NATIVE Exclusive: Lojay’s commitment to artistic growth is paying off
"I want to be able to make this level of music consciously for the next 10-15 years"
The night after the release of his new collaborative EP with Sarz, emerging Afropop star Lojay went to the club to find people deeply enamoured by the project’s Amapiano-infused closer. “I wish I filmed the reaction because people were screaming “Monalisa” and I’m thinking, ‘Didn’t this just drop last night?’” he recalls over a Zoom call, one week after release. It’s reflective of the rapt reception LV N ATTN was instantly met with, and it’s much deserved.
The 5-track tape is an excellent merger of Lojay’s gliding vocals, emotive lyricism and bright melodic choices, with Sarz’s proven ability to create eclectic and deeply engrossing soundscapes. Being the second artist to work with the Afropop production maestro, Lojay earns his breakout moment with effortless command, a benchmark performance fitting for his introduction to a wide audience. In 2017, he dropped his first EP, Midnight Vibes, a curious collection of his raw and promising abilities as a singer and songwriter. Upon graduating from Uni in 2018, he decided to go all in on making music, and that meant a strong commitment to refining his craft.
“I never really wanted to “blow,” I just wanted to develop my artistry and I believed everything would fall in place and well,” Lojay says of the period between making that decision and now. “I believe the growth is quite evident now.” Linking up with Sarz during the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic, Lojay wasn’t really in the best space, but the producer’s instant rapport and willingness to work on an EP was vindication for the time spent at becoming a better version of his musical self. The project’s only vocal feature comes in the form of a stellar Wizkid feature, another huge co-sign of his talents.
“I’ve just been absorbing everything that’s happening and working on taking in everything that’s yet to come,” Lojay says of the reception to LV N ATTN, noting that he’s been swamped with joy, excitement and, most of all, relief since its release. There are no plans to step back anytime soon, “I want to be able to make this level of music consciously for the next 10-15 years,” he tells The NATIVE. It’s Lojay’s time and the clock will be ticking for a really long time.
Our conversation with Lojay follows below, and it has been lightly edited for clarity.
NATIVE: What’s the origin story behind Lojay?
Lojay: Lojay is Lojay. The person I am within the music is the person I am outside. My whole life revolves around music, so there’s no possible way to talk about Lojay outside music. That’s literally me. Lojay means Lekan Osifeso Jnr. and that’s my actual name
What’s the growth between your debut EP, Midnight Vibes, and now been like?
To be honest, there’s been a massive amount of growth which I would say is very intentional. Going through my catalogue, you’ll notice the growth in the music. Every new song is better than the last and that was an intentional thing for me. Concerning Midnight Vibes, I had recorded a couple of songs and instead of putting out one song, I just decided to put out a couple so people could, you know, vibe and that was the major intention behind the EP. I was in Uni so I wasn’t really focusing on music at the time, but when I was done around 2018 and I started to drop songs like “Ariel” and “Ogogoro,” it was then my sound really started to take shape. At that point, I had left uni and gotten back to Nigeria, I had to figure out what I really wanted to do. I only had one thing on my mind, It’s what I’d been preparing myself for 2 years prior to that time and, well, I’ll say there’s been a massive amount of growth and I feel very blessed. I never really wanted to “blow,” I just wanted to develop my artistry and I believed everything would fall in place and well, I believe the growth is quite evident now.
How did you meet Sarz?
This was the beginning of the Lockdown in Lagos. I wasn’t in the best of spaces because music wasn’t really going the way I had intended for it to go. So in my bad space, I reached out to my lawyer just to let him where I was at the time, and my lawyer said, “I could hook you up with Sarz, what do you think?” And I’m like, “What do you mean what do I think?” So I went ahead to work on some demos and sent that out. In my mind I’m thinking Sarz would want to work on one song but to my surprise he says we should work on an EP and at that point, I knew this wasn’t a mistake and I was doing something right. Like, if Sarz could see that, to the point where he wants to work on an entire EP, then there had to be something. I had already been confident but there was just this reinforcement that came with him just saying, “Let’s work on an EP.”
Sarz has worked with some of the biggest names in Afropop today. What was putting the project together like, especially with someone of his calibre?
I know you might be expecting to hear something serious but it was mad fun. There was no forced energy, no pressure, the chemistry was there and it was just so much fun. We just camped in the house and listened to beats, we vibed, we laughed and we were just having a good time making music. This entire process made me understand the importance of keeping it seamless and just enjoying your process, rather than pressuring yourself to make a certain type of music; enjoy yourself and let the music make itself.
Was there any sort of self-pressure to make a ‘hit’?
