Ragee announced his arrival to the Afrobeats scene in 2020, with Bad Boy Timz’s hit single, Have Fun. His producer tag “Initiating Ragee Process” was a key element of the song, as it served as a party starter in different parts of the country. Following the success of Have Fun, Ragee’s career has grown in leaps and bounds becoming one of the country’s most sought after producers. The rapper turned producer has crafted some of Afrobeats’ most exciting songs in recent years; with the latest being Davido’s Unavailable. Taiwo and David of The 49th Street caught up with Ragee to talk about his journey, how far he has come and his future aspirations.
Who is Ragee?
Ragee is a music producer, I’m sure everyone knows that already. My name is Ikechukwu Clinton Emeka. I was born in Lagos, but I’m from Anambra state. I started music when I was in secondary school. Basically, I started music when I was young, I was in the choir, played the drums and I was a chorister as well. I think that’s what built me and helped me in making beats right now. I started as a rapper, and I used to go for rap competitions back then in school.
You started out as a rapper and songwriter. How and why did you venture into music production?
It started from me wanting to produce my own songs, I wanted to produce my own music. Like I said, I started as a rapper. I was always in the studio, and I’d watch producers make beats for me. I never knew I would actually know how to do this thing; but then I got to one point, when I was unable to pay producers. In my mind, I figured that the producers didn’t have two heads, and that I had to make my own beats myself, so that I can be able to skip the part of having to pay producers
So, I started making beats for myself. It took me time but I was doing it, practising. Even though most of my guys would laugh at me that my beats were not hard, that they were not sounding well, I didn’t have a choice but to keep doing it. Not until someone posted on Snapchat one time, that they were looking for a producer, and producers should hit them up
So, I just replied that I knew how to make beats, that I was a producer. I wasn’t even that good that time, but I just had that confidence that I would be able to do it. I went to the guy, made the beat and I also wrote songs for him, and I got paid that day. I went back home and I was like, “So this is what producers are enjoying, that they are paying money?“. Coming from an artist’s perspective, you know you have to pay for your promo and every other thing but as a producer, you’re getting paid for making the beats for the artists and I thought to myself that I should focus on making the beats first, and gather money to be able to push my own songs. That was how my journey into music production started.
That’s an impressive story. When you were starting out, who were some of the producers that you looked up to?
Number one person is Magicsticks, I’m sure you know him. In fact, Magic was even my producer at the time, and I would usually watch him make beats. So, anytime I was making my own beats, I tried to sound like him. When I heard something, I’d try to make something similar to what he’d made.
Another person I watched was JayPizzle Production. I’d listen to his works for inspiration, as well. So yeah, Magicsticks and JayPizzle were the two people I was working with at that time, so I was usually in the studios with them, and I’d try to mirror their sound.
“Have Fun” by Bad Boy Timz was your first major hit. How did that song come about, working with Bad Bad Timz. How important was it for you, in terms of establishing yourself as a producer in the Nigerian industry?
First of all, I will start from how we got to make that. I met Bad Boy Timz in 2018 during a Mainland Block Party. We talked and connected, and I told him that I was a producer. I sent him a couple of beats, but he didn’t even jump on any one of the beats. So I had to tell myself that I wasn’t very good at making beats yet, cos out of all the beats that I sent him, he didn’t even use one. I kept doing my thing though.
Surprisingly, he texted me, I think about a year later. He said he was going to pull up at my studio. He got to my studio, and I played a couple of beats including the “Have Fun” beat. Funny thing about the “Have Fun” beat, I made it way back in 2018 and it’d just been in my archive ever since. After I played the beats for him, I think I went inside or something and he had already recorded the whole thing and I was like, “It is very hard”. We didn’t even plan the release, he just went on live video and everyone liked it. Baddo joined the live video and he thought it was crazy good. After that, I told myself that “It’s going”
I didn’t even know he was going to drop the song. After the Instagram Live session, his team informed me that they wanted to drop the song. So, I just sent it over for mixing and mastering, they picked a release date, and the song was out there. I was really amazed and at that point, it dawned on me that I could actually do this thing
“Have Fun” was very important for me, because it was the stepping stone, to where I am today. After the song dropped, a lot of people were wondering, “Who’s Initiating Ragee process?“. I was new and in fact, that’s where I started getting most of my placement, based on that song that I made for Bad Boy Timz.
