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Mercury: Energy Is Everything
Beginning with the spirited pysch-rock guitar intro of “GETTING IT IN,” the chameleonic album progresses with Mercury’s poised flow through trap-heavy beats, smooth 90s keys, and a lot of samples. She’s shown a nearly peerless grasp on genre from early on, but she somehow ups her game even more on this project. Having already sampled everything from Stereolab to Yung Lean in the past, MERCZONE features reworked tracks from Bon Iver and Tennis. The effect is erratic but conceptually sound, the disparate range of sounds — either somewhat retained or chopped up until they’re nearly unrecognizable — mimicking the experience of being someone who’s spent a lot of time online, listening to music. There’s no need to worry with Mercury serving as our guide through what could otherwise be a potential heap of sonic spam. She’s already meticulously curated the sound—and the perfect party playlist — for us.
You first entered music through the internet. You’ve mentioned before that, at one point, your entire social life was on the internet and that meme culture was your life. Does the internet still have a big influence on your music?
Mercury— Yes, because I discover so much music through the internet. My YouTube algorithm will suggest random albums that aren't on streaming platforms. I mostly listen to music on the internet, unless it’s my physical copies of things, but I find new and even old music through the internet. It’s constantly inspiring me. I also rap about stuff that I see happening on the internet because it relates to my life sometimes.
What things that you see online?
Damn, I knew you was finna ask that. [Laughs] There’s this song by me and BbyAfricka that’s not out yet, but in it I say, “I got 32 golds in my mouth, I’m smiling big, like Tia Kemp.” Tia Kemp is Rick Ross’ baby mama who has veneers and is smiling all the time. I was like, okay, that’s kind of giving! [Laughs]
[Laughs] You’re an avid music listener, which comes across in your sampling. I love your Stereolab sample, and I noticed that you sampled “Rosyln,” the Bon Iver and St. Vincent song from New Moon, on “HIGH2GETBY.” The first question is, are you a Twilight fan?
Well, yes, as of recently. The first time I saw any Twilight movie was this year, maybe two or three months ago. I already knew the song, though, from listening to music as a kid. I already knew the song, but then I saw Twilight, and I was like, oh, this is giving. At first, I was like, this is so boring, then I was like, ooh, it’s messy, I like it.
Are most of the samples that you use earworms first?
Yeah, they’re just really my favorite songs. Even the sample I used on “MIRACLE,” was one of my favorite songs. For a long time, I would just be playing, replaying, replaying, and replaying that song. I sampled it three times before I finally got to that beat. I sampled it with some other homies trying to figure it out, but when I chopped it up with [Nephew] Hesh, it went crazy. The jerky beat meshes with that song so well.
I’m very much a daydreamer and when I’m making my music, I like to create the world that I want to live in, even if I'm not living it right now.
Your approach to genre also is pretty unorthodox, which matches the variance of your taste. The opening song of MERCZONE even has this really powerful electric guitar chord sequence. You’ve mentioned in the past that you wanted to release rock music under an alias. Is this your way of releasing rock music?
I lied about the alias shit, it’s just going to be me. [Laughs] When I first was making MERCZONE — it wasn’t called MERCZONE yet — it was a rock album. I wasn’t able to continue to make the songs that I wanted to because I was making them out of town. It was limited time. I was like, damn, if I'm going to continue this project, I need to do something else to be able to work with other people. I still wanted to keep that element and kept that specific song. I felt that it translated well. It was still rock-like, but it was also some shit that you could just vibe to. I felt like my cousins could listen to that and really fuck with it. Somebody like my mom, people who wouldn't usually gravitate towards my music, would still fuck with it because it rides. After I realized that I wasn't going to go completely rock, I was really sporadic but I wanted it to sonically flow.
So you started recording the project out of town?
The first song I made for the project might have been “PHAT PACK,” but that I recorded in Atlanta. Most of the songs I recorded out of town because I was just hella inspired out of town, and I started working with Mikey Freedom Hart in New York. He produced “GETTING IT IN.” It was our first or second time hooking up, but we had hella chemistry and we were making some great ass songs.
I recorded “INFLUENCER BAG” in Atlanta, but I started working on the beat in New York. My friend Glen [the Saiyan] made it. That was also a sample I sent him. I was listening to hella video game soundtracks and I found that sample.
I was working on the last half of my project in LA and was really on a bender for a month. I left the crib four times out of the whole month. For “BE BOPPIN,” Ethereal came into LA. They [Ethereal and Hesh] made that beat, and I hopped on it at night. We would make the beats and then at 3 or 4am, I would get fucked up and record all night.
