Nigerian dancehall legend Timaya has dropped bombshell revelations about the music industry, expressing disappointment with today's "soulless" music while sharing his unconventional path to fame.
In an exclusive interview with Afrobeats Intelligence, the 44-year-old "Dem Mama" hitmaker lamented: "Most artistes these days no even mean wetin dem dey sing.
The music no dey connect. There's a misinterpretation somewhere—probably because so many artistes now rely on songwriters giving them what will sell rather than what fits."
Comparing today's commercialized sound to classics like Alex Zitto's "Tickle Me," Timaya revealed: "I miss the old music. Those melodies came from the heart. It's an entirely different era now."
The Port Harcourt-born star shocked fans by admitting he pirated his own 2005 debut album "True Story" to achieve success. "One marketer gave me ₦500K. I knew he couldn't push it, so I paid ₦11K to pirate it myself. That was how the album blew," confessed the artist who later earned ₦24 million advance for his second album.
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Timaya contrasted today's music business with his early struggles:
Then: ₦750K got 2 magazine pages for PR
Now: $100,000+ promotion budgets with no guarantee
Then: Hourly studio payments forced preparation
Now: Home studios and TikTok fame
Despite criticizing modern trends, Timaya acknowledged today's challenges: "Music videos now cost over ₦100 million. Even though it's easier to blow, do you know how hard it is to get your song on radio?"
The interview took an emotional turn as Timaya revealed music was his only survival option: "I never had a job. I've never earned a salary. I told myself music must buy my pot, pants, and spoon." His first ₦500K bought a one-room apartment, power bike, and second-hand clothes from Yaba market.
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