Hi, I鈥檓 Lolade. I鈥檓 a writer, editor and musician. I鈥檓 reclusive and not good with conversations because I鈥檓 socially awkward. It’s getting better now, but there was a time when it felt like people were pinching me just by talking to me. I’d choose dark elements over joy and fun. I鈥檓 like Wednesday Addams; I鈥檝e loved her since I was a child. I love horror, but more than that, I love psycho-thrillers. I have a weird relationship with animal protein in the sense that I still eat it, but I don’t enjoy the taste or the thought that it was once alive. I鈥檓 vegan, but just lazy because it’s hard work. I was also a child genius.

Tell me about the child genius bit

I entered JSS 1 at age eight because I skipped four classes in primary school. I was good at school, so everybody assumed I鈥檇 study medicine. That must be where my social awkwardness came from. My classmates were years ahead of me, so I was always worried I鈥檇 say something stupid. I had a baby voice, and people always made sure to point that out. I was always hung up about whether what I鈥檓 about to say would make any sense. 

Just because I was smart, people were like, 鈥淵ou have to go to science class.鈥� But I’ve been artistic for as long as I can remember. I love to draw. As a child, I’d take all my picture storybooks, recreate them page by page and paste the pictures all over my room walls. Everyone just ignored that and said, 鈥淵ou鈥檒l sha still study medicine.鈥�

On school variety days, the social people would get to participate in dance and drama, but I had to do debates, spelling bees and math competitions. I’d win the competitions, fair, but I just wanted to dance, sing and do all those other things. But I’d always hear, 鈥淣o. That’s not you.鈥� I was sad and lonely because people had put me in a box, making me reluctant to be around others. 

Was your reluctance a growing-up thing, or did it stick with you?

By university, I鈥檇 gotten used to being the strange one. I just wanted to be on my own, so I鈥檇 destroy my friendships without knowing. I鈥檇 be friends with some people for several months, and then suddenly, I鈥檇 just start acting up. It was like an out-of-body experience. I鈥檇 start doing all sorts of stupid things, and before you know it, they can鈥檛 stand me. 

What did you study at uni?

Architecture, which is like medicine. You need to be passionate to study it, or you鈥檇 be sad. The late nights at the studio, drawing buildings from skeleton to roof 鈥� I still have chronic back pains from my years in architecture school. I hated it so much I had a panic attack in my first semester. Studying architecture is one of my biggest regrets in life. And to think my family thought it was a good compromise between medicine and visual art. I never practised architecture for one day.

How did you go from reclusive genius to architecture hater to musician? 

I鈥檝e always loved music. 

One of my biggest issues in life is how I鈥檓 good at and interested in too many things 鈥� drawing, storytelling, singing. When I graduated from university at 19, I didn鈥檛 know what I wanted to do with my life. But I鈥檝e always sung in church and school. I always joined the choir, but no one paid attention to me. Because of that, I believed my voice was average, so I even started singing off-key on purpose. No one knew I could sing in school, except my roommates. 

I didn鈥檛 know where to start with music until I went to Calabar for NYSC in 2016. I stayed at my mum鈥檚 friend鈥檚 house whose husband was a commissioner, and a lot of young people would just come over to hang out with them. One day, I met this woman who just opened a music school. She talked about her passion for music, and how she started as a dancer and had won several competitions. She was better at dancing, but she wanted to sing, so she started taking vocal classes. I was so excited by her story.

She gave me her number, I visited her school, and that was how I started taking vocal classes. In my very first class, she sat at her piano and just said, 鈥淪ing鈥�. I did. She was like, 鈥淲ow. See sweet voice oh.鈥� I was like, 鈥淥h, me?鈥� It was then I started to think I could actually be a professional singer. We were both dreamers. She made me feel like I could do the seemingly impossible things I dreamt of doing. 

I can鈥檛 put into words how I feel just listening to music or watching someone perform. It was refreshing to meet someone who understood that. She taught me how to exercise my voice, perform with it, make it convey emotion and pass a message. When I applied these techniques, I sounded almost like the great performers I admired.

Since you now know all the techniques, do great music performances still impress you? 

I won’t say I know all the techniques o. Learning never stops. But I criticise a lot more. Sometimes, I hear Mariah Carey sing, and I鈥檓 like, 鈥淭his woman is straining her voice here鈥�. But I don’t do that in public o. MC is a vocal goddess, please. But it鈥檚 also made music more achievable. The classic composers 鈥� Beethoven, Mozart, etc. 鈥� made great symphonies because they had all the time and support from the church and state, not some superior talent. 

What else do you do besides being a regular hater?

I hate on things for sport. Hating what most people like is training. If you can argue against what most people argue for, it would arm you with the skill to have an argument for anything at any given time and to get out of any situation. 

I鈥檓 also a good writer. But I . I鈥檝e been working on a book since 2016. I actually finished 500 pages of a first draft in 2019, but I’ve been rewriting it since then.

For what audience 鈥� millennials, young adults? Or is it for everyone?

It鈥檚 a family saga that cuts through five generations of women. So there鈥檚 a section that could be YA, but the book as a whole is an adult read. I want it to be a timeless piece. 

What happened after the singing lessons in Calabar? How did your music career kick-off?

I don鈥檛 think my music career has kicked off yet, TBH. I鈥檓 still experimenting and figuring things out. The music industry is a lot.

As part of my training in Calabar, I had to make a cover video and post it on YouTube. So I did . As soon as I got back to Lagos, I started posting more covers on social media, and everybody was shocked to see them. My first real performance was during a church Independence Day celebration in 2016, where I sang the national anthem.

I got a lot of engagement on because nobody knew I could sing 鈥� not even my extended family members, many of whom were quite disappointed I chose to pursue something “unserious”. I’ll never forget my uncle calling me over the phone to tell me I’d never succeed as a musician because I was an efiko, and I should just give up now. He said I was making a fool of myself.

What keeps you going despite the struggles?

The numbness I feel with everything else.

Meanwhile, my out-of-body experiences happen most strongly on stage. When I start performing a song I love, in front of people, there鈥檚 this joy I feel. Nothing else makes me genuinely happy like that. Regardless of whether I鈥檓 making money from it, I feel so proud of myself when I鈥檓 just singing. When I was younger, one of the happiest things that ever happened to me was when the Disney Channel came to our TVs. I remember being so amazed by the movies and shows. I’d watch them over and over just to learn the lyrics to the songs.

How did writing and editing now come in?

In secondary school, I started writing stories in notebooks just because my best friend could write and I was jealous. We both loved reading novels, so it was kind of natural. In uni, I led the student press and media team. Some months after NYSC, I started freelance writing to support myself while shooting and posting my covers, because my parents were worried I might turn into a layabout. 

So your parents weren鈥檛 supportive?

They were, and still are, in their own way.

They had friends in the gospel music industry, and they鈥檇 always introduce me to them. But I remember one time, this particular friend of theirs listened to me sing, and we talked about what I could do to kickstart my career, like coming to his studio to record. I told my father about our conversation. He later said he’d talked to the man privately and he’d advised that, though I had promise, I should get a job first. So I got a job.

A few weeks later, the man called and invited me to meet with some people. I responded with, 鈥淥h, I鈥檓 at work. Can we do it during the weekend?鈥� He sounded really surprised. From that point on, he hasn鈥檛 invited me for anything or tried to help my career. It鈥檚 clear now that my dad lied about the man鈥檚 advice, but I stayed at the job for the next four and a half years. I got to meet many people in the entertainment industry there, and I鈥檇 always be like, 鈥淲hat the fuck am I doing here? Why am I meeting people who can help my career but not being able to leverage it?鈥�

In hindsight, I know none of these people are interested in helping anyone’s career. A whole machine exists in the music industry that nobody ever tells you about. Nobody really wants to sign you or make you a star. There are way too many aspiring musicians for that, and 90% of them are extremely good. Some are even multi-skilled and know big names in the industry, but still don鈥檛 get signed.

The only thing that helps is a music executive’s perception of you and how much money they’d make immediately, or a certain storyline or criteria you fit. No one really knows what that criteria is until they see it.

I know you have a song out called 鈥渉补辫辫测鈥�. Are you working on any new music? 

I have seven unreleased songs, and I’m working on more. But I don’t know when I鈥檒l drop them. I hope will be the only song I鈥檒l drop on my own. It was an experiment to see what it would be like to drop a song and promote it on my own, and how far it’ll go organically.听

Why are you hoarding your songs? 

What else will I use to pitch to potential investors? One thing about creative projects is only 20% of the budget goes into producing the art. 80% should be for promoting it. Right now, I only have enough to produce my art. I don’t want to waste it with zero-budget promotion. That鈥檚 how it鈥檚 done in K-pop. They spend $1m to produce a song and video and reserve $9m for aggressive promotion.

Is this you soft-launching yourself on the internet as a K-pop fan?

I鈥檓 lowkey trying to refrain from using Blackpink as an example. 

2023 will be about getting sponsorships, which could come in many forms. There鈥檚 the record deal everyone鈥檚 striving for, there鈥檚 actual sponsorship or investment, management deals, so many options.

Which artists influence your music?

I have too many influences. I listen to all kinds of artists 鈥� new, old, legendary, underground, local, western, Asian 鈥� and they all influence my music. But to summarise, I’d start with my Nigerian love, Tiwa Savage. I love her staying power. More than everything else, I love that she started again at an advanced age and still killed it. She inspires me to keep going. 

I鈥檓 fascinated by tragic icons who鈥檝e passed, like Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain, and my fave, Aaliyah. I also like hearing strong, sonorous vocals, people who sing with pure, bright tones. And I’m inspired by people who really get into performing their songs 鈥� choreo, acting, complex stage production. Nigerian artists don’t do that, and I get why. Nigerian fans prefer when you shout and hype and just vibe with them. They don’t send all the other oversabi.

Do you have a favourite career moment? 

My favourite career moment happened recently. I attended an industry event with a lot of influential people to support my mum. She鈥檇 just completed a music business and management program because she wants to help me in this struggle.

The organiser invited her to a reserved seat right in front 鈥� of course, I tagged along. He especially recognised her in his speech, saying the industry tries hard to encourage Nigerian parents to support their children鈥檚 music careers. But my mum didn鈥檛 just show interest, she participated in the program, all the projects and was even involved in planning the event.

Once the event ended, an influential woman in the industry walked up to her and said, 鈥淚t’s so good to finally meet you, Ma.鈥� I literally froze when I saw her stand in front of me. She turned to me, greeted me and shook my hand. I was shooketh. And that鈥檚 how people kept coming to my mum, and through her, I got to meet different managers of big artists.

There was this Jamaican music exec who said to me, 鈥淵ou have a mum that supports and is actively involved in your career. You鈥檒l definitely go places.鈥� The whole night was the highest of highs for me. 

How much more do you hope to do with music in the next couple of years?

Just because I’m obsessed with music, I know I鈥檒l have an entertainment company structured just like K-pop companies. 

After NYSC, I was obsessed with the idea of getting a record deal. I still want one because it does help with structure. But now, I have an artistic vision for my sound and visuals. I already know how my songs will lead up to each other, the storyline of my entire discography. I even have a Pinterest account with secret vision boards for each song. I鈥檓 on my bed every night, just scrolling through those boards, reminding myself about all the ideas and how they connect. 

