SPOTLIGHT: Ibquake, the voice amplifying spoken word poetry

Ibukunoluwa Ajagbe, popularly known as Ibquake, is a talented spoken word artiste who has been making waves in the literary scene. With her unique blend of storytelling, rhythmic language, and compelling voice, she has carved out a distinct space for herself. In this interview with TheCable Lifestyle, the Nigerian lady delves into her art, creative process, and passion for words.

TheCable: Can you share a bit about your upbringing and how it shaped your perspective as a spoken word artist?

Ibquake: I grew up in a closely knitted family, covered by love. One of the things about me is that I learn by experience, experience is a teacher for me. So growing up, I experienced easy and tough moments but overall we had love. It just built me into who I am now. Would I trade it for anything? Maybe yes or no but this is my reality. So I think because of how I grew up, I’m able to see people better and live a good life for myself and I would rather not be in other shoes but mine.

TheCable: Did you have any pivotal experience during your childhood that led you to pursue spoken word artistry as a career?

Ibquake: I do not think I had any experience that made me choose spoken word poetry as a career. You know how life has what is called divine alignment, that was just it for me. My church used to offer a spoken word class every Saturday for about 3 months and I decided to join. From there, my mentor told me to take it seriously so I went to competitions, birthday parties, and dinners. So I grew little by little.

TheCable: You participated in the De9jaSpirit Talent Hunt some years ago. How did the experience on the show impact you as an artist?

Ibquake: The competition was an avenue for me to grow. It challenged me a lot because I was not just competing with spoken word poets, I was competing with other amazing talents. It just took me outside of my box and pushed me. The show also took me to the outside world and showed me to people who didn’t know about spoken word poetry and people who knew but did not have someone to look at as a template. It gave me a lot of visibility and brand equity.

TheCable Lifestyle: The spoken word is not typically viewed as a lucrative career, how have you been sustaining yourself?

Ibquake: I have been doing spoken word poetry for about 10 years now and I think one thing I have been able to achieve is brand positioning. Creating an avenue for myself to be accessible to different industries like banking and entertainment where my skill is useful which I think people need to do. If you have built yourself so much and become so good, they will be willing to pay as you value yourself or whatever you negotiate with them. I think letting consistency play its part, building yourself, and growing in that art is what is needed. I believe there is a lot of income in the spoken word, there needs to be growth and brand positioning.

TheCable Lifestyle: How do you prepare for your performance, especially those that require emotional and spiritual depth?

Ibquake: For some I pray, and others, I just rehearse and get ready. I also think my words express themselves when I just come on stage. It is almost like I’m unable to express anything aside from the words I am saying. For instance, if I am talking about the boy child, what comes is compassion for the boy child because of the words that carry it. I think people should do things out of sincerity and depth of who they are.

TheCable Lifestyle: Have you ever had a time when you felt flustered or anxious on stage?

Ibquake: I do not usually get flustered, anxiety just play a little role before I step on stage sometimes. One of those times would be the experience Lagos last year where I ministered. Before I stepped on stage, I was feeling anxious and nervous but immediately I started, I completely forgot about it. Over the years, I have built confidence that just helps me be myself and be present in the moment knowing what I’m there to do.

TheCable Lifestyle: What has been your most memorable performance and embarrassing moment?

Ibquake: My most memorable performance would have to be the Experience 2023 and my most embarrassing moment would be a performance where I forgot most of my lines but I was able to cover for it. Nobody knows the lines like I do so people didn’t know I forgot because I was able to improvise.

TheCable Lifestyle: What challenges have you faced as a spoken word artist, and how have you overcome them?

Ibquake: One of the challenges I have faced is people disregarding the effort and excellence I put into my work. People making statements like ‘why am I charging this price? Is it not just talk I’m talking’ and I think it is very demeaning and dismissive of the time, years I have invested into my craft. Another challenge is managing people’s emotions. Having to talk to clients, and make sure they are okay. Writing is also one of the challenges I face even though it is what I am meant to be doing. Imagine having jobs every week and having to write different pieces for each and the clients always want something peculiar to their events which can be very tasking to the mind.

TheCable Lifestyle: In a field where many poets prioritize mainstream appeal, what drives you to create a niche along gospel-themed works?

Ibquake: The core of who I am is a child of God so everything I do is an expression of who I am. So, because I love God and I’m a child of God, I would talk about God. Because I am passionate about words, I would talk about topical issues like Nigeria, the boy child, girl child, women; all of my contents are clean. I would be robbing myself if I was not showing up as who I truly am. If I tell myself I would not do gospel because it would not sell, I never started spoken word because of the money honestly so I think I should hold that integrity and be true to who I am regardless of what people think.

TheCable Lifestyle: What should we expect from you in the near future?

Ibquake: I recently released a spoken word piece titled ‘For Your Ears Only’ and I’m also working on a project called ‘Rebirth’. It is basically a very short story about my journey but it is not just peculiar to me alone, it is a journey everyone would be able to relate to. I am definitely looking forward to that.

TheCable Lifestyle: Where do you see the spoken word industry heading and how do you plan to contribute to its evolution?

Ibquake: The spoken word is becoming more mainstream. We are seeing a lot of poets, they are being vocal about what they do. My part to play is creating a community for creatives generally but because I am a spoken word poet, it gives room for more spoken word poets to shine. Mentoring as well, I think I might be doing that sometime next year.