Before Wande Coal discovered that singing was his true calling, he had dreams of being one of Missy Elliott’s dancers. The artist, one of the few who laid the foundation of the buzzing musical movement we know coming out of Nigeria today, is ready to make another shift of leveling up his global appeal on the heels of his latest release, “Again.”
The 34-year-old Lagos native, born Oluwatobi Wande Ojosipe, is the multifaceted mind behind afrobeats hits we all know so well—including his 2015 collaboration with Patoranking, “My Woman, My Everything,” his prolific linkup with DJ Tunez in “Iskaba,” as well as the groovy track “So Mi So” produced by Juls. Prior to his steady rise, Wande’s musical foundation began in church, where he picked up the piano and learned how to sing.
Nigeria’s innovative take on its pop music scene emerged in the 2000s, and it was in 2007 where the singer, songwriter, and producer would join Mo’ Hits Records after its former founders Don Jazzy and D’Banj noticed him as a dancer in his music videos. He then became a fixture at Nigeria’s top record label at the time, penning some of the biggest hits to come out of the label including D’Banj’s “Oliver Twist”—the single that caught the ear of Kanye West, a moment that contributed to the imminent hype that surrounds the genre today.
In 2009, Wande stepped out with his debut album Mushin 2 Mo’ Hits. The classic LP is home to his timeless singles “Bumper to Bumper” and “Ololufe,” where it was also an indicator of afrobeats being well on its way of going global. A year later at the 2010 Headies (the Nigerian take of the Grammys), Wande would then take home a record five awards for that album. Six years later, Wanted, his second LP dropped and it did not disappoint—with “Baby Hello” being a single of note, produced by Maleek Berry. Since 2017, Wande has consistently dropped solo singles and features that showed growth in his sound and would reveal his continued relevance in afrobeats’ global expansion.
REALMS, due this March, is Wande’s first project in five years, as well as his debut under a new partnership between himself, producer Screwface’s Starstruck Management and indie distributor, EMPIRE. The five-track EP is stacked with solid collaborations with producers including Sarz, London’s Lekaa Beats and Melvitto—who produced “Again” with Screwface.
“His process is crazy,” Melvitto shares. “He’ll just go in a room and lock the door and just be in there. You’ll hear him singing but you don’t know what he’s doing in there. Then he’ll come back with his laptop and there are 30 voice notes in there that are two minutes long, of just song after song. He’ll tell me to take them and find something that I like.”
Melvitto and Wande began to consistently work together after they met while “Iskaba” was in production. The producer also adds that “Again” was recorded in New York in August 2018, with parts of the track recorded in London and Nigeria.
“It’s definitely a different record,” he continues. “For me, as a fan of Wande Coal, as a fan of music and as a fan of making great music, I always try to push artists to go beyond what they normally do outside of what they know. Wande’s voice is so crazy—people don’t get to hear it that often since he does more uptempo things. But with giving him the opportunity to have him sing on a slower song, you have to pay attention to his voice.”
Tina Davis, EMPIRE’s head of A&R, wholeheartedly agrees. “It’s infectious,” she says. “When you’re in A&R, you’re hearing [a track] in its rough stages. I love it when I can hear a record from that point and see or know where it can go. Every time I listened to the record I wanted to hear it again—no pun intended. I love what he’s saying. I think we need more records about women that are supportive of women, positive and records that show love. I think the world needs a lot more love today.”
Although Wande Coal is renowned, there are still pockets of the pop music market that have yet to get to know him. For Davis, that’s why EMPIRE couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with him to build a higher platform that reflects where he started as well as his contribution to music. “He’s extremely talented and I feel like he hasn’t gotten the shine he deserves,” she adds. “And people are stepping up for him.”
As much as his collaborators sing his praises, Wande, in turn, does the same for them. He’s one who says so much using few words. His humility is one folks can learn from as it truly takes a village—in conversation, he amplifies those around him in lieu of bigging up himself. Admitting he’s a gentle soul and a loverboy at heart, the crooner pulls from life’s experiences, especially moments of heartbreak, to pour his reflections out in a track like “Again.”
When asked when he truly knew music was the right path for him, he mentions fervently, “I feel so, and I know so.” It’s evident that Wande Coal is in tune with his calling and his purpose. It manifests in his music.
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VIBE: How has linking with EMPIRE been for you as you begin to engage with a wider audience?
Wande Coal: It’s a great move for me because I never had that—this is a first for me. At first, I thought it was a joke, but now, it’s becoming a reality. I’m really blessed and grateful.
“Again” is a standout track in your upcoming release. Your vocals and how you approach melodies are a marker of your impact to afrobeats all these years, and it’s a track where the focus is on you. What was your creative process putting the song together?
My surroundings, what I go through, my environment, my feelings, my relationships—everything around me inspires me. For “Again,” I was going through a lot emotionally. I lost a girl and I’m trying to tell her that I want her back, I don’t want to lose her and I want life to change and it’s never going to be the same [without] her again.
With the REALMS EP, what inspired you to come out with new music now?
It’s my first time ever having an international major establishment back me, so it’s a good look because it’s been long overdue. Now I’m just ready to drop that and show the entire world that I got something in me.
You’re an OG in the afrobeats game, but for a lot of folks, this will be their first time realizing that they should’ve been hip to you long before now. Just looking back on your career from your Mohits days to stepping out on your own, what else should new listeners know about you?
Besides all of that, I was first a writer. I wrote, “Why Me,” “Oliver Twist” [and] I developed Wizkid and Davido. I wrote songs with Wizkid, I gave Davido the name “OBO”—they both used to live in my house. Davido left school in Atlanta and came to my house [in Nigeria] twice using his school fees. Wizkid came by often too because I had three studios and I was inspiring them. I’m glad I was able to be a role model for them. They’re big artists now, alongside Burna Boy and Maleek Berry, and the feelings are mutual. I’m glad they’re doing so well.
How have you been able to balance being so multifaceted in Nigeria’s music landscape?
To me, everybody uses the same type of template, so I decided to always create new sounds to stand out and be different. When you check out songs like “Iskaba” and “So Mi So,” it’s a different vibe to what everyone is singing. I’m glad that people appreciate it and I’m glad to lead the change since I was there from the start. I stay ready to always change the game and create new sounds. I don’t like to sing what I sang before and avoid singing the same lyrics.
When you were first starting out, did you ever imagine Nigeria’s pop music scene would become as big and recognizable as it is today?
Yes—see, I had a vision. When I met Mohits in 2006 they asked me what I wanted to do. I told them I was trying to take this music global. Because I listened to the likes of Usher, Akon, T. Pain, Michael Jackson—they inspired me to be what I am today [as an artist]. I decided to fuse both my culture and American culture together. That’s why I sound the way I do.