Stories from "5ive"

So with this one, I woke up from one of those naps where you’re sweating. You just took an evening nap, and you wake up,

and it seems like a war just happened. I see like seven missed calls on Snapchat, and it’s from Tycoone, who’s David’s

creative director. I hit him back, and he’s like, “Where are you? David wants to see you.” I’m like, “What the fuck?

Alright, bet.” So, I pull up and we go to this place called Shisha Lounge back then. David has this whole entourage, and

there were so many people around him. I think Peruzzi was with him at that time, and this producer called Fresh. I

wanted to sit on the other side because there were so many people, but Davido called me over to sit right beside him. I

was nervous as hell. I was very antisocial at that time. He then told me to start playing music, and I played “outcast,”

then I played “falling,” and he said, “Them go love you for Yankee.” He then asks me to play him stuff I’d not worked

on, and I had the beat for “divine” from Hvrry, the producer. The beat only played for three seconds, and he was like,

“Yeah, this is the one.” That was the first time I’d ever seen someone do that; he hadn’t even heard the beat for long

enough, but he was just like, “Let’s go.” So, we got into the cars and we went to Eko Hotels. He rented out a suite, and

we set up there to work on the song. He kind of added some production stuff; it was the first time I’d seen him work in

person, so it was interesting to see how involved he was in the process. Later on, I found out that he used to produce

music. Working with him was interesting. I feel like if life permits it, and we work on music together again, it would

always be interesting because there’s a certain understanding of production.

This is such a beautiful love song. The session was mind-blowing, and I really loved it. “golibe” is a way of expressing

love and affection because a popular part of the song, “Ile awada,” means that our home is blessed or fortunate. So, I’m

telling her that she needs to come. It’s just a way of letting her know that she needs to be with me because I really

like her and need her in my life. Victony brought life and emotions to the song. He gave it a new dimension. His verse

is so mind-blowing, and I still can’t get it out of my head because it rings in my head all the time. He went out of his

way for me, and big shout-out to him.

I just had a session with Shorae (singer & songwriter) at KTIZO’s studio in Lagos. Shorae and I usually have random

sessions from time to time. He’s someone I love to write with. He’s really big in the Afrobeats writing space, although

we don’t acknowledge writers that much, but he’s at the top of the game. I love writing with Shorae because when we

write, it’s very collaborative. He does melodies, I put lyrics. “Oshaprapra” came from one of those days where we’re

just vibing and DJ Notorious [one half of KTIZO]–that’s the name of the producer who made the beat, and I was in love

with the chords. I was like, “I need to try something,” and we just started working on it. We decided on the theme of

the song together. When we started writing it, I had an idea of what I wanted it to be about, and we did the schemes

together. I asked him what “Oshaprapra” meant, and he said it means shiny skin. So, I just decided to follow that theme

of being through hellfire and still having a shiny skin. It was a metaphor for the song. Funny thing is that at the end

of the session, I told the producer to scrap everything that we did because I liked the beat, and I didn’t think what we

had done was enough to complement the beat. He just said okay, but he didn’t scrap it. The next day, he sent it to me

and told me it was crazy. I told him I’d listen to it. I was supposed to travel to London at the time, so I listened to

the song on the flight to London, and I was like, “Okay, this is something.” When I got to London, I played it for the

team, and everyone liked it because it tapped into the energy that everyone was feeling. I started liking it as well,

and I loved it at the end of the day. I recently saw a tweet I made in 2023 where I said, “Intro: Oshaprapra,” and I

didn’t even have the idea for Stubborn at the time.

We made “History” in KTIZO’s studio (Lagos). I just went to the studio with my guys that night. This was in 2023. I was

just vibing with Hoodini [one half of KTIZO]. He played the beat, but I didn’t like the chords on it. We restructured

the whole thing, and I was trying line for line. I wasn’t really in the mood to make a song, but the more I tried to

make that record, the more my mood was elevating, and I just kept on making progress writing the song. Eventually, I

ended up with “History.” Honestly, it was the first time I was very detailed with experiences I valued so much and

experiences that gave me life lessons at the end of the day. As a writer, that was a very proud moment for me because,

for the longest, that was something I was looking forward to achieving as opposed to writing on a surface level. With a

song like “Kolomental,” it’s a very heartfelt song, but it’s not specific. For me, “History” opened up the door for

stuff like that because from there I was able to do “Jaga Jaga” and the likes. I was able to tap into that world of

precise writing.