So you worked with a lot of different people for this project?
Mhm, really all my homies, though, all people that I already knew or that I already worked with, except for Otis, MTRSPRT, and Mikey Freedom Hart. I’ve made a song on MTRSPRT’s beats before, but this is my first time releasing something with MTRSPRT. These are my homies. Even Shane [Mane], that's my dog. We talk all the time even though he lives in Germany and I’ve never met him.
You mentioned that you worked with Ethereal a few times on this project. Were you listening to Awful Records back in the day?
Hell yeah! When I was 15, I went to Afropunk and Father and Abra were performing. That lineup was crazy. It was Father, Abra, Tyler, the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Lion Babe, SZA, everybody before they blew up. Seeing that when I was 15 was life-changing.
I used to love Awful Records. Then, maybe in 2019 or 2020, I met Ethereal. Me and my friend Coco were at a show and we were too young to get in, so we went to the back of the club. This is crazy because this is the same club I’m finna do my show at in Atlanta. We were standing outside of the club by the back door waiting for somebody to come out and then Ethereal and Father come out. We were like, let’s take pictures, whatever. He followed me on Instagram, and a year later, he hit me being like, push up, and we made “PANKO.” Ever since then, we’ve just been cooking up. We have the same taste and he gets it. He really understands the shit I am trying to do. I really fuck with him. He looks out for me, he’s like a big brother to me.
Do you go out quite a bit?
I go out a little bit, not much in Atlanta, but when I'm out of town I go outside. Every year, I go to New York for MIKE’s Young World festival. Other than that, I’m just seeing my homies at their shows. I haven't really been out to a concert in a minute, other than MIKE, Young World, and Nicki Minaj’s concert. I would like to go out more but I just feel like I don’t see what's going on because I am lowkey a hermit sometimes.
Quite a bit has changed for you in the years since you released MERCTAPE. Has your relationship with making music changed from the early days?
I would say so, yes. I'm more dedicated and more intentional. I've started making beats more on my own. I’ve started making it my intention to hit people up to work and do sessions — and just creating an idea behind who I am musically and trying to figure out what direction I want to go toward because my ideas are always everywhere. I need to make something central, but also still be able to express myself how I want to.
I’m just navigating how I want to do that and putting more intention behind it because at first I was just making songs and now I’m making projects. I wasn’t really sure of where I was going when I was making MERCTAPE. That was just my first time realizing that this could be something. Now, I know I've built enough, I've shown myself enough to where I need to keep going, I need to be serious about it. It’s not just fun and games. At first, I was just making songs, hehe, haha, having a good time. I still love music, I still love making it, but this time I'm putting my all into it.
Has that required you to be more vulnerable in your music?
Well, actually, yes! Even with the creative process. Some of the songs I made in the studio around people, but some I made by myself, really fucked up. I was feeling mixed emotions because I was feeling lost and helpless but, at the same time, that motivated me to just go hard as fuck and really lock in. During the time period when I started making it, I had gone through some shit. I lost my crib, I couldn't keep my dog, it was a lot of shit — and I lost some friends and shit. It was just a lot that I was losing at that time, but I was also still able to travel and make music.
So I was like, okay, all this shit’s got to be happening for a reason. I'm very spiritual, like I said before. I just take everything that's hard — because I've had a series of unfortunate events in my life — as a test to lead you to the next step. I definitely did have a lot more vulnerability when I was making this project, but I didn’t… I put it in my songs but not really in a way that’s — I don't know, vulnerability doesn't have to necessarily be negative…
It doesn't always have to come across as sadness?
Yeah, but I was sad. I’m very much a daydreamer and when I’m making my music, I like to create the world that I want to live in, even if I'm not living it right now. Like this is what I feel like I deserve, this is what I feel like is fit for me. I’m putting this in my song because one day all this is going to be my reality. I make manifestation music for myself. It’s shit that’s related to me but at a different scale. Every time I do something, I want to level it up.
Are there specific spiritual practices or routines that you do when recording an album?
You wouldn’t see it as ritualistic but smoking and drinking definitely connect me to a different level. That's some spiritual shit to me. When I die, I want my lineage to come to my altar with some spliffs and some goddamn soju. I just do shit that makes me feel right in the moment. I like to do shrooms too and I like to do spells, but I don't like to share that in too much depth with the world. I take baths and herbal shit and just manifest and pray a lot. I talk to God, talk to my ancestors, and ask for guidance all the time. Even when I’m in the studio, stumped, I’m like, what should I say? Just asking the universe — and then shit just starts flowing. Everything is energy to me, and I feel like whatever you put out you can get back in. I do what works for me and what makes my life work out.
