Nigerian dancehall star, Timaya, has bared it all in a fresh interview with Afrobeats Intelligence—throwing light on his journey from the trenches of Port Harcourt to stardom, while calling out the state of today’s music scene.Nigerian home decor ideas
The 44-year-old Dem Mama crooner said he misses the old era of heartfelt music, unlike now where songs feel empty and driven by trends.
“Most artistes these days no even mean wetin dem dey sing. The music no dey connect,” he said. “There’s a misinterpretation somewhere—probably because so many artistes now rely on songwriters. And these songwriters aren’t necessarily giving you music that fits you; they’re giving you what they think will sell.”
Timaya, who began his solo career in 2005, described today’s music scene as commercial and soulless, comparing it to classics like Alex Zitto’s Tickle Me.
“It’s an entirely different era. I miss the old music. Those melodies came from the heart.”
Reflecting on how far the industry has come, he recalled how expensive studio time used to be, saying artistes back then had to be sharp and prepared because they were paying by the hour. “Now, anyone can just set up a studio at home and blow on TikTok.”
Opening up on his early hustle, Timaya revealed how he sold his debut album True Story for ₦500K—after marketers tried pricing him as low as ₦25K. But the real shocker? He pirated his own album to make it go viral.
“One marketer gave me N500K. I knew he couldn’t push it, so I paid N11K to pirate it myself. That was how the album blew.”
