Category: Interviews
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Building the Blueprint: How Solomon Sonaiya Is Creating Infrastructure for Africa’s Music Future
In 2006, long before the world knew what Afrobeats would become, one music executive made a decision that seemed radical: leave a thriving career in the United States, working with major international artists, to return to Nigeria and bet on a raw, unformed sound that “didn’t carry any prestige.” Nearly two decades later, that gamble…
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Nu Baby Is A Sweetie Pie Who Makes Sweet Music
After years of creating music just because other people thought he was good at it, Nu Baby is finally ready to step into his own as an artist. Fresh off the release of his single Kalorie and a move back home from Canada that felt necessary for his artistic evolution, Nu is figuring out precision,…
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Jiire Smith Is Proof That Nigerian Music Doesn’t Have A Template
Jiire Smith is one of those artists you feel you understand almost perfectly after just one conversation. Maybe it’s the way he talks about Asa with the same tenderness he brings to his lyrics, or the intentionality that comes from someone who started as a poet long before a producer. Though he’s studying in Abu…
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Meet Nino, The DJ Blending Amapiano, AfroHouse & Afrobeats Into His Own Lagos Sound
In Lagos’ ever-evolving nightlife, where sounds shift and blend faster than weekend plans, few DJs have managed to find balance like Nino. He’s calm on stage, yet his sets command the dancefloor with an energy that feels both intentional and alive. Known for seamlessly fusing Amapiano, Afrobeats, Afro House, and 3 Step, Nino represents a…
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Meet TØDI OJ: He’s Here To Stay.
Sometimes, it’s necessary to reinvent yourself privately and reintroduce yourself publicly. That’s something TØDI OJ has learnt and implemented. Now, the artist formerly known as Pricelessay wants you to meet him where he’s at, and would like you to come along on his journey into the future. He spoke with us about his sound, his…
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Protek Illasheva: Faith and the Future of Afro-Gospel
In the rapidly evolving landscape of African gospel music, few artists embody the intersection of deep spiritual conviction and contemporary sound quite like Protek Illasheva. A leading voice in the Afro-Gospel movement, Protek has spent years crafting music that embodies both authentic worship and sonic innovation. This conversation reveals an artist shaped by profound loss…
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Riick is Making Music For His Sanity, and Yours Too
Riick pulls you straight into the depths of his world with his debut single, Sanity. The Benue-born artist, who states that his hometown only added to his pain, blends Afrobeats melodies of struggle and survival. It’s a bold first impression: a song about mental health, pain, and the relentless search for peace in a country…
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Maka & Phlow: A Decade of Chemistry and Creativity
In the current Nigerian music landscape, which is so dominated by Afrobeats’ commercial machinery, two artists have spent the last ten years carving out space for something different. Maka (a former lawyer turned genre-bending singer who leads the band One Band Like That) and Phlow (the first Nigerian female MC featured in The Source magazine…
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Mádé Kuti on ‘Where Does Happiness Come From’ and What He Discovered
Mádé Kuti might be only thirty years old, but that doesn’t mean he’s new to the game. He has almost as many years of musical experience as he does of life, having picked up the saxophone at the tender age of five. For most people, such an early start might be unfathomable, but perhaps not…
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Meet Ifedola Ogundipe, The Creative Force Behind Falz’s “The Feast”
Ifedola Ogundipe is a different kind of artist: one who helps others build structure behind their art. Working as a multidisciplinary creative director and A&R, he has a track record of shaping some of Nigeria’s most compelling music projects. Most recently, he spearheaded the creative direction and A&R for Falz’s sixth studio album, ‘The Feast’,…