It鈥檚 interesting because I鈥檓 finding out now that many of these record companies want stuff like that. They won鈥檛 even sign you until they鈥檙e sure you鈥檙e marketable 鈥� and for a long time. So this is my safety net. Whenever a record label decides to approach me, I already have ten years’ worth of content to show. I鈥檓 just waiting for a platform, and while I wait, I鈥檓 working on having my own resources. 

You call yourself the “Queen of Lagosians”. Why? 

I come from an old Yoruba family that’s originally from Lagos. One time in 2019, I attended a family owambe, where I wore traditional lace and aso-oke with my mum鈥檚 corals. When I posted the photos on Instagram, my friends started calling me “Queen of Lagos”. 

I changed it to 鈥淨ueen of Lagosians鈥� because I want to be the queen of people鈥檚 hearts, not just a location. I鈥檓 obsessed with royalty, so a while back I heard about this woman in history called Mary, Queen of Scots, who had a very sad life. And because sadness fascinates me, I鈥檓 obsessed with her too. Even though she was the sovereign queen of Scotland, she lived in France for a long time and had a French accent, so her people didn’t like her. She tried to endear herself to them by saying she was the Queen of “Scots”. Also, Princess Diana was asked in an interview whether she thinks she鈥檇 ever be the Queen of England. She said no, but that she wanted to be the queen of people鈥檚 hearts. 

In my mind, I was like, I don鈥檛 want to be the Queen of Lagos. I want to be the Queen of Lagosians, queen of the people. 

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Hi. I鈥檓 Hamda.

I鈥檓 25, IJN. COVID stole two years of my life, so that may or may not be my actual age. I’m very crafty and hands-on. If I were a cartoon character, I鈥檇 be Bob the Builder. I illustrate, create videos, write and make outfits. I just like making shit. I think the content I create is vibes. I play a lot. I don’t take life too seriously, and I think it translates into my content. It gives off 鈥渏oy鈥�. 

You have the prettiest name. Is there a story there?

This name thing! I was named after my paternal grandmother. She’s late now, and I genuinely liked her. She was so full of life. The kind of grandma who went to parties every weekend. My government name is Oladoyin Hamdallah Odukoya. I started using Hamdallah in uni because I’ve always liked my middle name, but Nigerians always mispronounce and misspell it, so I shortened it to Hamda.

Oh, I can definitely relate to that. When did you officially begin your content creator journey?

In 2021. For me it was two things: I wanted to go out more, and I wanted to document my journey. I鈥檇 heard people say I would do well as a creator because of my personality. Plus, I used to work in an agency, and the influencers鈥� rate cards used to wow me. I couldn鈥檛 wrap my head around how posting one video got them one million naira. So, I sat down one day and just decided I’m going to be a creator.

You鈥檙e so real for that. Do you remember your first project?

My first collaboration project was for a hair brand. They shared a promo package with me, and I鈥檒l always remember it fondly because I felt recognised. I did an unboxing video instead of a ‘get ready with me’ and found an engaging way to tell the story.

Does what you do tie in with what you studied in school?

Nope. My parents paid school fees for me to study architecture o! I even did a masters. Last month, my uncle still called me to explain why architecture is the truth and the light, but I know I can never return to it. I quit my architecture job in 2019 because that thing was sucking my blood. I鈥檇 gotten to the point where I was dreading going to work every day. It was just depressing. I sha took a risk and quit, but the plan was to find another Architecture job. A number of interviews later, lockdown happened, and I was stuck at home. I was applying for jobs remotely, learning new architecture software 鈥� and scrolling aimlessly through social media like the rest of us. 

I found content marketing by mistake. I saw one ad for digital marketing course on Instagram. I found it interesting, and it sounded like something I could do, so I applied. That was the start of my content journey.

Why did you limit 鈥淭he Lagos Tourist鈥� to Lagos?

Omo, I’ve always been within or around Lagos. I was born in Mowe, Ogun state, but my primary school was in Lagos. We used to wake up at 4:30 a.m., and my mum would drive my siblings and I to Lagos from 6:00 everyday. Lagos is home in a way. All my friends are in Lagos. I did my NYSC in Lagos. Lagos is in my blood. 

I love Lagos, but omo, this city needs help. How did you catch the traveling bug?

If you’ve ever heard the phrase, 鈥淥mo, get inside,鈥� that was me. I think it鈥檚 one of the major reasons I鈥檓 an explorer as an adult. How did I start travelling? Depression, bro. 2019 to 2020 was the most mentally draining period of my life. I just knew I needed to get outside more. It started from taking morning and evening walks, and I saw how that uplifted my mood. 

I wanted to travel, but Nigeria and sapa did not allow me to be great. So, I decided to explore locally, and I began to go to different places once or twice weekly. It was generally feel-good, and it helped with my state of mind. 

What are some of the best projects you鈥檝e worked on?

The most exciting one so far was my first trip. I think I’m very sentimental about it because it was a reassurance that my community actually sees me, the way they showed up for me. We went to Omu Resort, and it was the first time I organised an event, so I kept stressing over the tiny details. But it turned out well, and I used it as a template for future trips.

Has it been smooth sailing ever since?

聽I still struggle with taking risks. For every major risk I’ve taken, there was some external push. It shocks me how much people believe in my skills sometimes.听

What鈥檚 the most and least you鈥檝e charged to create content?

The least I’ve gotten paid for content was 鈧�30k. The most I’ve charged was 聽鈧�1m.

How do you price these things?

I have a rate card that states the cost of each content format 鈥� reels, feed post, story and in-person appearance. In the end, it all boils down to negotiation between me, my manager and the client. We agree on the content type and projected timelines. I always require creative freedom because I work best when my mind is free. We send an invoice, and alert ma wole.

Have you ever regretted taking a bet on yourself with content creation? 

I never really regret anything because I tend to do things with my chest. I have a coconut head, and it comes with the package. I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made because I make more money as a content creator than from my 9-5. But I still feel like I’m just starting out. I have some structure, with two managers 鈥� a talent manager who helps with daily content and client negotiations, and an events manager who plans my trips and experiences. 

Initially, I would create content blindly, but I’m finally hacking the monetisation aspect of it and how to leverage communities. I鈥檝e not neared my peak yet.

Why is it important for you to be managed by two people?

I used to have one manager to manage me and the event side of things. But I realised how hard it was to balance. She was really great on the client management side, but the events kept suffering.

And although I鈥檓 not a fulltime creator yet, I work like one. So the pressure was a lot. I was burning out quickly, and it was telling on my work across board. 

I had to hire the events manager. Now, I handle creating the actual content 鈥� scripting, shooting, video editing. One manager helps with contract negotiation, responding to mails and generally getting brands to approach 鈥淭he Lagos Tourist鈥� brand. And the other does things like location scouting and vendor management. Sometimes, we鈥檙e intertwined. Everybody chips in on content and gives feedback.

How do you stay so relatable?

I think I鈥檝e hacked Nigerian storytelling. We like drama, we like gist 鈥� this helps me craft my scripts properly. I鈥檓 also always on social media, so I know what鈥檚 trending in the country. It鈥檚 basically just staying abreast with cultural trends and telling that story with my brand voice.

Any longterm projects we should expect?

Yes! Just know it involves plenty of group travels. I also want to delve into podcasting, but I can’t tell you much about it now because it’s still in the development phase.

What鈥檚 something you鈥檇 have done differently now that you know better?

Three things. First, I would鈥檝e put out content on TikTok and YouTube from day one. My Instagram page growth has been amazing, but I know if I鈥檇 just repurposed the content for TikTok and YouTube shorts, I would鈥檝e grown my page across board. Doing it now feels like a chore. Na every time my manager dey drag me.

Another thing is, I would鈥檝e reached out for more collaborations when I first started. I鈥檓 a generally shy person even though nobody ever believes me when I say so. It was only when other creators started reaching out for collabs that I realised the importance of it. I鈥檓 still a shy girl, but I鈥檝e been accepting more invitations and intentionally asking people whose content I resonate with for potential collabs.

The third thing I would鈥檝e done differently is charge enough from the start. If I had been communicating with other creators, I could鈥檝e asked them what they charged at what point. In the creator economy, nobody really knows what anybody else charges, and when you first start out, you鈥檙e never sure if you鈥檙e overcharging or undercharging. So, yeah, I definitely would鈥檝e asked fellow creators more questions. 

What do you think of our website鈥檚 new look? It鈥檒l only take a minute and let us know.

I鈥檓 a person of many names. Some know me as Sasha, , Saz or Zemi/Zemee, and I might add another one to spice things up a bit. But I haven鈥檛 really thought it through yet. I鈥檓 a filmmaker, writer, digital collager, photographer, explorer and lover of food and films.

Do you have a favourite film?

Oh, I do. The first ones that come to mind are anything by Celine Sciamma. She鈥檚 a French filmmaker. She made Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Tom Boy and Girlhood. I like Persona by Ingmar Bergman, one of my newer favourite movies. I love Jennifer鈥檚 Body and Kajillionaire.

Dying because I only know three of those. How did you fall in love with films?

I was surrounded by books because my mum loved reading. She was an English professor. We were also surrounded by movies in the same way. My siblings and I were also raised by an older relative, and she liked films. We used to go across the street to rent them. I remember borrowing Little Mermaid, Sound of Music and many others. 

Films became an escape for me, and I think, for my siblings too. Because we moved around a lot, it became our one constant thing. Wherever you go, you see the same thing on TV. It was nice to have that locus of control. My siblings and I used to critique movies a lot. We鈥檇 talk about how their accents were too forced, things they could鈥檝e done differently and all. But I didn’t really know it was something I鈥檇 make. There was even a time I wanted to be an actress, something I鈥檓 still hoping to explore in the future. 

I saw your cameo in your movie, Ixora. Was that your acting debut?

That wasn’t supposed to happen. We needed more extras, and my co-director, Nengi, was like, 鈥淕o in there, Saz.鈥� My best friend, Lotanna, gave me clothes, and I was just like, 鈥淵ou know what? Maybe it鈥檚 meant to be鈥�. I did a little dancing in the club scene. And that was it.

Did you study something related to what you鈥檙e doing now?

I studied sociology in school, and I was planning to be a lawyer. I honestly think everything I鈥檝e studied and experienced helps me to be a filmmaker. Sometimes when I go through certain things, I鈥檓 like, you know what? It鈥檚 good for the cinematic experience. So yeah, sociology helped me understand how human beings create structures, what these structures mean to them, how it affects them, and how they control the structures. And with film, it鈥檚 kind of the same thing, because you are trying to replicate different structures, and just experimenting with what these structures can do. It was definitely helpful. 

What was your first moviemaking experience like? 

My first film was for a cultural club I was part of in university. I was the communications coordinator, and we needed to promote an event. So I decided to make a series of three short films. It didn鈥檛 require money. It was just my phone, my friends and then uploading on social media. 

The first planned film I made and released is , which means 鈥渏oy鈥�. That was when I really started to realise that making films is not a solitary experience. You need to reach out to people and push boundaries. I used to do everything myself: record, direct, sound. But then I just realised I needed other people. Someone showed me how I could connect with people on Facebook. 