Sometime in 2023, I had sessions with P2J where we made “Ludo,” “Anita,” and some other records. Those were just fun

times in London, where I would just go into the studio and I’d be up all night with P2J. We’d make like five complete

songs in one night. We were just on that high, and we were just creating. So, “Ludo” is one of the songs that we birthed

from those sessions. At the time, we didn’t have Shallipopi on it, I never even thought that Shallipopi was going to be

on that record, but we knew it was a very strong record. When we were putting the album together, it kept on making

whatever list we were putting together. So, we knew it was going to be on it. Hoodini (record producer) helps me with

the creative process for my songs, and he was like the song gives him a vibe where we can have a rapper on. If you think

of it in a Western world, it’s a Kanye record. That’s how he described it to me, and when he gave that reference, I

could see the vision. We thought about Shallipopi because his voice is just unique. I reached out to him, and we just

made it happen.

“Anita” is one of the songs from P2J’s (the producer) sessions. It was just another fun night in London. We were just

creating and had guys around vibing. There’s nothing too crazy with the story because it was just a fun record.

“Everything” was made in 2022. I loved the “Sunflower’’ song (by Post Malone and Swae Lee) a lot. I wanted to do

something similar to that. When I make songs with Blaze (the producer), sometimes we start from scratch. That’s how we

made “Kolomental.” I just play him certain chord progressions, and I tell him what direction I want to go towards. We

didn’t have an idea of what we were going to make that day, but we started playing the chords and building from there.

We made the song, but we didn’t have the sample on. When I got to London, I told Hoodini (additional producer) that we

could have the sample on because the song didn’t have a second verse. Hoodini and I just chopped it off. At the time, we

were just doing it for fun because we didn’t know that we could eventually clear the sample. At the time, “Sunflower”

had just gone 11 times Platinum, so it was a big deal, but at the end of the day, we did it, and I think it just had to

do with believing.

“Risk” is a crazy record. It has a similar story to “Oshaprapra,” to be honest, because when I made the song, I didn’t

have the full idea for the song. I just had the pre-hook. This was in Los Angeles during a session with P Priime

(producer). It was one of those moments where I didn’t want to be idle, I wanted to exercise my brain and do something

creative. I just did a freestyle on the beat. It wasn’t complete. I have a friend named Boat who does all of my graphics

and creative direction. He did the 2D stuff you see on “Jaga Jaga” and the Outlaw EP. He reached out to me and told me

“Risk” had to make the project. I think that’s where we started having the issue of whether it was going to be an EP or

an album. At first, it was supposed to be an EP, but I just kept getting suggestions from people that certain songs had

to be on there. I told Boat that I was going to try to finish the record, but I couldn’t guarantee that it was going to

make the project. I had the full idea about a full month after I had laid the original idea. I went to the studio,

finished it, and thought that it was a very strong one.

The idea for “Tiny Apartment” was completely SAINt JHN’s idea. He did a freestyle on the beat, but on his very first

freestyle, he sang the lyrics, “In my tiny apartment.” To be honest, SAINt JHN pretty much freestyle everything that he

did on the song. 90% of everything he did was on the first take. I feel like he’s the most talented person I’ve seen

with my two eyes, which is very inspiring. After his freestyle, we started discussing the concept of the song, and he

was talking about how New York apartments are really small. I wanted to paint that same picture, but in a Naija setting.

I think SAINt JHN describing what he was feeling at the time allowed me to be inspired and tap into that experience as a

Naija boy and come up with very specific lyrics for that feeling.

I’ve wanted to work with Teezo [Touchdown] for a while after listening to his album. When the session happened, we were

just going through beats. When the beat for “Slow Down” came on, I did a freestyle to it. Just the toplines of melodies.

After I was done, Teezo and I went through it together, and he picked a specific part of the melody and started writing

to that. We also did the hook, he wrote his verses, and that was it.