Not at all. You can’t make a hit song, you can only make a great song. The acceptance determines whether it’s going to be a hit or not. If I was trying to make a hit, I don’t think I would have even thought about making “Tonongo.” It was never about making a hit song, it was always about expressing myself on a song and making it undeniable.
You mentioned recently that you don’t write, you allow yourself to feel the music then you take it from there.
That’s literally it, I always have to feel the music. Music is spiritual. It’s a feeling thing, not just a hearing thing. On hearing a beat, I already know what I want to say within the first 5 seconds. In the space of 5 seconds, I know how the beat is making me feel, I know what I want to talk about and I just basically express myself then fill in the gaps properly after. I’ve realized that if I sit down to write, it doesn’t feel natural, it just feels like I’m reading a script and that just doesn’t work for me. By the time I’m even done writing, I most likely am not in that space anymore. So basically, I hear the beat, I feel inspired and I just start talking. A perfect example is the first verse of “Monalisa” because that just came out.
What’s your favourite song off the tape?
That’s like asking me about my favourite child. I honestly have no favourite because I love everything. Every song takes me to a different space, so I won’t say one is better than the other, I’d just say they all represent very different things and they all have their own essence.
What would you say has been the most challenging part of working on this collaborative project?
The most challenging thing about this project was conscious development. The major aim for me with this EP was to grow, and you can’t count it as growth if you’re not conscious of the things that are happening. I needed to be aware of the changes that were causing growth and to be aware of how to maintain these things. I want to be able to make this level of music consciously for the next 10-15 years. Making the music wasn’t hard, but making it intentionally was a different ball game. That was the most important thing for me as well as the most challenging.
View this post on Instagram
Let’s talk about the Wizkid feature “Lv n Attn.” There’s a viral video of you in utter shock and disbelief when you heard that verse, how did that verse come about?
I had recorded “Lv n Attn” in Lagos a while back before anything. We went to London and we had been doing some work. So I’m guessing Sarz on his own had gone to see Wizkid and played the song for him alongside a bunch of other songs and, apparently, Wizkid loved the song from the jump. Some random morning, I was at the studio and at about 2am, I got a text from Sarz asking where I was and if I could make it to another studio at that time, I had a feeling it might have been to meet Wizkid but I didn’t want to get too excited just in case it wasn’t that. On getting to the studio, it was some sort of studio in a studio thing. I walked into the room and I heard this laugh, I saw Wizkid facing the control board, he turned around and the first thing he said to me was, “I’m a big fan.” and I was so shocked. He asked the engineer to play the record and the record just kept on playing over and over. He said he liked the song and he’d like to drop a verse on it if I was okay with that and, of course, I didn’t mind.
A week passed and nothing, two, three weeks passed and nothing still. At this time, we were getting ready to go back to Lagos and Sarz said he hadn’t heard back from Wizkid so I didn’t really mind just finishing up the song myself. Sarz had thrown me off balance with what he had said, then went ahead to play the song and my reaction in that video was exactly what I felt. To say the least, I was shocked. In that moment, I thought about what that meant and because Wizkid is someone I had always looked up to, just getting him on my first official tape, him dropping the kind of verse he dropped and him just showing the kind of support he has shown is nothing but a blessing.
How has the general reception been to the EP, and did you have any sort of fear of unacceptance of the music?
Mad! That’s the simple answer. The reception has been crazy to say the least. The project was released on Friday and we went to the club that night and the night after, I wish I could film the reaction because people were screaming “Monalisa” and I’m thinking, “Didn’t this just drop last night?” That was when I knew this one was about to be very special. And No, there was fear of unacceptance. I knew what I had created and I was quite confident.
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve picked from working with Sarz?
Intention. That was the best and most important advice I really got from him. It was a conversation we had had very early and it was one of those conversations you have and after that, you don’t really need to talk too much anymore. One of the best things about working with Sarz is the creative freedom, he allows you to do your thing.
ESSENTIALS: SARZ & WURLD ARE A STUNNING MATCH ON ‘I LOVE GIRLS WITH TROBUL’
Txmmyily Is All About Having The Time Of His Life On “Jaiye”
Produced by Dan Akins, “Jaiye” is a no-frills party anthem that sees Txmmyily run through his bucket list...
Rising singer Txmmyily has released a new single, “Jaiye,” continuing to showcase the inventive streak that has earned him praise for his music. Produced by Dan Akins, “Jaiye” is a no-frills party anthem that sees Txmmyily run through his bucket list for enjoying a great time while reminiscing on a past romance that he’s still pining after. It’s his first release since putting out “Angelina” in April 2025.
