Entertainment

An interview with fast-rising Nigerian music producer YO X

Published

Monday, 5 May 2025, 9:30 am

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An interview with fast-rising Nigerian music producer YO X, Two years later, YO X has his name tag on era-defining hit songs of Shallipopi and Rema. For the young producer, it’s a pleasure to work with these stars as these are the heights he hopes to reach in his journey of writing his name in Nigerian music folklore.

Like many musicians and producers in Nigerian music, YO X’s first professional interaction with music came in the church where he played the piano and rose to the position of Music Director.

Producers generally have a distinctive feature that makes their work instantly recognisable. YO X has his too, and he tells me it’s the way he heavily rolls out the drums.

“What stands out about me are my log drums and percussion. They are always heavy,” YO X says on his definitive feature that is extensively showcased in his work with an artist like Shallipopi whose log drum-heavy records rocketed him to commercial success.

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YO X is among a crop of producers shining at the commercial height of Nigerian music. Unlike the generation of producers before him, matters of remuneration and credit have become an essential part of the job.

Matters of split sheet and royalties can get complicated especially when some people feel the need to differentiate between the contributions of multiple producers on a particular song. To avoid such situations, YO X tells me he lets his representative handle the business side while he focuses on the creative aspect. He also pointed out that a producer’s contribution no matter how small on a song, entitles the producer to equal recognition.

“A producer is a producer irrespective of what he added. If I add something the initial producer didn’t think of, then I deserve to get a plaque for the song”.

For a producer with a vast clientele, YO X’s versatility shines across genre lines. Working with different artists with their peculiar demands requires that he adequately interprets their vision, and for the fast-rising producer, this is the style he favours.

“Most of the artists I work with always share their vision with me or tell me the direction they want the beat to go.” He tells me that while he walks into every recording session with a hard drive filled with beats, YO X prefers making beats from scratch that are tailored to the needs of every artist.

“No. I’m not that kind of person. You will end up getting blocked,” YO X says about choosing not to overburden himself with being a perfectionist. “I just take time off and play my PS5,” he adds on how he recharges whenever he feels a mental fatigue.

I asked YO X which producer(s)’s work he admiresd and possibly drawsew some inspiration from. He says that honour exclusively belongs to Nigerian multi-talented producer Pheelz.

“I have been listening to Pheelz before he became an artist and I love his work,” he says. When I pressed for his favourite producers, he named London, P.Priime, Magicsticks, and Jay Synth.

“I don’t have any plans to switch but I have plans to put out music. I have a project coming up next year.”

On which artist he would like to work with, YO X makes a surprising pick of American artist 4Batz.

“I love his voice and I think it will do crazy on Afrobeats,” he says on why he wishes to collaborate with the singer.

On which producer he would love to collaborate with, YO X chooses American superstar producer Metro Boomin whom he considers one of the greatest.

With the sentiments of gatekeeping Afrobeats being echoed in some quarters, I asked YO X what his sentiments are on producing an Afrobeats song for a foreign artist and he tells me he’s not picking sides.

“I wouldn’t pick sides. I am open to working with everyone,” he says. “At the end of the day, we took some of their sounds and infused them. So they too can infuse some of our sound and I will always stand out because I am a Nigerian and they can’t make our sound more than us,” he adds.

Nearly four years into his professional career, YO X has faced and navigated several challenges — one of which was getting a personal studio which he recently set up and credits for enhancing his creativity.

So far in his career, YO X has made a name for himself as one of the most sought-after producers of his generation. Having worked with stars like Rema and Shallipopi, he has dreams of getting to the top.

“I want to climb every mountain,” he tells me about his ambition.

“For the work I am putting in, I see myself getting a Grammy next year,” he says confidently.

On what to expect on his upcoming project, YO X has one-word: “Bangers!”.

That’s all he wants listeners to expect when they hear his tag.

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Entertainment

Lil Kesh opens up about mental health struggles, dealing with ADHD

Published

19 minutes ago

May 5, 2025

Julie

Nigerian rapper Lil Kesh has opened up about his struggles with mental health, revealing that he has self-diagnosed ADHD and deals with anxiety.

During a recent interview on The Esther Show, the artiste shared that while he doesn’t like to label himself, he’s long battled symptoms beyond what most people casually call “a little hyper.”

“I diagnosed myself, but trust me, I know,” he said. “Everyone has a little of it in them, but it becomes a problem when it turns into a disorder. I’ve had my fair share since I was a child.”

Lil Kesh also discussed how lack of emotional clarity can trigger his anxiety but emphasised that once he understands what he’s dealing with, “the problem is half solved.”

