From Behind the Scenes to Spotlight: Nigerian Musicians Who Started Out as Music Producers
- Several musicians first made their names behind the scenes, producing hit songs for established artistes before stepping out as recording artistes themselves
- Young Jonn, Pheelz and Phyno are among the stars whose production skills helped them build successful careers in the Nigerian music industry.
- From Don Jazzy's Mo' Hits era to Olakira's transition from producing for other singers to releasing his own songs
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The Nigerian music industry is filled with talented entertainers who can do more than sing, rap, or perform on stage.
While some artistes became famous through their vocals, others first earned recognition for creating the beats and sounds behind some of the biggest songs in the country.
Interestingly, some of these music producers eventually decided to take centre stage and showcase their singing abilities.
Source: Instagram
Today, they are recognised not only for their production skills but also for their contributions as recording artistes.
Legit.ng takes a look at six Nigerian musicians who started their careers as music producers before becoming popular performers.
1. Phyno worked as a music producer before fame
Indigenous rapper Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike, popularly known as Phyno, is one of the Nigerian musicians whose journey began behind the scenes.
Source: Instagram
Before becoming a household name as a rapper, Phyno established himself as a music producer. He worked with several industry figures, including Illbliss and Olamide.
His understanding of music production helped shape his sound when he eventually ventured into recording and performing.
Phyno has since become one of Nigeria's prominent indigenous rappers, with hit songs such as Ghost Mode, Man of the Year, and Fada Fada.
2. Don Jazzy was first known for producing hit songs
Michael Collins Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy, is another Nigerian entertainer whose career started with music production.
The Mavin Records boss began producing music at the age of 16. He became widely recognised in 2004 as the producer and head of the now-defunct Mo' Hits Records.
Source: Instagram
During his time with Mo' Hits, Don Jazzy produced several hit records for D'banj and Wande Coal, among others.
Some of his notable production credits include Oliver Twist, Why Me, and Bumper to Bumper.
Although he is more widely celebrated as a producer and music executive, Don Jazzy has also lent his vocals to several songs, including E Don Do Me and Dorobucci.
According to his profile on Mavin Records, he went from being a hit-making producer to establishing one of Africa's leading record labels.
3. Young Jonn earned his nickname before becoming a singer
Before becoming known for songs such as Dada, Xtra Cool and Aquafina, Udomboso John, popularly known as Young Jonn, had already established himself as a talented music producer.
He started working as a producer at Hit Factory Studio in 2012 and became famous for his production skills, particularly through his collaborations with rapper Olamide.
Source: Instagram
Young Jonn produced several songs on Olamide's Street OT album, including Story For The Gods, Blood Money, and The Real MVP.
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His impressive production skills earned him the nickname 'Young Jonn the Wicked Producer'.
However, he eventually decided to explore his singing abilities. In 2022, he signed with Chocolate City and released Dada, which marked a major step in his transition into a recording artist.
His debut album, Jiggy Forever, further established his presence as a singer.
4. Pheelz started producing music as a teenager
Phillip Kayode Moses, professionally known as Pheelz, is another Nigerian musician who built his reputation as a producer before gaining widespread recognition as a singer.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Pheelz disclosed that he started his music production career at the age of 12 after securing an internship at Coded Tunes, where he worked under veteran producer ID Cabasa.
Source: Instagram
He subsequently became one of the major producers associated with Olamide's YBNL record label.
His production credits include Olamide's First of All and several tracks on the rapper's Baddest Guy Ever Liveth album.
Although Pheelz had always been interested in singing, his transition into becoming a recognised recording artiste gained momentum with his 2021 EP, Hear Me Out.
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He later enjoyed widespread success with Finesse, his 2022 collaboration with BNXN, which introduced his vocal abilities to an even wider audience.
5. Olakira produced songs before releasing Maserati
Adelusola Femi, popularly known as Olakira, is another entertainer who worked behind the scenes before finding fame as a singer.
Before becoming popular with his hit song Maserati, Olakira had worked with Nigerian record label U&I as a music producer and songwriter.
He also produced songs for other artistes, including Dotman's Akube and My Woman.
However, his career took a different direction when he began releasing his own music.
His song Maserati became a breakthrough, earning him recognition among Nigerian music lovers.
Following the success of the song, Olakira released his six-track EP, 4 Play, which featured songs such as Gotchu, Call on Me and For Life.
His journey demonstrates how music production can provide a platform for artistes to discover and develop their identities as performers.
6. Maleek Berry moved from producing for stars to making his own music
British-Nigerian musician Maleek Berry, whose real name is Maleek Shoyebi, also built his career as a music producer before gaining recognition as a singer.
He worked with several Nigerian music stars, producing songs for Wizkid, Davido, Wande Coal, Banky W and Naeto C.
Some of his production credits include Wizkid's The Matter, Love You and Murder, as well as Wande Coal's Baby Hello.
However, Maleek Berry eventually stepped into the spotlight as a recording artist.
His breakthrough as a singer came in 2013 with The Matter, featuring Wizkid, followed by Kontrol and Bend It.
Don Jazzy speaks on Davido's future in music
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Don Jazzy disclosed that he foresaw Davido's immense success from their first meeting.
During a conversation on the Zero Condition podcast, the Mavin boss recalled a SoundCity broadcast from years ago, where he declared his admiration for Davido's debut track.
Source: Legit.ng
