After years of creating music just because other people thought he was good at it, Nu Baby is finally ready to step into his own as an artist. Fresh off the release of his single Kalorie and a move back home from Canada that felt necessary for his artistic evolution, Nu is figuring out precision, identity, and what it means to be a Nigerian artist in a global atmosphere. In this interview, Nu speaks to us about finding confidence, Drake, and his ultimate collab.

For people who are discovering you for the first time, who would you say Nu Baby is in your own words?

I’m an artist. I just started saying that recently because I never used to say that before. I have never been comfortable telling people I’m an artist. Now, I’m more confident in that. So, I’m a creative person who just likes doing new stuff. That’s about it, honestly.

What changed? What made you more confident in saying you’re an artist?

I don’t know. I never took music for myself too seriously before. It was more a thing of people always telling me I was really good, so I just made music because people kept pushing me to do it. So I never really took music that seriously, but I think recently I started to own it myself. I think that’s why I’ll be more confident going forward, if that makes sense.

So when did music stop being a hobby and start feeling like a career path? 

I think genuinely somewhere between 2021 and this year. I feel this year because I moved back to Nigeria this year, and for me, that felt like the one thing I had to do to say “okay, I’m an artist, I’m making music, I’m putting my life into this”. So I’d say somewhere between 2021 and this year, more this year to be honest.

Why was it important to move back home? Why do you feel Nigeria is the place for you to be an artist?

I think my music is inherently very Nigerian, regardless of all the one million influences and maybe how I come off. But my music is very inherently Nigerian, and I just feel Nigeria still decides what’s good as far as Afrobeats is concerned. Nigeria is still the tastemaker for Afrobeats. So if you get it in here, everybody’s fine with you out there. So I felt I had to do that.

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. I particularly asked that because the last artist I spoke to was of the opinion that, regardless of wherever he is in the world or what influences his sound has, his music is going to be Nigerian music because he is Nigerian. So I was just curious as to what your own thoughts were on creating Nigerian music from the diaspora.

Yeah, I always feel that way as well, that wherever you are, and I think that’s why I say my music is inherently Nigerian. But I felt it was important for me to come back to Nigeria to have the proper experience because, over time, Afrobeats history-wise, there’ve been a million people who have decided at some point that the country they were in wasn’t good enough and they had to come back home to get it right. So it just felt like the right step for me.

Okay, that’s understandable. So, what was your earliest memory of creating music? 

I think it was 2018, the first time I ever went to a studio. I’ve mentioned that people always just forced me to make music. So I think in 2018, one of my friends was like, “This guy, you’re always just freestyling in the house”, and he bought a whole recording set off Amazon and sent it to me. He literally just ordered it and texted me and said, “Bro, microphone is coming to your house. Tell me when you get it.”

Oh, that was very nice of him. Have you been releasing music ever since then?

Yeah. Very occasionally, maybe once a year, to be honest.

Okay. So, what do you think has been the biggest shift in your sound or in your mindset from those earlier drops?

I think then I was—maybe I didn’t really care about music. I’d just go to the studio, sing, and it wasn’t the biggest deal. I didn’t take music that seriously. But I think now, I actually put a lot of effort, intention. I plan out things, the type of songs I want to make, what producers I want to work with, etc. But before, I’d just go to the studio, and if I hear something that’s nice, I make a song. But I think now it’s different. Maybe intentionality is the word I’m trying to say.

Your last EP was titled “All the Love I Need.” There was a lot of range there, from freestyles to jams that sounded like they were created for the dance floor. So now, how would you describe the next phase of your evolution?

I think right now my most important thing is just precision. I’m very used to freestyle energy. That’s what I come from as an artist. I can make a song in two minutes, so I can make spur-of-the-moment type music. But I feel like to break into the next level, there has to be some more precision, some more structure. It’s a lot more technical than just talent.

In creating that EP, what part would you say taught you the most about yourself?

I think it was, for me, more or less the range. I feel it was interesting to see people actually accept it. Because before that, it’s just my tiny voice every now and then. But I think on that EP I was able to explore. There were the pop-y songs, there was a rap song, “Red Lights,” and then a jazz song. So it just felt complete to me. 

Let’s talk about “Kalorie,” your latest release. It’s more of a sultry, more emotionally warm track. So was there a particular moment or feeling that sparked the song?

I think more of a state-of-mind type of thing. For the song itself, I don’t think I was particular about saying anything, to be honest, when the song itself happened. I had a camp with a couple of producers, but I didn’t know any of them, and I’d never worked with any of them, so I wasn’t really feeling it. So the person who ended up producing it, Omar, he’s my very good friend and we’ve worked together before, so I wanted him. I was like, bro, maybe this is the person who will actually make us make a good song. So when he came, it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, and I just got really into making the song. And when I think about it in retrospect, I think maybe I was missing somebody or something like that. So I feel that’s why the music came out that way. 

Did the song change form at any point? Did it start as one thing and end up as something different?

A little bit, but I don’t think I’m allowed to say that. 

What do you hope your fans feel the first time they hear the song?

Damn. I didn’t even know I had fans but—

Okay. People whom you want to become your fans. 

Okay. I think one of the biggest things for me these days, as far as my music, is the vibrance. I feel I offer that to a lot of people. A lot of people hang out with me just because they think we’ll do something interesting or exciting.