Dealing with things, anything can cause anxiety. But I believe that lack of clarity can cause anxiety for me. Once I know what I’m dealing with or what type of emotions I’m dealing with , then my problem is half solved and the anxiety goes away.

Despite his openness, he noted that he’s never done therapy because of trust issues and what he sees as substandard mental health support in Nigeria. “When I needed it the most, I wasn’t privileged to get it,” he said.

The rapper also used the opportunity to reflect on Nigeria’s wider systemic issues, particularly governance and infrastructure.

“Change in Nigeria is going to take years; it’s not happening anytime soon,” he said, urging citizens to temper expectations and continue pushing for progress.

The earlier we make peace with that, the better for us because the change we seek is big going to happen anytime soon. It could happen over time, but no be tomorrow. Nigerians are trying their best, we’re trying now.

"The change we are looking for is not going to happen anytime soon…"
– Lil Kesh pic.twitter.com/L1M27L9KVD
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) May 4, 2025

He contrasted this with the UK, where he feels the people have far more power and structure.

On the roads in Nigeria, everyone is mad. It’s lawless. Here in the UK, there are speed limits, restrictions… things work.

ALSO READ: How to know you have ADHD as an adult

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Entertainment

'Phyno is the greatest Nigerian rapper' – Erigga

Published

3 hours ago

May 5, 2025

Julie

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Nigerian rapper Erigga has named Phyno as the greatest Nigerian rapper of all time, citing his ability to stay relevant through different eras.

Erigga made his opinion known about Phyno during a recent interview with Echoo Room.

The rapper spoke about his recent hit single with Phyno, ‘Up Iweka’, saying it was a product of a long-term conversation between them.

He said, “I have always wanted to do a song with Phyno. We have always had that conversation.

ALSO READ: Celebrating 10 years of Olamide & Phyno ‘2 Kings’ [Afrobeats Throwback]

“Whenever I told him of my intention, he would always say it was left to me.

“When I want to make an album, it is always a problem trying to look out for features because I am not that guy that just puts everybody on a song. Sometimes, the collaboration won’t come out when the energies don’t match.

“I look at Phyno as someone who has been in the game and lived through different times.

“He is the GOAT. Phyno is the greatest Nigerian rapper because he lived those times, and he is still relevant.”

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Meanwhile, rapper and activist Falz has opened up about why, unlike most of his colleagues, he consistently uses his music to address societal issues.

Revealing his reason, the 34-year-old rapper noted that his artistry is deeply influenced by his environment, making it impossible for him to stay silent on social issues.

Born Folarin Falana, Falz has established himself as a household name in Nigerian music since his career began in 2009.

ALSO READ: Rapper Maxino taps Vector, Odumodublvck, Erigga for ‘Rich & Wacko’ EP

He is widely known for making songs that are often targeted at addressing bad governance and societal ills.

In July 2024, the rapper revealed that Fela Kuti, Plantashun Boiz, and Trybesmen influenced him to do socially conscious music.

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Entertainment

'Free my guy' – Davido demands release of VeryDarkMan

Published

12 hours ago

May 4, 2025

Julie

Nigerian singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has taken to social media to call for the release of online activist Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan.

The activist’s arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday had caused an uproar on the Nigerian online space, with mixed reactions from netizens.

With the EFCC still largely silent on the details of the arrest, Davido has intervened, calling for the activist’s release.

In a post on X, Davido hailed VeryDarkMan’s positive impact on the lives of common Nigerians despite the hostilities he’s been facing from authorities.

ALSO READ: I no send anybody papa – VeryDarkMan reacts to arrest warrant against him

The ‘Unavailable’ singer pointed out the outpouring of support the activist has received since his arrest, saying the trend is encouraging him to do more for the masses.

He wrote, “Outside all the noise it’s good to see that the good one does actually impacts lives and Pple actually appreciate! The support I’m seeing for VDM everywhere is encouraging.. makes one want to do more for the masses ❤️ FREE MY GUY”

Like Davido, Nigerian singer and saxophonist Seun Kuti had earlier commented on VeryDarkMan’s arrest, hinting that the activist’s current predicament may be linked to his criticism of the Nigerian church.

Seun asserted that his position originates from a conversation with the TikToker’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju.

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He wrote, “VDM’s lawyer is my lawyer, and we’re currently entangled in a case with GTB and other banks.There’s no bank in Nigeria that’s a good bank.”

Furthermore, Seun Kuti explained that VeryDarkMan is being persecuted by the Christian body in Nigeria because of his criticism of them.

ALSO READ: Social media activist, VeryDarkMa,n arrested by police in Abuja bank

He said, “As Federal government is running our country, all these big pastors dey run Nigeria. The people of God are the ones fighting VDM for speaking the truth.”