Joeboy Discusses Stigma Surrounding Songwriters in Nigeria

Music Icon Joeboy has spoken out against Nigerian artist’s hesitancy to use and work with songwriters. According to him, there is a gradually reducing stigma behind it.

During his interview on Beat 99.9 FM, Joeboy spoke about his girlfriend, and his exit from Empawa Records and the afrobeat genre. Host Osi Suave and Bibi Raii questioned Joeboy regarding Nigerian artists’ hesitancy to collaborate with several songwriters on a track. Osi highlighted the perception among these artists that using songwriters might lead to a loss of respect from fans.

He said, “I think it’s just a Nigerian thing for now, and over time it’s going to change. I see some audiences trolling an artiste that ‘Ah no be you write song’ I feel like there’s a stigma around it. It is reducing but there’s still a stigma around it”.

Joeboy recently departed from Empawa Records, which is owned by Mr Eazi. He began his career with Empawa Records and remained there for five years. In his interview, he expressed that there was mutual respect and affection between him and Mr Eazi. Additionally, Joeboy revealed the establishment of his label, Young Legend, and a partnership with the international label Warner Music.

Joeboy also said he is heavily involved in the creative process of creating songs. However, now he has realized that two heads are better than one. He said he allows other songwriters to contribute to the making of his songs. He said, “It’s always better to see things from a different perspective because an artist can be in their heads sometimes”.