there. So, so you can just scan the barcode. We'll see you some other time. God bless you. Bye-bye. Today, right in front of us, we have yet another story, one that we will not forget in Irode.

And I told him I was pregnant. He say, ah, over his dead body, that I will suffer if I don't abort this pregnancy from me.

He started making advances on me, and then he told me no matter how I shout, nobody is going to hear The prostitutes you were carrying, were they not older than you? Some of them were, some of them were younger. I joined this clique where we were always going to the toilet to touch ourselves, and as a primary 6, we were eating with chairs.

I discovered something, you can actually buy safety with money.