In a sit-down with Afrobeats Intelligence, Nigerian dancehall star Inetimi Odon, aka Timaya, shared the story of his riseโfrom the streets of Port Harcourt to becoming one of Africaโs most recognisable music stars.
With a mix of humour and honesty, the singer, who began his solo career in 2005, takes a hard look at todayโs music scene, drawing clear lines between the industry now and the one he came up in.
Timaya expressed nostalgia for the authenticity of older music, saying todayโs songs often feel disconnected and commercially driven, with many artists relying on songwriters who prioritise trends over true expression. โItโs an entirely different era. I miss the old music, not even just from my own time. Iโm talking about songs like Alex Zittoโs Tickle Me- Put on Your Dancing Shoesโโyou know, those kinds of melodies. They came from the heart.
โThese days, I donโt believe most artistes really mean what theyโre saying in their songs. It just doesnโt connect. Thereโs a misinterpretation somewhereโprobably because so many artistes now rely on songwriters. And these songwriters arenโt necessarily giving you music that fits you; theyโre giving you what they think will sell. Then youโre expected to โbodyโ the song and carry it like itโs yours.โ
The 44-year-old singer reminisced about the discipline that defined old-school music-making. โAt that time, you had to get it right. It wasnโt like now, where you can afford to do take after take. Once you entered the studio, you needed to be sure of what you were doing because you were paying by the hour.โ โBack in the day, studio time was precious. You had to rehearse, you had to get your lyrics right before stepping into the booth. Now, anyone can record from the comfort of their home. Your parents can buy you studio equipment and speakers, and you could go viral on TikTok the next day,โ the singer said.
Timayaโs hustle started with grit, belief, and pure street wisdom. Recalling how he sold his first album, True Story, for โฆ500,000 after getting priced as low as โฆ45,000 by other marketers, he said, โSome told me 45K, others said 25K. When one finally offered me 500K, everyone in the bus thought I was lying.โ
He revealed that he took the money and, with strategic savvy, pirated his own album to ensure wide circulation. โBecause this guy doesnโt have the strength to push. But these other guys have the strength to push. So I paid N11,000 to pirate it myself. That was how the album blew.โ Following that grassroots success, his second album, Gift and Grace, released in 2008, fetched him an advance of โฆ24 million from a new marketer. โI told him I wanted 25. He said 18. We argued. He eventually paid 24 million. The next morning, he sent 11 million first. I had already finished the album.
“The same day, I went to the studio and recorded โI don blow, Timaya has blown from Port Harcourt, I break into their Lagos.โ Thatโs how โTimaya don blowโ was born.โ
Despite his nostalgia, Timaya says he has recognised the industryโs new realities. In comparison, his old-school marketing involved grassroots strategies and hustle. โTo promote one song today, you need nothing less than $100,000,โ he revealed. And youโre not even certain it will blow. Itโs crazy. โAt the time, just to promote in Encomium magazine, you needed 750K for two pages. But if I cause chaos and drop a song, Iโd get 23 pages for free.โ Meanwhile, on 25 October 2024, Timaya expressed concern over the rising expenses involved in producing and promoting music videos, which he said now surpass โฆ100 million. The singer noted that the increasing financial demands of music production and promotion have tied his passion for music more closely to money. He remarked, โEven though itโs easier to become popular these days, do you know how hard it is to get your song on the radio? You could be making music in your room like a madman today, and it might just go viral.โ
Timaya, speaking further, revealed that his dogged passion for music came from a deep belief that it was his only escape from poverty. โI never had a Plan B. I never had a job. Iโve never earned a salary. I told myself my music must buy my pot, pants, and spoon.โ He used the first advance he received wisely. โWith the 500K, I rented one room and bought a power bike, a Sony Ericsson, and okrika (second-hand) clothes from Yaba. I packaged my life.โ He revealed that throughout his life as a young person, he never applied for a job or got employment. For him, he said, music wasnโt just a mere hobby. It was survival and all that he leaned on. I didnโt have a fallback plan. Iโve never been employed in my life. This was it for me.โ
Before becoming Timaya, he paid his dues as a backup singer for Nigerian music icon Eedris Abdulkareem, famous for his โJaga Jagaโ. โI used to follow him around. I learnt a lot during those years. It helped shape my stagecraft.โ โThere was no plug. I did it myself. I didnโt have any label. I wasnโt signed. Everything I own, 100% of my catalogue, is mine. No label from the dribble. โDem Mama was a movement,โ Timaya stated. โThere was nobody like me. When we came out, we werenโt smiling. I almost fought. We werenโt trying to fit in; we came from pain.โ
The Odi massacre occurred on 20 November 1999, when the Nigerian military launched an assault on the predominantly Ijaw town of Odi in Bayelsa State. The attack took place amid ongoing tensions in the Niger Delta, rooted in disputes over indigenous claims to oil resources and demands for environmental justice. According to Timaya, his breakout song โDem Mamaโ was born out of the pain of the Odi Massacre. โThat event never left me. It still haunts us. We lost people. Thatโs why I sang it. We turned pain into power.โ Unlike modern-day fame driven by digital trends, Timaya believes his fanbase is deeply rooted. โMy fanbase is organic. They know me. They love me. I didnโt pay to trend. Iโm not faceless. They feel my journey.โ
Timaya acknowledges his past as volatile, even chaotic. โAt some point, I was the most controversial artist. Always in drama. People used to call me a mad man. But come on, I was in my 20s, rich, with no responsibilities. How did you expect me to act?โ While heโs matured, he still embraces his edge. โIโm still that guy, just more refined.โ โI switch phases when I no longer feel the current one,โ he said. โIโm too aware of myself. Thereโs no do or die in anything. Life is simple. When itโs time to move, I know.โ The singer also counters the idea that itโs harder now to be independent. โItโs easier now. Your father can buy you studio equipment. One bad song on TikTok, and boom, youโre trending. Before, to get airplay, you had to know people. Now, all you need is data.โ Timayaโs greatest asset is his extensive music catalogue. โI have eight albums. My colleagues who signed to labels donโt own theirs. Now that labels want to work with me, I have leverage. My catalogue keeps me secure.โ
