Superstar afrobeats artiste Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus (also known as Joeboy) is getting ready for the release of his sophomore album, after the success of his previous projects. The eccentric lover-boy has spent a while in the game, delivering hits both on the local and international stage, and now feels it is the right time to for his second official album, which he hints is his best project yet.
In this exhilarating interview, Joeboy walks us through his journey so far, his biggest wins and important lessons learnt along the way. Interviewing him is Dominic for the 49th Street;
You’ve spent a while in the game. You’ve grown and won. What would you, after all this experience, name and describe your genre as?
Joeboy: I’ll say Afro Pop. I won’t say RnB because of the upbeat factor in most of my love songs, so I guess Afro Pop properly describes it. I am not limited to this genre though; I do Soul, RnB and Dancehall too.
Alright, so next question; What does music mean to you as a person?
Joeboy: To me, music is one of the most beautiful forms of art. I see it as a means of expression, a means of spreading love, and a means of uniting people together. That’s why you go to events and expect music to be played. Music heals; people who go through stuff actually put on music and it heals them. It is one of the greatest exploits of man, and I am honored and blessed to be a vessel for such ability. Beyond the song being a hit song or anything, it’s amazing to have the power to create something out of nothing, that people in various parts of the world can relate and vibe to.
Did you ever have any experience when you were younger that gave you the assurance that you were going to do music mandatorily?
Joeboy: Definitely! Before that particular instance, I was making music because I loved it and I didn’t care about anything else really. I didn’t put a time stamp on having a musical breakthrough at any given or specific year, I was really just vibing. Then I did the cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of you” which went viral digitally and got the attention of Mr Eazi. A friend of mine sent him the video and he reached out to me saying I am really dope. That was when I knew that yeah, I want to do this for real. It’s crazy because a couple of days before that, I posted a picture on my page of Mr Eazi and Wizkid and said they are my current faves. Now imagine how it felt when the artiste you look up to sends you a text that he loves your sound; omo it’s going!
You are very good with both break up and love songs; which persona do you think represents you better, lover boy or heartbroken kid?
Joeboy: I think they both go hand in hand. Anything that covers the idea of love which includes breakup, assurance, gratitude, or any other love involvements, you will find me there.
Because of your genre, you might have had some western influences when younger. Which artistes did you grow up listening to and liking?
Joeboy: Michael Jackson, Sean Paul, Trey Songz, Drake, Post Malone, off my head.
You’ve come a long way since you burst on the scene with Empawa. What is the greatest lesson you’ve learnt so far?
Joeboy: One thing I’ve learnt is that you can’t know it all. Another thing is that the game is always changing. It’s one of the most volatile industries to be part; what works for you or a colleague today might not work at all the next day, because the dynamics change. When it comes to being a mainstream artiste, it’s more than just the music; it involves your branding, how you want to be perceived, amongst other peripheral factors. In the beginning, I just wanted to make my music and chill, with little enthusiasm to be too involved in the background, but in life you should be ready for change, especially if you want to level up. You shouldn’t stay in your comfort zone. So yeah, I learnt the game is always changing, and one should always be open to learning.
Your debut album was a game changer that immortalized your status in the music industry; what should people expect from your sophomore album? And when will it be available?
Joeboy: One thing to expect is a beautiful sound. A very beautiful and positive sound coming from a good place. Big shoutouts to all the producers on the album who came through for me. This is about to be my best project yet and i am very excited to share it with you guys. There is an advancement from the first project, so get ready for something crazier than that.
Now, you tweeted that you’re untouchable when it comes to love songs amongst your peers. Tell us more about your state of mind when making this statement
Joeboy: Making love songs is so easy and fun for me. Most of the love songs I make, I don’t even need to write it, I just sing it as it comes from my soul. I know that I am a vessel to bring such a form of music which spreads love to life, and I am grateful for such blessings. So yeah, that’s why I am confident of being untouchable in this lane. Na me talk am!
Period! Let’s talk about your new single Body and soul; What was the creation process like?
Joeboy: So fun fact, I recorded it here (his studio apartment). I was vibing with E-Kelly and he sent me a beat. I told him to send the MP3 of the beat he was playing and I went in, wrote the song and recorded it. It’s a song of assurance which I wrote about my love interest, and it came easy for me. The idea behind the song goes way beyond romantic love; it also touches being there for your loved ones and assuring them you’re going nowhere.
How do you feel about the tag “Young Legend”? Does it inspire you or do you feel pressure?
Joeboy: Nah, no pressure; its who I am! The idea behind it is the fact that I am a legend in the making doing plenty legendary things. Oh, and I am young. So yeah, young legend!
How do you feel about the success of “Love Nwantiti” and being a part of arguably the biggest song in afrobeats history?
