Digging Deeper with Afrobeats Upcomer, Sholz Nova

African music is getting bigger each passing day, and more authentic and promising indigenous talents continue to pop up. This Grieg has is championed by its young youth populace equipped with smartphones and fairly great internet. The proliferation of music-driven social apps like TikTok and the influx of new sounds spearheaded by the likes of Rema, Fireboy, Ckay, Tems and more has helped pushed the barriers and introduce the market to new audiences. 

Lagos, Nigeria is regularly dubbed the hotbed of Afrobeats with a handful of talents wielding their crafts distinctively. One of these gems is Sholz Nova— a young, talented artist who’s been making bubbly music for a while now. We caught up with the most recent ‘Go Low’ crooner to dig deep into his music-making process and other related ‘issues’. Catch up!

Where does this interview find you? Is there music playing in your head?

I am on the go at the moment. Of course, music is like everything to me there is music playing in my head always.

What music gets you instantly out of a bad mood or one song you are loving more these days?

Good Music generally gets me out of a bad mood and yeah, the one song I’m loving more these days is my song with Queen Tavia – Go Low.

How would you describe the kind of music you make?

I would say I make relatable and good music, feel-good music.

Growing up, was music always a big part of your life? Can you recall your earliest musical memory?

Music has always been with me since childhood my dad and my elder brothers played a huge part my dad was always blasting Ebenezer Obey and Fuji on speakers while my brothers introduced me to hip-hop

50 Cent, Ja Rule, Nelly, we weren’t really into Nigerian music at the time I would always rap along fun times.

As an artist, what part of the creation process would you say you thrive the most?

As an artist, I would say I have an ear for beat selection a beat that would be the perfect canvas for the picture I’m trying to paint.

Tell us a bit about how Go Low came together?

It was late 2020 I was in a music camp and I was just doing random freestyles then the producer put a beat on and immediately I was yeah this is it, recorded the first verse on the spot couple of music heads heard it and they were like it was hard then Queen Tavia came to bless me with that fire hook that same day. I did my last verse around 5 am the next day let’s just say we made magic. I would love to make a video for the record its a good record.

Are you currently in the studio working on more music? What do you look for in collaborations?

Yes, I’ve been working on my debut EP which is straight-up fire by the way. As for collaborations it just has to feel right to me the work chemistry has to be on a 100 not 99.

What do you hope fans take away from your music?

Relatability, I make music that my fans can relate to. I hope they feel how I feel making the sound. The feeling is what I hope they take away.

In terms of your artistry, do you think your approach this year is any different than you did last year? In what aspect would you say you’ve experienced the most artistic growth since your first single?

Yes definitely, I am working on back to back music release which didn’t happen last year so I’d say that’s a new approach. My confidence, because there was a time I used to doubt my art lol never again.

Where would you say your heart lies musically?

Talking of genre, definitely Afrobeats, tho I infuse a bit of pop, rap, trap, and sometimes R&B.

What are you most excited about in the near future? picture what your career looks like in 5 years from now. What do you see?

Really excited because I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me and in 5 years from now the growth would be really evident the sky is just the starting point.