Helen Paul reveals she voiced the iconic “Uncle, please tell us a story” line on P-Square’s hit, and never got paid for it.
Millions of Nigerians know the line by heart: “Uncle, please tell us a story.” It’s the opening moment of one of P-Square’s biggest hits, a sound stuck in the memory of an entire generation.
But almost nobody knew who was actually behind that voice. Now, comedian and actress Helen Paul has finally cleared it up, and the story behind it is far more layered than anyone expected.
Long before she became a household name, Helen Paul was earning ₦9,500 a month as a receptionist at a recording studio. One day, P-Square came in to record, expecting real children to voice certain parts of the song. When those plans fell through, someone suggested Helen step in.
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She didn’t hesitate, even after being told there wasn’t much money attached. Using her natural gift for mimicking children’s voices, she recorded the now-famous intro, along with several “Thank you” responses, switching her tone each time so it sounded like a full group of kids.
At the time, Helen says she didn’t even know who P-Square was, let alone that they’d become one of Africa’s biggest music acts. When the song blew up, she didn’t know voice work could be credited or negotiated. “I didn’t fight for it,” she admitted. “I’m quiet about myself.”
Her break eventually came through an unrelated opportunity, filling in for a child who missed a commercial recording due to exams. That single gig opened the floodgates.
Comedian AY brought her contracts to sign, and soon her income shifted dramatically: from ₦9,500 a month to cheques worth ₦400,000–₦450,000 monthly by 2014 and 2015.
Even then, she says she stayed grounded, tucking away her earnings and still relying on others for feeding money, unused to handling that kind of wealth.
Helen Paul isn’t accusing P-Square of exploitation. But her story is a quiet reminder of how many creative professionals shaped Nigeria’s biggest cultural moments without recognition or pay, long before the industry had structures to protect them.
