What defines Jesse Jagz as a brand?
I guess it is the freedom and confidence to express myself without the fear of compromise, criticism or opinion. I would say that is basically what Jesse Jagz brand is about.
How did music start for you?
From the moment I was learning to play drums as a kid, music became a part of my life. It is something I have just always done. It started for me as a child.
What was it like being a part of Chocolate City family?
I would say it was a nice learning and working experience for me. It is quite memorable as well. Chocolate City was family to me before I got signed on and they still are.
What was your reason for leaving the group?
We were never a group. When I left Chocolate City, my contract was as a solo artiste. We always have been solo artistes. So, I didn’t leave a group. I left solely to make the sort of music that I always wanted to make. It was a professional decision that I had to make.
How easy was it, having to part ways with your brother, MI?
MI is my brother, not my label mate. He is my brother and he is so dear to me. I knew the media would construe it as if we had differences. The only problem I had leaving was public perception. MI is my brother. I parted ways with a record label, not my brother.
MI implied in a report that your exit from Chocolate City came as a shock to him. Didn’t you carry him along?
We didn’t sign as a family or partners. It was a personal step to take. The decision to sign and leave was mine. There are decisions you have to make for you and only by you.
Brymo has also left the label. Is there something going on within the label that fans don’t know about?
Brymo didn’t get signed by his label mates; he signed with the company, which has staff members who are not artistes. So, whatever Brymo’s issue is, it could only have been with the record label.
So, how has it been since you parted ways with Chocolate City?
It has been challenging but rewarding. It has been a whole different experience.
How is your relationship with the members of Chocolate City family? Many believe that you are not in good terms with them?
We are in good terms. I am good with everyone. Relationships evolve and change and you must make room for adjustment. We are always going to be family. It is part of friendship and growing up. I can’t be bothered by other people’s opinions. I never have and I never will be bothered.
Your first mainstream album, Jag of All Tradez, came out in 2010. That was an interesting title. How did it come about?
Well, I wanted it to be as versatile as possible. I wanted to give everyone a taste of how Jesse interprets and composes music regardless of the genre. It is not about what style or genre of music you do, it is about how you do it. Basically, that was the statement.
The first track you dropped after you left Chocolate City was Redemption. What influenced the lyrics?
I was going through a lot then. So, for me, it was a personal redemption first. I got to a point where nothing else mattered but what I had to do. So, it was very personal.
Murder Dem is another track that came out during the time with exciting lyrics. Was there anyone in particular that you had in mind with that song?
Not at all. It was just me doing my thing. It was a soulful feel good song and not directed at anyone.
You launched Jagz Nation in 2014. How is it faring?
Jagz Nation is a business platform. It is the umbrella that covers everyone that works on projects with me. It is the idea that unites all these talented people. However, I remain the only artiste on it.
Are you still not signing any other artiste onto the label?
Not for the next few years.
You featured neither MI nor Ice Prince in the album, Jagz Nation, Vol.1. ‘Thy Nation Come,’ which you released in 2013 after you left Chocolate City. Why was this so?
I wanted to work solo - no influences. I wanted me doing me. I wanted people to hear me and what I had to say. And seeing that I had left Chocolate City, I wanted it to be clear that I was on my own and not to be viewed under the lenses of another artiste.
It is one thing to be a good artiste; it is another to be a good producer. You are an outstanding producer. How did you get into production?
I learned it. I know people think producers are born, but it took me years to understand what it is about. Real production is the ability to be able to compose and arrange music.
Unfortunately, what we have today is not production, but beat making. These kids have no idea how to produce. Digital production is just one angle. It takes years of training. It takes the ear, mind and muscles. E Kelly taught me to use a keyboard, then a PC to produce. But before then, I learned to play drums and piano. So, the ability to play an instrument is always an added advantage. Then, I had to learn to take all this knowledge about music, throw it out the window and just make music that comes from me.
You produced the beat to Oleku in 30 minutes. How was that possible?
Sadly, it is so because of technology. It is true, but the time spent has nothing to do with it. We still spent a whole lot of time reprYou started when the Nigerian audience wasn’t really ready for rap music. Were you ever discouraged?oducing, re-voicing and mixing.
You started when the Nigerian audience wasn’t really ready for rap music. Were you ever discouraged?
No, I wasn’t. I have always done me. I believe in the individual and not the society. Individuals change societies. The Nigerian people have always been ready for anything. That’s how we end up denying ourselves the best. It’s a matter of consistency and quality. Nigerians deserve the best of everything, be it rap or clean water.
There seems to be something about Jos (Plateau State). One could say that it is a home of talents. What exactly inspires talents in youths there?
