In truth, the Nigerian music industry and media only recently started zeroing in on the welfare of producers who have long been afflicted with lack of credit, underpayment, non-payment etc. The likes of Kiddominant (Davido\u2019s “Fall”) has aired his anguish<\/a> about the injustice heaped on these creatives whose work are indispensable in the production and commercialization of Afrobeats. As the producer realm of Afrobeats culls its much-deserved recognition even amidst the deluge of projects being churned out, there are a number of new generation talents at the fore of introducing new sounds that form the base of our relish, while projecting sounds from the West African country for global acclaim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n P.Priime, born Peace Emmanuel Oredope is one of such talents. Kicking off his course in music as a drummer, his curiosity for applications led to him trying his hand at beatmaking, following a bout of boredom from designing and DJing. The chain reaction of his stint at The Sarz Academy <\/strong>now sees the 18-year old wunderkind neck-deep in producing beats influenced by sounds from his time in church. \u201cI had to incorporate my ideas from church, while seeking ways to balance everything so that it suits the present day<\/em>\u201d, which has resulted in the production of popular records such as \u201cLike I Do\u201d off Fireboy\u2019s magnum opus, Laughter, Tears, Goosebumps, \u201cGelato\u201d by DJ Cuppy,<\/a> \u201cEgungun\u201d by Zlatan<\/a> and veteran indigenous singer Obesere etc. P.Priime\u2019s contribution in shaping sounds brewing underground in Nigeria comes in full display via Olamide\u2019s latest album, Carpe Diem<\/em>. Having produced 7 out of 12 records on the album that debuted at #11 on Billboard\u2019s World Album Chart, the producer doesn\u2019t only come to mind as one who glossed the experimental edge of Olamide singing but as prime patron of contemporary pop culture in Afrobeats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking to PAM, P.Priime recounts happening upon music production, his relationship with Sarz, being a producer on the rise in Nigeria etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m home, resting for a bit. I\u2019ve been working for weeks, months and have just decided to unwind; seeing a couple movies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I have mixed feelings, honestly. I must say it’s been amazing for my career but crazily overwhelming for my mental health. It’s like a blend of the good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant alike but it’s all good – I hope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First off, I\u2019m from a musical family. I used to attend an Anglican church and almost all my siblings were choristers, so it was inevitable to gravitate towards music when I came of age. I started playing drums at about four, before moving on to the piano at about eight. I had always known I’d go into music but I thought I was just going to compose, like full-on orchestra and all that. I didn\u2019t envisage music production at any point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I might sound like a broken record now [laughs] but honestly, I was bored as I had just finished high school while prepping for the university. Before then, I\u2019d started graphic designing, DJing and I got tired of doing the same thing over and over. I had this production software on my laptop called FL Studio that I had downloaded long prior. I didn’t even know what it was for initially but because I\u2019m typically a curious person and also an applications and software enthusiast, I get to download almost anything I lay my eyes on. I started messing around with the software and with time, I realized I was actually making sounds. I basically kept at it without much expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not exactly; I was just creating music off the top of my head. I mean, it’s music, I\u2019ve always done music from church and because I play the piano and from my stint with choir presentations, that is sometimes reggae, funk etc. That itself influenced the sounds I was creating and when I got on the system, I had to incorporate my ideas from church, while seeking ways to balance everything so that it suits the present day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I was about two years into production before Sarz Academy. I saw the post about an academy on Sarz\u2019s Instagram page but I wasn’t going to submit an entry because I wasn’t sure that I was good enough. I believed there are more talented people who\u2019d send entries and get the slot, so why bother? I mean, what exactly would Sarz love about my beats? I moved on and in the final week for entry submission, a producer friend asked that we give it a shot as we\u2019d have nothing to lose regardless of how it turns. I hesitantly sent my application and luckily for me, I received an email that I\u2019ve been accepted into the academy. You can imagine my surprise when Sarz said he loved the beat – my \u2018mediocre\u2019 beat!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n It lasted for about a month. It was a fun, educating, eye-opening exercise. Before the academy, I knew next to nothing about the music business and some aspect of music production. During the exercise, I was able to get a hang of those and more, as well as connecting with like minds who have since been instrumental to my trajectory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s been beyond relevant, if I may. It made me understand how the industry works; some dos, don’ts and general rules that come in handy presently, including the business part. It also played a vital role of introducing me to a team of people that have contributed positively to my growth. Iredumare Opeyemi, one of the players at the academy enjoined us to reach out if we wanted to work with anyone in the music industry. I have a habit of checking up on people that even after the academy, I was hitting everyone up. After a while, I think I had a beat for Zlatan and I notified Cake, also one of the players at the academy [who manages me now]. She did her thing and next minute, I\u2019m working with Zlatan. Definitely, that leverage is courtesy of my participation in the academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sarz is my industry dad. He doesn’t hesitate to come through if I need anything or want to work with anyone beyond my reach. He\u2019s been just as helpful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pan-african-music-production.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/6a006782-p.priime-1010x568.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nNice catching up, Priime. How\u2019re you faring? Where does this interview find you?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been quite a year actually from COVID, #EndSARS; how has it been for you?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Before P.Priime, where did your passion for music begin?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
How then did producing get in the picture?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Did any artist or producer influence the sounds you were making at this point?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Interesting. So, how did you end up in Sarz Academy?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
What was the phase of that academy like?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
How relevant would you say the academy has been to your trajectory?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s your relationship with Sarz like right now?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n