logo
Meet Obongjayar, the Afrobeat Innovator Who Can Rock a Stadium With No Fear

Meet Obongjayar, the Afrobeat Innovator Who Can Rock a Stadium With No Fear

Yahoo16-06-2025
You wouldn't quite call Obongjayar a rapper today, but back in 2016, he caught the eye of Richard Russell — the influential British producer who helped launch Adele's career and heads the indie label XL Recordings — with a freestyle over Kendrick Lamar's 'u' from To Pimp a Butterfly. The song had been a breakthrough for Obongjayar, one where he began to untangle some identity crises from his youth in Calabar, Nigeria to his young adulthood in London. Born Steven Umoh, he took on the name Obongjayar as he began to drift away from hip-hop, putting together Obong — the word for 'king' or 'god' in Ibibio, his local language — with Jayar, a play on being a junior, named after his father. He liked the way the name combined the power of a ruler and the humility of a son.
Since his 'u' freestyle, he leaned even more into multiplicity, wielding electronic music, rock, soul, and even country into a sort of new-age Afrobeat of his own making. You can hear remnants of Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti's innovation and defiance in songs like 'Message in a Hammer' from his expansive 2022 debut album Some Nights I Dream of Doors, which he wrote after Nigerian security forces shot at anti-police-brutality protesters in 2020. You can also hear a softer side across Doors and his four EPs, too. Though he's retained a rapper's bravado and way with words, he sings in a grovely croke as well as he does in an airy falsetto. His chameleonic approach has earned him a dedicated fanbase and one of the U.K.'s esteemed songwriting awards, an Ivor Novello. In November, he will headline his biggest show yet, at London's O2 Kentish Town Forum, to support his sophomore album, Paradise Now, out May 30.
More from Rolling Stone
Meet Lily Seabird, an Unflinching Songwriter Who'd Make Leonard Cohen Proud
How Lifeguard Unleashed the Melodies Inside Their Punk Noise
Meet Haute and Freddy, the Carnival-Pop Duo Blurring Centuries and Breaking Rules
As a testament to his range, he's also earned a fan in coveted dance producer Fred Again…, who remixed Obongjayar's gentle ode to his younger brother, 'I Wish It Was Me,' into the joyous new track, 'Adore U.' Obongjayar had gone from being a stranger to Fred, moved to tears watching a set of his online, to performing 'Adore U' with him at a sold-out stadium, Los Angeles' Memorial Coliseum. Despite the massive crowd, he felt at ease. 'I don't get nervous because I know what I'm doing,' he says. 'I know who I am. I don't need to put on a thing, I'm not performing. I'm just being, because I love the songs.'
He wasn't always so self-assured. When Obongjayar first started posting music to SoundCloud, he was making 'terrible American rap,' he says, trying to be someone he was not. 'If you grew up in Nigeria when I grew up in Nigeria, everyone had that identity crisis,' he says, having moved to London around 17 years old. His mother had left Nigeria for England after an abusive relationship with his father, leaving Obongjayar and his younger brother in their grandmother's care until she was able to bring them over.
'We were so fed American culture — American movies, American music, watching Jerry Springer, Cartoon Network — that being Nigerian was almost not as cool. What was seen as cool at that time was kids who had parents in America, kids who went to America for holiday. I didn't have any of those things, but I was around kids who did, so I used to lie a lot. When we would go back from school holiday, me and my brother would lie through our teeth that we'd been to England. We put on a fake accent, but our accents were American accents,' he says.
Though he had stumbled upon a Fela Kuti bootleg CD as a child, he was more interested in 50 Cent, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne. He didn't really appreciate Kuti until he was a graphic design student at Norwich University of the Arts in the east of England. His British friends, who played the Nigerian bandleader around Obongjayar, wrongly assumed he already knew all about him. 'When you're in a different place and you see how revered someone like a Fela Kuti is, you realize how important it is, him being as uniquely himself as he was across any geography,' says Obongjayar. 'I thought that was so inspiring, because the music was just so Nigerian. His music being able to open up a window into what African life was, it's like hip-hop opening the world up to the hood, to where that struggle came from. That made me realize, 'Oh my God, my job as an artist is to open up that window to my world and show people clearly what I'm seeing.''