In the past, you’ve praised the idea of being a little bit delusional to build your own world and to realize the things that you want. What are some of your current delusions, or things that you want to keep in this delusional state?
I’ve definitely let go of expectations of what I want, but my delusions are to have a spot where I can just exist and create music every day and not have to work, not have to go to a job, not have to clock in because I'm so tired of that shit. Just being able to live off of my music, being able to be comfortable, being able to be more than comfortable. Being able to help out my family, people that I care about, and just keep making music and making a living off of it — that’s my current delusion.
And I want some nice cars and a bad bitch. I want a girlfriend and I want a boyfriend. A lot of money. And a farm with hella animals — or, not hella animals but a horse and maybe some chickens and a dogs. Those are my current delusions. I'm really just Southern as hell.
Dora Jar Sets Our Hearts Ablaze
Angelina Hazzouri— How do you feel about No Way to Relax When You Are on Fire coming out?
Dora Jar— I'm bubbling inside. I've been going through it a little bit, and I don't know how related it is to the anticipation of the album, but today, I feel like I’m really here, and that feels good. It's been a minute since I've been totally in my bones. I'm sure it'll come in waves.
This album is definitely long-awaited. You’ve opened for some huge acts in the past, like Billie Eilish and The 1975, but this feels like a proper introduction to Dora Jar. Does it feel like a rebirth in a way?
Totally, it’s a rebirth in a lot of ways. It feels like beginning again. I’m very curious how people are going to feel about it. Will they relate to it? What are people’s favorite songs going to be? There's a whole range of sounds that I explore on it, so I’m excited to see how it connects.
The range of sounds is really interesting. You worked with several notable producers on this album [Ralph Castelli, Henry Kwapis, George Daniel, Rostam Batmanglij], and yet it sounds very cohesive. What was it like working with them, and how did you manage to blend their different sounds into such a concise record?
I think it works because every song ultimately comes from my obsession with guitar, from sitting on my own and basking in the chaos and the contradictions of who I am and letting this come out in a pure way — or at least as unfiltered as possible. I don't really strive to make pop songs that wrap around lyrically and make total sense immediately. I’m very much someone who operates under “first thought, best thought” and hone that. I definitely drive with impulse. That's probably why it sounds cohesive — because it is just my imagination on a plate.
I love that analogy.
Yeah. Ralph Costelli is my main ride-or-die guy who I bring my ideas to, and he was a huge part of seeing this whole album through and imagining what its identity would be, but also what the emotion of it would be. We always went back to curious versus serious. If something ever felt too serious, we were like, “Hmm, all right, how do we bring play back into this and ‘impulsify’ it?” But yeah, so many amazing people I got to work with on this.
I'm down to be whimsical. It’s cool.
Since this is your debut album, I would imagine it feels extra personal. What was your inspiration for the title track, "No Way to Relax When You Are on Fire?"
I started writing it about two and a half years ago, and at first, I thought I was writing about this New Year's party that was the first fun New Year's party I'd ever been to. Then, I was referencing a relationship I had in high school with someone who had an addiction problem. I was writing about that chaos — no way to rise up when you're already high — that feeling of hitting the ceiling. Then I was like, oh my god, that's so real for me, not in an addiction way, but in the way that life is so intense. Sometimes I really don't know how to make sense of all the energy I have inside me. I have a huge ability to experience joy and be amazed at the world, but on the opposite end, sometimes I can feel so intensely sad and lost and confused. So it’s the shooting star of life. I don't know, I really don't know what it's about, but it just feels like fire. It's fire.
When I listened to it, it reminded me of the feeling of imposter syndrome, which is something that people don't often talk about honestly. When you're moving so fast — as any type of artist — it might feel like you have to prove yourself out of fear of being an imposter.
Yeah! I've been having a lot of epiphanies about this. What I think is imposter syndrome is when you're doing too much that you forget to feel yourself. You aren't connected to yourself, and you are an imposter. You're just arriving into situations — not as yourself — because you haven't checked in with yourself. I did this giant mushroom trip when I was 19, and it changed my life. I had been avoiding confronting a lot of grief I had about losing my sister when I was 14. I didn't really talk about her or let anyone in on that, so I was performing as someone who was totally okay. Like I was really creative, but I was blocking myself off from feeling, and therefore blocking other people off from being vulnerable to me. I don't believe we can really connect unless we are truly able to open our hearts.
