Words: Aziz Changoer | Photography: Adesuwa, Victor Eddeh
We dived headfirst into Afro-beats with two talents straight from the Motherland of Nigeria. Meet BOJ and Ajebutter22, the heroes of the streets who've been making waves in the Afro-music scene. These 2 Afro talents share the same heritage and come from entirely different corners of the game. AJebutters22 has a solid stand in the Afrobeat style of music and has worked with other well-known artists on music. BOJ, on the other hand, has created a whole new genre of music called Alté, a blend of alternative, electronics, and Afrofuturism to create a unique sound in the industry. BOJ split his time growing up between the UK and the pulsating rhythms of Nigeria, while AJebutters22 came up in the real deal on the mean streets of Lagos. These two found themselves on the same wavelength, jamming it out in the heart of the UK.
Their journey kicked off way back in the day, back in 2012. It all started with that fire single, 'Omo Pastor.' Little did they know it was just the beginning of a legendary partnership. This duo dropped their first official joined project, Make E No Cause Fight. Since then, they've been dropping track after track, and their newest EP coming soon will also take the industry by.
Where did your musical journey start?
Ajebutter22: I started writing music when I was 13 in secondary school, and I started recording when I got into uni and started releasing songs in uni in the UK.
BOJ: We were all in boarding school in England and I just started doing music with my mates.
Who inspired you both to make music, and what music did you grow up hearing in your environment?
Ajebutter22: A lot of hip hop, soul music, and Naij music. I listened to a lot of Mode 9, Eminem, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Jay-z and then Trybesmen in Naij, inspiration also came from Taymi B, my sister, who is a radio presenter on beatfm, she used to sing too and we had a music group called "Soyinka's afro."
BOJ: I was born in the UK, grew up in Lagos, and went back to the UK at 15. Now, to Lagos, most of the time growing up there, my musical influences came from what my parents listened to. They listened to a lot of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef, Tracy Chapman TLC, Shaggy Lagbaja, and Fela.
How is the nightlife in Lagos different from London?
Ajebutter22: Nightlife in Lagos is one of the best in the world because Lagos is warm all year round, so people always love to go out. There's always something happening every day, and it is also spontaneous; you can wake up and decide to go out at even 3 am!
In London, it's more organized and planned out, mostly set out for the weekend; it's not as fun as Lagos.
BOJ: Nightlife in Lagos is very extreme. You can have 5 different clubs, all full on just the island. It's extreme, I haven't seen anything like this
What are places you definitely want to visit in Lagos?
Ajebutter22: You want to go to the beach, the clubs, the strip clubs, Bogobiri in Ikoyi, and go to Bukkas and Ghana High Restaurant. You just wanna go to fun things, galleries, concerts, Freedom Park, streetwear brands… the city is very vibrant
BOJ: You want to go to the beach, the clubs, Burg in Ikeja, and hella nice restaurants. You just wanna go to fun things, really.
What is something new in the Nigerian music Industry that piques an interest in you both?
Ajebutter22: Sounds and visuals are very dynamic (they are always changing), and before you catch one trend another one has come out, as much as possible you should sha be yourselves.
BOJ: I think Nigerian music is very dynamic, and it infuses sounds from all over the world into one. Even if it is just the vocals or the beat and it's been able to infuse those sounds and build a new generation of creatives: artists, dancers, producers, directors, writers, and
How was the transition from Nigeria to the UK, and how did this influence your music?
Ajebutter22: I think because the music I've made has been able to transcend different parts of the world easily because our music isn't 100% Nigerian-focused, it was easy to push it. In the UK, the tempo of Afrobeats is slower, and the use of pidgin and slang is more in Naij than in the UK.
You make music together; how did this Duo of BOJ and AJebutters22 come to be?
Ajebutter22: We have similar interests and decided to make some songs together early, "Omo Pastor" was the one that really blew up and pushed us to do more together, and Bizzle also pushed us to make Make E no Cause Fight, and that was it really
BOJ: We started making music early; I've had fantastic chemistry with Ajebutter 22; it's just been the easiest, to be honest, and it comes naturally.
At what moment did it click and you both knew that this partnership would be successful?
Ajebutter22: When we released "Omo Pastor," it blew up, and that was the push for us to do more together.
BOJ: From the very first record we released, the reaction from friends and people around us was really crazy!
What is your favourite song that you have made together?
Ajebutter22: 42 is my current fave of the new project
BOJ: It changes from time to time, like right now, I'm really feeling songs from the new project, so I'd say those are my favorite
Are there any traits that you have picked up from each other during the collaborative process?
Ajebutter22: Yes, there are some effects that Boj used or still uses, when he used to send his files I'd see how he recorded, his vocal texture recording and effects.
BOJ: Like I said, the chemistry is there so I study the way he records, so we will always deliver great music.
How was the creative process on the Make E on the Cause Fight EP?
Ajebutter22: It was really interesting. We recorded most at Boj's studio in Gbagada. Spax, the producer, also lived in Gbagada and gave us only 5 beats, and that was what we used for the five songs on the project, he only let us hear the songs when he was done. In fact, we had to use VN's to record secretly, and we played a lot of FIFA, and I was beating them all.
BOJ: I would say it was very nostalgic because of the way it was created, in the sense that we were all present to create everything. It was me, Butter and Spax, just like how the first one kinda went, so it was nostalgic. We had the lot. We got instrumentalists, songwriters, and yeah.
Can you give us a taste of what we can find on this upcoming release?
Ajebutter22: You will find a lot of smooth music that's well put together and a lot of funny music.
How does the third release fit the complete trilogy of Make E on the Cause Fight EP?
Ajebutter22: It is like an evolution, like a senior man evolution, we have reached a new level, very well put together sonically superior.
BOJ: It's a real mature stage that we have reached, very much established in the scene, and yeah, we're senior men now.
BOJ how did you come up with the idea of Alté?
BOJ: Being Alté is being extremely true to yourself and expressing yourself without boundaries. Freedom in all aspects of life and freedom to create anyway any individual sees fit and so has brought out a generation of artists that are extremely creative and don't do things the normal way.
As the Alté creator, have you seen some cool stuff done with Alté by other artists?
Of course, there's so much out there, so many quality producers and vocalists who creatively express their art and the quality is there.
What is Action Boyz iInc.
Action Boyz signifies doers, like less talk and more action; that's what it signifies. It's a collective that pushes this notion.
How did you guys cross paths with Patta?
Ajebutter22: First-time was at Homecoming a few years ago; the first one, I think; I thought it was cool, and it was very dope, and I think they collaborated with WAF; I respect the brand for being cool with culture.
BOJ: I came across Patta for the first time in 2018 at the first Homecoming.
We hear that you are coming to the Netherlands soon, what can people expect from you two?
Ajebutter22: Expect to come and enjoy you dey whine lol; you can expect us to shut down the show, to have a good time, speak to our fans, and have fun, really.
BOJ: We're coming on tour out there soon, and we're bringing our vibes and showing ourselves, so pull up.
Experience the authentic rhythms of BOJ and Ajebutters22's "Make E No Cause Fight 3." Dive into the EP for genuine soulful beats and immersive melodies. Press play and let the music guide you through a real, captivating journey.
