Kiddwaya is more than just the son of Nigerian business mogul Terry Waya. He has been carving out his own lane from appearing on the reality series Big Brother Naija to partnering with Cîroc Vodka to create and promote different branded cocktails while amassing over a million followers on Instagram. Currently, Kiddwaya is appearing on a new reality series London Lit, which is being presented by discovery+. The series features an all-Black, all British-West African cast following their lives and careers in London. Kiddwaya spoke to The Quintessential Gentleman about the series, his Cîroc partnership and more.
In going from Big Brother Naija to London Lit and reflecting on challenges you faced in being involved in reality tv, can you talk about the change in your thought process going into London Lit?
There was absolutely no change to my thought process. These two projects weren’t a game to me, they were real life. Kidd’s life and everybody else was just living in it. No matter what obstacles were thrown at me, I dealt with it the same way I would deal with it if the cameras were off. It’s easier said than done but in life, you always must stay true to yourself and for the people who know me personally, that is something they can attest to.
In London Lit, you discuss your father and trying to have a bond, and the unique position of being the son of a billionaire. Can you speak on building your own name and brand outside of your family’s legacy?
24 months later, millions of fans and multiple global endorsements. I think I can say I have created my own legacy outside my family’s name. But really that’s a question for the people. I’m just focused on me, myself, and I, right now.
On Instagram in a few posts, it’s tagged as a partnership with Cîroc Vodka and also in London Lit, it shows you creating your KiddontheRocks cocktail. What did you discover about Cîroc and specifically their branding and marketing that surprised you? Also what are you doing currently to help your drink and the Cîroc brand reach new demographics?
Cîroc was actually the first brand deal I got. It was November, two months after Big Brother was when I signed the deal. Cîroc was my alter ego back when I left the house; the bold colours, the explosion of flavours, and slick branding. It represented who I was all those years ago and that’s why I decided to create a cocktail and partner with them, which by the way is a smash hit with the ladies. The impact it has had on the brand has been great. I managed to create a story behind the different flavours. Blue Dot was my wife, my true love. Orange and red were my fun girlfriends and friends with benefits. Black Dot was my London girl! The one that gets me into trouble. I created an alter ego for all the flavours and my fans absolutely loved it! So, when they drink Cîroc they are not only having a beverage but they are experiencing a story. One of Kidd’s many personalities. Though my relationship with Cîroc was amazing, I decided not to rekindle our love story because I wanted my brand to go in a new direction and that goes for my cocktails….. stay tuned for my next announcement on this.
What do you think are some key locations, companies, and/or partnership opportunities within London that aspiring entrepreneurs should keep an eye out for especially in the alcoholic beverage industry?
The alcohol industry is booming! Especially tequila, which has completely taken over the market! The Rock’s Teremana and George Clooney’s Casamigos are just two examples of how well consumers have received these beverages. However, I wouldn’t recommend these to young entrepreneurs as the start-up costs are too high. I recommend investing in yourself, learning how to create content, create websites, branding, acting classes then make these into videos then sit back and let people come to you. I know it sounds crazy but that’s the truth. Invest in yourself and let things happen naturally.
Can you discuss developing the concept of your new Mission Impossible: Agent Kidd Youtube video? If you could partake in another mission in addition to the one presented in your video what type of mission would it be?
I’m a big fan of the James Bond films and it’s always been every lad’s dream to recreate some of the scenes in the movie and luckily for me, my publicist knows someone who knows someone that knows someone. In short, there’s actually a company that creates special James bond ops tailored to your needs all across the globe. You can legit go around shooting guns and driving tanks. Depending on which country you are in. The mission I did was a little more classic, I went for sniper training in the cold mountains of Scotland followed by some camouflage techniques and sniper observation training then a 3-course meal and cocktails. Of course, I had a martini stirred, not shaken. If I was to do another mission it would probably be in a country where the firearm rules are a little more relaxed. I see myself standing on top of a tank screaming “you have nowhere to hide Mr. Ragnar,” Rambo style.
Can you talk about your experience when you decided to do a Ted Talk?
When I got the call for a Ted Talk, I was ecstatic. Personally, I thought it was a bit early in my career, but I couldn’t say no to such an opportunity. I feel like what me and my fans have been through in the last couple years, post-Big Brother, we just have so much to talk about. I’ve also been through a lot of personal experiences that I feel the world needs to know. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the event in person, so I decided to film the video at home and send it across and it turned out great. The most challenging part for me was how to get my story across to the audience. How to be honest with not only myself but to them. It took a lot of takes partly because I wasn’t open with myself about my trauma. Not because I was afraid, but because I didn’t know how to. I didn’t know what I was going through was even traumatic because to me it just seemed normal at the time, it took me a while before we got that final take. I had to really sit back and evaluate my life from 6 years old to now. Turns out it was traumatic but I just didn’t realize until someone told me.
From social media, you seem like a very busy man. How do you stay focused and, what are some of your tactics as an entrepreneur and artist that you use to balance your mental health?
What keeps me focused? I love the person I have become; I love what I do. I love to create. The keyword is LOVE. When you learn how to love then you learn how to be focused. As for my entrepreneur side, what works for me is that I focus on what I’m good at and that’s consultancy. I’m exceptional at 4 things when it comes to consultancy. 1) creative, 2) networking 3) business 4) strategy. My company will be launching this year and I’m excited to share this new journey with you all. As for my mental health, what helped me a lot was to first recognize that I had mental health issues and then to seek help. I’ve had a lot of dark days but one thing I’ve always believed in is myself and the ability to see the light at the end of every tunnel. So, if you are going through mental illness then definitely seek help but most importantly you have to BELIEVE that the light at the end of the tunnel is coming.
London Lit can currently be streamed on discovery +. Check out the series’ official trailer below.
