Nigerian singers have gone global, but what constitutes a good song? What factors contribute to a song’s success? Is it the music’s beat? Or the song’s lyrical content? Or maybe it’s simply luck, but whatever your theory is, it doesn’t change the reality that music producers are really essential when it comes to creating music; after all, without a beat, there wouldn’t be a song, right?
To be honest, most music producers are not as well-known as the artists for whom they make songs; instead, they labor behind the scenes, with the exception of a handful who have successfully converted into musicians.
In the Nigerian music business, producers are unsung heroes. These musicians have championed sounds that have received worldwide acclaim thanks to their delicacy and originality. Producers have pushed the limit in recent years, producing sounds that transcend continents with minimum resources.
Adding to their aesthetic identity and now pursuing what they are entitled to, Nigerian producers are creating a sound identity to represent their inventiveness in a song. “Legend o!” exclaims Dunnie. Telz’s “Funkula” and London’s “London” are two of the most widely regarded works right now.
TELZ:
Ali ‘Telz’ Odunayo has been producing beats since he was a kid in church. Burna Boy is striving for the peak of the Nigerian music industry, with production credits on five songs from his Grammy-winning album Twice As Tall. When he met Burna Boy for the first time, one of the first albums he sampled was “Naughty by Nature.” Patoranking’s “Abule,” in which Telz unleashes an eargasmic combination of Afrobeats and reggae, cemented his place in mainstream culture. The producer is now signed to Spaceship Records, which is run by Burna Boy.
Willis give dem is a Nigerian music producer who rose to prominence during his undergraduate years. After declining a job offer from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2018, a chance encounter with Falz resulted in the songs “Sweet Boy” and “Talk.” The producer, who is now on his own, is responsible for the amapiano-infused “Highway” and “Squander,” two of Nigeria’s biggest singles. Yung Willis has been sighted in the studio with Wizkid, Patoranking, and Niniola as he prepares for his first album.
Dunnie is a trailblazer in the Nigerian music scene, not just as a female producer but also as a singer-producer who has found the ideal balance. Her track “Overdose” featuring Oxlade, which she produced for Sean Tizzle, Becca, and included in Busiswa’s album, showcases her versatility. Dunnie, a graduate of the Sarz Academy, has collaborated with major companies such as Ciroc, Maggi, and, most recently, Oppo (with Mayorkun) to produce captivating soundtracks. Dunnie is putting the finishing touches on her upcoming debut album while working on a record with Wande Coal.
Kehinde ‘Louddaa’
Kehinde ‘Louddaa’ Alabi was exposed to the Nigerian music world after his work on Ayra Starr’s first album, where he helmed the production credit with three singles, including Away. Louddaa, who started as Mavin’s studio engineer, has built enough chemistry with the singer, according to Don Jazzy, to design one of Nigeria’s most critically praised projects in 2021 thus far.
London turned to music producing after a succession of failed efforts at university. The producer relocated to Lagos from Kaduna, Northern Nigeria, where he learned the ropes from Babyfresh, a Mavin in-house producer. With chart-topping singles like Crayon’s So Fine, Tiwa Savage’s “Koroba,” which was included in the remake of Coming to America, Rema’s Ginger Me, Johnny Drille’s “Mystery Girl,” and Wizkid’s “Gyrate” off the singer’s highly praised album, London has proved to be a force. Lagos is where it all began.
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