Txmmyily has been steadily building momentum since he first released “Rack$” in 2022. His recent songs have proven his continued ability to command attention. “Body Work” with Mavo surpassed one million streams, while “Angelina” crossed the 400,000 mark, cementing his growing fanbase and credibility as one of Afrobeats’ most exciting new voices.
With “Jaiye,” Txmmyily is preparing to break barriers. Even before the song’s release, it was eagerly anticipated by fans and onlookers, with over 2,000+ sounds created on social media platforms. The buzz continues to rise with the announcement of a visually striking music video.
Directed by Jupefruit, the video draws inspiration from the song’s thematic direction, featuring the singer performing on stage before an enraptured audience. It cuts to several scenes of him lounging with friends before ending with clips and stills from a performance.
Listen to “Jaiye” here.
Keep reading...
Maya Amolo Explores The Intricacies Of Romance On ‘The Sweetest Time’
The Sweetest Time’ finds Amolo delivering more of the same soulful cuts and melancholy ballads that have...
Maya Amolo has released her sophomore album titled ‘The Sweetest Time.’ The album, which was officially announced about two weeks ago, comes as the follow-up to the Kenyan rising star’s 2024 EP ‘What A Feeling.’ While the 5-track EP explored a Dance subgenres in an homage to her home city, Nairobi, ‘The Sweetest Time’ finds Amolo delivering more of the same soulful cuts and melancholy ballads that have earned her renown, only making subtle production adjustments that help keep her sound fresh.
The album’s eponymous lead single arrived earlier in March, a tender earworm featuring fellow Kenyan singer Ywaya Tajiri, which set the tone for what much of her latest full-length release would sound like. The follow-up single, “Guidance,” which was released in May, radiated a similar warmth, as she softly sings about a love interest’s endearing qualities over some moving piano chords.
On the album’s third and final single, “Look The Other Way,” Amolo takes a break from her sweet girl persona, directly confronting, according to her, “internet thugs” who do too much online but lack the same energy in real life. The Kenyan R&B singer, however, does not dedicate much of ‘The Sweetest Time’ to detractors; instead, she channels her energy to familiar love-inspired themes that have continually served as the bedrock of much of her music.
Tracks like the sombre opener “October 10th,” the percussion-driven “Hollon,” “I Like It,” a sensual duet with AYLØ, and the wistful ballad “Truth Be Told,” immediately stand out on ‘The Sweetest Time,’ serving as testament to the rising singer’s supple vocals, which she seems to be having more command over, and her poignant songwriting skills.
While she largely delivers on the sort of acoustic, tender tunes she’s come to be known for, the back end of the album houses a few tracks like the Dance-influenced “Miss Me,” “Flawless,” a collaboration with upcoming rapper Albeezy and the Baile-Funk-inspired “Hocus Pocus,” that clearly highlights the Kenyan singer’s expanding sonic palette and her ability to seamlessly navigate different genres.
Listen to ‘The Sweetest Time’ here.
Keep reading...
CRALOR BOI CIC IS LIBERIA’S LOCAL CHAMPION
Cralor Boi CIC is solidifying his position at the summit of Liberian music with his sophomore album, ‘Local...
It is impossible to tell the story of Liberia’s music scene over the last fifteen years without a mention of Cralor Boi CIC due to the sheer number of his hits, extended dominance, and a decade-long, multiple award-winning career, which includes a 2018 and 2024 Artiste Of The Year award at the MTN Liberia Music Award, Liberia’s premier music award.
Usually called Cralo or CIC, he has stamped his imprint at the apex of Liberian music, a music scene that has seen its fair share of challenges, which often stagnated growth. However, coming off a 2024 win as Artist of The Year at the MTN Liberia Music Award, a just-concluded tour in the United States, coupled with the July 2025 release of his second solo studio album titled ‘Local Champion,’ CIC has no intention of stopping his dominant streak.
Born Maurice Tosh Gayflor, CIC’s foray into music began as a member of the children’s choir in his local Baptist church in Brewerville, a suburb outside Monrovia, Liberia’s capital city. By the 12th grade, he had started recording music. “Professional music for me started in 2012 when I started recording in the studio,” he tells The NATIVE. “At that stage, I gravitated to music because at an early age, I had anger issues and music helped to calm me, music was my therapy.”
By 2015, CIC scored his first nationwide hit with “Jon Buttay,” an infectious Afropop record that owned the streets as well as the clubs. More importantly, the record was delivered strongly in Liberian colloquial, commonly spelt as koloqua, a unique variant of creole that is widely used throughout Liberia. While Hipco–Liberia’s naming of a subgenre of Hip-hop delivered in koloqua–had seen success, CIC’s delivery in koloqua went on to define his sound and inspire a new generation of artistes, especially ones doing Afropop.
