Michael O. Speaks on Co-producing Song with Grammy President

By Rebecca Ejifoma

‘Overload’ crooner Michael O. is having a moment in Afrobeats, which has become a global phenomenon in the music industry.

Michael O. is a firm believer in the genre as most of his songs have groovy rhythms and percussion. In his new release, Michael O. talked about the collaborative work he did with the Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. on the song ‘Japa’.

In a recent trip to Africa, Mason Jr. told journalists that the Recording Academy was in talks with the key players in the Afrobeats music scene to explore the possibility of adding Afrobeats to the award’s genre list. 

He disclosed that the Academy was working with “leaders of the Afrobeats community” to promote inclusivity at the Grammys, thereby working with acts from Africa to further push the sounds of West Africa to the forefront.

In his reaction, Michael O. who was elated and humbled to work with Mason Jr. as a co-producer of ‘Japa’ says it’s a blessing and one for which he is forever grateful and hopes that more artists will emerge from such collaborations.

‘JAPA’, which means “to flee” in Yoruba slang, is a song about the many people being forced to seek a better life. The track serves as a unifying anthem, encouraging people of all backgrounds to return and tap into their ancestral lineage.

“’Japa’ is the story of survival,” he says.

 “It is the story of America”.

The song will be one of the songs on Michael O.’s upcoming EP due next year.