For instance, a director wants to make a movie but doesn鈥檛 know how to write, and a writer doesn鈥檛 know how to direct but wants to be involved in making movies. Everybody just tries to work together to create something and grow their careers. It鈥檚 a community of people who just want to create work with little to no money involved. So the budget for my first film was maybe $300. I was working a 9-5 around that time. I just asked my friends to act, and I worked with a community of people just looking to make work. 

Afterwards, I was like, 鈥淚 had to pay people鈥�, so I decided to increase my budget a bit. The more I create things, the more I realise filmmaking is very expensive. Financing is the hardest part of filmmaking. 

In Ixora鈥檚 end credits, I noticed you were the writer, co-director and co-producer. Was it exhausting?

I like writing. I like being able to bring to life the vision I have when I鈥檓 writing, so directing comes naturally. While I鈥檓 writing, I鈥檓 already thinking about who would fit which role. Even if it鈥檚 hard, I don鈥檛 consider giving up filmmaking. It doesn’t feel like it鈥檚 taking anything away from me. It feels like an extension of me. 

You鈥檙e a writer who likes to write? Wow 

Of all three 鈥� writing, producing and directing 鈥� writing can be the hardest. I’ve come to understand my process, so that makes it look easy. I can do it, but it鈥檚 not easy. When someone hears you鈥檙e a writer, they feel you can just wake up one morning and write a book. I wish I could do that. But it requires a process. And the process is not just writing; it鈥檚 everything from experience to reading to watching things. Playing is part of the process. All of them are the ingredients that produce writing. 

Does writing your own movies make it easy for you to bring your vision to life? 

Definitely. I鈥檝e directed other people鈥檚 work before, and it鈥檚 harder because you鈥檙e not in that person’s head. Yet when I produce what I direct and wrote, it doesn鈥檛 come out 100% the way I want it because I still have actors who can bring a different (sometimes better) vision. 

This happened in Ixora. I had a vision of what I wanted out of the characters, but our main character, played by Dafna, brought a different quality to Izi鈥檚 character. It felt like she was reintroducing me to this character I made up. So yes, it鈥檚 easier to direct my own work, but it doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean my vision will come out the way I want it. It鈥檚 like, this is what you want, but keep an open mind that I might come out differently, better even.

How many films have you created so far?

I鈥檇 say roughly 10, including music videos. I鈥檓 still writing new ones and some are in production.  

Do you have any favourites?

My first film, Anwuli, is a fave. It鈥檚 so beautiful. The production process was easy. The only thing I don’t like about it is the sound quality. I wish the volume was a bit lower, and some of the audio parts were crisper. But I love the music. It was an original composition by a Ukrainian composer I met online 鈥� Myroslav Melymuk. 

is another favourite. It was just a fun thing to make. Another one I really like is . When I feel down sometimes, I go back to watch it. If I want to process an experience or emotion, an efficient way for me to do it is to make a film. 

Oh, it shows. Ixora had me in my feelings. What was the process like?

It was shot in two days, but it was supposed to be three. If you come with that 鈥淚t will work鈥� mentality, sometimes, it means giving yourself extra room for surplus. If we had another day, there was a scene I wish we could鈥檝e added, but we were constricted for time. 

My friend wanted us to make a film, so I brought a draft, but they did not feel it. It wasn鈥檛 clear enough. I wrote another one two months later, based on a conversation I had with myself about women鈥檚 bodies and how they present them. I wanted answers, and somehow, I translated this dialogue into characters That was it. 

The next thing was casting. I already knew who would play the two main characters. Next was financing. We tried to apply for grants. But we didn’t get any, so we put filming off for a bit. Later, we were just like, 鈥淟et鈥檚 do what we can with what we have鈥�. Me alongside my co-proucer and friend contributed money, and everyone else was briefed on how much we were working with. We practised a lot. Shout out to everybody for putting in the work.  

And are you getting paid to make films yet?

I鈥檓 getting paid now.

When I made Ixora, I wasn鈥檛. Baby, This is How You Break Open costs zero naira to make. We didn鈥檛 spend much on Carmilla. We had to pay for a 鈧�3k location and bought a few costumes like the dress and scarf 鈥� it only had one character after all. I think we spent under 鈧�5k. Although we paid to host it on a website at one time, but it wasn鈥檛 expensive. Ixora is the most expensive movie my friends and I funded. I don鈥檛 remember how much it was. 

How much are your movies making now?

They haven鈥檛 made any money yet. When Ixora gets on a streaming platform, the team will benefit. But for now, it hasn鈥檛 made money. That鈥檚 another misconception people have about filmmakers. They assume you鈥檙e balling. Depending on your background, filmmaking requires a lot of work that might not be financially reciprocated, and you have to be patient with that.

Do you think you鈥檒l ever do a mainstream movie?

Yes, it鈥檚 something I鈥檇 like to do. I鈥檓 working on two documentaries now. I鈥檝e written romance and done music videos. I鈥檓 openminded when it comes to filmmaking and storytelling. The content interests me even more than the genre.

You鈥檝e mentioned a French director. Are there other people or things that influence you?

Life itself influences me a lot. I鈥檝e had a lot of interesting experiences, and that alone makes creating fun and easier. I like exploring films in different genres because they open my mind to questions I want to answer, and I can answer them in my own work. One of my latest unreleased films is a response to Persona by Ingmar Bergman. I鈥檓 influenced by music, quotes from poetry books, experiences, experiences, experiences. 

Most filmmakers have a signature thing they do in their movies. Do you have that yet?

According to people, yes. I like to have pidgin in my work. And I like a level of playfulness. I don鈥檛 do this intentionally, but there鈥檚 always some emotion that鈥檚 highlighted when you watch something I make, whether it鈥檚 happiness, empathy or curiosity. 

I鈥檓 not even sure I want a pattern. The films I make are a reflection of where or who I am, and people evolve. What I make will also evolve. 

What fun things do you do when you鈥檙e not busy making films in your head and in real life?

I really like to experience where I am. When I鈥檓 in Lagos, I like to experience Lagos. Recently, a friend of mine wanted to visit someone in a convent, and because I鈥檇 never been to one, I went with him. I just like to experience different aspects of life. I like eating, watching films and digital collaging 鈥� putting together fragments of images to create something different.

Are there some skills you feel filmmakers and writers should have to be able to create quality work?

Emotional intelligence is very important. Being able to tell a story in a way that鈥檚 respectful to characters and the people they represent. Patience is important, but a lack of patience is also important. It’s okay to wait for something, but sometimes, you have to actively go after it too. For methods? I鈥檓 not a stickler. I enjoy seeing different methods at work. Compatibility is also important in filmmaking. 

You make the process sound like smooth sailing. Have you never had a clash with people you work with?

I haven’t had issues on set. Communication is important. As sets get bigger, you get to deal with more complications. You just have to figure it out. It鈥檚 good to work with people you鈥檙e compatible with on set.

Do you have any favourite career moments so far?

I like hearing people tell me they like my work, explaining perspectives even I who wrote it never saw. The story has gone beyond me. It鈥檚 out there, and other people are sharing it. In terms of milestones, it was nice to have Ixora and Carmilla show at , and just see people connect with it and talk about it. It was nice to see everybody involved getting celebrated. Having my films shown at several festivals last year was nice. 

Are there projects you鈥檙e working on that we should be expecting?

The next project I鈥檒l release is an experimental film. Beside that, I made a music video for an artist, it鈥檒l be out soon. Longterm, I want to make feature films. I鈥檇 love to work with Celine Sciamma, Love and Basketball star, Sanaa Lathan, and Genevieve Nnaji. There are some people I  want to work with but I also don鈥檛 want to work with them because I just want to watch them. In a way that I appreciate filmmakers’ capacity to create and my ability to experience their creations.

At some point, my goal was to create films with an optimistic narrative for queer people, and I still want to do that, but I also want to tell stories that experiment with what can be. This involves a level of absurdism. I want to continue to create things that make people feel something. 

Have you watched any film and wished you were the one who made it?

Love and Basketball I was 13 or 14 when I watched it. I still think with film it鈥檚 not impossible. I don鈥檛 think it’s an industry where you can only wish you could create something. You always have the space to do that. I can decide to make a film based on Love and Basketball. My character could be queer and find love. I鈥檓 not sure if what she had with Quincy was love or not; I would explore her relationship with Gabrielle Union鈥檚 character or Sidra instead of him.

I鈥檇 have liked to make Nneka, the Pretty Serpent and Suicide Mission. I鈥檇 have made them more playful but scary still. 

READ ALSO: Creator Spotlight: How Lex Ash Reimagines a Better Future for Nigerian Creatives

My full name is Alexander Chidiebere Ashimole.

People tried to give me different nicknames at different points in my life, but the only one that stuck was the one I gave myself 鈥� Lex Ash. I鈥檓 a photographer, but I鈥檓 also a musician. I’m relatively good at every artistic thing I’ve tried, so I’m thankful for that gift. I’m deeply spiritual, and I don鈥檛 like anything that stresses me out. When I want to relax, I watch comedy. I鈥檓 also an amala hater. I鈥檓 a gadget person, so if I had all the money in the world, I’d probably just be buying tech gadgets for the sake of it. 

Lex, this is not a safe space for amala hate. Also, only rich people like gadgets. Do you have Starlink?

I鈥檝e tried amala, and it’s not worth it. I don’t know why people put themselves through that, but Nigerians voted Buhari twice, so yeah. I鈥檓 not rich o. I spent all my money on a new place, and I鈥檝e decided that until further notice, no big purchases. But Starlink might be somewhere in my future. I don’t just spend money like that. I have to plan and think about it. 

All I鈥檓 hearing is wealth. I鈥檝e added you to my list of rich people

Where did the wealth come from, please? I started by saying I don’t have any money.

I refuse to hear about poverty. A new place in this regime? Work must be great, then

Work isn鈥檛 going all that great, so you people should give me work. So if you guys have an opening in 91大神, please, let me know. I do like money, so any extra source of income is welcome. Photography can be, and I hate this part of it, seasonal. Sometimes, it鈥檚 good; other times, you get worried because you don鈥檛 know when money will come again. It’s spaced out, so I don鈥檛 get a lot of jobs too frequently. So annoying. For example, there are seasons when people get married more frequently. And I think I鈥檓 one of the more expensive brands in wedding photography. Some people come to me after some of the photographers they want have been booked, a lot of people also come to me because of my style, so I鈥檓 thankful for that.

You make it sound like you’re second choice 

That’s usually the case. But a lot of event planners don’t refer me because they probably don’t see a lot of my wedding photography work online. I’m trying to change that. At the same time, if I don’t get photography jobs, where will I see photography pictures? Event planners have roasters of people who cover their weddings. Most times, it鈥檚 the couple who reach out to me, and they always love my work. If you know anybody who鈥檚 getting married, or ageing up and has money as well, please tell them I’m available. 

What鈥檚 your price range? 

I have a base charge. I have rate cards for weddings.

For portraits, I charge somewhere per outfit, depending on the situation. I also started creating alternative options for people with lesser budgets, we can come up with a custom price or package for you. Studio shoots are cheaper. And charging per hour doesn鈥檛 work because we Nigerians have a time problem.

What happens when the person wears a suit, then takes off the jacket? They technically did not change the outfit

You also get a limited amount of images per outfit. So if you鈥檙e wearing a jacket and take it off, you didn’t change the outfit, but you鈥檙e still limited to three images. I deliver three retouched images per outfit, no matter what you do to your outfits.

