Zayo on Music, Football, and His Super Eagles Dreams

How did you get involved in music?

I started recording music towards the end of my secondary school days. It began like a two-man band with my colleague back in Ibadan Grammar School, but when I got admitted to TASUED, I continued as a solo act. That was when I started living the life properly — recording more, going for shows and all that. Before university, I was still living with my parents, and they wouldn’t let me attend overnight shows or concerts, so I can count the places I performed in Ibadan on one hand. I couldn’t go to shows, but we would sneak out to record because we were paying hard-earned money for studio sessions.

What did your family think of it, and how did they react?

I remember when things started picking up for me in school. One of my dad’s friends’ sons — the person I first stayed with when I got to uni — went home to tell my dad that I had become a massive hip-hop star on campus. My dad, his friend and my brothers called me for a meeting and told me to stop music like it was just a switch I could turn off. I promised them I would try. I even told them I didn’t want to make empty promises, but I’d try. Not long after that, I got signed to a label while still in school.

What’s your favourite part of making music?

I see music as a puzzle I have to solve, one I’ve been solving for over a decade now. My favourite part is after writing, before recording, when I’m rehearsing the lyrics I’ve put together. Sometimes you get all the right pieces and sometimes you don’t, but the imperfection is part of the art.

When you’re not making music, how do you relax?

I play football video games, table tennis, and, of course, actual football.

When you were in school, what sport interested you and why?

Football, definitely. I’ve been a football fan since I was a kid. I even enrolled myself in a football academy when I was in JSS, and I had a great experience. It was a different time, though; my parents didn’t allow me to be anywhere they didn’t see as necessary for the future.

Were you good at it then?

Make I no make mouth, but I was good, bro. Not Messi or Ronaldo level, but I was way above average. We used to play every break and after school at Ibadan Grammar School, and I would always be in the first set. We won a few inter-class championships in JSS. We played on the “Green Field,” and the whole school would watch. My class won once or twice in my three years, maybe a runner-up once too. Great times.

Do you still enjoy it now?

I still enjoy football now. I’m a very passionate fan. I support three teams, the Super Eagles, Chelsea and Shooting Stars. I don’t miss their matches. I go to the Adamasingba Stadium on weekends to watch Shooting Stars play. When you have a vested interest in a sport, the love rarely dies. The beautiful game is enough. My favourite sportsman is Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s a winner, and he proved that even if you start at a disadvantage, hard work can still take you to the top.

What do you think of the Super Eagles’ World Cup chances?

I think we still have a good chance. Winning that first play-off game against Gabon lifted the mood. The belief is high in the camp. With God, the players, the coaches and the fans all working together, I believe we have a very strong chance.

What’s your favourite sports memory of all time?

Right now, it’s Chelsea winning the Club World Cup. It was huge for me, a new generation of players, and it doesn’t get bigger than a World Cup for clubs. Everyone expected us to lose because PSG had eliminated almost everyone earlier that season. But my boy Palmer, Joao Pedro and the whole squad shut everyone up. We celebrated while the world went silent. It completed the only title Chelsea were yet to win — the final piece of the puzzle.

Tell us about your hit song ‘Coloured’, which you later remixed with several features. What makes it special?

Coloured (Remix) blew up. I featured Terry Apala, Oladips, Wale Turner and Mz Kiss. It was my first major collaboration, and it came at a golden time for everyone involved. The song and remix were produced by DJ Klem. The original video was directed by Unlimited LA, and the remix by WG Films for Clarence Peters. The original dropped in 2014, immediately after I got signed to Koga Entertainment for winning Koga Open House Season 2 in 2013. I released the remix in 2019.

You’ve won awards for music. Which one meant the most to you?

The most memorable was being crowned Best Artist on Campus in front of the whole school. I wasn’t even trying to achieve that — I was just having fun making music for anyone who cared to listen. It meant a lot.

Is there any sport you would make a song for, like ‘Issa Goal’ in 2018?

Yes, of course. I’m an artist — I can make a song for any sport. If Coca-Cola asks me to sing for badminton, I’ll run it. But if I’m choosing personally, it will always be football.

If you had a chance to pursue a sports career, would you have taken it?

Yes, for sure. I enrolled in a football academy in my teens, but my parents didn’t let the career fly. It still pains me that I’m not playing professional football because I really love the game.

Who are your favourite Nigerian teams and sportspersons?

Shooting Stars, aside from the Super Eagles. For sportspersons, Austin Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, and Victor Osimhen, to mention a few.

Would you encourage your kids to go into sports?

Yes, of course. I know better than my parents did.

What is your ultimate goal or dream in music?

For the whole world to hear and truly listen to my sound. I want people everywhere to feel the greatness of God in me through my talent and to know the name “Zayo” or “Zayo” worldwide. I recently changed my streaming name from Zayo to Zayoboy because many international artists also use “Zayo”. It’s still me, but the new name helps me stand out.

Who has been your favourite artist to make music with?

Fola. We go way back to the same hood in Ibadan. We have two unreleased songs: Kilometres (just me and him) and Cole Palmer featuring Harteez. Big ups to Fola on his album doing numbers globally. The hood is proud.

Finally, who are your GOATs in music and sports?

I have plenty. For football, Ronaldo, (Eden) Hazard, and (Didier) Drogba. In music, it would be J. Cole, Olamide, Rihanna, Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy.

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