It’s still 2021 and for the second time this year we’re raving about the musical genius that is Ayra Starr. And rightfully so; she has been one of the revelations of the year, releasing not one, but two stellar projects in a span of 8 months. The 19 year old is just as dangerous as she claims, and she has the people supplying her with the ammunition to explode creatively to thank for that. But who are those people? Let’s make a list, shall we?
Don Jazzy is obviously number 1. The music mogul has masterminded young Arya’s rise like he has done with countless other talents before her, with relative ease. The good and hardworking people of Mavins Records come in at number 2. From sharpening her rough musical edges to perfectly executing her marketing and promotion, they deserve a lot of the credit for where she is now. There are a couple names to throw in there, but you’d be very wrong to draw up to five names on this list without including this particular individual. And that’s the man that has supplied the majority of instrumentals on which Arya Starr has entranced us with her vocals, the music producer behind 50% of her official releases so far; Louddaaa.
Born Kehinde Alabi, Louddaaa was first employed at Mavins Records to fill the role of a studio engineer. He played his background role in optimizing the sound quality of the records churned out by the artistes under the label’s imprint for many months. His role, however, was massively upgraded following the signing of Ayra Starr. He is said to have developed a strong chemistry and bond with her, music wise, that Don Jazzy let him take up a more active, production role for her eponymous debut EP. He ended up producing 3 of the 5 songs that made the final cut – “Ditr”, “Memories” and the best and biggest of the bunch, “Away”.
The EP, of course, went on to hit great heights but was only the beginning of their lethal combination. They immediately got back in the studio to continue recording tunes for her debut album which we were blessed with on August 6. Louddaaa can proudly boast of production credit for 5 of the 11 songs that are on the album; “Cast”, “Beggie Beggie”, “Lonely”, “Amin”, and “In Between”. This is in addition to his role as studio engineer which he still occupies. And if you are in need of more information to convince you about how impressive his contribution to her project was, consider the fact that, going by social media feedback, the songs he produced – “Cast” and “Beggie Beggie” are currently the crowd favourites from the album.
There are a lot of things to applaud about his production style, but the most standout quality is perhaps the level of detail that typifies a Louddaaa-produced instrumental. His experience as a studio engineer may have a lot to do with that, as having a keen ear for the tiniest detail is key to success in that role. Whatever the reason, the richness of the main and backing instruments he combines to make his beats is undeniable. Like a seasoned opera conductor, he carefully orchestrates the melodies and leaves nothing to chance, making the work a heck of a lot easier for his label mate.
With his abilities as a producer clear to see and the due recognition for his ingenuity pouring in from every direction, you sense this is just the start for Louddaaa. Pictures of him in the studio with Ladipoe and Burna Boy surfaced a few months ago and it’s anyone’s guess what might result from that. He might have only been acting in an engineering role, but if he was indeed cooking with those two artistes during studio session, we are in for a sizzling treat. With the high profile artistes he now has the chance to work with, and Don Jazzy around to give him tutelage, it is inevitable that Louddaaa reaches his full potential and becomes a household name in the Nigerian music industry and beyond.