Singer Reveals How Bracket Coped With Cancer Trauma

Vast, one-half of the pop duo Bracket in a recent interview with Not Just Ok has recounted his ordeal with cancer. He also recollected how Bracket was able to release new songs during this time. In February, 2013 Vast was diagnosed with cancer of the blood.

A year after the diagnosis Vast is now cancer free, and now talks about how the ailment began."I was diagnosed in Nigeria, but before then I was sick but I was still going for shows, Cupid Stories album was on point and was everywhere, we went for a tour in Australia in January 2013 and we came back in the first week of February and I was down, I couldn’t even move, they told me it was cancer and they referred me to London and we went to London. Nazy (Our manager), said people were still calling and wondering where we were and we had dropped ‘Temperature’ and people were wondering when we would release a video for it. By that time I was already on the 4th Chemotherapy circle out of 8, so I told Nazy I had the strength to appear in a video in London. We had to bring Clarence Peters to London and we shot the video, and put it out immediately it was ready. So, people didn’t really know that something was going on. But, I stayed almost a year and people didn’t hear from us but that video helped a lot" he recollects.

Vast also revealed that while in the hospital undergoing treatment, he was constantly writing music. "Experience can motivate you to write songs, if you’re in shock. if you’re in pain etc. If you’re happy you can also write but when you’re in a bad mood you write more songs. Yes, I was writing when I was in the hospital, I couldn’t wait until I got back to Nigeria before I picked up writing music. That’s how we got “Mama Africa”. When I got back to Nigeria, Smash (My music partner), played “International Baby” for me and we recorded it together with “Mama Africa”. Smash, Jay Stuntz and Flavour already made ‘Tonight’, so I just needed to do my verse. For Nana, we called Masterkraft and asked him if he had anything for us he said he didn’t and i tried a melody and he made the beat and the rest is history" he says.

Due to the forced break, Bracket had to come out stronger after Vast was treated successfully. When he came back to Nigeria, the pop duo released 'International Baby', 'Mama Africa', 'Tonight' featuring Flavour and 'Nana'. Bracket is working on its next album and is planning to work with Tiwa Savage, Davido, and P Square.