Artist Spotlight: A Discussion with the Enigma, Ibejii.

I see in color.  I think in pictures.  I see in imagery.

Ibejii, 2022

Meeting Ibejii, I found a whole raft of words rushing through my mind, intriguing being at the top of the list.  I was as intrigued by the man as I was with the music that I had come to discuss. I wanted to better understand the enigma that manifests as two men in one, the one whose alter ego has for 7 years blocked access to the man behind the scenes.  My quest was to unveil the facts that is the enigma. 

Let me set the premise for my curiosity. Take a journey through these words with me.

Ibejii’s recent success as winner of the Headies Best Alternative Album 2022 (for his project, Intermission) got tongues wagging.  The unexpected win placed his name on the lips of many across the Nigerian music community. I confess that I too needed to understand how an artist with so little name recognition snatched a highly sought after Headies award.  I was not disappointed owing to the fact that I had personally heard about him prior to then.

The Meeting

For today’s Soot Africa Exclusive, I spent a genteel evening with Ibejii, talking music, life, and art.  The evening was beautifully fueled by fine wine, an assortment of cheeses (including our own cow cheese) and locally grown grapes and mangoes.  It was an evening like only Ibejii (and Marcel, the amazing chef) could put on.  Thank you, Marcel, for your delicious serve. Getting a sneak preview of his soon to be released Yellow Vanilla, an 8-track love log was the highlight of my evening.  I will tell you how I ended up contributing to that amazing project when it is released.

Today is not about the coming project though. So let me return to my mission which is to unveil the hugely talented, but relatively “unknown” artist who spent much of the evening diverting questions away from himself and personal life to the music and the music industry.

So, Who is Ibejii?

Ibejii, the artist, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and storyteller. Born in London, and clearly, international by instinct, Ibejii’s rich Yoruba heritage is writ large, and influences his creativity. Taking in his sound, his style, taste, and his amazing mind, it is easy to see that Ibejii is extremely well read, well-traveled and exceptionally versatile. 

Ibejii is passionate about life and living, but especially about all things Nigerian. “Mark my words the next decade belongs to Nigeria. You’ll see!“. He speaks passionately of the country like one who has clear vision into the future.  I tend to believe him because even his music speaks the exceptional quality of this exceptional artist.  

Ibejii began his career in a silky tunic and a big afro, though he has settled in recent years into a more contemporary look with dark glasses and a black beanie hat.  Yet, however he shows up, you cannot miss the easy stylishness of this rare artist who brings a personal sense of style and soundscape to create this icon. 

From music to style and fashion, Ibejii screams ‘class’, he screams ‘taste’, he exudes ‘exquisite’.   This is yet another topic that I hope to explore with Ibejii in the near future. Today, is about Ibejii’s exceptional storytelling. After all, no one serenades the listener like Ibejii does. 

With songs delivered as strongly in English, Pidgin, as in his native Yoruba, Ibejii brings dimensions to his craft through language.  It is a challenge to tell which of the languages are natural born.  

His Projects and Achievements

Over the years, Ibejii has released seven beautiful projects: Tribal Marks (2018), Greenwhitedope (2019), MSML (2019), Ìlù ìlú (2020), award-winning Intermission (2021), and Post-19 (2022).  The last project features Wavy the Creator (the first collaboration ever for Ibejii).

He has a project for every mood.  Thinking love? Check out “Ayanfe” on GreenWhiteDope.  Thinking long-lost love? Check out “Leke-Leke”. Are you down and needing reassurance? Listen to “Happy me”. Are you thinking politics and societal changes, check out “Gonto”.  

Ibejii is versatile and knowledgeable in various fields of life, and this is evident in his music. He has a wide range of contextual reach to his lyrics and expressions. This is a factor that undoubtedly fueled his Headies’ win of Best Alternative Album in 2022. His project Intermission earned him the spotlight on the much-revered music awards platform.

Let’s talk about his Headies award and how it shook the alternative music community.

Headies Award and the Controversies

Ibejii’s award-winning project, Intermission, is Ibejii’s answer to the alarming turn of the #EndSars protests in October 2020. The project rises and ebbs with brokenness as the artist addresses the socio-cultural frustrations that drove a generation of believers unto the streets of Lagos in a quest for change. 

Setting out with “Gonto”, warning of the danger of shutting off dissenting voices, Intermission proceeds swiftly from Running to Dae Soleil and PandaMinion. 

Gonto honors the little masquerades that dance around the bigger ones seeking some voice, some shine, some limelight – which the big masquerade soaks all up. Gonto warns that unless space is created for the next generation, it will be forcefully taken at. This is a deep parable that cuts through many societal problems, from governance to even family.

Àmọ́ bí Eégún bá ní òun ò rí gonto, gonto ò rí o, òun náà ò ri. (If the Masquerade says he can’t see the gonto, the gonto as well won’t see him)

Ibejii (Gonto)

With the Headies award,  Ibejii bested some of Nigeria’s top headliners – Femi and Made Kuti, Brymo, Wavy the Creator, and The Cavemen.  With Intermission, Ibejii took his craft to visible leadership of the alternative music scene. 

The win was doubly interesting for the buzz and excitement it created.  Social media was overrun by comments like “Who is Ibejii?”, “where is he from?”, “How dare he win over this and this person?” Most of these comments were passionate, if ill-informed.  For those who asked, I now have an easy retort:  First, check out Ibejii’s catalogue, then come back to me.  The revert is typically founded in the language of awe and surprise.