Thank you for sharing that.
You're welcome, yeah. That's my latest epiphany. Imposter syndrome — it’s not being connected to yourself.
I'm sure through writing this you learned a lot about yourself. Was there anything else you learned during this process that totally shocked you?
Okay, this is so funny — the way everything happens in this business is so off the timing of what it should be. Like I always realize what things are about way later. This is all a mushroom trip in itself. [Laughs] I'm doing all these interviews, and then in a month I'm going to be like, “Oh now I know what the album is about!” right? So I’m very open to the mystery. I think this album is about me. Wait, did you ask what the album is about?
No, not yet. I mean, I can right now. At this point in time, what is the album about?
[Laughs] Dude… honestly? This album is about me making my first album.
Hell yeah.
I'm figuring it out.
Dude, honestly? This album is about me making my first album.
That’s totally fair. Do you have a favorite song on the album?
This will change, I'm sure, but I think “Ragdoll” right now, because it's just so fun to play. It's such a spiderweb. I always feel like I'm a spider when I'm writing these riffs. Cannonball is also such a fun one to play, and I'm so excited for that one live. It's full of all this imagery that I didn't really know. Like, why was I being drawn to like a cannonball? I just knew I wanted to write a sea shanty, so Cannonball made sense, and then I realized I was writing about a forbidden love.
Do you have a favorite lyric?
First thing that comes to mind is from “Behind the Curtain,” which is “big brain make bomb, check out my song, don't blame your mom, pull the lever.” I wrote it after I watched Oppenheimer because I was so shocked by it. I love Albert Einstein. I'm obsessed with him and also Carl Sagan — all these scientists — and it just is so shocking that the greatest brains of our humanity were a huge part of making the most destructive object we have in the world. And then I'm just here making music.
What are some of your other inspirations for the album?
Good question. My scared self, who’s also the part of me that I'm afraid to reveal — she wrote the album. The version of me singing it is the one who's not afraid to share it. They shook hands and collaborated on this album, if that makes sense.
My self-consciousness: big inspiration. Carl Jung: huge inspiration for being able to face those things and still have love for myself in those hard moments. Mary Poppins: my queen of surprises. She's my muse. That movie inspired the cover art.
I love it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when I was listening to the album, I got a sense of whimsy, which I loved. It sounds very whimsical.
Yeah, I love whimsy. I feel like people use that word a lot lately.
Whimsy is in.
I love it. I would say whimsy is finding joy in things that don’t make sense, like Alice in Wonderland. She's in a world of nonsense, and it's so peculiar and fascinating. So yeah, I'm down to be whimsical. It’s cool.
This is obviously such an exciting time for you. What’s one thing you want listeners to know when the album comes out?
At its best, music makes people feel how the creator was feeling. I just hope that it resonates and that people see my openness to the mysteries of life and the nonsense. Being patient with the discomfort of being in the unknown. Being brave enough to be in that liminal space. I hope that people can face those moments and soundtrack it with this.
No Way to Relax When You Are on Fire is out now on Island Records.
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Twelve Summers of BOJ
Coat and jacket by KIDSUPER, top by ZEGNA, pants by BURBERRY, sunglasses by GENTLE MONSTER, jewelry is BOJ’s own.
Gianni Lee— What do people call you? What do the fans call you?
BOJ— My fans call me Bolaji, some people call me BOJ.
Do you like one better?
Bolaji or BOJ. I don't mind.
Can you explain your heritage and your tribe?
I'm Yoruba; that's my tribe. I live in Lagos, but my family comes from Ogun State, from a place called Sagamu.
How did that impact your music and your growth in music?
So I grew up in Lagos, which is like fast life. It’s very, very chaotic — almost like New York. I was born in London, which is another chaotic place. I feel like that blend of Nigerian tradition and the Western influence of London just comes together. I feel like it has an impact on my sound, and I feel like it has an impact on my fashion as well.
Do you feel that your Nigerian upbringing keeps you centered?
So when you're Nigerian, it's like you're born with a sense of pride already. Wherever you go in the world, you know where you're from, and you hold onto that.
Coat by LOEWE, sweater and cardigan by PAUL SMITH, sunglasses by GENTLE MONSTER, jewelry is BOJ’s own.
How do you feel about New York City?
I fuck with New York. I fuck with it!
How does it make you feel when you are here?