I think it is because Jos has always had a unique blend of tribes and cultures from across the world. It is very essential in the expression of art. There is so much to learn from others and it opens the mind to view things from different angles.
You went off the music scene between 2011 and 2012, after dropping some videos. What kept you away?
It was work. I took a timeout to work on Ice Prince’s debut album and Brymo’s project followed and then, I started work on Thy Nation Come Vol.1.
Both albums, Jagz Nation Vol.1: Thy Nation Come and Jagz Nation Vol. 2: The Royal Niger Company, are loaded. How long does it take you to put an album together? And what does it take in terms of resources and energy?
It takes me a while. Every album has to have a certain feel or theme. So, it took me a year to put together TNC and eight months to do RNC. It took a lot, from producers to engineers, the visual team and the management. We re-produced and then reduced the albums an average of two times each. So, it is no joke putting a real album together.
The Royal Niger Company album has samples from the likes of Rufus & Chaka Khan’s Ain’t Nobody, FelaKuti, Sarah Mitaru, Tupac and others. What influenced that? What did you see in these people or their songs that inspired you?
I wanted to sample from artistes who I presently like and those that really inspired me growing up. So, these are just a few, but I wanted the album to remind me of the period I was growing up. RNC is a personal journey down memory lane for me. So, that is where the title comes from, not just remembering where we started off as a country, but as an individual.
Your videos are always entertaining. Which of your songs was the most difficult to get the ideas for its video?
I would say Redemption, definitely. I wanted it to be really revolutionary, so, getting the concept did take a while. It took a lot of personal energy and belief to have made that video happen.
Which video was the most energy-sapping for you?
That would be Sex and Scotch. I was under the weather during the shoot and it just went on and on forever.
You are not really into collaborations, why?
I guess I have too much to say and I believe too many collaborations are bad for any artiste in the long run. Too much visibility is bad in the long run. You have to satisfy your fans, but also have to keep them wanting more each time. And music is very personal and sacred to me. It is not something I’m readily eager to share with another artiste.
Many artistes believe that the industry is competitive. Do you believe in competition?
Healthy competition, yes. There can’t be competition when there are no standards. We don’t pay attention to details in music or what makes it professional. We have no standards for engineering or production. So, when it gets down to music itself, very few people are competing professionally.
You were the first drummer at Pastor Paul Adefarasin’s House on the Rock Church in Jos. Are you still religious?
Yes, both in Jos and in Abuja. I have drummed for a lot of churches. I was brought up in Christianity, but I have never been religious. I believe in God, the creator. I don’t believe in segregation.
What influences your lyrics?
Life and experiences. Life is made up of our experiences here on earth. If those experiences ultimately mean nothing or hold no essence, then there is no life. All my lyrics are from a part of me. Sometimes I write as the ‘all seeing eye.’ Sometimes, I am the victim. At other times, I am a bystander.
What does music mean to you?
Everything. It is my purpose. It is what I know how to do. It is my weapon, my tool.
There is always a story as to why individuals wear dreads. Why do you keep yours?
I wear it because I think it looks good on me. It is an African thing. Most African traditions allow men to braid, plait or decorate their hair. It is the ultimate symbol of masculinity.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you on stage?
I have fallen off the stage numerous times. I am short sighted, so, sometimes the lights get blinding on stage.
Who do you look up to in the industry?
I look up to no one. I am inspired and have been inspired by a lot of great people, but I look up to me. I don’t want to be like anyone out there.
If you had the opportunity to change something about the music industry, what would it be?
It would like to see an industry built on standards, ethics and merit.
How were the days of your beginning?
They were the best times. There were no egos, no fame; only your friends knew your name. It was always just a bunch of us guys at any point, dreaming and working towards what we wanted to be.
What was your childhood like?
It was very simple. My dad didn’t let us have TV, so, we read a lot. I read the whole encyclopaedia before I was six. I am grateful that we didn’t have any of those things to distract us.
How does it feel being a father at a young age? And how is fatherhood treating you?
It actually feels nice, having someone that you are now responsible for, who looks up to you as the most amazing man in the world. It taught me maturity.
What is your relationship now with your baby mama? When do you intend to settle down?
We have always been close friends. I really can’t say when I’m settling down. The answer eludes me.
What do you look for in a woman?
I look out for a woman that can tolerate my excesses and can be loyal. That is all it boils down to. Can you tolerate me at my worse and be loyal?.
If you had to describe your music in four words, what would you call it?
Urban pan-African fusion. It is urban. It is a fusion of different genres and its sound and theme are pan-African.
Educational background?
I had my primary and secondary education in Jos. I studied Law till the fourth year and then left to fully pursue a career in music.
If you were not in music, what would you be doing?
I would be in my village, farming.
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