We had the good fortune of connecting with Banggz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Banggz, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Like many humans, I wanted to be heard. Music allowed me to express my thoughts and manifest my imagination quickly. Over time, I found purpose in providing my audience with an experience through my music. The world is ugly enough without the excitement that my creative outlet provides. I have been working on my craft since I was 14 years old and started my music career professionally in 2022. That year was a year of self-discovery. I attended a concert where Nigerian Afrobeat legend, Femi Kuti, performed and the messaging in his music spoke to me as an artist and as a Nigerian. I realized that what started as a means of expressing my thoughts could inspire others as well. From then on, I set out to create my upcoming project titled ‘4 THE BANGGERZ’ – which is a play on my stage name. This project reflects my artistic mission to serve my community by giving them a sonic landscape that they can live in as opposed to this ugly world.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I spend most of my days experiencing life outside. Getting fresh air, talking to people, and gathering inspiration. Experiences fuel my creativity. When I have enough inspiration, I sit in the studio and craft random ideas that turn into full-fledged songs within hours. Another thing is that the transition from the studio to the stage never ceases to fulfill me. I am passionate about performing my songs to a live audience so I give it my all every time.

I wish I could say that my work ended there but I find myself in styling sessions, rehearsals, photoshoots, and meetings with industry professionals and team members. For example, I just released a music video for my single titled ‘OUTSIDE’ and it was a lo of work to do so. I was thoroughly involved in the process from pre-production to release. I am grateful to Kishan Sondagar and the whole cast and crew for making the end result worth every zoom call and to-do list addition. Being a professional musician comes with a lot of heavy lifting so I am grateful to have a reliable team around me. I would not trade anything if I got the chance to.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
They should go see a show. Take a nice walk and experience some real life outside. One thing I have learnt about being so hands-on with my work is that stepping away from the screen is really important. I would make sure they stayed present by taking them to all the cool museums and art galleries in town (even though I would be selfishly looking for inspiration there), we would eat at the nicest Indian and Thai restaurants, and make sure we check out the buzzing Amapiano parties over the weekend (those always help me understand how people respond to tempos and things of that nature. Highly recommend).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have a great support system around me. My manager, Mmedara, and I have been building for years, My DJ, Mo, is always on point at the shows. He is an integral part of the experience. On the artistic media side, PinkBro, Tani Olorunyomi and Kenza Cardot are never to be left out. I’m going to give a special shout-out to Kishan Sondagar. He directed my latest music video ‘OUTSIDE’ and he went above and beyond to secure the vision. It’s also really important to shout-out some amazing musicians that I have been grateful to work with: T. Chandy, KAR33M, Kwae Kobain, Caz McMind, Chyme, Pompela, Ruona and Jahmeema. It’s a lot of shout-outs but my favorite band right now is Country Club Pool Boy. Find these artists and you’ll realize why!

Website: http://www.banggzwaves.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com

Twitter: http://x.com/banggzwaves

Facebook: http://facebook.com/banggz

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@banggz

Image Credits
Photos by Tanitoluwa Olorunyomi (@tani.olorunyomi)

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