If I’m being honest, like in America in general, I'm always on edge. You see so many things on TV, you hear about so many things that happen here, so I just feel on edge. But I would say there’s a lot of culture here. It’s multicultural, and I vibe with that. That’s one of the reasons I like London as well.
What I like about London is people are going to tell you what it is. I see people always debating, having arguments outside.
You know what's crazy? I feel like in America, people are more straightforward and blunt, whereas in the UK, it’s more polite.
Polite, like political almost?
Yeah, like, “I'm afraid I can't let you in.” Like, what do you mean you're afraid? So I get to the club and they’re like, “I’m afraid…” you know? Whereas in America, it’s more like, “Get the fuck out of here!”
What's your favorite dish in New York?
To be honest it's African food, man. I like Chick-fil-A too… It's not bad!
Chick-fil-A is good. The chicken has a lot of flavor in it. Have you ever had some Southern fried chicken, like soul food?
Not yet.
You need a good Southern Black restaurant and get some good hearty soul food! If you could bring anything from London or Nigeria to get a good American twist what would it be?
Just food, just food! If Nigerian food was accessible, this place would be perfect. You know about this restaurant called Lagos? That's the only one I know about.
Top by OFF-WHITE, shorts by KENZO, boots by DIESEL, socks by CALVIN KLEIN, sunglasses by A BETTER FEELING, jewelry is BOJ’s own.
Who are some of your musical idols?
So, my musical idols were all discovered when I was younger, like way younger. When I used to move around with my parents — I was an only child for 9 years — I just listened. I used to like Wyclef, Sean Paul, Tracy Chapman, Toni Braxton... all these people. That's who my parents used to listen to, so naturally, I got influenced by that.
I love Toni Braxton. Why her in particular? Did you find her interesting as a kid, or was it just because your parents were playing her?
It’s both. It was my mom listening to her, and me thinking she was a dude. Her voice was so strong. I remember this argument with my mom when I was a kid in the car. I was arguing with her, saying, "This is a guy singing," and she was telling me, "No, it’s not, it’s Toni Braxton." And I was like, "Her name is Toni Braxton — that's a guy's name!" Her voice was so strong! Then, a couple of years ago, maybe like three years ago, she came to Lagos, and out of nowhere bro she just goes on Instagram to make a video and she's singing my song. Imagine that! That's crazy, that's crazy! She's there singing my song, and then she's like, “This is one of my favorite artists from Africa.” I was like, "what the fuck?"
You grew up on her!
I grew up listening to her, and then she was right there. The show she came for, I actually went with a friend. She’s an artist as well, Tiwa Savage. She was performing at the same event, so I went there to meet her. I saw Toni Braxton perform, and then the next day, that whole thing happened on Instagram. Our teams linked up, and now we’re trying to make music.
Do you ever think about the impact of your music when people listen to it?
I really don't care to know what people think about it or what they don't think about it. That's the truth. I don't care to know their opinions; this is just my way of expressing myself. What I want people to take away is that, as a human being, you can express yourself freely without boundaries, no matter what it is. That's what I want people to feel when they see me. I come from a place where I was expected to be a doctor or accountant or something like that, but that's just not me, you know? I followed what I wanted to do, and I feel like everyone should be confident enough to do the same, whether you're scared, have doubts, or whatever. If you have a passion or love for something, try to make that your bread and butter.
What I want people to take away is that, as a human being, you can express yourself freely without boundaries, no matter what it is.
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What does brotherhood mean to you?
Brotherhood, to me, just means loyalty. It means love. Unconditional love.
I ask that because you were part of a group.
I still am!
How do you pronounce it? DRB? What's the full name?
Double R Boys. Before I joined, before it was anything, it was two of my boys, Benzo and Fresho. They were rappers at the time, so it was like ‘Rap Royals’. The first ‘R’ is from ‘Rap’ and the second ‘R’ is from ‘Royals’. That's ‘Double R’, so that's what it is; Double R Boys.
How did you get your first big break? What got you guys to your audience? Were you doing this on your own?
Still doing it on my own... But yeah, we were doing it ourselves back in school, sending it via email to our friends. Remember when MSN was popping? That's how we used to share the music. I was just recording, and we'd send it out to our friends. There were a bunch of high schools that were all kind of interconnected, and suddenly the music started spreading between schools.
They would just play the songs on their phones?
Yeah, played on their phones, you know. Play it at parties. Send it to their friends like, “look at these guys that we know doing music.” That kind of shit.
So when did you first realize that this is really going to hit? Was it one certain song that you sent and it spread to the schools faster?
