From behind the scenes to center stage, The Majeekcian marks a powerful evolution for producer-turned artist, The Majeek. Blending Afrobeats, R&B, dancehall and reggae with emotional candour and creative flair, Majeek steps fully into his own spotlight — embracing his versatility, vulnerability, and a fearless drive to be unapologetically himself.
In this candid conversation, he opens up about his transformation, the magic behind his name, and the bold self-belief that powers his genre-bending sound.
This conversation has been edited for clarity.
So, let’s start from the beginning. You initially got your musical start as a producer, not a recording artist. How did you decide on a stage name? Where did The Majeek come from?
The Majeek is where all my abilities meet. It’s more than a name, it’s a state of being. I’m more than a musical artist — I’m a producer, songwriter, graphic designer, painter, and poet — I do a lot of creative things outside of music. I feel music is the best way for me to express my all-around creativity, and The Majeek is an embodiment of that.
What informed the choice to make a pivot? Did you always want to be a recording artist?
This is something I’ve always wanted to do.
I learned how to produce because when I was younger, I couldn’t afford to pay for studio sessions, and to get a beat, you had to pay as well. I’ve been tech-savvy from a very young age, so when I got to be in a studio, I noted the software they were using and saw that I could do this thing. That was how I started producing. Shout out to my old friend, East Coast — he’s late now, but he taught me the basics of production, and I picked it up from there.
I started making hip-hop, then Afrobeats sounds, and artists around me would ask me to produce for them. That was how I entered the industry. I wouldn’t say being a full-time producer was fun for me, because I always wanted to be an artist.
Around 2020, I decided to just start writing my songs and making moves to fulfill my dream of being an artist. I do songwriting, background vocals, all of that, and to this day, I produce most of the songs I write. I used to make covers on Instagram. That was how I found out how capable I was at making music. I got co-signs from a lot of artists, from Patoranking to Don Jazzy to Adekunle Gold, so my confidence and my online following got a boost, thanks to that.
Have you found any aspect of being a recording artist surprisingly difficult?
To be honest with you, I wouldn’t say I’m shy, but I’m a very, very reserved person. Being an artist made me push myself. I have to show up in front of people, I have to be on 100% when there’s an audience, because my job is to be an entertainer.
If you observe me in those settings, you wouldn’t be able to tell that I’m anxious or overwhelmed, but being an artist has taken me out of my comfort zone. It’s challenging, but I love challenges so it is what it is. I feel like in life, you have to do the hard stuff to get to where you want to be. I wrote this song, Face My Fears featuring Shoday and Camidoh; the song talks about my journey as a person and how fierce I’ve had to become mentally.
Would you say your background in producing makes the work you have to do now easier or more enjoyable?
It makes the songwriting process seamless. That part is the easiest part. The creation process. The fact that I’m a producer gives me mental clarity, I can go into the studio alone — which is how I prefer to create — and streamline my music to get the exact sound I want to hear.
How often do you work with other producers? Do you find collaborating with other producers to be enjoyable, or is it a bit of a power struggle? Who are your favorite producers to work with?
I work with other producers often, but I’m super picky because I know what I like.
It’s not much of a power struggle to work with the producers I choose to work with, because they are so capable. One of those producers is Freshie, who produced So Bad. I just let him do him, because we have that musical chemistry. I tend to do a lot of producing when I’m creating on my own, but when I’m with people who understand my sound, I find it easy to step back, turn off that producer instinct, and just make the music because I trust them.
As for the producers I haven’t worked with that I would love to work with, there’s Spax, Juls, Jae5, and Sarz — who I was supposed to work with, but I don’t know what happened there. These are producers that we all know are top-notch; they will always deliver.
The production on your debut album is very impressive, especially on tracks like The Moon and Your Riddim. What makes a beat stand out to you?