To that point, Paradise Now, is emotional but direct. Obongjayar is 32 now, according to the Guardian (he playfully refuses to share his age with me. 'I'm going to be 25,' he says) and particularly moved by hits by Bowie and Prince. His approach to Paradise Now was influenced by old interviews of theirs too, where their perspectives were incisive and clear. 'There's not too much fat,' he says of them. 'It's been distilled to a point where it's so fine and understandable and also very unique, but it doesn't scare you away because it's too complex.'
One of the Paradise Now tracks that does this best is 'Talk Olympics,' which bears the album's only vocal feature, rapper Little Simz, his close friend and frequent collaborator. The frenzied percussion on 'Talk Olympic' excitingly elicits the commotion of a dense West African market, but mirrors the similarly incessant and overwhelming chatter that can spill from the internet into real life. 'Trending topic psychologist, social media philanthropist, political biologists, talking, talking, talking rubbish,' he chants. 'Everyone just pretends they know what the hell they're talking about,' he tells me about the song's inspiration. 'Yesterday, you weren't talking about this. You had no fucking clue until it became a thing.'
'Talk Olympics' stands out as the one of the most distinctly African-sounding song on Paradise Now, where Obongjayar weaves together highlife, electro-pop, all kinds of rock, and a touch of rap into a tapestry on which he grieves broken relationships, builds new ones, and asserts himself. Across the album and much of his music, he performs with more of a Nigerian accent than the British one he's often heard speaking in. 'When I speak to my parents, my family, my brother, I speak in my Nigerian accent,' he says. 'But my saving grace is that when I think, I think in Nigerian, I think with my voice. The way I make music and the way I sing is very reflective of how I think rather than how I speak. It's pure unfiltered.'
He intended to call the album Instant Animal, like the crashing, psychedelic jam session of a song on Paradise Now, thinking about what it means to really surrender to a moment. 'If you're dreaming and you fall down, your body's reaction is to wake up, because it's either you die in that dream or you wake up. That's what 'Instant Animal' is. You become this thing because you're forced into a corner.'
While he was working on what would become the album though, he was hosting a series of parties called Paradise Now that also prioritized the immediate and instinctual, he and his friends being present with each other. It was also a place where he could test out the music with his collaborators. He had often gotten feedback that his songs sounded different live than on wax, and wanted to see if he could sap the dissonance. 'Sometimes the music can be too complicated to replicate live,' he says.
He chose a venue called Ormside to host Paradise Now, a South East London haunt of his with a 250 capacity. 'We sold that out every single time,' he says. He loved the intimacy of it. 'There's no green room, so everyone's just in the space. It's got a small stage, there's a bar in the corner, it's quite dingy. Great sound system, great people that work there, it's just perfect. You're in the smoking area with everyone else. You're talking to people who've come. It's such a family environment. There's no separation between anyone, so you get off-stage and you're in the crowd.'
As the record progressed, he says, Instant Animal felt too brash. 'It's the aggressive cousin of Paradise Now,' he says. I mention that his Paradise Now parties reminded me of the ones Janelle Monáe and friends threw while they made her last Grammy-nominated album, The Age of Pleasure. They wanted to see how their records resonated on the dancefloor. In hindsight, Obongjayar thinks he may have unknowingly been a plus one at Monáe's. Testing music at his parties, though, was even more personal. 'It's more about how it makes me feel,' he says, 'because I need to be comfortable with how it moves me.'
Best of Rolling Stone
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac: 2025's Notable Reissues So Far
Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac: 2025's Notable Reissues So Far

