John Ighodaro, the Nigerian singer popularly known as Johnny Drille, has opened up about the early challenges he faced securing a record deal because of his alternative musical style.
In a recent episode of the CreativTea podcast, the ‘Wait For Me’ hitmaker revealed that despite interest from two major Nigerian labels, the negotiations consistently stalled over one key issue: his sound.
The 35-year-old, who is known for his emotive style, blending folk, soul, and African influences, said he was repeatedly pressured to alter his authentic style.
Drille said in order to remain true to his artistry, he walked away from those deals.
He explained that the meeting with Don Jazzy was entirely different, with no requests to change his sound.
“People could never had imagined that a Mavin Records under Don Jazzy would sign an alternative artist like myself. It was weird for a lot of people,” he said.
“There were two other major labels in Nigeria that wanted to sign me but the conversation was always around, ‘How do we change your sound? How do we make it faster? How do we make it danceable?’
“However, when I met Don Jazzy, there were no conversations like that. He was just really a fan of the music…that was a big risk to take, but he pulled it off.”
Drille joined Mavin Records in 2017 after his unique sound caught the attention of Don Jazzy.
Since then, he has released numerous singles that have turned out to be successful.
He has also received several awards and recognition for his craft. In 2019, he won the ‘Best Alternative Song’ award at The Headies.
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