How do you charge for weddings?

I charge a day rate with extra charges for whatever service they want to add to it. If you’re going to do a pre-wedding session, an after-party, photo books and frames or if I need extra hands, those cost extra.

Can you give me a rough estimate? What鈥檚 the highest you鈥檝e been paid? 

鈧�4.something million for a four-day wedding. The first day was thirty minutes of work. The last day was four hours of work, but the main wedding events lasted two days.

Wow. I didn鈥檛 know Nigerians spent money like that

People spend as much as 200 million on weddings. Probably even more.

Does being around all that jazz make you want to settle down?

The weddings themselves don鈥檛 necessarily make me feel like that; there’s just the human urge to be coupled. Have you seen how stressful weddings can be? Even me, as the photographer, I know. In fact, let’s take out all the traditional wedding activities. Why do people feel the need to make sure the whole world is at their wedding, and they all have to dress up in certain weaves, aso-ebi and whatnot. I don’t like spending money like that, but if it鈥檚 my close friend, I鈥檒l do it.

How did you get into photography? Did you grow up with a camera?

So remember how I said I like gadgets? I had this friend who got a camera in school. In fact, it was a camcorder, and I was just playing around with it during our science and technology week when I was randomly given the assignment to make a photography workshop happen. That was my first-ever experience in the same space with a photographer and people who are interested in photography. This is all the way back in 2011. People would see me with my friend’s camera and say, 鈥淥h, this is nice. Take a picture of me.鈥� And by 2013, I definitely wanted to do it for real. 

What kind of pictures did you take at first?

I used to do graphic design. And it was just hard to find pictures of black people to use for designs. That was my first project, manipulating, putting somebody who鈥檚 dancing in a place where there鈥檚 water flowing, for example. Or changing a person’s face to grass. Something like that, just random things.

 Do you remember your first official project?

In 2012, my friend allowed me to borrow his camera, and we were having a trade fair in school. I was just going around taking random pictures when somebody was trying to make a decision about buying asun. So I took a picture of the asun and showed it to them, and they went, I’ll take two packs, please. The fact that the picture I took made them decide to actually buy the asun was very interesting and funny to me. Later in 2013, the pictures I took during some chapel services were used on a billboard. That was pretty cool too.

Did they pay you for that? 

I wasn鈥檛 even thinking of payment that time. I just made friends with the people in the Corporate Affairs Unit, and they鈥檇 let me borrow their cameras once in a while. So it was okay.

Did that asun story prompt you to use photography to tell stories?

Probably, but I think it was everything together. I always just loved the idea of creating images other people can connect with. From my graphic design to photography, or even when I was writing and singing in school. I always wanted people to have an emotional connection to it. But I didn’t know how that would take shape exactly. The asun incident was just one of the things I was doing to pass the time that contributed to the big idea.

What did you study in school actually?

I studied estate management, but that鈥檚 not what I want to be hired for. I want to be the chief marketing officer of a tech startup.

How do you go from estate management to marketing officer?

Estate management is about selling and evaluating landed property, and marketing is attached to it. I’ve always been big on brand building since I started doing graphic design. So all my work experience has been related to that. I worked two months in Unilever Nigeria with the internal communications team. I also worked in radio as the chair of content management. I worked in a tech company for two years before I quit in 2017 to try this photography something.

Do you ever regret taking a bet on yourself like that?

No, not at all. I knew it was coming. I just didn’t know when, and after I left, I was broke for a while. But I knew what was possible. This is the sixth year, and I haven鈥檛 regretted that decision one bit. I don鈥檛 miss the 9-5 life. I can’t deny that consistent income helps you plan your life and gives you something to do on a daily basis. But I don’t think I鈥檇 ever want to go back. If anything, I’d do consultancy where I choose my hours. Even now, the only reason I’m looking for a job is because my eyes have tear. I want more money. I love money. I’m trying to burn the candle from two ends. I want to get consistent money while I get photography money in a way that鈥檚 maximally efficient.

How did you now get into music?

I was in the choir in Covenant University. Even when I finished youth service, a church paid me to be part of their choir l. I say music was my first love. But I鈥檓 the type to double my talents like that parable from the Bible. Everyone needs an alternative source of income. At the very beginning, I had photography, but I didn’t feel like I could stand alone with it. It’s possible for you to love something, but because it’s your source of income, it becomes more stressful and challenging. So you want to find other artistic hobbies as an outlet. So I still love photography, but music started for me because my photography business had come to a point where I could explore another side of myself. 

So with music, you want to express yourself, not earn?

No o. I want to earn and express myself, please. Remember what I said about money and liking it? So if it can get me money, of course I鈥檇 take it. I’m looking for money. At the end of the day, please, it’s important.

Are you earning from music yet?

Not as much as I’d like. As much as I want to earn from it, I’m also big on doing what I love. I’m creating music, but I don’t have a label, or the financial backing is not as big as it needs to be. That’s also how my photography started, right? I was doing stuff I loved, and eventually, people came around to it. Now, people pay me a lot of money for it. Before you can make a lot of money off streaming, you need to get a million streams or something. I haven鈥檛 gotten to that point yet.

But does photography open doors for you? 

Yes, my photography has helped me meet some really interesting people. I’ve met Mark Zuckerberg. I’ve been able to change people’s lives. I’m thankful because I鈥檝e mentored people who now live on their photography. I’ve been talked about in places I鈥檝e never been because of my photography. You know, the bible says a man’s gift maketh way for him and puts him before great men. That鈥檚 my testimony.

Hallelujah. Do you feel like you’re at the peak of your career? 

I don鈥檛 think I’m anywhere close to up there. I think I鈥檓, if anything, a tiny local champion 鈥� even 鈥渃hampion鈥� is a strong word. I hope to be a global phenomenon, not just in photography, in everything. Photography, as much as I love it, is still a stepping stone to my bigger goals. 

What are these goals? What does going global look like?

I want somebody somewhere in Bangladesh to think, 鈥淚 can be a great photographer鈥� because this random guy from Nigeria did it. I want people I probably will never meet to connect with my work on a personal level. 

I want to establish a University of the Arts in Nigeria. I don’t know how it鈥檒l happen or how I鈥檒l get there, but there are so many incredibly gifted people in this country who never get the opportunities they need to showcase their gifts. I hate how they may never get the chance to pursue their passion. The Grammys are big because there’s an academy of scholars who鈥檝e studied music and the arts to the point where they鈥檝e come together to create a conglomerate that celebrates them. The reason why we don’t have that in Nigeria is because the art world is still growing here. But also, people don’t think it’s a viable, life choice to become an artist. There are no schools people respect, like universities where you can study the arts.

Are you doing anything to make these dreams happen yet?

Everything I鈥檝e done up to this point has led me here, and it’ll lead me there, if that makes sense. I don’t have a school currently, but one thing I’m trying to do in 2023 is create a mentorship program. I won鈥檛 restrict it to photographers, but they’ll be the main focus. And hopefully, this coming election will be the starting point of a new era, and we get to the point where our passports can do better, so creatives can stay or go and come as they please. 

Here’s my final question: Why do you tell such bad dad jokes on Twitter? 

I take offence to that. What do you mean my dad jokes are bad? First of all, I’m not a dad; it’s just a joke. Secondly, for you to call it a joke, that means it’s funny. I feel like it takes a refined mind to appreciate a good joke; bad is not a word I鈥檇 use for art. So the fact that you did not snicker at my snickers makes me doubt the bounty of your ability to imagine.

You should stick to photography

Who do you know that鈥檚 a better jokes person than I am?

Honestly, if you ever do stand up? I鈥檒l be throwing tomatoes and that shit鈥檚 expensive

I’ll be getting vegetables, and that means I’ll be getting a balanced diet. So I don’t mind it. I’d still keep on my stand-up career.

I鈥檓 a musician. I’m also an overthinker, constantly analysing things and forming smart or deep. I used to like reading a lot, but that’s changed because I can’t focus on anything for more than five seconds. I must have undiagnosed ADHD. I blame TikTok for reducing my attention span, but will I stop using the app? No.

Will you ever get a proper diagnosis?

I hate going to the hospital and taking drugs, so I won鈥檛 get one. I like to give my immune system a chance to fight since that’s what it鈥檚 there for. My friend has been trying to get me to get checked for a while now, but I鈥檓 just waiting it out and eating vegetables. I don’t want meds to ruin my life. That鈥檚 what I do, run away from hospitals and make music. I was in medical lab science. Then I got bored in my finals and had a panic attack, so I quit.  

Wait, rewind. How? What did you tell your parents?

They didn’t bring me up. Of course, I lived in their house, but they didn’t have any time for me. I was the last, and I think they were tired of raising kids. They never really made any decision for me. 

I created rules and laws for my life. And I always paid the price on my own. One time, I got into big trouble with the police, and I called my dad. He was like, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 send you there鈥�. It鈥檚 messed up sometimes, but I live through it. When you know nobody will be there for you when you fall, you鈥檒l be more careful with your decisions.

I guess their opinion wasn鈥檛 necessary when you went into music either?

Nope. It was just me and my best friend, Teddy. He learnt how to produce music and we made my first song together just like that. I was 14 at the time. We later got into uni together at 16. I was in medical lab science, and he was in medicine. We made covers, saved up for studio equipment, rented a room and created a studio in school.

How does a 16-year-old save up for studio equipment?

I had to start making money fast because my pocket money was 鈧�5k a month. If not, there was only death by starvation at the end of the light. I’ve always been smart and calculative. My dad made sure I understood math, which helped me with money. I also used to do side jobs, like getting paid by real estate agents to broadcast their hostels around school, and I was very popular in school.  

What made you popular?

I was popular for being an idiot. Many people liked talking to me because I never took anything too serious. I never had enemies, and I was small and fine, so there was no reason to hate me. I was already loved before I dropped my first cover, so my second cover went viral. It was a cover of Burna Boy鈥檚 On the Low in 2018. 

When did you start making your own music, and how was it received? 

My first song was Sober. I dropped it in January 2020. Back then, I didn’t even have money for the promo, but it did really well. I’d been rapping on my IG for a while, so nobody knew I could sing when I dropped it. People were shocked by my voice. I got a lot of love and support. 

How did you come up with your name?

It was a nickname from secondary school. We had five Ellas in my class. There was tomboy Ella, tall Ella, short Ella, and I was the one who created a space in the roof to hide and avoid work. But I wasn鈥檛 lazy. I just didn’t like physical work.

How did you get signed?

I got picked by Kimani, the CEO of my company, and it just happened. She was obsessed with my song, Body On Me. Before we started any business talk or whatever, she really just wanted to tell me how much she loved my music. It felt so good.

When I made it, I didn’t like it that much. It was the last song I made on When the Lights Go Off. I made it without a beat, inspired by Burna Boy. Then I gave it to Teddy, and his beat made it so sick. It worked well because Teddy and I are usually in the same headspace. But now, he鈥檚 focused on finishing school.  

Which of your songs do you actually like?

Deep Into You from my last project, Chemical and Put It On Me. I prefer my music when I’m going extra hard. So if it sounds like anything I might鈥檝e heard before, I don’t feel special listening to it.

Does the company make you create certain types of songs?

