The global spotlight has now become firmly fixed on Afrobeats in general and Nigerian music in particular, and the best artistes are now getting their full plaudits. The geniuses behind the instrumentals that fueled this rise to global prominence are only starting to get their due credit for their undeniable role in shaping the sounds that the world has now fallen in love with and you feel like it is only a matter of time before Daniel Otaniyen-Uwa finds his share of international acclaim for his stellar skills on the sound board. After all, is there any of us that haven’t vibed out to a Killertunes produced beat before?
Before the tag “Shabalistica” became synonymous with a certified jam, young Daniel was just another boy discovering music in his secondary school days in his stage of origin, Edo. He initially channeled his love for music in the direction of singing and songwriting, and would often sell his recorded songs as well as ghostwrite for other artistes. That part of him became dormant and he shifted his focus to music production. Realizing it was something he could really turn into a profession, he took the bold yet logical step of moving to Lagos, the capital of all things music and entertainment, in 2015. It didn’t take long for things to start coming together for him.
Timaya was the first industry hotshot to place trust in Killertunes, even going as far letting Killertunes move in with him. He rewarded Timaya’s trust by cooking up the beat to the hit single “I Concur” which featured Mavins overlord, Don Jazzy. Like a domino effect, he masterminded hit after hit for the industry’s biggest acts. Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Olamide, Wande Coal, Kizz Daniel, Joeboy, name whomever. It is probably easier to list the important artistes who haven’t harnessed the magic of Killertunes’ production skills to make hits at this point. Awards have rightfully trooped in for him too, most notably his Producer of the Year win at the 2019 Headies for his efforts on Duncan Mighty and Wizkid’s “Fake Love”.
On the 4th of September, Killertunes released his second project – 2019’s Gbedu & Things EP being the first – on all streaming platforms. The album was titled “KillaXtra” and upon close consideration, he probably couldn’t have named it any better as we witnessed a number of new layers to the man. First, he reactivated the dormant singer and songwriter in him, opting to hop on the mic instead of lettingall the featured artistes have all the fun. And has it turns out, Killertunes is a decent singer and and even better lyricist, impressing repeatedly with his performances. Second, he chose to work with a different crop of artistes than we are used to seeing him do, shunning the big mainstream artistes that he could have easily gotten on board for newer, alternative acts; Odunsi, Nissi, Psycho YP, Kida Kudz, Lyta, Walshy Fire and a few others were granted spots across the 13 tracks. Third, and a consequence of the second point, the album had Killertunes exploring different sounds from the more commercial, uptempo bangers he has created in the recent past. KillaXtra features calmer alternative and R&B instrumentals, and to very good effect too, if the streaming stats and critical reception is anything to go by.
It’s always a question of what next in the business of music creation and that question is especially on the minds of the audience due to the major shift in the soundscape offered on his debut album. Will we get more music as a lead, performing artiste from Killertunes or does he now return to the role of only music production? Will he go back to making commercial singles or choose to reinvent himself in the Alte scene? Or will we witness a bit of everything from him? Time will tell and at the young age of 27 years, he definitely has a lot of time on his side. What is certain is that he has the skillset to excel in any capacity he chooses to express his love for music.