Mayorkun Is 'Back In Office' As A Leader In Afro Music [Interview]

Afrobeats has taken over on a global scale and every so often a new artist arrives with an elevated take on this genre. Nigerian-based artist, Mayorkun is one of the names that must be mentioned when speaking about the evolution of Afrobeats simply because of his unique fusion of traditional highlife elements with modern R&B and inflections.

Mayorkun has been flexing his chart-topping songwriting abilities since the release of his 2016 debut single “Eleko” which now sits at over 200 million streams, allowing him to blaze a trail that only his voice and skills could fill. He is currently gearing up to release his sophomore album Back In Office which is a celebration of Nigeria’s independence (celebrated October 1) and marks the start of a new chapter for his artistry.

In the build up to his album he has released the titled track ‘Back In Office’ which lands with a set of visuals where he assumes the role of a mayor who is being welcomed back into office by massive crowds of people. Produced by Prosper Obi, the track surges with lively percussions, misty saxophone solos, guided by a slight Amapiano twist and his smooth vocal display.

In conversation with New Wave, Mayorkun speaks about the concept of his album Back In OffIce, the responsibly that comes with the title ‘Mayor of Lagos’ and paints a picture of what independence looks like to him.

NW: Hi Mayorkun, what have you been up to since restictions have been lifted after the pandemic?

M: Today I’ve been recording, I’ve been performing even when the world was locked-down they were private performances.

NW: Let’s take it all the way back to the beginning. What kind of music were you surrounded by growing up?

M: The only non African or international music we used to listen to was Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, Westlife. I was really big on African music though, like Fela and some fuji artists in Nigeria.

NW: How do you think that influences the music you make today?

M: To be honest that is what the ‘Afro’ is in my music; I practically make Afro-fusion music but I feel like my background is rooted in African songs.

NW: How did you become Mayorkun the artist - was music something that you studied?

M: I have no formal education in music but I grew up in a family where my dad sings, my mum sings - everybody sings, at some point I even had a girlfriend that sings. So I was surrounded by my music, it was just bound to happen.

NW: Prior to music you were working as a banker so when was the moment you realised music was something you needed to pursue as a career?

M: I’ve been a regular kid, you know I went to school, studied and got my degree and I started working in the bank. I think the most I did music was in university where I played a few tunes. While I was working I used to write, I just kept songs on my phone and sometimes I played the keyboard and sang other people’s songs and posted them on my page. That’s all I did, I had never recorded in the studio until there was one video that I posted on twitter that Davido saw and he just hit me up and followed me and went from there.

NW: You’re also signed to Davido’s label. I think it was after you had released the song “Eleko” which blew up pretty quickly, what kind of space were you in as an artist when this connection happened?

M: To be honest I wasn’t really feeling the banking job, the pay wasn’t nice and it wasn’t what I really wanted to do. I had no joy and I just did it because I had to, there was no passion for it.

NW: What are some things you’ve learnt from being signed to his label and being in proximity to a monumental name in the Afrobeats world?

M: We learn just by moving with him, there’s a way that David moves - everybody knows how he moves. You can’t move anything less than that when it comes to recording and networking with people, what to do and not to do, what type of endorsements to make. He’s like our father.

NW: Your album “Back In Office” is coming out in October which is also the month of Nigerian Independence - what does Independence mean or look like to you?

M: For me I think independence stands for freedom. If you listen to the project, there’s a track called ‘Freedom’ track 3. What it signifies is that we’re all trying to get out of something in any which way, whether it’s a bad relationship or a bad government so that song really says what independence is for us the day we got out of colonial ruling.

NW: There’s a variety of sounds going on in this album. The opening track “Soldier Boy” has an R&B vibe to it, in other places there’s Afrohouse and a lot of gospel influences. Was it intentional to open up your sound for this album?

M: Yeah it was very intentional because I just got my deal with Sony and I think it’s going to widen my reach and I really want people to pay attention to my sound and the ‘African-ness’ in this sound. African music is gold right now and I want people to tap into it through my music.

NW: How did you find the balance between staying true to your Afrobeat roots but also allow yourself to broaden your sound?

M: That’s what I said earlier about my sound, it’s Afro-fusion; I just infuse other sounds into African sounds. You can tell from the heavy percussion but the lyrics and melodies are probably different but the heavy drums still signify African.