Joeboy: It made/makes me so happy. Let me tell you the story of how I got to be on that song. So, towards the end of 2019, the original was out but it wasn’t that big. I loved the beat so much so I reached out to Ckay that I was trying to do a remix to the song. He sent and I jumped on it. When the remix dropped February 14 2020, I was promoting that song like mad. Even when I went on my East African tour, I played it always, and urged people to show the song some love. Ckay came for one of my events called “Jollof Conversations”; the remix had already started picking then, and I told people there that this was going to be one of the biggest afrobeats song to ever drop. I didn’t even know I was speaking it into existence. Fast forward to a year later, the song became the biggest export of afrobeats to the entire world. It’s currently 4x Platinum and the second-highest-viewed afrobeats song on youtube. I’m super proud and glad to be part of history.
Which of the Afrobeat OGs do you think you’ll blend well on a song with?
Joeboy: Kizz Daniel and Tuface.
You have songs with over 50m streams on Spotify, Apple music and Youtube. How do you feel about your role in taking afrobeats globally?
Joeboy: I believe as long as I’m always focused on improving myself in every aspect of my career, I’ll be playing my part. So, I don’t like to think about it in that way, because you may inevitably put pressure on yourself. All I have to do is keep pushing my music, keep letting people know where I am from; where this music is from. I think that’s what we youngsters are all doing; chasing our dreams and in turn pushing afrobeats round the globe. And the truth is everyone is killing it! Big shoutouts to all the artistes out there, e no easy. I don’t think people understand the magnitude of going to a foreign territory no one has ever been to, breaking into their charts and immensely dominating. Sometimes you can even try and fail; nobody will know or see you fail, it is only when you win that they see results. So, any win at all is worth celebrating. Big shoutouts to everyone!
Makes sense. From the onset of your career till date, what do you regard as your biggest achievement yet?
Joeboy: I think it’s being on one of the biggest songs in the world (Love Nwantiti Remix). I open NBA 2k23 and my song is playing. This was a game I couldn’t afford when I was younger, and now my voice is on the game and people can hear me internationally. It’s like living a fantasy.
Speaking about international, what do you think about international features?
Joeboy: I’d say it’s a great career move in an artiste spreading his/her sound. I understand that comments usually fly that maybe the international artiste is spoiling the song with his/her new flow, but what you don’t realize is that the international artiste has a huge following and fan base. The idea to break into new boundaries is set into motion. If you don’t like the remix, listen to the original or the one that made you like the song; nobody forced you to listen to the new versions mandatorily. The target market for the song is most likely receiving it well, so people should just chill out.
I think it’s a good and smart move in an artiste’s career to be fair. It doesn’t work out all the time, but we can say there are a lot more advantages to it than disadvantages.
Tell us more about the “Contour” IP issue with your producer Tempoe and Asa.
Joeboy: Tempoe sent me a couple of beats on Whatsapp, and I picked the one for Contour. I linked with Oxygen-Mix and we did the song. From the producer-artiste side, the split sheet and financial consideration were properly sorted. The beat was cleared and everything was done properly. The song drops, and a couple of weeks later, I’m getting a letter from Asa that that there’s an IP infringement, and in 48hrs, my song “Contour” should be removed, or legal actions will be taken. First of all, I didn’t hack anyone’s laptop to steal beats. I got it from the producer and paid like others do for beats, so if there’s going to be any issue on the song, it’ll be between you and the producer, not me that bought beats legally. According to the contract and the law, I am indemnified, so I have no issues.
It was just funny that her team came at me guns blazing, even telling me to write an apology letter. I felt kinda disrespected because it was an issue that could be sorted via dms. Because I don’t like trouble doesn’t mean that if wahala come, I go run. I still love her, though; shoutouts to her!
If not for music, what would you have been into? What else are you good at that you feel would have brought you to limelight?
Joeboy: I think Travel Blogging. I rarely get homesick, so I’m sure I’ll have excelled in that. 9-5 isn’t for me. Although, at some point when I was younger, I liked the idea of being a banker.
Top 3 Joeboy songs of all time?
Joeboy: Number 1 will be Contour. This is my favorite Joeboy song of all time. I believe it is ahead of its time and will have its high moments soon. Secondly, Baby. I have a sentimental attachment to this song because it brought me to limelight. And then, I’ll say Police.
Amazing interview. Any last words for your fans and people who are inspired to do music because of you?
Joeboy: First of all, big ups to y’all at 49th street. Next, I want to say a big thank you to my fans for always supporting me. Everyone has things doing but there are people who still come for shows, support my music on social media amongst other things. I’m really grateful to them. Every support motivates me to be better.
To anyone who wants to be like me, I’ll say don’t try to be like me; be yourself. No matter how many principles or steps I want to show you, our pathways differ. So, what I’ll say to anyone who wants to be a big artiste; make sure the music is great, but don’t forget that there is more to music than just music in this music business. Know your numbers and know your business. Stay involved in your career as actively as you can. You can’t run everything yourself, but being abreast of all things concerning your career is in your best interest. No matter how big you ever get to be, always be open to learning. Finally, don’t listen to just anyone’s advice; except people you want to be like!
