Interview: NatseJ and Dedejaé On Debut Collab ‘Lovers Dream,’ Metaverse And Doing Business With Family

by 

Esther Akpovi

Meet NatseJ and Dedejaé, two Gen Z artists both based in Lagos, Nigeria. NatseJ is a model, actor, musician, and the co-founder of Wintar Studios, who had written over 100 songs by the time he turned 18. Like his cousin, Dedejaé is also a Gen Z artist. He began his music career independently back in Ghana before teaming up with NatseJ in Nigeria. With a mutual love for music, the two have come together professionally, making their debut collab – Lovers Dream. I caught up with both over a FaceTime call, documented below and slightly edited for clarity;

How would you define your genre or sound?

Dedejae: I mean I would say, definitely it leans more towards the RnB, alternative energy. We wouldn’t say we have one particular sound, because I can rap as well. You can give us any beat and we are so versatile to give you something hard…

NatseJ: It’s definitely a fusion sound. There are RnB inspirations, hip-hop inspirations, there are afro inspirations, house inspirations. There are some pop vibes in there from time to time. I always find it difficult to define.

You guys have worked on a few projects like Wintar in July, but Lovers Dream is the first Dedejaé and NatseJ Music Project, walk us through your process?

Dedejaé: At first the song was called Mind. The whole idea is about trying to figure out your significant other’s mindset and feelings towards you. There’s a grey area in trying to understand what their vibe is. Especially if I’m trying to really get to know someone, what they think about me, and all that. Basically, I was in a studio on my own like two years ago, I was going through my email and I was like, I was just singing to the lyrics and it came out really nice, and I had to go and find NatseJ…and from there, we had a song.

Mixing family and business notoriously rarely works out, how do you make it work as cousins and business partners?

NatseJ: There’s an ease and an understanding between the two of us. We understand each other’s vibes because we’re family. We can really be ourselves in the studio and be honest. Anything I would want to say on a song. I’ve probably already told him, you know what I mean? Sometimes you don’t want other people around in the studio with you.

Let’s talk about your audience. Would you guys say you make music for single people who want to experience love or couples?

Dedejae: We have different approaches to music. NatseJ’s personal taste is mostly based on people who are trying to work things out. Everybody wants to feel loved more so in our generation by not giving love themselves.

NatseJ: It’s like people have options, if one thing isn’t working out, you DM the other person and move on. Nobody wants to be caught ‘simping’, or be the one who is obsessed. If we think about the metaverse and AI, you can marry anybody, or have an AI boyfriend or girlfriend. Where does ‘real’ love come into play? Imagine a digital reality where our perception of time is slowed to the point that life seems endless. So in a world where you live forever, what is marriage? Lots of people will tell you they get married so that they don’t grow old alone. But in a world where you live forever, does that matter?

NatseJ, you moved back to Lagos like 2 years ago. Dede, have you ever lived in Lagos?

Dedejae: Yeah I have. Actually, I used to live in Benin till I was nine and moved to Lagos when I was 10. Then I went to Ghana for three years for my University and I came back to Lagos in 2019. I have been working for various companies here and there as a Creative Director or Fashion Designer.

As cousins, you both share ties with Delta, Itsekiri, do you think where you come from inspires any element of your identity or artistry?

NatseJ: Yeah, 100%. People from the South tend to have this affinity with water in general, and I think that has played more in my identity. There is a freedom about it, I think it applies to the wider south. There’s also this sense of ‘we’re going to do our own thing regardless’. At least with Itsekiri’s. It’s almost rebellious. Going back to Nana of Koko, one of my ancestors opposed Europeans that came to Nigeria trying to dilute our culture. When I was a kid, my dad and mom never told me or my siblings what to be, so my siblings and I did what we wanted to do. We were like jungle kids. For me, I was always given the freedom to express myself. I think it’s important for kids to not be conformist so they can discover who they are for themselves. In my art, there are no boundaries. Our generation of parents is very strict; be a doctor, lawyer, go to University. There’s one path that makes sense to them and it’s difficult to change that. The freedom my parents gave me was that I don’t have to necessarily be a lawyer, and I’m proud of that. But yeah, I think my identity as an artist comes specifically from that Itsekiri stubbornness I spoke about earlier.

Dedejae: NatseJ and I have a really similar upbringing. My mom used to let me go to different art classes during summer, like football, basketball, and whatever I wanted to do. And my Dad too, never boxed me in any particular box even when I went to University. We carried that in our music as well because we were allowed what to do, from the playlist, culture, and everything to make us who we are.

Esther Akpovi birthed the alter ego ‘ The Gen Z Cheerleader.’ She is a British-Nigerian Gen Z, Miss Nigeria UK 2020 Finalist, and Tech Thought leader. She has spent years in media and the public sector working on social policies and navigating the world of venture capital and technology as a vehicle for social change while building and investing in the creator economy.