INTERVIEW: OXLADE AND KJ SPIO
“If you’re talking to Oxlade, and want him to answer a question, you say, ‘yo, ‘Oxavelli’ or ‘Oxy’’, but if you want ‘Coach’ to answer a question, you say, “yo big Coach”, so we know if the questions are for me or if they’re for the visionary. Because he’s the visionary, for all of this shit, I’m just the artist that executes the art.”
Before the interview starts, the instructions given by Afrobeats sensation Oxlade, and the manner in which he delivers them, give an idea of his personality and character. Direct, with supreme self confidence and a hyperactive energy, but someone that shows love to those he respects highly. Dressed in a furry, pink sweatshirt with cream chinos, ‘Oxavelli’, is matched in fashion sense, by KJ Spio aka ‘Big Coach’, sat beside him donning an Off White shirt. KJ consistently references the importance of ‘drip’, ensuring his accessories are on display. “We don’t work this hard, to not show off what we’ve worked for,” I overhear him say, as he martials his team, ensuring everything goes to plan, calm yet firm in his direction.
Interviewed by: Tashan Patel
Photographed by: Lordmayersvisuals
A music executive, KJ fits the tag of ‘visionary’. For many years, he has acted as the bridge between West Africa and the UK, most notably, as the manager of Ghanaian icon, Sarkodie, A&Ring and executively producing his ‘No Pressure’ album and most recent album, ‘JAMZ’. One of the key, understated figures in the current trajectory of Afrobeats reaching a global audience, he is no stranger to breaking down barriers and exploring new frontiers. His latest venture, as creative director of CEEK, a virtual reality platform that directly connects artists to their fans, is taking his mission to new heights.
It’s the reason we find ourselves in a packed house in Walthamstow, East London. As you enter, the colourful interiors, and decor are instantly noticeable, with Black art adorning the walls at every turn. A compact living room is the site for the sound engineer to work his magic, operating at a rapid pace. It leads on to an open plan kitchen where a live stream concert of Oxlade takes place. The Compozers take on the responsibility of the band for the day, carrying out their role with vigour and verve. The videographers are positioned accordingly, focused, despite the quiet bustle of the photographers around them, seeking the best angles possible for the shots.
Oxlade performs for a solid three hours, only taking breaks for outfit changes, his energy never dissipating. Straight after, he goes into a photoshoot outside in the well tended garden, where the photographers, still hungry for fresh pictures, snap away. He heads back in to shoot a brief visual with a green screen, taking creative direction from another individual via facetime. Finally they return to the garden for the interview. Understandably at this point, both are fatigued, but generous with their time (as ‘Oxavelli’ points out to me).
After an almost two year shut down of live events, one would expect that demand for an in person experience would far exceed any of the virtual solutions that gained traction over the Covid period, but KJ doesn’t see it that way. “It was created for situations like this, where you have amazing artists. When you come to a virtual concert where you see the music, it's like the reimagination of the records. This is the soul of the record where you have the artist performing in intimate settings with great aesthetics, great settings, amazing outfits, good costumes and good presentation. So this is the best possible way to present the music to the audience. And what we experienced today, is the perfect example of it. With a platform like CEEK, the quality of the visuals and the sound mean you can feel the heart of the artist.”
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It seems like a legendary movement already,” Oxlade adds. “There’s love, there’s chemistry, there’s art, there’s excellence. I just feel like me personally, even having anything to do with Coach is legendary.” Oxlade is full of gratitude for KJ, and the respect is mutual. During the course of the interview, the two exchange daps and laughs on multiple occasions, with KJ acting like his personal hype man, scrunching up his face in approval prior to repeating any quotable answers back to Oxlade. They are both men that seem to be enjoying life, with Oxlade in particular soaking in the moment, clearly thankful for how far he’s come given his humble beginnings.
Born in Mushin, Nigeria, which he described as ‘the slums of the slums’, life was difficult. His mother died when he was young, and for a period of time his grandmother took over the responsibility of raising him. Worried that he would join a gang, she sent a young Oxlade to live with his father, as she moved to Ibadon in Oyo State. He eventually went to university, persisting for a few years, but facing both personal, and social issues, he decided to go for his dreams. “A lot of families would try and put their children into the status quo, where their pride would be suited, but it wasn’t for me. And I’ve never regretted that move in my whole life”.
His pursuit of music faced challenges from all directions, but his self belief didn’t waver. One of the first songs he ever released, prior to any significant recognition, ‘Legend’, is an ode to himself, willing Oxlade on to greater heights. “It's a prophetic song. Everything in the song stated that I am going to be a legend. At that point in my life, I was an upcoming artist. I had nobody. No Coach, no project manager, no team. At that point, I was already saying I was going to be a legend. So it took God, a lot of confidence, and it took a lot of vision, to be able to believe that brand from the jump. So ‘Legend’ is quite personal, but a very prophetic record, and luckily for me, ‘Ku Lo Sa’ is one of the biggest Afrobeats records to ever exist.”
‘Ku Lo Sa’ has taken the world by storm, with every other TikTok or Instagram reel, being a reenactment of his infamous COLORs performance. The dance has comic appeal, but the song in itself is full of heart and soul, with gorgeous melodies that build to that memorable, powerful falsetto. It’s a song he is visibly proud of, lighting up when getting the opportunity to speak on it. “You see kids, you see parents, cousins, you see peng tings, all enjoying! It’s had a massive impact on the black race…”
“Every song is going to have its time. I'm not desperate. My goal is to just heal the world with my music and my art. The world can be sad and dark, and I want my music to take the pain and sadness away, even if just for a moment. Music for me is a positive weapon. The name of my next album is going to be Oxlade from Africa. And Oxlade from Africa, when abbreviated spells ‘OFA’. ‘Offa’ in the tribe I come from, means arrow in Yoruba. And the greatest Afrobeats artist to ever exist is Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti. And what did he say? He said music is the weapon. What does offa mean? Offa means arrow. What is an arrow? A weapon. A positive weapon to heal the toxic disease and the darkness. That is what I'm trying to do with my legacy.”
Living up to Fela Kuti’s legacy is a tall order, yet it’s something that the current crop of Afrobeats artists are getting closer to with each release. The work ethic of those within the genre is unmatched, KJ attributing the insatiable drive of these artists from “coming from nothing”. Growth, consistency and increased quality of any genre over time is always the challenge, but it’s a challenge that KJ believes will be surmounted. “I think it only gets bigger if you look at the history before, right? The pioneers, like the Sarkodies, the Wizkids, the Burna Boys, they’ve laid the platform… So just to see the progression… and I mean, to see what he (Oxlade) is doing with it, is just a representation of how far we've come and it's getting bigger and bigger. So that's what it is.”
Whilst ‘Ku Lo Sa’ is the song to have really taken off, Oxlade has consistently released excellent music prior to his breakout. ‘Away’, from his ‘Oxygene’ EP, reposted by Drake on its release, feels airy and light, yet the hook captivates. ‘DKT’, a smooth, slow burner has shades of Wande Coal, an artist who Oxlade views as “one of the GOATs”. ‘Jabole’, one of his finest features, alongside Spinall and Ycee, puts his vocal and songwriting ability on full display. It therefore begs the question, if Oxlade feels somewhat frustrated, that it took a TikTok trend for the world to recognize his talent.