How often does a teenager at 17 years break out in the African entertainment space and get established within 9 months? That’s an anomaly, and Qing Madi is exactly just that. A rare breed. In the spirit of International Women’s Month, Qing Madi spoke to us about the importance of unity amongst women in the industry, her personal life, her self-titled EP, and how stardom as a teen has changed the trajectory of her life.
Luka: Hi Qing, can you please introduce yourself mainly to any members of our audience who might not be very familiar with you? Just a little background.
Qing Madi: Hiii, my name is Qing Madi, I’m 17. I’m a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and dancer. I was born and raised in Benin City, Nigeria.
Luka: When did you discover your special talent and when did you start making music officially?
Qing Madi: I started making music officially, and recorded for the first time when I was 9 years I think, and to be honest, I never really discovered my talent myself. It was more like everyone around me telling me and my mum I was a great singer, and this all stemmed from her taking me to ballet classes and exposing me to music from when I was really young.
Luka: How did your parents react to you wanting to be an official pop star, full-time?
Qing Madi: My mum has always had the dream for me actually, and she’s always been so supportive. She’d take me from school even on exam days to perform at places, and she really took this seriously right from time.
Luka: What genre would you classify your music as?
Qing Madi: Personally I call it Afro-RnB, but people started calling my music Afro-Delusional and I don’t know why. I think this was because of the Ole record, and somehow it’s sticking already.
Luka: Your breakthrough started properly with ‘See Finish’ going viral on TikTok, and truthfully, did you see this coming or did this take you by surprise?
Qing Madi: I actually didn’t see this coming, because See Finish was actually a freestyle record, and it wasn’t even planned. I just felt like I needed to start posting more, and I decided to post that particular freestyle with just a verse and a chorus, and boom, people just started engaging, so I decided to drop it as an actual song later on.
Luka: Safe to say, ‘Ole’ with Bnxn was a turning point in your career, how did this record come about? What was the creative process like? and were you really craving someone’s babe before recording?
Qing Madi: Haha, personally, Ole was made at a point where I didn’t even feel like anything good would come out of that session, because I was just playing around with my friends, and the producer (Ozedikus) is my guy. I wanted to release it as a single, but then Bnxn who was actually supposed to jump on ‘See Finish’ heard it and was like wait, I like that song, and he changed his mind on the spot, & everything came together in a minute.
Luka: You were on tour with Bnxn in the US, how would you describe that experience?
Qing Madi: It was crazyyy. I’m very appreciative of Bnxn and his team for the opportunity, that was my first time in America, so it was a whole experience and a new awakening for me and my music. Like I’m in America with Buju, that’s crazyyy. Experiencing America was like a culture shock. Seeing Buju and my mum being besties, nah it was really amazing, and he really treated me like family. It was beautiful.
Luka: I must commend your pen game, it’s truly elite, and this shows on your EP. Have you considered writing for others?
Qing Madi: I used to write for other people before I started putting out my own music. I used to be a ghostwriter, and somehow a lot of people found out later on. I always found out I later had connections with the songs I wrote for people and I’d be like ‘Yo that could’ve been meee’, but right now I don’t think I’d be going back to that. It was just a great starting point for me.
Luka: Growing up, who were your music idols and influences?
Qing Madi: This might be surprising, but I listen to a lot of Kendrick Lamar. He’s like my number one, before Brandy. I also listen to a lot of old-school music because of a bar close to my house when I was growing up in Benin City.
Luka: Quick one, what song is your favourite off your debut EP ‘Qing Madi’?
Qing Madi: Hmm, this is tough but I’d go with Vision. Mainly because it always feels like I can hear my younger self speaking to me anytime I listen to it. I recorded it when I was 14, and we released it that same way without re-recording.
Luka: Let’s talk about ‘American Love’. Great record, peaked at Number 1 in Uganda and Sierra Leone. What does this record mean to you and what inspired it?
Qing Madi: Honestly, it was a delusional song, and now I get it (why people tag my music as that) because sometimes I’m just being delusional and singing about stuff that doesn’t even match my character/persona, just like ‘Ole’ too. I’ve always wanted to travel the world, so it was just me innocently singing about travelling around and experiencing a different type of love.
Luka: I love how the women in the industry seem very supportive of one another. How important do you think this unity is in aiding the growth of women in the entertainment space?
Qing Madi: So, the thing is, I’ve never been gender-specific and I never understood all that until I got into the industry and I realized that, oh, there’s actually a women and men thing. Now that I get that, I appreciate that they see me and they’re supporting my craft. They embraced me and took me in as one of their own and I feel like this is a safe space. Most times, every detail of what women do could get criticized. Even some things that men could get away with, we can’t. So we must stay together and grow together.
Luka: In the spirit of International Women’s Month, are there any women we can look forward to you collaborating with?
Qing Madi: Oh most definitely, Fave. I’ve been in the studio with her and I can’t wait for y’all to hear what we’ve been cooking.
Luka: 2023 was the year of Madi. What would you say is the craziest thing that changed for you within this year?
Qing Madi: Honestly, my lifestyle changed a lot, like from zero to 100 immediately. What’s crazier is that this is just the beginning and I’ve not even peaked. I’m working on more music, and things will get crazier. I’m just grateful to God for this opportunity to share my talent with the world.
Luka: Awesome. What can we expect from Qing Madi in 2024?
Qing Madi: Expect more collaborations and music videos. I’m shooting one for Vision soon. Awards hopefully, more music as well, and who knows, maybe a new EP towards the end of the year too.
Luka: Great. So, lastly, what advice would you give young girls and ladies out there looking to be like Qing Madi in the near future?
Qing Madi: To be honest, I’d use myself as an example and speak about how I was always scared of posting and showing off my talent. I used to think it was cringe, but posting myself changed my life. So I’d advise people to be confident and not be scared of posting themselves on social media, because it’s a really powerful tool.
Luka: Any final words for your supporters and fans? Do you have a name for them yet?
Qing Madi: Yesss. Thank you guys for opening your ears to my music, for streaming, sharing and supporting. I don’t have an official name yet but I’m deliberating on Qingdom or Madians, hmm. Maybe soon it’ll be official. Thank you so much guys for accepting me, and thank you to 49th for the continual support! Bless!
