Singer John Ighodaro, known as Johnny Drille, has opened up about the early struggles in his career when record labels pressured him to change his musical style.
The ‘Wait For Me’ crooner said that two major Nigerian record labels had shown interest in signing him but insisted he must adjust his sound to make it faster and more danceable.
Speaking on the CreativTea podcast, Drille said he refused to compromise his sound despite the pressure because he wanted to stay true to his art.
He added that Mavin Records boss Don Jazzy was the only one who believed in his music without trying to change it.
“People could never have imagined that Mavin Records under Don Jazzy would sign an alternative artist like myself. It was weird for a lot of people,” he said.
“There were two other major labels in Nigeria that wanted to sign me, but the conversation was always around, ‘How do we change your sound? How do we make it faster? How do we make it danceable?’
“But when I met Don Jazzy, there were no conversations like that. He was just really a fan of the music. That was a big risk to take, but he pulled it off.”
Drille said Don Jazzy took a chance on him out of admiration for his unique sound rather than profit.
The singer first gained attention after taking part in the sixth season of Project Fame West Africa in 2013. He released his breakout single ‘Wait For Me’ in 2015 before joining Mavin Records in 2017.
His debut album, *Before We Fall Asleep*, released in 2021, helped establish him as one of Nigeria’s leading alternative artists.