Because of the way I was brought up, I don鈥檛 handle being controlled well. So it helps that my CEO and I trust each other鈥檚 work. We鈥檙e always sharing ideas, and we take each other seriously. But sometimes, when they play a beat, you never really know what you鈥檙e creating until it鈥檚 done and you listen to it again.

I鈥檓 still amused a 14-year-old woke up one day and said, 鈥淵eah, let鈥檚 do music鈥�. At 14, I was sleeping during night prep

I was in the choir as a child. I鈥檇 been into music since I was four or five. My brother would make me try to hit some notes and sing Beyonce’s songs. That boy was 13 to my five, but if I sang the wrong note, he鈥檇 slap me. So I picked up rapping instead because I knew he couldn鈥檛 rap.

Who were your rap influences? 

There was DeJ Loaf, Eminem, Baby Keem and Young Thug. I loved Young Thug. His flows are fire. He鈥檚 funny, and I imagine him on Afrobeats sometimes. Outside rap, there鈥檚 Koffee, Harry Styles recently and Post Malone.

How about Nigerians? Anyone you want to work with?

Fireboy. We鈥檝e collaborated before, and that was one of my favourite sessions ever. I want a song with Rema. I’m curious how we would sound, but it鈥檚 not really my priority to work with anyone. I don鈥檛 give a fuck about anything but the listeners and numbers because, obviously, that’s how you know people care about your craft.

It must feel good to have people support your music

Of course I does. I created something, so I like knowing it touched people. I don’t even care if I get awarded for it. I love it when I get texts from my listeners telling me they love my music or they鈥檙e thinking of me. I know how I feel when I listen to an artist I love; it’s almost like I’m connected to the artist. So for somebody to fall in love with whatever I created in the past; it always feels so fucking good.

What’s your creative process? 

It changes all the time. I’ve been going through this creative block for the past three months. It鈥檚 gone now, and I know I’ve become a new person, but I’m still too lazy to record. 

I wrote my first song, Sober, without a beat. I was in love then, so the person was giving me rhythm. For the second one, I locked myself up for about a month or two, creating with Teddy. I heard the inspiration for the beat of Chemical by mistake and wrote it in 20 minutes. It was like God gave it to me. 

God? Chemical that sounds like sexual tension itself? What were you going through?

That’s crazy because I was in my third month of celibacy when I wrote Chemical. I wanted to put all my pent-up sexual passion in a song. I鈥檓 a very sexual person, so if I’m not having sex, the sexual energy has to go somewhere else. If you listen to Put It On Me, you鈥檇 hear the sexual tension too.

Interesting. Has anyone ever told you they added Chemical to their sex playlist?

I see titles like 鈥淪pread them Cheeks鈥�, 鈥淢ine鈥� and 鈥淐ontraband鈥� on my Spotify for Artists. Just looking through now, I can see its on about 44 playlist on Spotify alone. It鈥檚 funny because we were trying to push Hypnotise, but Chemical just sold on its own. My friend, Steph, kept hyping it then people started making videos, and that gave me the ginger to promote it. 

Are you currently making money from music?

Well, I’m signed, so I get paid for every project I drop. It鈥檚 in thousands of dollars, that’s all I can say.

But what鈥檚 the least you鈥檝e made since you started?

I only made about $300 – 400 from Sober. You get paid a certain amount per stream, and Sober did about 100k streams.

How about performing? Do you make any money from it?

I almost never perform. I鈥檝e performed on stage thrice. I don鈥檛 really rate it because they鈥檝e not started paying me big money for it yet. 

What’s your favourite song to perform?

Right now, Chemical, but before, it was Somebody. They both have a bounce that keeps your waist moving. 

Has anyone ever thrown something at you while you were performing?

Jesus, no. I would just cry.

I mean things like their shirts  

No, not yet. But I鈥檓 performing at Blaqbonez鈥檚 show today, so let鈥檚 see if someone throws their bra at me when I perform Chemical. 

Do you think you鈥檙e at the peak of your career?

At all. Sometimes, when you create and don’t get the energy you want, it kills your ginger. But there鈥檚 more to come. I’m already thinking of my follow up so people know I鈥檓 not a one-hit wonder. It’s all about the rollout. I’m creating content around this song while working on the next because the next song is done already. It鈥檚 a different vibe but still as sexy as Chemical. I almost never make the same type of song twice except one is an upgraded version of the other.

And your plan for the coming years? 

I don’t know. I’ll let God and the world decide because you can make plans but you can never tell what the results would be. There are plans for some features and joint projects with big producers, but the results of those are all in the hands of God.

When did you start making music?

I started early. As a kid, I used to make choruses for my brother for fun. I was a big fan of Eminem and used to rap all his lyrics, even the ones I couldn鈥檛 hear. Back then, the only way to get lyrics was to wait ten minutes for the A-Z lyrics to load, or you listen, pause and write down each line on paper. The second process subconsciously helped me understand the way lyrics are put together, the syntax of a song. 

Down the line, I tried to be a petroleum engineer then a computer scientist because I wanted to make money. You know you just want to make money when you’re a kid.

Isn鈥檛 Nigeria just catching up on the money-making side of computer science?

Yeah, that鈥檚 the cool thing. I got in early. I really liked computers and programming. At 15, I鈥檇 already imagined having my own tech company. I had this book where I drew and designed the uniforms my company staff would wear. I was also a big fan of Steve Jobs. 

But then?

You know music. It comes out and tells you to say goodbye to all your other dreams. I started singing covers and posting on social media when I was in secondary school. Then I quit university in 2017. I was 17 and attending Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Delta State. I only stayed there two weeks before I left for Ibadan to stay with my brother who was at the UI, studying theatre and performing arts. I applied there and got admitted, but I didn鈥檛 accept the admission because I wanted to focus on music. 

It was around that time I got a gig to play at Freedom Park, Lagos. Someone had gone through my Instagram and loved my covers. I was 18. It made me realise I really wanted to make a name for myself doing music on the road like the artists I admired. Fun fact: the road is bad; it鈥檚 full of traffic and potholes. 

What did you do while you were at UI though?

I started performing. I even busked in public places for voluntary donations. People gathered, and some said I sounded so well. My best experience was playing my guitar somewhere around the student union building, when an old lady, one of the cooks, came out and was like, 鈥淚 thought it was the radio.鈥� 

Were your parents okay with you quitting school?

When I quit the first time, it was to enrol in UI, so my parents were kinda cool with it. When I didn鈥檛 end up attending UI, it was strange because I thought they鈥檇 say no. In fact, I was willing to fight them. I already had my speech planned. But they just asked, 鈥淚s that what you want to do?鈥� I said yes. They said, ok. I was a bit pissed by their response. It was almost like they didn鈥檛 give a fuck.

Now, I鈥檓 doing a music diploma, a songwriting thing in London. I鈥檒l be back in Nigeria in September and probably get more juicy gigs.

In All Na Vibes, your character said he didn鈥檛 want to make dance music, but music his parents would be proud of. Can you relate to that?

Oh, that was just the director and the producer. It felt weird when they brought up that line because I don鈥檛 actually care about that. But I made it sound convincing. 

Since you started making music full time, what has the journey been like?

It鈥檚 been insane. It started with that gig in Lagos. Mind you, I wasn鈥檛 even paid for it. I was young, so I didn鈥檛 really care. I thought it was just one of many, and that others would pay. But the industry doesn’t work that way. If you keep dishing out free gigs, you’ll keep getting free gigs. The older I got, the more I started to feel insane like I was wasting my time. The industry is fraught with people who want to take advantage of you, trying to get you to sign shitty contracts. I never did sign anything. I even got into a big fight with a guy who wanted to be my manager. I went from a scared, stressed-out kid to realising the industry is hectic, but it鈥檚 business. 

But I did many things on the way, like starting a doughnut business with my brother in 2019. Before Krispy Kreme came to Nigeria, we attempted something like It in Ibadan, which I鈥檓 very proud of. I left the business because my music started doing fine.

Sounds like the industry showed you shege

There were moments when I felt like I鈥檓 almost there, I’m about to blow, like when I opened for Johnny Drille in 2019. That was the biggest crowd I鈥檇 ever played for. I thought all the hard work was just about to pay off, but the moment passed. That was when I understood I needed to have a plan and just stick to it, not caring when the big break would come but just enjoying the process. 

I鈥檓 building something, and everything I do adds to the things I鈥檝e already done. I鈥檝e also since realised people love sincerity. People like to feel seen and heard when they listen to music, which is what I鈥檝e been trying to do with mine. You鈥檙e telling people stories, so the least you can do is tell people what matters.

What does 鈥渂lowing鈥� mean to you?

I used to say I wanted to be famous, but now, I don鈥檛 even know. What a lot of artists struggle with when they become famous is maintaining a connection with fans on a personal level. Even a little fame would make you unable to respond to most of the feedback you get from fans. For me, blowing up is a long-run thing. It鈥檚 not about making one viral song. It鈥檚 about building something that inspires and outlives you, a legacy. 

How did you go from putting all your eggs in your music career to being the lead character in All Na Vibes?

It was random. Remember I mentioned my brother studied theatre arts? He started a theatre group with a vision to change the industry. I cameoed as a random musician in one of the group director鈥檚 movies in Ibadan. He called me later, during COVID, and asked if I鈥檇 like to be in a movie. I wasn鈥檛 doing anything besides learning to produce music, so I said, let鈥檚 do this. I thought it鈥檇 just be a Youtube thing. I really don鈥檛 know what gave them the idea that I鈥檇 be good, but they trusted me with their project. Now, I鈥檓 a Netflix actor. 

Will you continue acting, or is it a one-time thing?

I can鈥檛 really say. I鈥檓 not sure. I鈥檓 so nervous that I haven鈥檛 even seen All Na Vibes. I tried to watch the movie the night it came out, but as soon as I saw my face, I shut down the computer. First of all, I go very hard on myself, which I think I need to do less because, you know, everyone is allowed to grow. There鈥檚 that, and there鈥檚 the thing about other actors confirming that they also feel uncomfortable watching themselves in movies.

How alike are you and Abiola, the character you played?

He believes in a lot of conspiracy theories, and I wouldn鈥檛 say I believe them too, but I like asking many questions. You鈥檒l find me in a wormhole of books, Wikipedia pages and Youtube, researching one topic because I want to know the truth. We鈥檙e quite alike in a lot of other things. We both make music. We鈥檙e chill people. He doesn鈥檛 have my charm, but he鈥檚 calmer. We鈥檙e different creatures at the core.

In the spirit of talking about conspiracies, do you have a super controversial take on music?

I feel like music you can download and play on your phone could and should be free. People should pay if they want to, but it should be available at zero cost. Many of the songs that inspired me when I was a kid, I don鈥檛 remember how I got them. They came to my phone by the power of the almighty. People shouldn鈥檛 be denied the chance to listen to music because they can鈥檛 pay for it. Digital music should be free. 

Then how would you get paid as a musician? 

You perform. There are a lot of other ways to make money from your music. If you go to my website, all my songs are there and downloadable for free. It鈥檚 how it鈥檚 always going to be unless I get signed to a label that controls everything, which I don鈥檛 want to do. Music should be free.

Interesting. Who do you make music for?

