Llona Talks “On The Road,” Accepting His Flowers, and Continuing the “Homeless” Story

There are gimmicky sad boys. And there are sad boys whose music draws from a melancholic well steeped in genuine memories of tough times and the struggle towards the light. In 2024, Nigerians got reintroduced to a singer in the latter category, Michael Ajuma ‘Llona’ Attah—formerly TooClassiq. Positive reception to his sound and aesthetic was instantaneous. By the time his debut album, Homeless, appeared in July 2024, Llona had emerged as one of the important next-up voices from Africa’s second-largest music industry. 

With a string of award nominations (2025 Headies Rookie and Songwriter of the Year) and wins (2025 Galaxy Awards Rookie and Album of The Year) in tow, Llona commenced the daring 23-city and 25-stop Homeless Nationwide Tour on 22 February, 2025, in Zaria, and concluded with a Lagos show on 2 August, 2025. He made stops in cities like Zaria, Makurdi, Ogbomoso, Jalingo, Wukari, Lokoja, and Umuahia, places the average A-list artist wouldn’t ever visit. By December, he had become one of the most talked about stories, spurring many an essay about touring possibilities within Nigeria, even as fans showed up for every single show. 

For his next trick, Llona will be releasing his sophomore album, On The Road, on 7 August, 2026. In conversation with Culture Custodian, he breaks down the unique recording process for the project, defends his outspokenness about insecurity within and beyond Nigeria, and dissects how he selects features, and how this album continues the Homeless story. 

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. 

It’s been two years since Homeless. The trailers for On The Road suggest a project shaped by conflict and difficult experiences. How much of the album draws from what you lived through after Homeless?

In reality, Homeless was like some type of last shot for me. It was either it happens or I go back home. And then, all glory to God, it happened. Homeless was successful because people loved it, I wanted to be sure of how real it is, so I went on tour to see every one of them [fans]. To know that, it’s not just numbers and estimates. This is real. A lot happened while I was on that road for seven months. It was chaotic, brutal, crazy, and unbelievable. Apart from the journey, I have my own personal life and personal problems, and all of that experience is in On The Road. 

Speaking of the [Homeless] tour, it was one of the more ambitious projects in recent music history, reaching states that hadn’t had a mainstream artist touch down in years. What was the process of recording the album on that journey like?

To be honest, it was very quick and decisive for most of the songs. There was no point apart from when we wanted to do the extra production that we [deliberately] said, “Okay, we want to record” and all of that decision making. The process went from me saying, “Bro, where are you? I’m coming to the studio.” or something close. Most of the songs I recorded, if I didn’t have cameras on while recording in the studio, I’m not sure I would have remembered how they happened. 

I was always in my spirit. I go in and do my thing and then I’m back home. Apart from that, I had my own life going on too. I was putting down my story, jotting down what my journey was on the road, and how much I’ve grown from the Homeless boy to the On The Road boy. 

Was there a moment while recording, on tour, when it just felt like the beginning of a new era?

I think it was Masculine Love and Anger Management. I felt like I was in a new era of my music. Those records took me by surprise. They showed me how much I’ve done. Sometimes, you do not know how fast you’re moving and how much has happened. 

What would you say the difference is between both projects?

On the Road is the continuation of Homeless, my life story, basically. So [it’s] not like after Homeless everything ended, because like I said, I went on the road for seven months. A lot changed from the person I was then to the person I am now. Survival is two different things. That’s how I will put it.

We had an interview before Homeless came out in 2024, and one of the first things asked was “Who is Llona?” You said Llona is basically someone trying to connect the dots, trying to change the story for his family. Is that still the answer?

Yes. Those are my core values. I’m always trying to change things, protesting what I don’t agree with, and asking questions. I started this tour because while growing up I always wondered why an artist in Nigeria can’t use the word ‘tour’ without having to travel abroad. I’m still the same, but now there are bigger pictures and different questions getting defined with life. 

There are some things I was living by that were not right, and on the journey I felt I had to change them. There were also some things I noticed on the road that I knew that the Homeless boy would never do. 

Back to the album trailer, which caught a lot of people by surprise because it featured your mom and one other female relative praying for you in Yoruba and Igala. What was the inspiration for that?