So yeah, it was one song we did. It used to be mostly remixes of songs we did, like "Bedrock" and "Champion". Then we made an original song, and it was an Afrobeat song. Most of the people who connected with it were Nigerians or Africans in general. So that particular song had everyone going, “What the fuck?!” And this was at a time when it wasn't even cool to listen to Afrobeats or be an Afrobeat artist.
Why?
Because it just wasn't cool. We didn’t identify with it. A lot had been stripped away from us, and you weren't that proud to be African before. I'm talking about around 2009. It was like, you were proud, but you kind of suppressed it when you were in the Western world. So at that point, doing that was kind of crazy — like, wow! Everyone actually connected with it, so we just kept it going.
So what happened from there? When did you get signed?
Nah, I’m not signed at all.
Oh, all independent?
Yeah! I have distribution, but yeah.
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How instrumental do you think YouTube was to your rise? Through the group and as a solo artist?
I feel like with the group, we started calling each other ‘Alté guys’, which means you're left of center. It was like saying you're doing things differently. So we started saying, "I'm Alté, I'm Alté." Next thing you know, it's now a subgenre in the African music space, in the Afrobeat space in general — something that has been recognized worldwide.
You coined this phrase?
Yeah, we coined that term. My guy Teezee, my boy, one of my closest friends — he's also in DRB – he's always making up slang. He was the one who just started saying, "Alté." It was him, TK, and FJ. When you see someone dressed extra extravagantly, you know, it's like, "That guy's Alté."
How do you feel about being called the Godfather of Alté?
Eh. It's cool, it's cool. I don't really…..It’s whatever, man. It is what it is.
How do you feel about people that might get inspired by the sound or copy it?
I feel like that's why we're here. That's the one new thing that we brought, and it gives me pride when I see people trying to imitate something that I'm doing. It just means I'm doing something cool. A lot of people get pissed off when others imitate them, but I feel like imitation is the best! It's like a form of flattery, right? It's a compliment.
Shirt, pants and tank top by DSQUARED2, boots by DIESEL, sunglasses by A BETTER FEELING, jewelry and hat are BOJ’s own.
It was announced on June 12th, 2023, that the Recording Academy added a new category called ‘Best African Music Performance’. It states that Alté is eligible to be included, which means nominees will no longer be limited to genres such as Afrobeats. How do you feel about this?
I think that's good! I think it's great to get recognized on a global scale because that's like the most popular platform for world music. I think that's dope, man. Shout out to them for being more inclusive and all that.
I think fashion is a key staple in African culture, definitely in Nigeria. Where do you see Nigerian fashion going in the next five to ten years and are you gonna be a part of it?
I'm one hundred percent going to be a part of it. I can only see it getting better, bigger. Yeah, there's a whole bunch of African and Nigerian designers that are doing crazy things right now, like worldwide you know. I think it's fucking dope.
What's a typical day like for you in Nigeria?
Mostly, I'm at home recording music. I go to the beach a lot. Every weekend I go to the beach. But during the week, if I don't have any meetings or shows, I'm at home in the studio. Every once in a while, I do go out, but not too much.
Coat and jacket by KIDSUPER, top by ZEGNA, pants by BURBERRY, shoes by CAMPERLAB, sunglasses by GENTLE MONSTER, jewelry is BOJ’s own.
Tell me more about your new project, 12 Summers.
I've been in the game for twelve years. I've been doing music professionally for twelve years, and it's like a celebratory album, basically. I'm just happy with where I am in life andI'm looking forward. This is the twelfth summer, and I was about to drop it in the summer. It’s like a summer-y album.
Do you feel like it's a culmination of everything you’ve done thus far, or do you feel like it's a rebirth?
I always feel like every time I drop something, it’s a reintroduction. I’m always trying to elevate each time, so yeah, you could say that.
You have thirteen tracks on the album. Was that intentional?
It was meant to be twelve. I wanted it to be twelve. But then I did one more song with a guy called Blanco from the UK, who I recently found out about. I was such a big fan that I tried to get him on a song. I reached out kind of late, but he sent his verse back in time. There was another song on the album that I was planning to replace if Blanco's verse came back, but I still loved the other song so much that I was like, ‘no, thirteen is fine.’
What's your favorite song off the album?
Right now? Today, it's "Borderline" featuring Cruel Santino. It's just the one I've been vibing with the most lately. I've been around America, doing a lot of listening and launch events, and hearing everything loud — that’s the one that's always [my favorite.]