What does Ibejii have to say to those who feel like he didn’t deserve the win?

“I Am Winner, The Headies Best Alternative Album, 2022. Tell the cynics Tell the sceptics Tell the corrupt mind Tell them to listen to Intermission before they dare to question the win of the anointed. Touch Not His Anointed.”

Ibejii (Twitter)

What is Ibejii’s Creative process like? Tell us about your art, its direction, genres you explore, storytelling and how these ideas come to life.

First, I am a storyteller. Storytelling is what I do.  I write books. I write plays, I write movies. Music for me is just another medium for storytelling.  Intermission, for instance, was triggered by the evil of that day in October 2020.  They are the stories I told myself to stop from being mentally crushed by the monsters that crushed a harmless collective aspiration.  

As to direction, I cannot work without a clearly articulated vision document.  It is my start point.  Once I have direction, I move on to questions of genre, messaging, audience, etc.  My coming project is for instance a love log.  A beautiful celebration of love, in its most varied sums.  Knowing that love is at once pure yet animalistic, I was driven into a soundscape that floats from sultry R&B to Sophisti-jazz. 

Direction is therefore critical in my creative process. I do not move until I have fully settled into and properly articulated my vision for a project.  The direction drives the messaging, the lyrics, key instrumentation, etc.  My insistence on clear direction is why so many commentators are quick to paint my sound as movie magical sound capsules.  As I always say, I see in colour, I think in pictures, and see in imagery. I if I can’t see it, I can’t create it.

I have seen and heard many say their creative ideas come spontaneously and I agree to an extent, but do you think every idea comes that way?

My direction is typically spontaneous, yes! But my process is much less so.  I am deliberate, contained and exercise control in bringing visions to life. And I truly believe that the audience expect no less from a creative endeavour.  

I set the tone. I set the mood and I stay vigilant as we run the process. It is to assure project coherence and consistency. Where I have to, I have been known to remove beautiful songs from a project where they interfere with the delivery of a clear vision.

So when I have a direction, I put it together and control the creative process to suit what I am working on at the moment and save other ideas for other projects, I mean I have enough songs to release albums for the next 5 years without going to the studio again. I have projects different from what I have done so far but the thing is I am taking my audience on a journey, so I release a particular project, take a break and bring something different because that is who I am now. I have several projects in different directions, so I can say let me start with Afro-Jazz, then I’m doing Soul season then I close with Jazz.

Ibejii further admonishes that as a creative, if you are not careful, you might not finish anything because you might be too busy jumping from one project to another, so you need to control the direction.

What are some major challenges you face creative-wise and in the business aspect of your career?

I feel that from a sound perspective, I’m quite comfortable with my soundscape but management-wise, I have a huge challenge. I came into this industry with little knowledge or instruction as it concerns marketing and management.  And I am still lacking in knowledge and support in those areas. We are literally winging it, boot strap like?  Can you help?

Fortunately, there is a beautiful synergy between Ibejii and the Ibejii Clan. The Ibejii clan are fully engaged.  They are why I am here. They download and listen, and they show up at my live gigs and are enormously encouraging. These are what make being Ibejii the best experience.  

Unfortunately, you can’t do much live performances in our country. We can’t do tours due to safety considerations, and outside of Lagos and possibly Abuja, there is a dearth of venues. We can’t even do campus tours.  Performing at Nigerian campuses comes with a very peculiar set of challenges. 

So, it is challenges every now and then. How do we get people to the venues that exist?  There is no public transport, taxis are expensive for my target audience, and I worry about bringing people out late evening from Egbeda or Iju to see  Ibejii in Ikoyi. They have to worry about taking 3-4 buses, security coming, and leaving the venue. All of these militate against your music in Lagos alone, not to talk of the outside of Lagos.

I agree with Ibejii that Nigerian creatives need some help here. No tours, and no venues, and even if there are venues, the distance, and security in such areas also matter. It’s been a long-time plea that the government should invest in the entertainment industry, touring and events to be precise.

He highlights the challenge of comparison he faces in the industry. A new Ibejii clan member will most likely draw a similarity between his sound and Brymo’s. Some say he sounds similar to Seal, Beautiful Nubia and many others but Ibejii is Ibejii in his sound and brand.

To conclude this discussion, I’d like to know what motivates you.

“Life, the color of life. People, Beautiful people“, he says as he ends his speech with a big smile.

As we anticipate the release of his new project Yellow Vanilla, I am pleased to report that he recently dropped a collaborative Lo-Fi project.  It is a collaboration with a 14-year-old German producer, Wellyt, like only Ibejii would venture. Matrimony: der Ehestand is a project that highlights issues of cultural diversity and global peace, is a beautiful project. Check it out.

Working with Wellyt on Matrimony: der Ehestand gave me the chance to explore my love of lo-fi sound (b) address issues of cultural diversity and global peace that matter to me and (c) work with a very young talent with insanely big talent and a huge soul. @Wellyt19 ☀️

— ibejii 🐾 (@Ibejiimusic) February 6, 2023

Listen to Matrimony: der Ehestand here: MATRIMONY: der EHESTAND – Album by Wellyt | Spotify

If you enjoyed reading this, you might as well love our spotlight on Libianca. Stay glued to Soot Africa for more music updates