Forbes

time7 minutes ago

  • Forbes

Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac: 2025's Notable Reissues So Far

Bruce Springsteen. We're still in the throes of summer, but it's never too early to think about some of the archival music and reissues that have been released so far this year for the discerning music fan (And before the blink of an eye, it'll be the holiday gift-giving season). The first half of 2025 has seen some interesting offerings by several heavy hitters for both die-hard and casual fans, with more to come in the second half from the likes of David Bowie, Nick Drake and Genesis. Meanwhile, here's a rundown of releases currently available that mostly feature all the bells and whistles: remastered sound, attractive packaging, liner notes and, most importantly, previously unreleased tracks. Cover of 'Pink Floyd at Pompeii.' Pink Floyd Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII Predating 1973's The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd's performance at the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy — featuring the classic lineup of David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright — has since become legend. More than five decades later, the film version of the concert was restored and digitally remastered in 4K. The release of a standalone live album, which includes performances of 'Echoes' and 'One of These Days," from this important moment in Floyd's history coincided with the film's re-release. Cover of 'Listen Like Thieves.' INXS Listen Like Thieves (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) INXS' fifth studio, which came out in 1985, proved to be the Australian band's breakthrough release in the U.S., thanks to the Top 10 hit 'What You Need.' The record was a turning point because it marked the beginning of INXS' working relationship with producer Chris Thomas and yielded other beloved songs including the title cut, 'Shine Like It Does' and 'Kiss the Dirt. More importantly, Listen Like Thieves' mix of sleek dance rock and funk provided the template for the group's blockbuster Kick album two years later. This 40th anniversary 2-CD edition of Listen Like Thieves also features a brand new 2025 remix of the album, plus several B-sides, remixes and live recordings from that period. Cover of 'The Warner Reprise Years.' The B-52's The Warner Reprise Years The first eight records by the legendary Athens, Georgia, party band during their 13-year tenure with Warner Bros. and Reprise Records are finally collected in this 9-LP set. From their iconic 1979 self-titled debut album to 1992's Good Stuff (and including the Mesopotamia EP and the Party Mix compilation), the collection, which has been pressed on colored vinyl, is guaranteed to liven up any shindig. Cover of 'Gratest Hits.' Grateful Dead Gratest Hits Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the famed jam band's formation, the single-disc Gratest Hits — billed as the Grateful Dead's 'first real greatest hits' collection — strictly caters to the casual fan or first-timers who just want to hear the popular studio tracks. The new set delivers on that promise with the inclusion of classics like 'Casey Jones,' 'Truckin,'' 'Friend of the Devil,' 'Box of Rain' and 'Touch of Grey.' A more adventurous listener might opt for previous Dead compilations with deeper cuts and the extended live performances, but for the uninitiated, Gratest Hits is a fairly serviceable introduction. Cover of 'Fleetwood Mac: 1975 to 1987.' Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac 1975-1987 On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Fleetwood Mac's self-titled album — which marked the debut of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks in the lineup — a new box set collection features the five studio albums recorded by the band's most commercially successful and beloved configuration: Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, Tusk, Mirage and Tango in the Night. Cover of 'Tracks II: The Lost Albums' Bruce Springsteen Tracks II: The Lost Albums Nearly 30 years after the release of Tracks, its long-awaited sequel has arrived, featuring seven previously unreleased albums by the Boss — from LA Garage Sessions '83 to Perfect World (1994-2011) — and containing a total of 83 tracks. 'The Lost Albums were full records, some of them even to the point of being mixed and not released,' Springsteen said in a press release. 'I've played this music to myself and often close friends for years now. I'm glad you'll get a chance to finally hear them.' Like its 1998 predecessor, Tracks II represents the Holy Grail for the Boss' devoted following. Cover of 'Still Living in the Past.' Jethro Tull Still Living in the Past Jethro Tull's first-ever compilation, 1972's Living in the Past, arrived at a time when the British band led by Ian Anderson was riding high off the success of the Aqualung album. This collection of singles, album tracks and outtakes became a success in its own right, featuring classic Tull cuts as 'A Song for Jeffrey,' 'Christmas Song,' 'Teacher,' 'Sweet Dream' and 'The Witch's Promise.' This new 5-CD/Blu-Ray set version of the original record contains new remixes of the songs by Steven Wilson along with the band's 1970 concert performance at Carnegie Hall. Cover of 'The Journey Part 3.' The Kinks The Journey, Part 3 The third and final installment in the legendary British group's anthology series marking their 60th anniversary, The Journey covers the Kinks' latter output, particularly their tenure with RCA and Arista from 1977 to 1984. It was a productive period that resulted in a second wind of hits for the band, including 'Destroyer,' 'Better Days,' 'Come Dancing,' and '(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman.' The second disc of this compilation contains a previously unreleased 1993 Royal Albert Hall concert, showcasing the Kinks' classic songs and material from their then-most recent record Phobia. Cover of 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles.' Sting The Dream of the Blue Turtles (Expanded Edition) Released 40 years ago, The Dream of the Blue Turtles launched Police frontman Sting's successful solo career. Stylistically, the album marked a departure from his former band's New Wave sound and went for a more sophisticated jazz-pop sound. It was a hit thanks to the songs 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free,' 'Russians, 'Love Is the Seventh Wave' and 'Fortress Around Your Heart.' Marking the anniversary milestone, the album has been reissued as a digital release and accompanied by a B-side, remixes and a non-album track. Packshot of 'A Love Supreme.' John Coltrane A Love Supreme The jazz legend's spiritual and sublime masterpiece turned 60 earlier this year. To celebrate that anniversary, Impulse! Records released a limited-run diamond-clear vinyl pressing of A Love Supreme, which is an absolute must for any music fan regardless of the occasion or format.

