AfroBeatNights had the chance to learn more about rising star Moelogo ahead of his debut New York performance to a sold-out crowd alongside DJ Tunez at the legendary venue SOB’s.
The British-Nigerian artist describes his music much like his personality; energetic, spiritual and uplifting.
Entering the music world at an early age, his musical interest was sparked while attending church with his grandmother in Lagos, Nigeria. It was at 10 years old that his passion for music heightened after his family relocated to the U.K. and he was placed in a school music class.
“I was nervous at first, standing in front of people you don’t know and trying to convince them that you can sing or that they should listen to you is madness you know,” he explained about his early days performing.
Moelogo’s first big break came in 2016 when he performed at the MOBO Awards with friends and family there for support.
“My musical inspiration comes from my surroundings and life experiences, other people’s experiences,” Moelogo shared regarding his creative process. “Everything around us inspires us.”
Almost two years after the release of his EP Ireti, Moelogo has been making major headway in the music industry, performing around the world and collaborating with notable artists. He most recently teamed up with Ghanaian super producer Juls, on the hit single “Oshey” off the Ojekoo EP. Interestingly enough, he revealed that before accepting the feature, he was hesitant.
“I was at a phase where I didn’t want to do anything up-tempo, I wanted to do something that was slow and meaningful,” he conveyed about the time the song was recorded. “I was in a bad mood, I had to force myself to think positively. At first, I slept it off, when I woke up I had a melody and I just did it.”
Luckily for listeners, Moelogo decided to take on the challenge, creating the up-tempo track with a deeply spiritual ambience that’s amassed over 600,000 streams to date.
“As an artist, we are human beings as well, we go through things” he asserted. “The best way to deal with this is to find a way to push everything aside and just do what you do.”
The visual release for “Oshey” brought to life the song’s enchanting aura, exhibiting proper representation of the culture.
“The vibe was amazing, everybody was just into it man,” Moelogo recalls about the song’s video shoot. “There was no diva, everyone was dope, everyone played their part and made it happen.”
Using both his surroundings and life experiences, Moelogo enjoys singing and writing about moments that people can connect to, even its not his personal story. After the release of Ireti, he found a sense of balance in his music being able to resonate with all ages.
“I like to paint a picture where people can relate to, find some type of closure to keep going,” he stated.
Moelogo, who carries a positive aura, also finds beauty in being able to use his dialect in spreading the African diaspora. “I want people to try to understand and research about my language, what I am saying,” he proclaimed. “It’s my culture, I want everyone to understand where I am from and understand me for who I am.”
This year has been a busy one for Moelogo thus far, but he is just getting started. Working with artists in both the U.K. and U.S., he’s spent a lot of time in writing sessions.
Keeping current collaborations under wraps, the South London singer disclosed his wish to work with American artists like Chris Brown, Cyhi the Prince, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Brandy, Kim Burrell and Young Thug.
Young Thug, that’s interesting. Why him ?
“Young Thug, he has a different swag to him, he’s just different, it’s dope,” he replied.
No matter how hectic the music world may get for the artist, Moelogo stands firm in remaining true to himself.
To his fans, Moelogo has one message: “Understand yourself first before you get into anything. Understand who you are, and people will appreciate you.”