by Sofiyah
In the music production scene, Nigerian women are being regarded as forces to be reckoned with. Despite the fact that the music production field is a male-dominated one, these women are successfully carving a path for themselves and effectively building their reputations in a way that would give them recognition for decades to come. Female producers are making a significant impact and it is extremely important that they are awarded their well-deserved gold plaques.
TEMS
Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has established herself as an important figure in the Nigerian music scene. Not only is she recognized for her singing capabilities but she has done well for herself in the music production field. She is a self-taught music producer that has contributed to the production of some of her remarkable songs. She got sole production credit on her debut single, Mr Rebel; she produced Ice T, a song included in her EP, Damages and with Remy Baggins, she co-produced her breakout song, Try Me. Tems’ ability to utilize both her singing and production prowess has contributed greatly in spotlighting her everlasting significance in the music industry.
BLOODY CIVILIAN
Professionally known as Bloody Civilian, Emoseh Angela Khamofu charged through the Nigerian music scene with the intention to make profound changes. She affirmed this when she produced her 2022 hit debut single, How To Kill A Man, and in November 2022, she got co-writing, co-performing and co-production credit on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever original sound track, Wake Up. Bloody Civilian also received production credit for all six songs that were packaged in her debut EP, Anger Management.
SASZY AFROSHII
Born Priscilla Saszy Duru, Saszy Afroshii is an emerging Nigerian music producer. Known as the first female producer ever signed to Aristokrat 360, Saszy has brought her unique mixing and production style to the music scene and that’s not all. She has also worked with some reputable artists. She was credited as a co-producer on Fave’s Mr Man, Lala&ce’s Control Qing Madi’s Sins For U and she was a sole producer on Taves’Apology.
DUNNIE
Born Oladunni Alexandra Lawal, Dunnie is an extraordinary artist, song-writer and a self-taught music producer that has managed to permanently engrave her essence in the Afrobeats production scene. A reputable alumni of The Sarz Music Academy, Dunnie was credited as a producer on her hit single, Overdose remix (featuring Oxlade) and she has also applied her remarkable production skills on Wande Coal’s Nobody Holy and Dues. Dunnie hopes that with her work and achievements, she would be able to encourage women to aim for whatever dream they set their sights upon.
KLEROS
Kleros, born Inioluwa Atere, is an up-and-coming DJ and producer. Her versatility is expressed in her ability to comfortably produce different genres of music. Kleros has contributed to the production and co-production of various songs. She secured both co-performing and co-production credits on Reasons with Killervybez; she got her production credit on Montego Riddim and she also got her flowers from Oremade and Musta4a’s Be There.
SENSEI LO
A diverse disc jockey and music producer, Cleopatra Amartey, popularly known as Sensei Lo, is a London-based artist that specializes in Afro-Electronic music. A decade into her artistry, Sensei Lo has successfully built a cozy space for herself in the music industry. Her discography is a lengthy one that shows detailed evidence of her contributions to the music industry. When she’s not occupied with her gigs, she’s providing remixes of different songs. There was Sensei Lo’s Joromi House Remix; Sensei Lo’s Remix of Chike’s Insecure and she has also contributed to the production of some of her songs like Afro Tech, The Journey and Ibadan Malimbe.
GBOTS
Gbots, born Gbotolorun Oluwapelumi, is a dedicated music producer and saxophonist. With a deep knowledge of music, Gbots has started making a name for herself in the music industry because she knows exactly what she’s aiming for. In order to give women the opportunity to thrive in the industry, Gbots established WeareproducHers, a music production collective — a collective that is centered on women in music production. In her emerging career as a music producer and saxophonist, Gbots has gotten production and saxophone credits on songs like Olamide’s Trumpet, Frya’s Love Suicide and Taves’ Bad Romance.
The presence of female producers in a male-dominated music industry has shown that women are here to stay irregardless of whatever hurdles the industry might throw at them. Tems taught herself the art of producing because male producers didn’t want to contribute to the production of her songs and Dunnie has spoken about her experience in a male-dominated space.
As the music industry continues to grow, it is important that it knows how to embrace and include more women in the production field. There are existing female producers but they are not enough. The music industry is a vast sky and there should be enough space for female producers to thrive without any sort of interference.
The world is evolving and the music production scene should adopt the principle of inclusion. Female producers deserve to get their recognition and this would only be possible if they get more opportunities to comfortably express their artistry.
