The last time the music group NSG spoke to us at Culture Custodian, it was following the release of their mixtape, Roots in 2020. Since then, the 6 man Hackney-born Ghanaian and Nigerian artists have gone on tours and in October 2023, finally released their debut album, Area Boyz. The 19 track project is a brilliantly produced piece of work teeming with features, with Seyi Vibez, Libianca, Jae5, Sarkodie and more – a fitting project to mark 10 years in the music industry and reflect on their continued excellence. Stemming from an online interaction where they were referred to as area boys – a derogatory term in Nigeria – the group decided to adopt the moniker and reshape it with a positive spin, one that portrays that anyone, even area boys can make something out of anything.
In conversation with MJ and ODG we speak about their 10 years in the industry, public reception to the Area Boyz album and their journey towards world domination.
Not a lot of artists or groups can celebrate 10 years in the game with a debut album, what led to the decision to finally releasing an album this year?
MJ: At the back of this, there’s singles that we’ve dropped. We concluded that it’s time that we actually give the people the album cause we dropped the Roots project which connected with people and with the lifespan of that project, we thought maybe we could, chill for a bit and let people actually digest it until we actually give a proper album which led to the Area Boyz album. We’ve kinda been working on the album for a very long time. We’ve been working on the songs for the past five years, but obviously we didn’t know, what songs would be going into the album.
ODG: Last December, we had about 15 songs we knew were going to be on the album. We also knew that it was going to drop in roughly October. So we just started adding songs and making new songs and just trying to see what songs are gonna make the album, what song makes sense for the album then we concluded and yeah, we decided it’s go time.
Like you’ve just mentioned, the tracks on this album have been made over the course of 5 years. Lonely being the oldest, Mansa Musa was recorded in 2020. A lot of things have happened in that time, so how did you decide what would fit the album and what wouldn’t make it on?
ODG: That one, I feel like we all came to the studio, we have like bare songs, so we just pulled songs from the folder which we thought were the strongest. Something like Lonely had to be on the album cause Sarkodie was on it. If Sarkodie is on a verse, you have to just put it out there.
MJ: We recorded Mansa Musa first. That was initially supposed to be the intro to the album, then later on, ODG recorded Area Boyz Prayers and it made sense to get Seyi Vibez on that to touch on the current artists. Compared to the Mansa Musa and the Lonely song, those were the stories we wanted to tell back when we recorded those songs, cause that was what was currently happening. It was only right to put it there and touch on the journey and show people that we’re not just making songs without meaning. So this is what’s happening.
In creating this project, what was the most important message you wanted to pass across?
MJ: That we are area boys.
ODG: It’s more like Area Boyz but you can make it out of nothing as well. We came from nothing so it’s kinda to show people that you can make it out of nothing, anywhere around the world.
This album is a great body of art. The production, the features, the delivery. What was the most memorable part of putting it together?
MJ: I think the recording process was different because we’re used to recording in our little studio before. But when we decided to record songs for the album, we actually went away to a little town 2 hours outside London. We stayed there for like a week. We had different producers and people coming in, connecting with nature, doing drugs, and we were just free. It just felt like, yeah this is a moment. So obviously when we finished recording the songs we knew the album was going to be special because the way we recorded was very very special. It wasn’t the traditional way we normally record our songs.
ODG: My most memorable time would be when the album was done. I produced the album (4play), at the end I was like “yo we actually recorded this album.” I was like “yo it’s time.”
How has it felt seeing the reception to the album? And how has that been compared to the reception of your previous projects
You know what? I know a lot of artists dropped projects this year but everyone that I’ve actually spoken to has been like, “yo, this is one of my favorite projects of the year.” And I’m actually like, “what? Better than the Burna Boy album?” That alone is something. And it’s not like these people are lying, it’s facts. And even with the Roots project as well, people took in the project so well so it’s like they’ve done their own thing in different ways. Roots solidified the whole “yes people taking us in from Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya” and this one is more like “yeah, these guys are just the best.” We just solidified the ground like, yeah, we’re not here to play, man.
In the 10 years since NSG has been creating music, how has your personal music taste changed? Which artists were your earlier sources of inspiration, and who inspires you now?
ODG: I have the same people who motivate me, Wizkid, Skepta, Burna. I’ve been listening to Burna since maybe I was like in secondary school so it’s kinda like the same people who still motivate me. But recently, I’d say Asake or Black Sheriff.
MJ: I kinda listen to different music, I don’t know. It’s definitely NSG. I don’t think I listen to any artist and I feel like … obviously I would be like, “yeah, this is good” but I don’t know, I find it hard to take inspiration from like, I don’t know. I just listen to a lot of music. So maybe subliminally I’m just taking inspiration.
ODG: Yeah, it’s more subliminal. Even the people that I’m saying – someone like Skepta, apart from saying he influences my music because of what I do, there is other stuff I take and put into the music. So it’s more subliminal kinda stuff. The way we do our music is just NSG.
It looks like NSG is booked and busy this December in Lagos. What are you all looking forward to the most, being back on the continent?
We’re outside! We’re totally outside. We’ve got all this activation that’s going on, but also we’re trying to attend the shows to connect more with the artists that we really speak to. That’s the good thing about it. We’re gonna use this moment to connect with the fans, the artist, we’re just gonna be outside more times.
The official tour kicks off next year. Are there any cities the group is excited to be performing at?
We still haven’t concluded where we wanna go but we know where we want to go or where we’ve been before that they wanna see us again. Places like Canada like Australia, we haven’t been but we know people are going crazy there. Places like Kenya, we know they’re ready any time we are. There’s so many places that we have to sit down and just actually conclude “Ok, where do we wanna go?” “How long do we wanna be on tour for?” But pretty much everywhere, everyone’s waiting for us to just announce but we’re definitely doing London first. I think that date is confirmed.
Is Lagos going to be part of your stops?
You know what, Abuja has been going crazy as well, but we are just finding it hard to connect with the promoters. Our last show that we tried to do there, we couldn’t do it, people are just not “gidigbam” on their feeling it. And you know, everything just falls back to the artist so we just want to be sure we have the right plug and the right people.
But yeah deffo, our last show in Lagos was crazy! It was mad. We just want good vibes.
Since the group started this journey 10 years ago, the goal has always been world domination. How would you say that’s coming along?
ODG: It’s coming along amazing. We’ve still got a long way but it’s coming along amazing.
MJ: It’s not a day job thing. We’re tryna take over every corner of the world and that’s not easy ‘cause we’re independent. So every move that we make, everything is coming from our pocket, our energy. It’s not easy. Small by small. Inshallah we get there.