That’s such a great story. You talked about singing and rapping so where’s that career at right now? Are you primarily a producer?
I won’t lie to you, singing and rapping? I’ve packed it inside my luggage and locked it for now, lol. I am focused on producing music right now. I might later go back to singing, but for now, I have to be focused on one thing. I’m trying to make a big name for myself as a producer, first of all.
Now, this question made me remember years ago that someone told me. She said to me, “I see you’re getting more recognition as a producer. Why not focus on being a producer and when you get that name for yourself, you can also switch to being an artist. Wouldn’t it be easier for you that way?” And I think that’s what I did. I bought the idea. So for now, everyone should just enjoy Ragee as a producer.
So you’re saying eventually, you’ll make that transition. Seeing that many guys have successfully done that recently, like Young Jonn and Pheelz.
I’m definitely going to make that transition. Definitely.
Which do you find more challenging, being the singer, or making the beats as the producer?
Well, I feel like making the beats comes easier for me because I could make a beat in 10 to 20 minutes. It depends, but I definitely feel like making the beats is easier. At the end of the day, I also feel like when you do something all the time, you’re going to be perfect at it.
Yeah, practice makes perfect
Precisely
Your producer tag “Initiating Ragee process” is one of the most captivating tags around. How did you come about it?
JayPizzle Production made that tag for me. There was a tag that I was using before that went “Mad o”. JayPizzle heard it and told me that it sounded cliche, and that he was going to make one for me, I was like “okay”. So, he sent me an email the next day and it was “Initiating Ragee process”, and I thought it was really cool. I played it for my guys and they thought it was the tag. In fact, “Have Fun” was the first song I used that tag on. So shoutout to JayPizzle, he made the tag for me.
That’s great. So you talked about Magicsticks, so what’s the kind of relationship you have with Magicsticks? And I think I read somewhere that you watched him produce and you also said it here, that it was part of your learning process, that you were also hearing from him. So what’s the relationship between you guys like?
Magic is family, Magic is my blood. We met way back when we were in school, he was my coursemate. He used to be the producer in our department and I was the rapper in that department. I was very good, and that was how Magic and I linked up. It’s been like almost ten years since I’ve known Magicsticks, if I’m not mistaken. We have good chemistry, and I enjoy working with him. I watched him and I learnt a lot from him plus me practising. So yeah, me and Magic, we have great chemistry, he’s my guy. Shout out to Magic
There’s another side to your artistry which is songwriting. What are some songs that you’ve written, and what are your goals for yourself as a songwriter?
Well, I write songs and if I’m working with an artist as I’m making that beat, I already have a vibe to it. So I’m just there watching the artist do his thing, and probably the artist doesn’t have the vibe and I’m just going to give the artist what I have. They listen to it and can use it if they like it.. If they’re not cool with it, they can create a different vibe.
Also, when I’m working with an artist, I always try to suggest things that they can like this or do like that. I’m not that producer that’s just there to record you, and I don’t know what you’re writing. An artiste can also call me for writing, I’m not just a producer; someone else can produce for you while I write, it works. I’ll write for you, get my credits and that’s it.
As a songwriter and producer, what’s that one song that you heard and you wished you wrote? Also, what’s one song that you heard and you wish you produced?
At the end of the day, it’s one song. There’s one song I wish that I wrote and produced, and it’s “Under the Influence” by Chris Brown.
Crazy. And it was one person that produced and wrote it anyways
Yeah, exactly by Kiddominant. So when I heard it, I wish I produced or wrote the song, ‘cos it is so good. I literally listen to that song every time.
That’s a top choice. So let’s talk about the latest win, working with 001. What was it like working with Davido?
It was great working with 001. It was all vibes working in the studio. I had two songs on the album, Unavailable and Picasso. We did that song (Picasso) and actually, Logos wrote it and Davido did his part, he delivered like a Hebrew woman. We were in the studio, all vibes, crazy. I was so happy working with one of the biggest artists in Africa, it was so unbelievable and I was like, “na me do this one for Davido”. It was crazy and we have lots more coming for all of you.
What can we expect from you going forward? Who are some of the people that you are working with?
Well I wouldn’t want to spill the beans on the people I’d be working with and you’d be expecting from but just, follow me on Instagram, stay tuned and you’re going to be hearing more bangers and more hits from me. That’s what you should expect from me
For sure, I’m not expecting anything less
Yes.
