Lolu’s relationship with producing is best described by the term, sonic storytelling. His beats reflect very strong narrative elements taking the listeners on a journey through the soundscapes he meticulously creates. So far the artist’s discography features talents like 234Jaydaa, adé, Na-Ku and most recently, Mafeni. When collaborating Lolu strives to achieve a sound that fuses the sounds of the artists involved, challenging them to experiment with their boundaries and limits. Lolu is currently in the process developing an EP that he hopes to drop next year.

Structed chaos, trial & error and vibes.

When I Dj I often get asked “how did you even know these songs would flow well together” however as a producer its normally “when did you start and how did you learn so quickly?”

My laptop, FL studio/Logic and My blue headphones.

Music is honestly one of the most important pillars in my life and serves as an escape. I had a few friends at the time who were dj’ing when I was in my first year. I used to go with my friend (Dj Honcho) to his gigs and just chill in the booth watching the crowd go insane for his transitions. I felt like it was something I could do, and the fact that I could potentially combine the songs I loved together and get paid?? Yeah, sign me up. The process of learning how to DJ was good for my mental health which further fuelled my interest.

Kondé Oko (R.I.P YCG) no he’s not dead. He just changed his name]. He’s the reason I got into producing honestly. We met in my first year of uni and he was part of my DJ journey. I used to do some episodes on his podcast (808s & coffee breaks) and after the sessions he’d just open FL and start making beats. I used to be very confused cause the software just looked dauting. He always said to me that I’d make a good producer because I “DJ like a producer” (I didn’t know what that meant at the time) but the more he said it, the more I started to believe It. Then boom lockdown happened and I found myself making almost 3 beats a day for 6 months.

The reception October got when I dropped it was immense (considering we did little promo). Seeing the song on playlists, people’s stories, people using it for their reels felt amazing. Having people buy into my idea and my vision is what made me realise that I want to do this for a long time. Trill Xoe, Daviestherocket and adé helped bring my vision to life.

Thank you, I get excited when people say they enjoy my work.  I usually have a song I’d like to start with and what I want to finish with and then I freestyle the rest. When I start making the mix I have it in mind that it will either be one take or 20.

Ourpov is a platform to tell stories through experiences. I started the platform about 2 years ago to get more people involved in the mental health conversation. Over time I’ve had parents mention how helpful and insightful the platform was in bettering their understanding. It’s sometimes difficult to plan and gather people to share their stories. The world is a mess right now and sometimes people don’t want to (or know how to) express.

Self-learning>>>. When I was learning how to DJ and produce, I’d literally spend 10+ hours a day on YouTube just watching people make beats. I watch a lot of boiler room sets to get inspiration or ideas. I love what I do though, so it drives me to just learn and keep getting better.

I inspire myself but I also gain a lot of inspiration from my environment. Music, the shows I watch, my girl, my friends, I could go on and on.

Early hours of the morning say 2am.

Amaarae.

Working horizontally rather than vertically to collectively make it out the hood.

Feeling burnt out or having a creative block also occurs once in a while. I’ve learnt to not force things in those periods or things just get progressively worse. So, for anyone going through that right now, stop and go do something else for a couple of days.

The first lockdown was more of my awakening. I finally had the time to start producing and learning about the craft. I’m grateful for the people around me who took their time to help me at the start of the journey. Fortunately, and unfortunately, I lost a lot of beats on two occasions while I was starting out. It was a blow mentally because I could feel myself improving and making sense of the things I was learning. Honestly the belief I have in myself and the fact that my friends constantly reminded me that those beats are not the best I can do, helped me bounce back and become even more focused on the goal.

It's a new year and Awakening is a new phase for me. In the making of this project, I tapped into a different side of my art. The first song Lord's Prayer was created at a point when I was experiencing burnout and could not create. Fortunately I was able to make music with my friends The4th, Kondé oko and cashmanny and the lyrics of the featured artists reflect how i felt at the time: bringing yourself out of a dark place and the role of friends in doing this.

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