In 2018, Majesty Lyn scored her first big break in the music industry which crowned all her earlier efforts to make a name for herself. Fairly unknown at the time, she released a number of music covers to popular songs to a small and intimate audience on her growing social media pages, one of which was a refix of Peruzzi & 2 Baba’s 2018 hit record “Amaka.”

Like a number of incredible new artists breaking through the fray, Majesty Lyn found fame by posting these covers and gained the attention of the many new listeners through her smooth and elegant voice. Since then, Lyn has kept the fire burning with earworm releases such as 2020’s “Find Your Way” and the Waye-assisted “Perfect For You” only a year later. She’s kept her music releases precious and powerful, with the most recent offering, her third project ‘Things On Things,’ providing a fuller view of the artist and the person.

 

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It’s interesting to note that before the virality, Lyn was finding her footing in the game as a rapper. She tells the NATIVE that she was more interested in dishing out hard-hitting bars, threading together unique punchlines and rapping circles around her contemporaries than she was about singing. To Lyn, she wanted to make uplifting music rather than give into her pain, and rap music provided that outlet to show up as her most confident self.

“While I was growing up and working on my rap, I had a lot of anger and it was my way of expressing myself and getting through things then I realised it was just a lot for me and it put me in a dark place,” she shared with the NATIVE, speaking candidly about switching her off-the-cuff raps for smoother, mid-tempo melodies. Growth is clearly a guiding force in Majesty Lyn’s career and it’s clear that improving her skills is a sort of pride for the budding star.

Following the release of her sophomore EP ‘Things On Things,’ which she describes as a body of work in which she used to channel all her emotions, she sits with the NATIVE to discuss her journey so far, her process of making music, her plans for now as well as the coming years. 

Her words which follow below have been lightly edited for clarity.

NATIVE: Could you briefly tell me about your upbringing and hometown and how they influenced your entry into music?

Majesty Lyn: First of all, I’m from Port Harcourt city in Rivers State, and I just happened to grow up in a home where I was told that I could do anything. My parents gave us this confidence that no matter what it is, no matter how big the dream is out there, if you put your mind to it then you can achieve it. I grew up in a home full of fighters, so I was raised to be a fighter. I was raised to chase and not give up, and this influenced my music and just generally the confidence that comes with my music.

Is there a specific moment that made you aware you were going to be a musician?

I grew up in a home where they didn’t really let us listen to commercial songs. We were not completely religious home, but for my dad it was more about morals. Most of the songs were talking about real life stuff and they were mainly for adults. We listened to more cultural songs than the secular ones. Every Saturday morning, my family and I listened to the music of a cultural group called the Royal Boys of Rumuodomaya. I believe that I may have been influenced by that, but it was when I competed in a rap battle in University that I knew I wanted to pursue music. I had been writing raps and poems but I didn’t think I was going to take it seriously enough to make it a career. Then, one day when I was in my third year, I randomly walked into a rap battle where I was put on the spot and I just found myself rapping. From that moment on, I knew that I had to chase music.

So what then made you put down the bars for singing?

As much as I love Hip-Hop, I realised that it wasn’t exactly native to Nigerians, it’s foreign to us and a lot more technical. Asides that, rap is a movement, you’re supposed to express yourself completely. The kind of things we talk about and do during the rap battles are just a lot to grapple. While I was growing up and working on my rap, I had a lot of anger and it was my way of expressing myself and getting through things. Then I realised it was just a lot for me and it put me in a dark place, so I decided to try something different. I’m happy I did. 

Who were some of your musical influences growing up?

While I didn’t listen to rap songs or other genres except gospel and cultural songs, I could still hear secular songs from Wizkid and the likes. For instance, on my way to school I would hear it on the radio or in group discussions with my friends at secondary school. So, I started getting inspired musically when walking the streets home from school, and even birthday parties. I loved people like Wizkid, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, and I also enjoyed a lot of P-square but Wizkid was the person that caught my attention the most. In recent times, I’d say that Rema and Burnaboy inspire me with their Afro-fusion influence. 

How would you describe your songwriting and creation process?

Well, usually I start with a beat I have already and do a freestyle, while the beat is being played in the background. Most times, I mumble the freestyle and then I write over the melodies after. Or I can be doing something random and write down a verse that pops into my head. Regardless, I start by creating melodies over the lyrics, or I create the melodies first and then I write after. 

Now let’s talk about the new project ‘Things on things,’ what does it mean for you now that the EP is out in the world?

For me, it’s a lot of relief because the last one year was very exhausting. I don’t think I’ve ever worked on any project for a whole year, so now that the project is finally out I’m very relieved. 

What inspired this EP titled?

The title of the EP was inspired by two things. The first thing was the randomness of all the experiences and emotions I had while I was working on the project. The second thing is the EP’s titular track, “Things On Things.” It was a song I made that was supposed to be on the project but ended up not making it. However, this name was so fitting to everything that I had gone through in the past year, and the theme for the project so we just had to stick with the name.

The EP focuses on daily issues we experience as women, from loving someone to being in toxic love situations and finally finding the strength to leave. How were you able to channel all these raw emotions into ‘Things on Things.’ 

I can’t take full credit for being expressive completely on the project. As much as I did sing most of the songs on the project, some were written by me and other writers as well. It wasn’t just me channeling all those emotions, it was a collaborative effort. The songs that I created myself for example, the last track “Tenderly,” I was going through a toxic relationship, so I knew what it felt like to be in one. It was just easy for me to put it out there and talk about the things I was going through at the moment. 

With this body of work, what sonics and themes did you draw from?

Initially, the theme of this project was meant to be ‘If Summer Walker had a baby with Ckay,’ what would the track sound like? CKay is Afropop with more emo, sad and romantic songs, and for Summer Walker, when it comes to her lyrics and expressing herself, she’s very real and doesn’t hold back. She’s into Trap-soul which is a side of me I wanted to explore, so initially we were going for that. I also drew inspiration from everywhere else. That’s why songs like “Notice” and “On You” show the full range of my versatility.

‘Things on Things’ is much different from your last project. What would you say you represent right now with this project?

I am a lot more expressive, so right now, I view myself from a point of view where I’m not being held back by anything. You can’t put me in a box, and say this is what I can’t do, or this is what I can do. That’s the kind of message I’m trying to pass out there. Regardless of what you’re going through, it may not necessarily be rosy all the time but you’re going to get through it. I had to make the songs as relatable as possible for everyone that listens, so they know that regardless of what they’re dealing with, they’re not dealing with it alone. 

What’s the most important thing about the music you create? How do you want your listeners to react to the music you create? 

I’m hoping that when people listen to my songs they can relate to the sound, not just the melodies but also the lyrics. I would like to be seen as someone that understands what my listeners are going through. I would like for people to listen to my music and not feel alone. 

So what’s next for you from here?

My contract is ending in a few days, so right now the management team and I are pitching and trying to get a good deal. We are looking for a label or an investor that can just get my career to the next level. I’m ready for my next level.

 

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Featured Image Credits/NATIVE

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