Keys The Prince: It’s Beautiful Seeing Nigerian Artistes on Global Stage

Witty, talented and confident encapsulate fast-rising music star, Keys the Prince, a Nigerian artiste whose real name is Oladotun Olubi. ‘Omo London’ as he fondly calls himself, at a recent session with newshounds, including Ferdinand  Ekechukwu, talks about his music career, growing up, and family connection to the afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti. The 5K Records artiste, an imprint of Sony Music UK, also talks about his unique incorporation of percussion and samples from classic songs. Excerpts

It seems you like to sample songs, is that your strategy to announce your entry into the Nigerian market?

I think with sample it’s familiar with everyone so it’s a nice way to introduce something new but something that is also familiar. It’s never really intentional. Me I’m just a ‘Cele’ (Celestial Church of Christ) boy, so songs like Yinka Ayefele, things like that in my house was such a big part growing up. I think with the sampling it’s just experience…

What’s the inspiration behind your song Folashade since it seems you are appealing to the several Folashades in town?

(Laughs…) Probably my love for Yoruba women but the same way they can break your heart you have to be careful as well. It’s a song that came naturally in the studio yeah. Yoruba women, that’s my weakness. So I said let me make a song for them. Yeah that was the inspiration behind that one.

You are coming into the Nigerian music industry, what are you bringing and should we be scared?

Greatness! By God’s special grace and honestly just really because I know with Nigerians it’s more difficult the standards are high when it comes to music. It’s difficult to just come and be like ‘I’m coming; I’m making music’. It’s really to come and connect; good connection, good relationships and really be on the grind. Should you be scared? Yes o…!

So tell us about your musical journey, when exactly did you start music?

I was introduced to music by playing the keys, that’s why my name “Keys”. So I start playing the keys. I wanted to play drums but my dad said in our family we only play guitars or keys pick one. I picked keys and I just fell in love with it from production standpoint. So, even ‘Left Right’ (sample of Ayefele’s song) I’m the one that produced it. So most of my music catalogue I produced it myself. And before I just wanted to be behind the scene and make music and play keyboards for people. But I realised that ‘I’m even better than some of the people I’m playing for’ (laughs) let me try and warm-up and release music’. Then I just start by releasing music once every year or once every two years. And then in 2020 I just said let me try and release more than one song in a year. And from then that’s when I could say I properly started doing music and pushed it from there.

Can you mention some of the songs you have done in the past?

I have got a song called ‘Oya na’ that’s the biggest streaming one at the moment. It was just talking drum freestyle, again, just tapping into things that I’m familiar with and are here with the time. So ‘Oya na’… There’s a song called ‘Owner’ there’s a few of us on that song but it did quite well in the UK as well. I did ‘Oshey’. And there’s a song called ‘Ese Part 2’ with the choir, that’s probably one of my favourite songs, that’s a beautiful song.

How does your ‘Cele’ background impact your music?

I think it impacts my music in a good way, in a positive way. So things like talking drum I like to incorporate a lot of in my music. It just influences the sound, some of the sayings as well and the church I go to they are very supportive, loving the music and the movement as well.

Do you still go to Cele?

It’s funny because there’s a point where I stopped going to church and then I think maybe two years ago I just started going again. 

So now you went back because you felt like this industry you are going to you need prayers?

(Laughs)…of course na you need prayers for sure. But it was just a natural decision to go back and I feel like ever since I went back I’m more connected and more aligned with my purpose.

Collaboration is key when you come into the industry. You have done a song with Mayorkun, anyone with any female artiste and if you are looking to working with a female artiste in Nigeria who would that be and why?

Tems is amazing. I’m a big fan of Tems; just her sound and how she uses her voice; it’s just like an instrument to me. So Tems would be amazing. That probably would be the top on my list. Ayra Starr is amazing as well.

What about Tope Alabi?

Ah! Tope Alabi I will work with Tope Alabi of course na. That’s another of my icon. You could bring Tope Alabi we can make a serious record for sure.

As an upcoming artiste what difference are you bringing to the industry that you would build and make you stand out from the rest and why do you think you are different from the rest?

Why I think I’m different is that I feel like I’m trying to marry the two worlds as I’m very much London, I’m very much Nigerian. And I feel like that hasn’t necessarily been married well and put in the forefront. So, I feel like that’s one of my unique selling points. Also maybe the use of talking drums and stuff like that I feel like I’m trying to put that in the forefront of my music and make myself different as well and of course tapping into my life experiences and things that are true to me…so yea. Hopefully I can provide something different. Even me I had never seen a UK rapper anywhere rap with talking drum before. That’s how I’m going to show I’m different so you know, just incorporating things that people haven’t necessarily seen before.  

What’s your perspective about the Nigerian music industry on a global stage?

It’s amazing. They are the biggest artistes in the world right now. They can come to London and do the 02 three times in a row. They sell out shows. There’s a big demand for Nigerian artistes and it’s beautiful to see on a global stage and it’s something that I’m really looking to be a part of as well and Nigeria is so big as well. So, for me in London I’m almost like I don’t completely feel at home. But when I’m in Nigeria I feel like ‘okay this is where I’m meant to be’. I’m inspired by my people around. It’s amazing to see all the artistes right now killing it.

Can you share your background, days growing up, where you were born?  

So I was born in Euston, a place in North West London which in London standard is quite a rough area. In Nigerian standards it might just be normal. Just growing up with my parents in a primitive church but also growing up in London there was a lot of live crime and stuff like that you are kind of exposed to that live crime, gun crime just seeing that. Even in some of my music I touched on that seeing and observing those kinds of things but also trying to escape. And then yea it was just growing up, growing up, I didn’t want to go to university but I didn’t know what to do. So, I was like let me just go to University and make my parents happy. And then now we are here. It’s interesting my journey my dad always tells me ‘ah you know Fela Kuti is your cousin, this house, this house, this house’. I feel like he was embedding that into me that music is something that is part of the family.