The moment he uttered “…everything I have done in life has always been for the music”, there were no more doubts. It became clearer the type of man Seyi has built himself to be.
Meet Seyi Xodus, the A&R that fought blood and sweat to bring the culture defining ‘Love Nwantiti’ by CKay to life. He is a former A&R Executive at Chocolate City and founder of the reputable Nile Music, a music distribution and marketing company.
Mid discussion, whilst this music exec was having fun running us through his formative journey in the industry, “Wait!” he quickly exclaims, “It’s been 10 years o” he continues, shocked at his own proficiency and competence. This journey was initiated by dissatisfaction with how a record he put out in secondary school went. He was not totally pleased with how the record came to be and at that point, he realised that there was a gap between him and how much he knew about the industry. This realisation birthed the conviction to hold back his yearning to become the greatest artist of all time and a few seasons later in 2015, he enrolled with Aristokrat Records as an intern.
It’s a decade later and Seyi Xodus has fulfilled the condition he gave himself. He has not only immersed himself into the dynamics of the industry but has also dutifully left imprints that have positioned him as an authority. With this fulfillment, ‘Something New’ his official debut single went live worldwide marking his fearless return to his roots and reason for existence, music.
In this interview, the music executive-now-artist walks us through his intriguing journey from behind the scenes to the forefront of the spotlight and how his initiative, Nile Music is shaping the African music scene.
You’ve built a career as an entrepreneur in the music industry. Was the vision always to become an artist or did it just happen while working as an exec?
Absolutely! One thing I always say is that everything I’ve done has always been for the music. Sometime in 2023, I put out an unofficial record that has a line that goes “This made me what I am and made me what I am not”. For me, that record was a statement to show everyone that I would definitely circle back to music. Who I am today is because of my love for music, both the rosy and the not so rosy parts.
How has your experience working in the backend of music shaped your perspective as an artist?
It has given me all the confidence and clarity I need to amplify my music and other artists I work with. It has made me realise how much I really want this and the extent to which I hope to take it. This draws me to one of my biggest influences Jay Z, he is someone I really connect to- not just music wise, he has an artist that is deeply versed with all round knowledge, I’m talking branding, business and everything in between. This is the one person I’ll say I emulate in the music industry.
Apart from music tech, you also A&R. You A&R’d CKay’s Love Nwantiti. What was it like shaping such a sound?
It was a learning curve for me and everyone involved. From the moment I heard the hook of the song, I knew we had a hit record in our hands. We were supposed to drop a different record titled ‘Beeni’ at the time but after listening to the record, I wasn’t totally convinced. As the A&R in charge of the EP release, I spoke to the artist and the label on how we needed a more self defining record and for me, that was Love Nwantiti. In January 2020, I got a happy new year text from Joeboy and it was his verse on the remix. Kuami Eugene also recorded his’ with CKay in Ghana and the rest is history. This particular moment is a special one for me amongst my different experiences in the game. We made history!
Was there any moment of hesitation about stepping into the spotlight as an artist?
Not at all. I have spent so many years learning the ropes of the industry. There’s a saying by the legendary Kobe Bryant that goes something like “The only reason you won’t be confident in what you do is because you haven’t trained enough”. When you are taking a shot you have taken a thousand times, it becomes almost easy. I have been behind the scenes for so long that it feels like I understand a good number of things. I am, however, still learning.
How would you describe your sound, and what kind of music do you want to be known for?
II started off as a rapper and I had to learn how to actually sing which helped me record ‘Something New’ and a bunch of other songs yet to be released. As much as I rap, I don’t want to be just a rapper so in a more general light, I’d say my sound is Afro-fusion, thanks to Burna Boy for giving it a name.
Your first single is out—tell us about the creative process behind it. What inspired the song?
I recorded ‘Something New’ two years ago. At this time, I was running 2-3 jobs simultaneously with the mindset that one of it would take off. So, the record came from a place of hustle. I just wanted to create real music that people going through real stuff can connect to. It’s very important for people to know that they are not alone.
How has the reaction been so far to your debut single? Any unexpected responses?
It’s been good so far. One of the promotional contents we put out has garnered over a million views. For me, all I need is that one gusher and I’m good to go.
Now that you are experiencing music from both the executive and artist pov, is there anything about the music making process that you just realized?
Not really. I think I have seen it all to be honest. I have been in the studio longer than I have not been in the studio, so for now, there’s nothing new or significant enough to surprise me.
What’s next for you? Can we expect an EP, an album, or more singles soon?
Yes, an EP. ‘Coffee’ – the title of the project – symbolises ‘feel good music’ or ‘the type of music you’d want to start your day with’. ‘Something New’ won’t be making it to the project just because it doesn’t fit the overall aesthetics of the EP so, it’s going to be a body of new songs.
How do you see Nile Music evolving in the next few years, and do you think your personal journey as an artist will shape that evolution?
Nile Music will be here for a while helping great talents get heard. One thing that saddens me is seeing amazing artists not being heard or talked about enough. Our tagline is “Amplifying African Voices” and that is exactly what I see the company achieving over the years so help me God.