I write for people who are going through it, people who sometimes sit down to evaluate their life then feel grateful or pissed off about it. Basically, people who are aware of their humanity. 

When I鈥檓 going through something, I make music to explain myself to myself. The emotions get so heavy that the only way to get them off my chest would be to write about them. For some people, when they feel something, they go punch a wall. For me, I just write, even if I never release the music. I might eventually make money from it, and people may feel so connected that they鈥檇 be willing to pay for it, but in the beginning, I write to explain myself.

Do you have a favourite song you鈥檝e written?

I have many. But one of my favourites is To Be Missed, a song I did for All Na Vibes. The whole concept is me realising in 2018 or 2019 that we鈥檙e all designed to want to be remembered, especially when we鈥檙e not in a place anymore. It鈥檚 okay to feel a bit lost, or like someone who wanted you before doesn鈥檛 anymore. It鈥檚 human nature to feel that way.

It sounds like a heartbreak song. How many have you written when you were heartbroken?

Between 2018 and 2020, almost all the songs I wrote were about heartbreak, and I wrote many good songs then. Most musicians would agree that some of the best songs have come from heartbreak. 

What are your fave heartbreak songs you didn鈥檛 write?

Sunburn by Ed Sheeran. I wish I was the one who wrote it. I likeLast Last. That鈥檚 a proper sad song. And you can make it even sadder if you sing it acoustically. But it鈥檚 a vibe. You know Nigerians will always make it a vibe, even if it’s sad.

Who or what influences your music?

Two of my biggest influences are Ed Sheeran and Passenger. But in recent times, it鈥檚 been places. The more time I spend in Ibadan, the more I fall in love with the place. I interact with it in a way that it starts to feel like a person and begins to inspire me. Nigeria inspired me to make angry songs like Gossip, from my old EP.

What does it feel like performing on stage to an audience holding on to every word? 

No matter how many times it happens 鈥� though it doesn鈥檛 happen many times 鈥� it makes me feel like the world should just end. It鈥檚 just so consuming, it kind of makes you feel small. Or maybe it鈥檚 just me wanting to feel small in that moment. I don鈥檛 know how to explain it, but it鈥檚 beautiful. I just want to embrace the moment and live in it in a way that鈥檚 not intrusive, and I can鈥檛 get too used to it so that it continues to feel special every time.

What鈥檚 the least or most you鈥檝e been paid, whether in music or acting? 

Today鈥檚 prices are not really like 2022鈥檚. Last year it was in six digits. And I may not play in any show until September, when I鈥檓 back in Nigeria.

How fulfilled do you feel?

Very fulfilled. I鈥檝e learnt to abide in everything I do, however great or small. I used to compare myself with others, but I have learnt that it doesn鈥檛 matter. Right now, I feel very fulfilled, doing exactly what I want and how I want it. I write and perform music, get paid for it, and I have songs people listen to. My 16-year-old self would be mindblown. I think that鈥檚 enough fulfilment for me.

What sort of legacy do you want to create?

Make albums of the highest quality. Do concept projects. I have onee coming out that I鈥檝e been working on for a long time now. It鈥檒l be out when I return to Nigeria. I don鈥檛 want it to be a collection of random stuff. There are stories behind it, and everything just works together to create this really cool, sweetcake album. 

I also want to work on the performance scene in Lagos and Ibadan. One of my dreams is to have it more structured and easier for artists coming after me to find places to perform. Right now, I鈥檓 focused on putting out quality projects and collaborating with artists. When I return, I want to work with more people even outside my space. 

Which Nigerian artists would you like to work with?

Lagbaja. Asa 鈥� she鈥檚 been at the top of my list since I was a kid. 2Baba, interestingly. His music isn鈥檛 the same again, but I plan to tap into 2Face of the 2000s. I want to work with Obongjayar too. 

What are the struggles you face as an artist?

Making music regularly while always being online. It鈥檚 a lot to juggle as an artist.

What are you currently working on?

An EP, which will be out soon. Expect a minimum of four songs.

Gaming? What do you play?

God of War, Call of Duty, The Last of Us and Red Dead Redemption. I play anything but soccer. I don鈥檛 see the point. You just keep kicking the ball around; I鈥檝e never understood it.  

The question boggling my mind about your skits is how鈥� how do you have so much chemistry with yourself?

First of all, I鈥檓 androgynous. Growing up, I was the only child, and my parents were very protective of me. I wasn’t allowed to go out, much less make friends. They were very sceptical, so I spent a lot of time in my own company, watching people. As a child, I never leaned toward any gender completely. If I bring out my childhood pictures, you鈥檇 mistake me in some of them for my brother. When I did make friends, they were boys. 

Have you named the male version of yourself?

No, I haven鈥檛. But I鈥檓 planning to. 

When you walk in on me shooting, it鈥檚 a different person. I鈥檝e actually shot with people, and the moment I finished dressing up, they鈥檇 be like, 鈥淲ow! There鈥檚 a change around here.鈥� I don鈥檛 know how it happens.

You鈥檙e really committed. You wear a bodysuit and even cut your hair

In 2020, I went the whole year without doing anything to my hair. I didn鈥檛 make it. I didn鈥檛 care for it. I just ended up looking like I had rats running through it. I realised that since I play a male character, keeping a low cut would make it easier. 

You鈥檙e right, I鈥檓 committed. Becoming that character is a sort of escapism. I feel like a whole new person. There鈥檚 this feeling, this aura. I get to be two different people. 

You make it look so easy. What鈥檚 your content creation story? 

I鈥檝e just been coasting through life. I grew up in the east, Anambra. As a child, I wanted to be an actor. I was 15 and in university when I started to reach out to producers and directors. You can count only a handful of Asaba directors or producers I don鈥檛 know or haven鈥檛 met. I met a whole lot of them, and at the end of the day, they were all asking for the same thing. 

Oh no. You were just a baby

Oh yes. And they didn鈥檛 care. 

There was this guy 鈥� he was quite popular, and I don’t want to name names. He gave me a script to read so I could hone my scriptwriting skill, then asked me to see him at a hotel. He鈥檚 been in the game since the early Nollywood days. That鈥檚 how old he was. He tried to kiss me, but I resisted. I was like, 鈥淗ello. When did we go from reading scripts to kissing?鈥� He smiled and asked how old I was. I said 15. He smiled again and said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e young. Everything you鈥檝e done and have yet to do has been forgiven鈥�. I gave him back his script and left. He said he鈥檇 reach out to me but never did. He stopped picking my calls. But at least, that one took my no for no.

This other director told me everybody pays their dues in the industry because I said I believed my talent and God would take me to wherever I wanted to be. He told me that what I was saying was laughable because, before Lucifer鈥檚 fall, he was the chief angel of entertainment. And after he was cast out, God didn鈥檛 take that power from him. The entertainment industry is governed by Lucifer, so my God and I can fuck off. 

That鈥檚 a lot. You were a kid. Were your parents aware?

The incident that made them know was really nasty, and I still can鈥檛 talk about it. I鈥檝e always been very curious and independent. When I want something, I go for it. There was even a time I went to Enugu to see Pete Edochie, unplanned. 

Omo? You鈥檙e bold oh

I got to Enugu and started asking people on the streets for his address. It was crazy. Somehow, I located his house. I waited for some time before he came down. I told him I wanted to act and had been trying for some time. He asked me how old I was. I told him I was 15 and in my first year of university. He scolded me and told me not to rush. I should go back and focus on school. I won鈥檛 say I listened, but I had a nasty experience that eventually made me stop. That was the last straw. 

Around that time, skit-making was becoming popular, so my friends were like, 鈥淎ll these people are doing these skits from their homes.鈥� I wanted to act, but who would watch me? But I eventually shot a video, posted it, and people liked it. This was around 2015. I started fully in 2017, so I鈥檝e been at it for six years now. The growth was exponential. My creations were Nollywood-based. I migrated from Instagram to TikTok in November 2021.

When did you have your first viral video? 

I posted grace to grass stories, 鈥淣ollywood Movies Be Like鈥� and more. One day, I checked my phone and saw +100 followers and +100 notifications. Tunde Ednut and Don Jazzy had reposted one of my videos. It was everywhere.

There was also this competition Larry Gaga hosted. At the time, I wanted a new workstation, which cost 鈧�1.5 million, so I needed all the money I could get. That was the first time I posted on TikTok with intention, and I got 500 views. I won the competition and I think that was my second viral post.  

What was the first Nollywood movie you saw that made you want to make Nollywood skits?

For someone who makes short Nollywood skits, you鈥檇 think I watch many of them. I didn鈥檛 watch television because of my strict parents. I started watching Nollywood movies, and none really stood out for me. I just found it easy to spot the cliches. I don鈥檛 reference any movies; I just stitch up words and cliches I have heard Nollywood characters use, and I run with them. 

Did you study something related to your content creation? 

I studied English because my dad wouldn鈥檛 let me do Theatre Arts. I don鈥檛 write scripts except when a client specifically asks for it. Most of my acting is by impulse. I don鈥檛 think about them; I just know what I鈥檓 going for and how it should come out.

What鈥檚 your dream cast and plot?

I have a story in my head. I don鈥檛 have the capacity for it now, but one day, I will. I hope Pete Edochie will still be alive by then because I need him in it. So there鈥檚 him, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Stan Nze, Jimmy Odukoya. It鈥檒l be an epic movie.

If you don鈥檛 watch a lot of Nollywood movies, why did you pick this form of creative expression? 

I stuck to Nollywood because I started taking TikTok much more seriously. The post I made for the competition was Nollywood cliche-themed. Because it did well, I made another one, which did even more numbers. The content transcended my regular audience. People from China, who鈥檇 never heard of Nollywood, were asking for more. And the slap-stick industry was becoming saturated. I鈥檓 not even good at it; it doesn鈥檛 come naturally to me. I just wanted something different. The moment I left the slap-stick comedy niche, I lost some of my audience. But when people look at my work, I want them to see the effort and thought that went into it. I just needed something special. 

You do good work

I give my character鈥檚 backstories. I try to get into their mind. Who is this character? A lover boy? A wicked prince? I know how the character walks and talks. The moment I have all that in my head, I鈥檓 that person. For instance, the very clear difference between my male and female characters is that I suddenly take up more physical space when I’m the male character. The way I walk and speak is different. 

How much time and money goes into making one video?

It takes more time and effort than money. I could manoeuvre my screen the way I want, and I already have a wardrobe full of costumes. There was one video I spent more than 鈧�100k to make. It was about the different tribes in Nigeria, so I had to get the different costumes. And I can spend up to a week making a video. When I say a week, I mean several hours back-to-back.

What does a typical day of creating content look like?

I usually sleep from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. When I wake up, I eat my breakfast, lunch and dinner all in one. I like setting up my shoot at 11 p.m., and depending on what I鈥檓 working on, I may be at it till 10 a.m. Then I sleep and wake up again around 5 p.m. to continue. It has altered my circadian rhythm because even when I take breaks, even when I am not working, I find myself sleeping through the day and being up at night. 

What are your rates like?

I charge brands from 鈧�500k to 鈧�700k for ads. It鈥檚 efficient. I鈥檓 not as poor as my enemies think I am, but I鈥檓 also not as rich as some people think. 

What would you being rich look like?