Trailer for HBO's BILLY JOEL: AND SO IT GOES - "A Raw, Candid Look at a Music Icon" — GeekTyrant
Trailer for HBO's BILLY JOEL: AND SO IT GOES - "A Raw, Candid Look at a Music Icon" — GeekTyrant

Geek Tyrant

time35 minutes ago

  • Geek Tyrant

Trailer for HBO's BILLY JOEL: AND SO IT GOES - "A Raw, Candid Look at a Music Icon" — GeekTyrant

HBO Max has dropped the trailer for Billy Joel: And So It Goe s , a two-part documentary that promises a deeply personal and unfiltered look into the life of one of music's most enduring icons. Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, the doc pulls from a treasure trove of never-before-seen footage unreleased performances, home videos, and behind-the-scenes clips that have remained under wraps until now. The film is 'crafted around in-depth, exclusive interviews with Billy Joel, illuminating all the key moments that forged his character and the events and muses that inspired his music for more than six decades. 'Exploring revelatory new territory and enriched by dynamic video & performance clips from his musical oeuvre, many never before seen, it's a window into his process and chronicles his monumental successes, while diving into the hidden complexities of his life. 'From his childhood on Long Island, shaped by the absence of his father, to his first bands, the women he loved, and colleagues & collaborators who both supported & betrayed him, Joel's decades of songwriting mirror his rich, complicated autobiography. 'Sharing origin stories about chart hits like 'Just the Way You Are,' an ode to his first love, and 'Uptown Girl,' famously about second wife Christie Brinkley, the film points to the close symbiosis between his life and art, revealing truth in the music that transformed his career, sculpted his legacy, and saved his life.' The film will explore the messiness behind the melodies and showing just how closely his life and lyrics intertwine. Directed by Lacy (who also helmed Spielberg and Jane Fonda in Five Acts ) and first-time director Levin, And So It Goes boasts a powerhouse producing team that includes Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Sean Hayes, and Todd Milliner. It's a heavy-hitting lineup for a documentary that seems determined to do justice to Joel's complexity. Part 1 premiered July 18th on HBO Max, with Part 2 following on July 25th.

The Princess of Wales shares birthday photo of grown-up Prince George – and he looks just like his dad
The Princess of Wales shares birthday photo of grown-up Prince George – and he looks just like his dad

Yahoo

time38 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

The Princess of Wales shares birthday photo of grown-up Prince George – and he looks just like his dad

Happy birthday Prince George! The young prince celebrates his 12th birthday today (Tuesday 22 July) and his parents, The Prince and Princess of Wales, have shared a grown-up photograph of him to mark the occasion – and we couldn't help but notice the resemblance to his dad. On their official social media accounts, Prince William and Kate posted a portrait of a smiling Prince George leaning over a gate post. In the photo, Prince George looks remarkably like his dad, Prince William, did at a similar age. In a caption, Prince George's parents wrote 'Happy 12th Birthday to Prince George!' with a birthday cake emoji. Just last week, Prince George joined The Prince and Princess of Wales and his sister, Princess Charlotte, for a day out at Wimbledon. While Prince Louis wasn't attending on the day, the family had a front-row view of the tennis, and Prince George mirrored his dad's navy suit for the occasion. Both wore navy suit jackets along with a shirt and tie for the semi-formal occasion, watching the Men's Singles Final of The Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Day 14 of the event. Prince George's mum, Kate, presented the trophies at the end of the match, as she had the day before at the Women's Singles Final on Day 13. The Princess of Wales was also in blue on the day, wearing a V-neck Self Portrait midi dress. You Might Also Like The anti-ageing wonder ingredient you're missing in your skincare routine 15 dresses perfect for a summer wedding 6 items our fashion team always take on a beach holiday

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store