Writing “Stubborn” gave me a whole new identity. It gave me something I didn’t know I had with me. The producers, 1MIND

also made “Unforgettable” by Swae Lee and French Montana. They have quite a stacked catalogue, and they’re very good

friends of mine outside of production. A session with them is good energy, and that evening, I was just myself in the

studio. I wasn’t overly prepared to make a record; I just wanted to have fun, so when the beat for “Stubborn” came on, I

was feeling it, and I wasn’t thinking of doing something perfect. Ironically, it came out as a moody song, but in that

moment, it was a blend of me having fun and reminiscing on my life. It was an “I’m him” moment. I was going through

moments when it wasn’t too smooth, but I overcame, and I’m now in L.A., giving myself praises and stuff like that. Just

because it was so many emotions at once, I felt like, “Damn, this is an exceptional record.” The fact that I was able to

blend the fun, moody, and autobiographical elements gave me a new feeling, brand, and identity in my head. It was

straight, almost like one takes, because with “Stubborn,” I recorded it like one long verse. The first and third verses

of the song were recorded together as one long verse. I was really in my bag. After I made the song, we just agreed that

“Stubborn” would bang with a feature because it’s such a new sound. We felt that it would be more incisive if we had

somebody else to come explore something, and Asake came to mind. I reached out on Instagram, and he told me to send it.

When he came into Lagos, he came to my studio, and we just did it together.

I made “Kolo (Kolomental II)” right after I made “Stubborn,” and that was within minutes. Off that “Stubborn” high, they

played another beat, and I just told them to keep the mic on, and it just kept on going. If you listen to both songs,

you’ll notice that there’s a similar energy. If you listen to the verses on “Kolo,” it goes like, “Who thinks they’re

crazy enough to challenge me?” It was coming off that “I Stubborn” energy, and I knew that both songs are crazy and have

to be on whatever I am putting out next.

After recording sessions in L.A., I went back to Lagos, and I was still on that “Stubborn” energy, and that’s why I

decided to name my next project Stubborn. I started making new types of songs and having a different approach to my

songs. I had a session with 255 [a German production group], they’re very good friends of mine, and I made the song. It

was just coming off that “Stubborn” energy, to be honest. I feel like “Stubborn” gave me a whole new vibe that I just

kept on exploring at the time. That’s one of the first sessions I had once I came back from L.A. at the time.

I made “Pier 46” in L.A. before I came back to Nigeria. I think it was two days before the “Stubborn” session. Hoodini

(producer) was in L.A. with me, and we were preparing to go for another session, and we just decided to try something.

He was in the apartment, and he played the beat. I had played him one song in the past, and I was like, “This is such a

coincidence,” because it was a Spanish song, and I was feeling the attitude in the song, and I wanted to explore

something like that. The beat Hoodini played for me was very similar, and it was such a crazy coincidence because it’s a

mood I’ve been wanting to tap into for a while. We just stayed back and worked on it before the session. It took quite a

while because I wanted to perfect the attitude, because it’s something I’ve been wanting to tap into.

“Sunday School” was with P2J (producer). It was made late in 2023, shortly before I travelled for Davido’s A.W.A.Y Fest

in Atlanta. The night before the trip, which was scheduled for 7 a.m., I was having a session with P2J till like 4 a.m.

We were just vibing and recording, and “Sunday School” was all we were working on. That’s a fan’s favourite on the

album.

I made “Street Affair” in L.A. That was one of the first songs that I made in L.A. It was made shortly after I landed in

L.A. When I made Street Affair,” it was just me reminiscing on recent happenings in my life and personal stuff that I

just put on there. Hoodini had sent me the beat, and I had had it for a while. So, it was one of those sessions where I

just get an engineer and just lock in to reflect on how I’m feeling and put it into the music.

In 2021, Dapper set up a session with me & Tempoe. It was a camp for an artist called Savage. We made a couple of

records that included “Rosemary,” “Soweto,” and some other songs that never saw the light. At the time, I loved

“Rosemary” more and Tempoe used to tell me that “Soweto” is crazy, but I couldn’t see it. At the end of the day, we gave

Savage “Rosemary,” and Tempoe was going to take “Soweto.” It was supposed to be Tempoe featuring Victony, but people on

my team just loved the record and they told me that the song was crazy. I spoke to Tempoe at the time, and he was like,

“Yo, that’s my song, I can’t give it to you.” This was post-“Holy Father,” and I wanted that to be my follow-up single,

and he told me he can’t give me the record. So, we fought, and we just stopped talking for a while. When I was putting

the Outlaw EP together, I was telling my friend, AV, about the plans, and AV goes, “What about that ‘Soweto’ record?