Being rich would entail waking up one morning and impulsively booking a flight to Paris to get ice cream and come back. I make enough to put food on my table and satisfy my basic needs, but I can鈥檛 go on a spending spree or splurge money the way I would want. My income isn鈥檛 consistent, so I have to make do, and plan ahead, even though it鈥檚 hard. There are some months I eat really well; I鈥檇 have like three clients I鈥檓 creating for. Then I could go three months without a client.  

How many videos do you think you鈥檝e created?

I don鈥檛 keep count. One thing about me is once I鈥檝e created and posted a video, it’s gone. When I do visit them again, I鈥檓 usually like, I should鈥檝e done better.

Who or what influences you?

Kunle Afolayan, Jade Osiberu, Charles of Play 鈥� he has a lot of money to pursue his dreams, and he pursues them. Art should be all about pure passion, but unfortunately, that will get you only so far. In the real world, you need more than that. You need flamboyance, exposure and connection. If you want to make it purely on passion, make peace with the fact that you won鈥檛 achieve your full potential. You need money, you need to know people to push your art, no matter how good it is.

What do you do when you鈥檙e not creating?

Sleep. I close my eyes and sleep. And sometimes, I game. I鈥檝e also made a promise to myself to go out a bit more and meet people. Since I shot that video for the TikTok competition, I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e left my house more than 20 times. I just shoot and post. In 2023, I鈥檒l go out more and maybe find love.

What鈥檚 the most annoying thing about your work?

When I decide to try something different once in a while, people will be like, 鈥漀o, no. This isn鈥檛 why we鈥檙e here.鈥� And I鈥檓 like, 鈥淪hut the fuck up鈥�. Or when you offer your two cents about a concerning issue, I鈥檒l hear, 鈥淵ou better focus on your comedy.鈥� It鈥檚 annoying. 

What sort of impact do you want to make in the industry within the next couple of years?

I have a dream of owning a film school one day. I don鈥檛 even know how to go about that, but I鈥檇 like to see actors with more skills in the industry. When you watch a good movie, you watch an actor become the character they鈥檙e playing. It feels like they鈥檙e in their house in that movie. It feels real. You can see the connection. But when you watch a movie, and it feels like the home is from Airbnb, I want that to change. 

Do you feel fulfilled yet, though?

I could be doing more. There are days when I feel fulfilled, and there are other days I just don鈥檛 know. I try to tell people, and they don鈥檛 understand. 

Do you struggle with imposter syndrome? 

All the time. I know I dey try, but when people post my work, I鈥檓 like, are you gassing me up? I feel my own audience may be lying to me, so what I do when different accounts share my work is I go through the comments. Because I feel I would see the truth there, from complete strangers who鈥檇 rate my work without sentiments. Most times, though, it鈥檚 the same praise.

Food coma? Wow. How would you describe what you do? 

I actually do a bunch of things. I’ve gotten tired of saying I鈥檓 a writer when there’s more to it. So I sat down and decided 鈥渃reative industry entrepreneur鈥� is the best way to describe myself. For the most part, I just sell my ideas. 

What’s the best idea you鈥檝e sold so far?

The articles I wrote for NotJustOk. I’ve had some really standout ones. In 2020, I did a listicle titled 鈥淪eyi Vibez, Bella Shmurda and Other Street Pop Artists You Should Know”. While everyone else was unsure of Wizkid鈥檚 Made in Lagos, it was one of the few projects I ever reviewed. I wrote that it was a really good album and a perfection of his career output so far.

One of the coolest things you do is your 鈥淔it check鈥� videos

For the longest time, I’ve felt that while I鈥檓 not rich in wealth, I’m rich in friends. People who know me just know I like fashion, so they end up giving me stuff. Like right now, I’m wearing a pair of white shades my colleague gave me for . People helped build my wardrobe, and I’m always conscious of that because I remember where I got everything from. My love language is getting fly shit. When I get dressed sometimes, I realise the only thing I bought with my money was my underwear, or something crazy like that.

Are any of your fashion items more special or sentimental than the rest?

I also have a pair of pink crocs I named 鈥淔lacko鈥� after ASAP Rocky, 鈥榗ause in A$AP Mob鈥檚 Yamborghini High video, he wore this pink bathrobe. It made me realise pink is such a cool colour, and ever since then, I鈥檝e been a big fan of pink. Flacko has been my ride-or-die since 300 level. They were actually famous in UI because when you see pink crocs, you know it鈥檚 for Bamy. I always used to post them and just wear them everywhere. I don鈥檛 wear the crocs now though; they鈥檙e just somewhere in the house. 

Well, I think crocs are supreme. So you know what, I get it 

 Thank you.

What are some basics you think everyone should have in their wardrobe, as somebody who doesn’t actually get half of their stuff themself?

I’m starting to get stuff myself. I鈥檝e been thrifting a lot since 2022 to build a wardrobe that feels like me. 

I want to say cargo pants, but I don’t know if there鈥檚 an age limit to this. I’ll say denim jackets because they fly and pair well with literally anything. If you鈥檙e like me and you get cold easily then, denim jackets and Oxford shirts. If you鈥檙e at a party, denim jackets might be a bit heavy, so an Oxford shirt because you can tie them around your waist and wear them later when you feel a bit cold. They’re really great for mutable fashion. Also, sunshades. I don’t understand how people don’t wear shades. People say shades don鈥檛 fit them, but it’s just a matter of understanding what type of shades work for your face. 

But doesn鈥檛 it feel embarrassing to be scared of the sun

When I turned 16, I had to travel with my mum and I needed shades, so she helped me choose the pair that worked best. I’ve been wearing shades ever since. I never really got people not liking shades, like why are you subjecting yourself to the harsh glare of the sun? For me, it鈥檚 not even a fashion accessory. 

And fashion irks?

One of my fashion irks is those thin slippers I see babes wear. I get that it’s part of the rich aunty aesthetic, but I see girls wearing them in the rainy season and I鈥檓 like, 鈥淲ater could splash on you, and you might have to wade through a flood鈥�. That鈥檚 why comfy and chunky slides should be essential.

Fair. What are your rules for thrifting? 

I’m not the best person at bargaining. It stresses me out because how will I know the price? I like to work based on my value of things and do some research. If I think it鈥檚 worth a certain price, and you call a crazy amount, It won’t work. I found one really good thrift store, 鈥楻etro Addicts鈥�, and since then, the Instagram algorithm keeps bringing more my way.

For my rules, I ask myself if I can see myself wearing it more than once. Also, boots are a heavy standard for me. I call my aesthetic 鈥渟uper rager girlfriend鈥�. So I ask myself, 鈥淐an I wear this with my boots or any other pair of shoes?鈥� If I think I鈥檓 being too impulsive, I come back the next day. The boots thing actually helps me create outfits that feel like me.

But the major thing is the mutability of the outfit. I ensure that I can style the outfit in different ways. Fashion isn鈥檛 necessarily about what you wear, but how you wear it. 

How did you get so confident about your style?

I’m from a very conservative home, but I鈥檝e always been very fashion-conscious. My mum would dress me in Deeper Life-type clothes, and I鈥檇 be unhappy as hell. It made me frown a lot because I never liked my outfits. It was crazier because my brothers used to wear like really fly shit gifted to them from my family friends, but the same people would conform to our conservative rules and send me dowdy ass clothes. So I felt cheated. 

In church, I didn’t talk to anybody besides my brothers. Immediately after, I鈥檇 go and sleep in the car 鈥榗ause I didn鈥檛 want anybody to see me. Eventually, I realised I didn’t have any friends, which affected me. One time, I designed a poll about how people perceived me, but I never gave it to anybody to fill it out. I just decided you know what, fuck this. I don’t make the rules. I’ll just rock my shit like that and try to frown less. 

I spent all my life wearing things I didn’t want, but when I got into uni, I could start dressing as I wanted. I actually had to hard-wire confidence into myself. So now, I don’t care how ridiculous you think my outfit is. I like it, and that’s all that matters. I don鈥檛 care about what you, your grandma or granddad thinks. Once I can get out of the house with it, and the people outside see me? Mission accomplished. For me, every outfit is a reality I鈥檓 living. 

Explain that

The biggest example is when I went to an only women鈥檚 fest in 2021 in this mesh dress. I don’t think I鈥檇 ever even worn it before that, but I thought it would be nice to have my titties out, so I wore it that way. I knew it would be a safe space where I could get away with a risque outfit. Now, every other place I’ve gone, I layer it as a top even. But in that moment when I wore the mesh dress and nothing else, I was living the reality of that dress as the ultimate bad bitch attire. 

Well, you can wear that dress again to 91大神鈥檚 Hertitude. It’s a safe space for women

I鈥檓 bigender. My pronouns are she/he/they. But I don’t enforce it because you technically can’t misgender me. It鈥檚 just irritating when my profile photo is clearly femme, and you say, 鈥淕ood afternoon, sir鈥�. For me, my pronouns should align with how I am presenting at that moment. When I鈥檓 wearing a cool, hard-ass, steal-your-girl-type outfit, and then, some guys are like 鈥渄amsel鈥�. I鈥檓 like, 鈥淲ho are you talking to?鈥� So that’s the thing about living the reality of the outfits. I’ve always been androgynous, and the biggest expression of that is my fashion.

You also work as a producer on Taymesan鈥檚 podcast. What鈥檚 that like as a young person?

The creative industry is actually a young industry if you look around you, so I don’t think there鈥檚 anything crazy about my age and the work I鈥檓 doing. There鈥檚 tons of young people doing kick-ass shit right now. For Tea with Tay, before I was his producer, I was actually his assistant for a year, then he needed a fresher approach to his podcast, and I was down for the challenge because I like to align my interest and my passion with my job. If the job doesn’t interest or excite me, I can’t do it. 

What did you do differently to make him keep you on? 

I’ve just been more hands-on. So far, I鈥檝e put out eight episodes, so it’s still a new experience for me. For the first few months, that was just me getting clarity. Now, I’m taking a new approach to the content and how things are rolled out. We introduced a new segment called 鈥淪pill The Tea鈥�, and that鈥檚 been fun. 

As much as the creative industry is young, the scene is very much 鈥渨ho you know鈥�. So when did you start putting yourself out there? 

I’ve just always been an expressive person. So I guess without even saying anything, people just always thought of me as a creative. I studied English at the University of Ibadan. Along the line, I worked as a ghostwriter. Then after NYSC, I got a job as a writer, but the pay was not it at all. After a while, I started seeing Linkedin profiles with all these high-achieving corporate people, and I鈥檇 feel a tinge of jealousy. I didn’t understand it because I know I’m not trying to climb the ranks in the corporate world. So I started to tell my friends about jobs I wanted to do; they were creatives as well. One of them, Jimmy 鈥� I always joke that I’ll build him a statue one day 鈥� was already more established in the creative industry, so he plugged me on to 鈥淣otjustok鈥�’, and since then, I’ve just been blossoming.  

What influences everything you do? 

How passionate I am about it or how much it excites me.

What if the money is good, but you鈥檙e not passionate about it? 

I can’t work in a bank, for instance, even if the pay is crazy. I quit writing for 鈥楴otjustok鈥� earlier this year because I’m not as passionate about writing. Passion and money go hand-in-hand like a handshake because, at the same time, I can’t do free work where I am. has actually been my mantra since the beginning of 2022. 

Will you ever write again?