NW: What are some themes and ideas that influenced the creative process for “Back In Office”?

M: When I finalised my deal I figured out that I wasn’t going to drop a song in a very long time, in like six months and at that point I was almost done with my album so I needed a song to just remind people. I needed something to remind people that this guy is back - he’s ‘back in office’.

NW: Across the entire project you have around 4 features, which isn’t a lot, what was the thought process behind selecting those features?

M: I think the music selected the featured artists because if you listen to the album you’ll see that the featured artists are perfect for the songs that they were on. Like my song with Joeboy, I feel like he was the only person that could have killed that song. Joeboy likes songs that are not up to three minutes long, so he was the perfect person for that. I didn’t try to force it or extend my reach and get some international guys that don’t fit into the song.

NW: Having a first listen of the project, one of my favourite songs on there is “Desire” featuring Gyakie, which is such a smooth track. What was it like working with her to bring this to life?

M: So, she was in Nigeria for a week and we had a jam session and she liked this song and asked if she could drop a verse. We did like three songs that night and I chose this one.

NW: What about the other two songs - will they be released at some point?

M: There’s one on her project.

NW: What does this album signify about where you are in life and your career right now?

M: I really want people to see growth. I took my time to really write lyrics this time, I didn't just go into the studio to just vibe and say whatever. To some people that’s unlike me, they feel like I just make music for vibes so I’m trying to prove a point and let people see my growth.

NW: I was watching an interview you did a while ago and you were speaking about your name Mayorkun - you said that the ‘kun’ part of your name was inspired by a Japanese word so I want to know, what other cultures and traditions inspire your creative output - from fashion and style to your overall being as an artist?

M: To be honest I’m open to a lot of things. There are some genres of songs that you probably think I wouldn’t listen to but I do, I’m a huge fan of Dave, Giggs, Stormzy. I listen to different things.

NW: Nice. Have you heard Dave’s new album?

M: Yeah, I think it’s a great album.

NW: You are also referred to as the ‘Mayor of Lagos’ - what kind of responsibility does this title come with?

M: Social responsibility, I’m not a political guy so I like to do more philanthropy and I have non-profit organisations that I run. I do a lot since I got the name because people call me [mayor] and expect me to be that.

NW: How do you think Afrobeats has evolved from when you first entered the scene to now where you are one of the biggest Afrobeats artists to rise from Nigeria?

M: It has been crazy, things have been moving so fast, Afrobeats has evolved faster than I even expected. International deals are flowing in like water! Yesterday I heard some guy just got 2K and he hasn’t even dropped a song yet. It wasn’t possible when I met Davido back in 2016 . So things are broadening, we’ve seen Wizkid perform with Justin Beiber. It’s time for Africa now.

NW: How do you think that sense of evolution applies to you and your career?

M: The world is listening to everybody so this is the best time to put out the best of the best because right now Afrobeats is like oil.

NW: You’ve had a few performance opportunities in the UK from selling out shows to Daviod bringing you out at Wireless. What has been your favourite live performance in the UK?

M: I think my first headline show and when I came out during Davido’s set in the O2 Arena in 2019.

NW: Of all the places you’ve performed, where have you received the best reception?

M: I’m not even trying to gas you guys but it was the O2 Arena, that was crazy and was one of the largest places. Big up UK.

NW: Aside from music, are there any other creative spaces you’re looking to explore in the future?

M: Fashion. One thing in fashion is that you try, you fail then try again. I’ve tried twice and I didn’t really like how it went but I’m still trying.

NW: Do you have your eye on any Nigerian fashion brands?

M: There’s Ashluxe, they’re a luxury brand in Nigeria, they’re relatively new and they’re big right now. Everywhere else, I have my eyes on everything, Yeezy’s and everything.

NW: As you prepare to release your album, what do you want us to feel whilst listening and is there anything specific you want us to take away from the project too?

M: I feel like there’s a song for everybody on the album. I want people to pick a song that they love because I really had everybody in mind when I was making the project - from the older generation to generation Z, everybody. I want people to just appreciate African music through this project.

NW: What is your main focus right now?

M: Once I drop my project I’ll be announcing my tour. I was planning on doing my show in the UK but I’m leaving it til next year.

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