Veteran Nigerian singer, Timaya, has weighed in on the drastic transformation the music industry has undergone over the years, noting that it is now significantly easier for young artistes to break into the scene than it was during his rise to fame in the 2000s and early 2010s.
The “Dem Mama” crooner shared his thoughts during a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, hosted by renowned music journalist Joey Akan. On the show, Timaya opened up about the evolution of the Nigerian music landscape and how technology, particularly social media, has simplified the process of becoming a star.
“Making music is easier for the new crop of musicians than in my time. Ahn ahn, before how do you want to blow? It’s only one person that has all the control,” he said.
Using a personal experience to illustrate his point, Timaya spoke about his collaborative track “Odeshi” with fellow highlife star Flavour, noting the bureaucratic hurdles they faced due to music rights and catalog ownership.
“This ‘Odeshi’ song that I did with Flavour, we got to realised that it was Premier Music that has the catalogue. We wanted to do ‘Can I have A Dance?’, who did we contact? Premier. We paid again.”
He emphasized how much easier things are for today’s generation of artistes, who have access to tools and platforms that didn’t exist when he started.
“But right now, your father or your mother can just buy you studio equipment, you do one bad song. You can even just register yourself. One TikTok song and you are made. All you need is data.”
Timaya didn’t shy away from highlighting how frustrating the music hustle used to be, especially when it came to getting airplay on traditional media:
“Back then, we want get… Before dem go play your song sef for radio station enh! Ahhh! It was difficult. Now you are uploading a song. It’s very very fast to blow now. You can just be in your house and be shouting. I also like it.”
While acknowledging the benefits of the digital era, the dancehall star admitted that adjusting to the new wave of online promotion hasn’t been easy for him personally:
“But because I didn’t start like that, it’s difficult for me. It’s stressful posting. Sometimes, I think I don’t have to. But it’s the business, I got to.”
Timaya’s remarks echo the sentiment of many veteran artistes who have watched the rise of streaming platforms, digital distribution, and social media reshape the industry. While the barriers to entry have lowered, the hustle for visibility now often involves mastering a whole new set of digital tools and platforms.
His reflections offer a rare insider view into the stark contrast between the old and new music industry models and the resilience it takes to evolve with the times.