I need to reconnect with it and just that part of me that鈥檚 passionate about writing without having to be paid for it. Capitalism ruined my first love. 

I wish you good luck with that. How do you unwind?

I just sleep. All my friends know I don’t really watch movies because it takes me like a million years to hyperfocus on it. I鈥檝e also been exploring dining out with friends, but for the most part, I sleep, even when I shouldn鈥檛 be sleeping. 

What are your favourite Nigerian designers? 

I’m bigender. So, I really like TJWHO鈥檚 androgynous but clean designs. They have a really masculine edge to their femme designs. It’s like masc. and avant-garde at the same time 鈥� very slim cut, sharp. I love it. Then, Tokyo James, I think, for similar reasons and just how they work with fabric. It’s very exciting and groundbreaking. Then Tubo Reni, I think her sculpting skills are next to none, and what she did with Tiwa Savage on the Water and Garri tour was impressive. Tiwa actually wore Fendi and Versace throughout. I think Tubo Reni was the only Nigerian brand she wore .

Do you have any plans to create your own fashion pieces? 

I’ve been designing since I was a kid, but imposter syndrome hit me really early. I鈥檝e just decided to go to a proper fashion school to learn. I went to Queen’s College, and they had a clothing and textile course. I did that from SS 1 to 3. I want to go to a proper fashion school and maybe start designing for myself first and see where it goes from there. I worked with a bunch of stylists last year, and before that, I actually styled one of my friends for his video shoot. I worked as a styling intern in 2022. I’m obsessed with getting experience. I don’t appreciate being in a place where I second-guess myself. But because I’m busy with my other passions that pay me money, I  haven’t found time to give it as much attention.

 What are the other passions that pay you money? 

I work as a content lead for WeTalkSound. I’ve always wanted to be in a space where I share ideas and see them through till the execution point, and I’m very passionate about music, so that’s me bringing two of my passions together. I also work as Artiste and Label Relations Manager for . I get to be an active part of the music distribution process. For Taymesan, I’ve always wanted to work with someone with a level of access to resources that I don’t have because it’s just a really good learning ground. I get to interact with vast minds, vast talents. 

Favourite career moments? 

Working as a content lead has been very rewarding. It’s something I’d always dreamed of doing. We made a viral post recently, and I know it’s hard to replicate, but we鈥檝e grown so much, and the difference is clear. In 2021, I wrote a timeline of the alt茅 subculture and sound. I spoke to for the interview, and he gave me a shout-out for the work I was doing. I listened to him a lot when I was in secondary school and he was actually my window to the alternative music scene in Nigeria. So this was a personal crowning moment for me. 

What are your favourite parts about being a creative industry entrepreneur?

The freedom. The fashion freedom. You see me pressing my phone, but I’m actually restlessly working. I could be working on a news report, putting a Canva design together or reviewing a content idea. I also love that I get to cover shows, from music listening parties to concerts. 

What do you want to do in the next couple of years? 

If I’m still alive. 

This is why I don’t like you Gen Z people 

I mean, we have to be honest. But I want to own a creative agency to build ideas from scratch that help people in the entertainment world. Do you need to bring a show to life, or a concept, we can help. People don’t understand things like how powerful a good copy is, how to sell things, how immersive concerts make people want to come back for another edition the next year, or even an artist’s social media branding, from how they dress to how they text. A creative agency helps people in the industry to take concrete ideas and execute them. 

I also want to get into headhunting, to look out for people with a second class or even dropouts. I think I’d be great at this because when people need talent, they always come to me. I always look within my community before looking outside 鈥榗ause it’s just always better to refer people you know firsthand can do the work. Down the line, I鈥檇 like to make headhunting an even wider reach for the creative and tech spaces. I’m not sure if I should be sharing this much, before somebody steals my idea. 

If they steal it, we鈥檒l fight. Can’t wait for your creative agency, maybe we’d finally have musicians who give me something outside of their music, which is great, but like, I want to connect with you

As Nigerians, we鈥檙e actually very big on personality. We love big personalities. If you鈥檙e not selling us a personality that鈥檚 larger than life, your brand will actually suffer. 

Very, very true. How would you describe your personality?

I’ve never thought about my personality, but someone called me a 鈥渃rackhead rockstar鈥�. I protested at first, but I think it’s apt. 

Emmanuel

This is my first anime event. I love the experience so far. It鈥檚 really nice, and I know it鈥檚 going to get better, so I鈥檓 here for it. The world is advancing technologically, so I hope they have a VR experience next time. But besides that, I love anime, I love HunterXHunter, my number one is One Piece, and I really like Cowboy Bepop. I鈥檝e been watching anime since I was in junior school.

Mine

I鈥檝e been watching anime since I was six, and my first was Naruto. Yes, I鈥檓 one of them; Naruto is my favourite anime. I鈥檝e cosplayed about four times now. I cosplayed Carole from Carole & Tuesday and Yumeko from Kakegurui. I鈥檝e been to about four anime cosplay events, and my favourite thing is seeing other people as enthusiastic about what we love around me. I love the feeling of being around people who understand why we do what we do. It鈥檚 a small-ish community, but it makes me happy.

Femi

I鈥檝e cosplayed just once before this, and I did Itachi. My favourite anime is Naruto, but I like Akame Ga Kill. My big three are Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist and Akame Ga Kill. I鈥檝e been watching anime since 2004, when I saw Ronin Kenshin. This might be my first anime con, but I鈥檓 impressed by how people went all out. They took their time to cosplay their characters, and I see the effort. I also love how this small community helps me meet like-minded people who love anime. 

Kammie

I鈥檝e been watching anime for two years. My favourite anime is One Piece and Kuroko no Basket. This is the second anime con event I鈥檝e cosplayed at, and I love how happy everyone is. People come up to you to take pictures because they appreciate the effort you put into your cosplay. It鈥檚 amazing, and I love that we get to have this. For anyone trying to get into anime, it鈥檚 not too late. Watch Naruto, Food Wars, Demon Slayer and Black Clover as a starter. We鈥檒l all be here for you.

Saiki

I鈥檝e been watching anime for two years, since the pandemic. I鈥檇 heard about Naruto from primary school to uni, so it felt like a new starting point. I finally had time to try it because I was at home with nothing to do. I鈥檝e seen almost 100 episodes since then because I kept watching them back-to-back to catch up. I鈥檝e slowed down a lot, though. I love Saiki, it鈥檚 my comfort anime, but my favourites are Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Attack on Titan.听

This is my first time cosplaying, so I tried to do something not so risky but still significant. I did Saiki since he鈥欌�檚 my favourite character. It was fun to source the material to make it happen. I鈥檓 new here, but obviously, anime is going mainstream, so I love the sense of community we get to have. People on the road might wonder what we鈥檙e doing, but we get each other. It鈥檚 fun to see people excited about something others consider a niche. It鈥檚 just fun to be around people you can relate with.

Bolu

I鈥檝e been a big anime fan for five years now. Not to be cliche, but I love One Piece a lot. Then there鈥檚 One Piece, Haikyuu!! and Dororo. I love cosplaying. I cosplayed as No-Face for the first time last year and actually won the competition. I love seeing other people as weird as me, who share similar interests and love of anime, in the same place. It鈥檚 so cool. Where else will I see these many people looking like this in Lagos? 

Crys.chan.cosplay

I鈥檝e been watching anime since primary school; my first was Pokemon. My big three are My Hero Academia, Haikyuu!! and Fullmetal Alchemist. Anyone who wants to start off should try Demon Slayer or Noragami. For romance, try My Little Monster and Say I Love You. 

I鈥檓 a regular cosplayer. In 2022, I did about 26 cosplays in total, and I make almost all the costumes from scratch. I love coming to community events like these 鈥榗ause everyone else I know dismisses my interest, but here, everyone likes it as much as I do. And I love it.

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by Dorcas Bello, Bird Story Agency

When Jacob Onoja opens the door to welcome guests into his house in Jos, Plateau State, the first thing that catches one’s eyes are the exquisite paintings on the walls. This is an artist who lives and breathes art.

“As far back as I can remember, I have always loved scribbling, drawing, painting and visualising imaginary things in the sky. I did it in my teenage years, and I still do in my adult life,” he said.

Onoja started to paint professionally in 1987 when he opened a studio, the Diadem Art Gallery. To refine his talent, he enrolled at Ahmadu Bello University, where he earned his first degree in fine and applied art. After his mandatory NYSC year, Onoja displayed some of his paintings at the NICON Hotel in Abuja, and after attaining a master’s degree at Ahmadu Bello University, enrolled for a doctorate in art history. Earning his doctorate in 2014, he then joined the University of Jos as a lecturer. But he never let go of his private studio engagement.

“It hasn’t been an easy ride juggling academics and private studio practice, but what keeps me moving is the long-term impact of my work. I have already started seeing the fruit of my labour as some of my students are now professional artists,” he said.

While Onoja uses his brush to depict a wide range of subjects on his canvases, the theme of peace is close to his heart.

“I was born and still live here in Plateau State, a place that has suffered insecurity, both cross-border and inter-communal,” he said.

Through his art, Onoja projects peace as a value presented not only as a right but something every individual needs to consciously strive for. This he describes as a form of community therapy.

“I try to tell stories of peace to entrap people into my space of therapy,” he explained.

In 2014, Onoja launched an annual exhibition called “Landscapes and More” that brings people from within and outside of Plateau State together to discuss peace as they experience the stories behind his paintings. Since then, it has been held every December as an artistic event to “wrap up the year”.

“It is a time of the year I look forward to, and many attendees have made it their annual routine,” he said.

One of those who’ve been attending the exhibition is Nenkinan Deshi.

“Onoja’s consistency in bringing peace messages is so healing鈥� the scars of the instability in our state that I had nursed for years have been healed by the exhibitions. I appreciate his work and determination to preach peace through his art,” Deshi said.

Onoja says he draws inspiration for his work from nature: flowers, buzzing bees, the skyline, waterfalls, everything nature offers. But above all, he is inspired by the divine.

Onoja’s work enabled him to lead the Zaman Tare project, a peace partnership between CANFOD, an NGO based in Abuja, and the European Union, from January 2018 until January 2020. Zaman Tare means
“peaceful co-existence” in Hausa.

Its impact was summed up by Anas Ibrahim Suleiman, a community youth leader in Nasarawa Filin Ball, one of the “hot zones”:

“I have never experienced something so great and more than ever before, I have seen the need for us to work for peace together as a community,” said Suleiman.

Onoja has been engaged in other group and solo exhibitions, with some of his paintings appearing in foreign publications and receiving great patronage. He also says art pays most of his bills besides being a fulfilling career. His paintings sell between 鈧�7k ($15) for the smallest size, to 鈧�350k ($780) for the big pieces. However, the prices can also be higher depending on the place and organisers of the exhibition.

To speak to a broader audience, Onoja has gone digital and is also using Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to sell his work.

“Digitalisation, especially the NFTs, is revolutionising African art. More creatives should leverage the technology to advertise and sell their artworks,” he said. On future plans:

“I want to grow and nurture this ‘baby’, the Diadem Art Gallery, into a huge enterprise specialising in collecting paintings and exhibitions on (the) theme of peace and co-existence,” he said. “I will continue to devote all my energy to art, my career as a lecturer and peace crusader”.

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