That has to make your EP.” I was like, “Yeah, the song is dope, but I don’t think Tempoe and I can ever agree.” We

hadn’t spoken in months but AV was like, “Put your pride to the side and ask him for it again because you’re both

sitting on money.” To be honest, at the time, I didn’t really think of the advice as a big deal but I just did it

because AV is someone I trust, he’s a very good friend of mine, and if he tells me something, I’ll listen. That same

night, I reached out to Tempoe and was like, “How are you doing?” Surprisingly, he responded in good spirits and we were

able to make it come to life and I even discussed my EP with him. That’s how the song eventually became released.

The story of this song starts with the story of how I met Omah Lay in the first place. I found Omah Lay on YouTube... I

stumbled on a song in 2019 and I started looking for him all over the place. This was before we went into lockdown

(COVID-19). It was before I left Nigeria for my tour in 2019. Anyway, finally I connected with somebody and they

introduced me to Omah Lay. When we met at the studio, he came late and I was one hour late to my flight. So I was like,

damn I really like this guy, but this international flight is not a joke. You know what, damn If I miss the flight, I

miss it. I would wait for this guy. Long story short, Omah Lay walked in and said, “ah boss, you know, I’ve been trying

to reach you. I've been sending you DMs.” So we started talking, you know and I said to him, I have a question for you,

who are you? Why are you so talented? Tell me your story. He told me all of his plans, you know, we chopped it off.

Great guy. Then we left. Thankfully I didn’t miss my flight, it was delayed. When I got to the USA, I was on tour but we

kept sending ideas. Then the lockdown happened. That was how we made a song, “Tonight”. That was one of the first songs

he ever released, around when he put out his first tape. After the lockdown, we tried to work on different records.

There was a time me, Fireboy and Omah Lay made a record. For some reason that record never came out. Then Omah Lay and I

worked again and made “One Call”. After we made One Call, something just kept tickling me. I felt someone else needs to

join us on this song. I think what tickled me was the fact that the song with Omah Lay and Fireboy never dropped. That

song is a hit! I don't even know how to explain it. We were going to get back to the studio to finish it but it just

didn’t happen. After we made One Call, I kept thinking, who would be right to join us on this song? Then I remembered

Tyla. I tried to feature Tyla in 2021 on a song with Lucky Daye but we never put it out. I’ve always seen Tyla as a

special pop voice. I had already submitted the song for release, just the version with Omah Lay. I called my team a week

later as said let’s withdraw. Then we finally put Tyla on the song. She also liked the record, it's easy when an artist

is also a fan of the record. Omah Lay had a great reaction to it because they have a good vocal synergy. If you look at

the vocal combinations of Omah and Tyla, their voices fit each other. I'm grateful for the reception on the song. It’s

one of those records that stands on it's own for the sake of music forever.

Legolas, is some real sh*t. Real life thing. You know when you're on the come up, you're inside the maze, you cannot

really see it. Back then, all those babes used to do me shege (dirty) because I didn't have money. I used to be angry at

them. But coming to realization right now, on Legolas, I'm like, bro, why are you even in a relationship when you don't

have money, bro? I was in Atlanta when I made Legolas. I was with DND Section when I recorded it. We were in America,

during my tour. It made me realize that you are now the property of this period, down to your immediate circle, your

family, everything. No matter what anybody is saying about carrying your guys along, like “if you carry them, it will be

slow”. All those things are fallacy and whatever I'm doing, everything has entered by God's grace. Legolas, fictional

character, Lord of Rings, never missed. He was an archer. Never ever missed. Never.

It was a seamless process because he (Sarz) is not the kind of producer that tries to get in your face. He wants you as

an artist to do your thing. If anything, it’s almost like he’s just trying to get the best out of the artist by letting

them be themselves and not trying to distract their process with his own ideas. It was really fun. When the EP (LV N

ATTN) dropped, Monalisa (from the EP) just started popping on its own. The song just came from nowhere and started doing

its thing. As that was happening, we were like yeah, a remix would be nice and by the end of last year (2021), we were

already thinking of doing a remix. We basically just sent it out to different people that we had in mind that we would

want on the remix. Chris Brown was one of them because he just floated so effortlessly on Afrobeats and we just felt

like he was one of the people who could take it to a whole new place and still maintain the same essence. There was an

air of uncertainty until that happened and then all of a sudden it was time to go.