Omotayo Fashola
Nigerian music sensation Timaya has revealed that emerging artists today have a significant advantage over his generation when breaking into the industry.
The “Dem Mama” crooner shared his thoughts during a recent interview on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast with host Joey Akan.
Timaya credited modern technology and social media platforms for leveling the playing field, making music success more accessible than ever before.
He explained, “Today’s artists have it way easier than we did. Back in my day, breaking through was a serious struggle. The industry gatekeepers held all the power.
“Take ‘Odeshi’ with Flavour for example – we later discovered Premier Music owned the rights. Even for ‘Can I Have A Dance?’, we had to go through Premier again. Paid all over too.
“Now? Your parents can set you up with home studio gear. Drop one viral track. Handle your own distribution. One TikTok trend and boom – you’re famous. Just need internet access really.
“In my time? Please! Getting radio play alone was a whole battle. Today you upload and it’s everywhere instantly. You can literally blow up from your bedroom just shouting lyrics! I appreciate this new wave, but adapting isn’t easy for me. Constantly posting content feels exhausting sometimes, but it’s the game now – gotta keep up.”
John Okoro