First off, it depends on what I’m trying to achieve with the body of work. Before, it used to be “Oh this is an amazing beat,” and I’ll just hop on it, but now, having developed more as an artist and understanding my sound, it’s more about what the project is talking about and the kinds of sounds I want on the project. Someone could send me a banging beat and I could make a song with it, but if it doesn’t fit the theme of what I’m trying to do, I have to free it or keep it for the future. The Majeekcian is a diverse project; I’m trying to show people how versatile I am.
At the time I started producing, I could rap, sing, and produce well. I would be in the studio back in Benin City as a studio attendant, and I would have artists see me work and be like “Bro, you sing like you don’t rap, you rap like you don’t produce, and you produce like you don’t do anything else!”
That’s the statement I’m making with this album, and that informed the kind of beats that stood out to me. I wanted to curate a particular feeling from the first track to the closing track.
Songwriting or producing? Which is more fun for you?
They come hand in hand, I can’t lie, but if I have to pick one, I would say producing is super fun for me. Especially when the song is done, and you’re just adding finishing touches — that’s the best part for me. It’s like doing the interior decorating after building your house.
Your debut EP, Pressure, introduces you as an artist and sets the tone for your sound. From the first song on that album, what we get is a very soft afro fusion sound with r&b leanings. This album, The Majeekcian, has a few more uptempo songs like Ladies and Cocoa Butter (Remix). Talk to me about this musical evolution.
When I made Pressure, I was in my first apartment — a one-bedroom apartment in Lagos. All the songs were based on how I was feeling. At the time, I was in pain, I was under a lot of pressure, being an independent artist doing music full-time. I wanted to create music that was an escape, music that healed me and made me feel good. That project is my baby, I listen to it and it lifts my spirits.
Moving into The Majeekcian, I was in a different mind space. It was a new phase, and I wanted people to experience me differently. I wanted people to dance more. One of the songs on Pressure — Sugar stood out so much, people were sending me dance videos from France! That was crazy.
I realised that people love to dance. I’m here expressing how I feel, and guys are not hearing that; they’re just dancing. So I decided to switch it up a bit.
I arranged the tracklist for The Majeekcian myself, and I made sure all the bangers are in front. When you play it from track 1, you’re dancing dancing dancing, and then it starts to mellow out from the middle of the tracklist. That’s the vibe I’m on at the moment. I want people to be happy, dance, and enjoy themselves.
Let’s get properly into your new album, The Majeekcian. It’s a 9 track project with features from about five artists. What is your favorite track on this project? I’ll tell you mine: I love Your Riddim and Ladies. What song do you feel the audience loves the most?
I love that you like Your Riddim because that is one of my favorite tracks. I can’t categorically tell you one song is my favorite, but Your Riddim is up there. I love that track so much, people are going to be getting a lot of content from me with the track. That was supposed to be the focus track of the project, but we switched it to Ladies because it was more upbeat. Bae is another song I really love, but I think the song that best represents The Majeek is The Moon — that’s how I feel, that’s who I am.
I think people really love So Bad. That’s the most listened to song on the project. People are also really loving Bae. That track surprised me, it’s the most surprising track on the project, I didn’t expect it to be this big.
Your sound is very much a blend of genres. Reggae and dancehall influences are very strong in your music. Who would you say are your biggest musical influences?
A lot of people have influenced my sound over the years. I would say Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, funny enough, because of the passion they have for what they do. That’s one thing that’s hard for me to wrap my mind around, but I’m going to figure it out. Right now, music is shifting from being something you’re supposed to do passionately to something you just play around with, but I come from a time when music was passion and it was pure art. That’s what it is for me, so those are still my influences.
Then there’s Burna Boy, Asa, Wizkid, and Patoranking. Patoranking is actually like an older brother to me. He has influenced me not just as an artist, but as a person. He’s one of those people who drew me close from my freestyle days on Instagram. He just saw something in me and guided me. I’ve learned so much from him. I watched him perform firsthand, and not every artist gets the opportunity to learn from somebody so closely.
How did you select what artists to feature on the project?