Gbanja Scott, a Liberian rapper and media executive, says that CIC helped redefine the sound. “While there were pioneers who used koloqua in their sound, especially Hipco, CIC stood out because of the way he infused koloqua,” he explains. “He brought his own distinct swag and melody to the use of koloqua. As a result, he is a big influence on how the use of koloqua in music has evolved. These days, you see a lot of artists trying to infuse koloqua and make it more melodious; he played a monumental role in that.”
That position is reiterated by CIC, who now claims it as part of his legacy. “I was intentional in my use of koloqua because I wanted to influence our sound and ensure it was reflective of Liberia,” he says. “I wanted people to hear me and immediately know this is a Liberian artist instead of mistaking me as being from Ghana, Nigeria, or another country. After me, more people became comfortable with infusing koloqua.”
However, much as CIC has come to represent what success means for a Liberian artist, his dominance and success are as much because of Liberia as it is despite it.
While Liberia’s creative scene has received limited international coverage in recent times, the country’s music scene experienced relative success in the past, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. The country even hosted American singer and civil rights activist, Nina Simone, who briefly relocated to the country in the 1970s. The local scene has also influenced music in the region, with Liberian Kru music being one of the underlying pillars of West African Highlife.
Unfortunately, civil unrest and the bitter legacy of two civil wars fought from the 1990s to the early 2000s set back the music scene, and have largely defined reporting on the country. Consequently, in part due to the war, and also as a result of numerous challenges, including limited investment in the creative sector, the music scene has experienced restricted growth. These challenges include a lack of adequate venues to host concerts nationwide, high data costs, and low internet penetration, which have made streaming a less viable source of income for artists. There’s also the prevalence of poverty, which limits the spending power of music consumers.
“Although there are studios everywhere, we are also lacking in skilled personnel for mixing and mastering,” Scott notes. “As a result, a lot of artistes have to send their records out of the country to have them properly mixed and mastered. There are not enough video production houses, and there are no proper industry structures. Also, artistes find it hard to access publishing and publishing rights.”
Due to these challenges and limited access to international distribution channels, Liberia has been unable to take advantage of the renewed global focus on African music. Nonetheless, these challenges have inspired CIC. “As an independent artist in Liberia, it can be hard to execute ideas without significant investments,” he admits. “But we have to make it work, so it’s better not just for everyone, but also for the ones coming after us”.
More significantly, CIC’s current run of success comes after a period of personal struggle. Between 2021 and 2022, CIC was virtually absent from the music scene, dropping only two songs during this period. He needed the time away to deal with his mental health. In a January 2023 Instagram post, he spoke about what he was going through, stating that, “I’ve had suicidal thoughts and issues of mental health.”
Undeterred, he has since made a comeback. He went on to release “Don’t Give Up On Me” in January 2023, a gospel-inflected record that captured CIC’s plea to a divine figure not to give up on him. That song would propel his ascent back to the top of the scene as he dropped several tracks culminating in his 2024 win in the Artist Of The Year category at the MTN Liberia Music Award and the subsequent release of ‘Local Champion’ in July 2025.
His triumph in the Artist Of The Year category specifically lifted his spirits. “The win meant a lot, it was a comeback trophy for me,” he says. “It was important for me, especially coming off of my break. These days, my mental health is better, I am more engaged, and I am also having more discussions around mental health. These discussions are not just with myself, but with others, and I inspire people by sharing how I coped with depression; if I can do it, they can as well.”
His sophomore album, ‘Local Champion,’ is a testament to the singer’s longevity, solidifying his position at the apex of Liberia’s music scene. “Critics have said my music was purely koloqua and as a result, it wouldn’t move beyond borders,” he noted, “They said the sound wasn’t international, but koloqua is the way we speak, it is our identity. That’s why I titled my ‘Local Champion,’ I want my sound to carry our identity. Being a local champion is a tag I own.”
The 15-track LP gives listeners a 43-minute crash course on contemporary Liberian pop music, guided by CIC’s smooth signature delivery in koloqua. With features including Liberian stars Stunn and Lyrical Joe, as well as Nigerian rapper, Dremo, on two songs, it’s a coronation of sorts for CIC. ‘Local Champion’ also sees him expand his sound to explore other genres like Reggae, Drill, and Amapiano. “This album is about the sounds I wanted. I have always wanted that variety, to have my discography have a touch of everything,” he shares. “With this album, I got to do that, I did something on Reggae, did some acoustic music, I am proud of the album.”
While the album has seen initial positive reviews locally, for CIC, it’s just another step in crafting his legacy: “The album is out, I am taking it one day at a time. I am making Liberian music and defining our sound. I am proud to be a local champion of my people.”
Listen to ‘Local Champion’ here.
Keep reading...
