Nollywood actor Francis Odega has revealed how his famous catchphrase “Gerara here” became a viral sensation and eventually earned him payment from Nigerian rapper Olamide.
Speaking during an appearance on the Where Is The Lie podcast, the actor explained that Olamide personally reached out to him before using his voice and popular lines in a song by Lil Kesh.
How Olamide sought permission
According to Odega, he was in South Africa at the time when he received a request from Olamide’s team asking for permission to use his voice in the track.
He said Olamide ensured he was properly compensated before the lines were used.
“Olamide called me and he paid me in dollars for him to use my voice and line ‘Gerara here’ and ‘You don’t know nothing’ in Lil Kesh’s song. Although at that time I was in South Africa, so they asked whether they could lift my voice and I said yes.”
Viral fame and global attention
Francis Odega explained that the catchphrase gained massive popularity online, attracting attention from both local and international celebrities.
He recalled that several people contacted him when the phrase started trending.
“Who no call me when ‘Gerara here’ was trending? Even Bracket ‘Yori Yori’. Even Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent reposted me.”
Opportunities that followed
The actor added that the viral moment opened several doors for him, including endorsement deals and advertising opportunities.
He revealed that he later became an ambassador for Etisalat for about three years and also travelled to South Africa for advertising campaigns with DStv.
According to him, the unexpected popularity of the catchphrase significantly boosted his career and brought him international recognition.
Watch the video below…
@firstmatemultimedia olamide called me. He paid me in dollars for him to use my voice in Lil-kesh’s song. 50 cent and snoop dogg reposted me – Francis odega #interview #nollywood #firstmatemultimedia #podcast #whereisthelie ♬ original sound – firstmatemultimedia
