When 2022 draws to a close and recaps on producers that shaped the soundscape of the Nigerian music industry start rolling out, it will be hard – and frankly erroneous – to look past Reward Beatz. The 21-year-old talented beatmaker has produced some of our favourite songs this year, the biggest of which is the mega-hit, “Buga.” The Afrobeat mid-tempo single united age groups worldwide and spurred countless social media dance challenges. Kizz Daniel and Tekno were at the center of the plaudits for their vocal contributions, but both would be honest enough to admit that it wouldn’t have been possible without the flawless assist from Reward Beatz.
As we get down to the business of talking up his remarkable talents, there are two misconceptions about Reward Beatz that must be corrected immediately. The first is that he’s a one-hit wonder who got lucky with “Buga.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. 2022 has undoubtedly been his big year, but Reward Beatz has been making bangers since 2020 when he was only 19 years old. His work on T-Classic’s “La Cream (For Life)” in collaboration with MixNaija is evidence of the above claim. The next year also saw him cook the instrumentals on which Kizz Daniel created “Eh God (Barnabas)” and “Addict,” two of seven songs off his “Barnabas” project.
The second misconception may be that he can’t do it without Kizz Daniel. Again, as the kids say, that’s cap. Undoubtedly, the brilliant working relationship he has forged with Kizz Daniel has helped, but it has only accelerated the inevitable rather than making the impossible possible. After all, the singer only noticed Reward Beatz thanks to the stellar quality of his prior beats. Iyanya’s “Like” and Magixx’s “Shaye” are examples of his more famous works. And if Young Jonn’s “Xtra Cool” continues on its upward trajectory, that would be yet another hit song without the “One Ticket” crooner.
In a recent interview with The Nation, Reward Beatz spoke about the disrespect he had to tolerate from many artists before his wins came. Such is often the case for young producers. However, it speaks to his focus and persistence that he remained undeterred by those experiences. Patience is truly a virtue because he’s now getting all his due accolades. From featuring on Audiomack Africa and MTV Base West Africa shows to covering for Turntable Charts, it’s a good time to be Reward Beatz.
Beyond the crisp and clear tunes he cooks up in his studio, it’s exciting to note that he has a lot of time on his side. He’s just entering his twenties, meaning he has time to develop his signature sound, make even more collaborations, and grow into a force to reckon with in the industry. His journey, already as impressive as it is, is worth keeping an eye on.