My team made it happen with Shoday and Camidoh. There was a list of people I was supposed to work with on the project. I respect these artists, and I felt blessed to have them on the project. They all delivered amazing verses — Shoday’s verse on Face My Fears is one of my favorite verses on the project.
Kojo Black is my brother from Ghana. We have a lot of songs we’ve worked on together, and possibly a very big collaboration in the future.
Layzee Ella is also my sister, we’re from the same place in Edo state, Akoko-Edo. I had to have her on the project. I’m so amazed that the song is doing as well as it is because I was told by someone — I don’t want to say anybody’s name — to take out her verse, but I loved her verse. I fought for it to be on the project, and I’m happy that the song is doing so well. Shout out to Chop Daily, amazing people. We have over 2 million streams together.
Let’s talk about the album cover. It depicts a fighter who appears to have defeated an army of people. With Face My Fears being the album’s closing track, I sense the two might be related. Tell me a bit more about this.
Who are you? Who am I talking to? Do you work for the CIA or the FBI or something?
That is so close! I’ve spoken to a lot of people, and nobody has come this close to understanding the album art. You have to be working with somebody.
The track is very closely related to the album cover. I’m going to make a video explaining this to the audience. If you look closely at the album cover, each defeated “enemy” looks exactly like the fighter standing above them. It’s pretty much me defeating my fears, previous versions of myself, to become this version of myself. All the previous weaknesses I had to move past, the skins I’ve had to shed to evolve. As you grow and evolve, you become a different person.
What was your vision for this album? What is the overarching theme or message you want to pass across?
I was a producer at the start of my musical journey, and everyone knows producers are the ones behind the scenes. I feel like producers are usually quite reserved people. Becoming an artist changes every aspect of your life. You have to be yourself unapologetically. I’ve been in some situations working with artists where I’ve been afraid to express myself, and I felt like I couldn’t speak up. I’ve grown from being that person, I’ve had to do a lot of shadow work and become a version of myself that is super confident in themselves and their ability. On this project, I also showcase my musical versatility.
What I would like people to take away from the project is that you have to be confident, you have to believe in yourself unapologetically, don’t let people box you in, and don’t conform to what is expected of you. Just be you, unapologetically.
Notably, Face My Fears is the only track from the album so far that has an accompanying music video. Why was it a priority for this particular track to have a music video attached? Can we expect any more music videos from this project?
There wasn’t a particular emphasis on this specific track having a music video. I just felt that it was the right time to release a music video. I’ve released like two singles. I felt that Face My Fears was a good song for a music video because it allowed me to show a more vulnerable side of myself. What better way to introduce yourself to the world than by being true to yourself and your journey? There are more music videos on the way.
Your music is making waves, not just in Nigeria, but particularly in Ghana as well. You also feature several Ghanaian artists on your tracks. Do you have any ties to Ghana? Why do you think your music is so popular there?
Shout out, Ghanaians, those are my people! Sometimes when I’m in Ghana, I feel like I’m Ghanaian. I don’t know why, but I think where I’m from in Edo state and Ghanaian people, we share a similar heritage. The chemistry is just so real. When I’m there, I feel like I’m at home. I also love waakye. I have a lot of friends in Ghana, I can even say I have more Ghanaian friends who make music than Nigerian friends. I have no idea why my music is so popular there. It’s surprisingly popular in Congo as well, especially on TikTok.
How many tracks did you have to choose from to make the final selection for this album, and how did you decide which tracks to cut?
It was based on where I wanted to take people with the project. With this project, I wanted to express my truest form, which required me to showcase my versatility. I recorded a lot of songs, and there was a lot of back and forth with A&R. Ultimately, you have to go with your gut and let the people around you guide you as well. I feel like this selection of songs was right.
This project is dubbed (Vol. 1), which implies that you have a Vol. 2 somewhere. Are we right to assume that?
I mean, there is in the future, but I can’t tell you that’s going to be my next project. If it is, amazing. But I can’t say. I may want to take the listeners in a different direction. I’m going to be here (making music) for a long time, so there will be more volumes.
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