I have two mothers. I’ve always said that. One of them taught me hard work and consistency. The other taught me how to love and how to be a proper human. The reason we have them in that video is because I told them to tell me all their worries. My own mom has always been worried about a grandchild. She’s the only one in her family that does not have any grandchildren. So that was her worry. My other mom, who always sees me online, was worried about me smoking, she’s the one who sees my vices. I just wanted them to come in and pray for me. 

In the past two years, you’ve done a few, yet impactful features: the outro for Davido’s album, Oríadé, which came out just last Friday, Ice Prince’s album (Testimony of Grace) earlier this year, Monaky’s 2024 tape (Candor) and Fridayy’s project last year (Some Days I’m Good, Some Days I’m Not). How do you decide on your features and where outside your own music you want your voice heard?

Every feature has to be part of my story, from Monaky to Fridayy. For the Fridayy song, I had just dropped my album, and I needed to look to God at that moment, and Fridayy came through. Before I dropped Homeless, I had always seen Monaky’s music as wisdom. So when he sent me the song, I lived with the song for like a month or two. That song was telling me I could possess more than my eyes could see, so we could tell where I connected with it from.

Then with Lonely Road, TI Blaze and I were on the road together to Kogi State, and he played me the song. When I got back to Lagos, we locked in on the song. It was in line with my story—knowing I have On the Road coming. And Davido, [he’s] my legend. An amazing and lovely man. He had his album coming and I also had mine coming. We just had to give it to God, it was all part of the story.

On social media, you are quite vocal about parts of the country that most people do not talk about and the security situation there. Do you ever see yourself not doing that?

I don’t ever see myself not doing that. These are the things that make Llona. I am always interested not just in Nigeria, but the world. I’m invested in the war in Ukraine. Right from when Russia had the army at the border, I’d already been following the war, and it’s been like three or four years of that. The war in Palestine too. I’m just that guy. My older brother is a soldier, I am a Barack boy, it is embedded in me. This is what makes me completely me. I want to know what’s going on. I want to know how I can help. 

There are people who feel like, perhaps for subjects as sensitive as conflicts and insecurity, perhaps you shouldn’t speak so frequently. 

That’s the problem with making comments. Some people will say, “What do you know?” “Just go back to the studio!” But what do they mean by that? I live in the same country as everyone, so I can speak freely about these things. Instead of people beefing the artists, the ones who can actually bring more attention to these things to not say anything.

And then later they’ll say artists don’t do anything.  But when they say something, you tell them to keep quiet and go to the studio. We’re all part of the same country.  I love Nigeria so much. There’s no way I’ll go and stay anywhere else and not come back to Nigeria. My home is always going to be Nigeria. It is where I feel safest, not because there’s so much security in the country, the roads are perfect, or kidnappings don’t happen, but because it’s my country and there’s nowhere like home.

As a continuation of the Homeless story, do you worry about On The Road’s themes being too heavy or dark?

I always feel like it can get too overwhelming sometimes. That’s why God has created different artists to make sure the ecosystem is right. When you soak yourself in Llona, in Wizard Chan, or in Shallipopi, it just keeps the balance. 

When we last spoke, you were listening to Burna Boy’s Twice As Tall, Davido’s Timeless, and Mercy Chinwo’s Satisfied among others. What do you currently have on rotation?

I’m listening to Ocean Hills and jazz music so much now. I’ve always loved it, but now it has doubled. Every night, I close down my day with jazz. I’ve been listening to a lot of water sounds too. I generally don’t listen to a lot of music because I’m not really as aware of my surroundings. But still, I’m listening to Oríadé. I’m listening to rave music too. That’s my new spot. 

You’ve had just one single since Homeless: Dead Flowers, where you sang about acknowledging yourself now, since at the end of the day, it’s all about reaching people with the music. Is that one of the themes playing into On The Road?

Yes. We did something great. And to be honest, there’s never a time where you’re really appreciated where you come from. Dead Flowers is an appreciation to ourselves, taking our flowers, especially since it was not only me on the road. Mide [his manager] was on the road with me too. We’re not waiting for anybody to say “Oh guys, you did amazing.” We told ourselves. 

Our children are going to wake up to this era after we are long gone. Even after I’m gone, I like that they would see that after I traveled, I did this and that. I dropped Dead Flowers, and that’s what it was all about. And that ties into On The Road. 

What’s one thing you want fans to take away from On The Road?

I want everyone to listen and understand what life could be for you. I want them to listen and go back to reflect on their plans. On The Road has been in the works for two years, so there’s little I can say until the music comes out. The music will speak more.