Are you the life of the party?

Not necessarily, actually. I just always get into something interesting. If I were at a party, I probably wouldn’t talk to anybody. I’d just be on my own with the two people that I know. But musically, to be honest, it’s a little bit different for me. I’m an introvert in real life, but in my music, I just say whatever I want because nobody can beat me. So I think the biggest thing about “Kalorie” for me is just that it’s vibrant. I just want people to hear it and be like, “Yeah, this is something exciting we haven’t heard in a sec.” I think it sounds different from almost any other thing people have out right now. So it’s just that vibrant, youthful, hype energy to be honest with you.

You took some time between the earlier singles and the more recent project, I believe to refine your sound. So what were the specific things or the specific areas you wanted to grow in? Was it vocally? Was it lyrically? Was it in production?

Honestly, as far as breaks, I do that pretty often, although I hope that doesn’t happen again this time. I might just drop a song and dip. I feel my experiences generally carry my music and I like to take my time to dwell in my experiences. So if I drop every two years, the music is about what I’ve been going through for that time. I feel the same way about “Kalorie” right now. It’s about a situation that happened over the last year or two. So I think most times my breaks are generally about gathering experience and gathering the stories that I want to tell. Although every time I come back, I feel there’s something new I want to try because I’m also listening to a lot of music and enjoying challenging myself vocally. My voice can be different on almost every other song. So I think maybe that’s another thing. But generally, I just take a break, chill out, experience so many new things, and just see if the music can be better.

In what ways would you say that studying and living abroad for a bit influenced your music?

I think maybe just a more global edge to my sound. I lived in Canada, where Drake is a god. I feel he’s my best artist. I listen to a lot of Drake. I think sometimes, other than the rap songs, he’s almost an Afrobeats artist. He has a lot of music that covers Afrobeats turf. So, I think I take away from that to get a little global edge that people in Nigeria might not be catching on to, just generally.

Which artists shaped your musical taste growing up, and who inspires your writing style today? We already know that Drake is one. 

Growing up, I didn’t really listen to music that much, mostly Yinka Ayefele and Tope Alabi type stuff. I think by the time I got to high school, I was able to listen to Wizkid, Davido, and Burna Boy. I feel those four people, Drake and the big 3, helped me out as far as my writing, Afrobeats-wise. That sounds like a very safe answer, but I’m serious.

Would you say that those are the same artists who still inspire your writing style today?

Not really. Not a lot. I don’t think so.

So, who would it be for today?

To be honest, this year, I actually just listened to a whole lot of Zaylevelten. I still listen to those older guys, but I think right now we’re better than them. 

How about outside of Nigeria?

Outside of Nigeria, I think I really listened to the last Jorja Smith album for the last year. Very obsessed with it. Who else? I love Yebba also. Yeah, Yebba and Drake. Actually, I think between those two, my writing is fine.

That’s interesting. And speaking of writing, are you the type of artist who writes daily or do you wait for a specific moment or a specific emotion to hit?

I don’t really write. So, most times I think I’ll say I write daily technically because I just make voice notes all day. I could just be walking, a song comes, and I sing it to my voice note. And the ironic part of it is I might not actually end up using that. I feel maybe sometime in the future, I’ll have a whole bunch of voice notes to go back to when I want to make albums and stuff. But yeah, I think I make music every day some way or the other. I started producing recently as well. So, I’m always up to something music-wise.

How’s the production going?

Not bad. I think I’m good. People say it’s good.

And how would you describe your sound production-wise?

I’ve been focusing on EDM and other sounds, so I say it’s alternative. I think that’s the best way to say it, because every time I play my beats for somebody, they’re always like, “This is different, this is interesting, it’s alternative,” but they always love it. So I just say alternative.

Okay, that’s pretty interesting. Are there any trends or any shifts in the Nigerian music scene that you are interested in or that you are excited about?

Yeah, man, CYK life. I dream about CYK. I don’t know if it’s an actual collective, but it’s just an energy, we call it CYK, cyber something. But it’s this collective of just new young artists that cross the global spaces. Zaylevelten and some other guys. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s the type of music I make, I would say. It’s not really about a sound. I just think it’s a movement and more. There’s a lot of artists this year that I’ve met personally, and I’ve also made music with, and everybody’s pretty much CYK. So, I think that’s what I’m excited about these days.

Okay. And what would be your ideal collaboration, if you have one?

Wow. I think I can make songs with a lot of people. I think my perfect collab may be Tems and Omah Lay, actually. And Drake, I think.

Would you want them on the same song or different songs?

Oh yeah, on the same song, make everybody cry.

Yeah. That would actually be something. That would be something.

I think they would all want to cry.

If you were to describe yourself as a food, what would it be?

Berry Blast, or something else very sweet.

Is that you as Nu Baby, or is that you as in your music?

All of it, as a person, to be honest. I feel that’s also why people say my music is sweet or whatever, I feel it’s more or less my personality that comes out. When you say food, I just think of sweet things. I don’t know if there’s an actual food, that’s why I said Berry Blast. I think generally I’m just—I don’t even know the word for it but yeah.

You’re a sweetie pie.

I think so. I’m really about that life.

That’s interesting. So looking ahead, what kind of artist would you say you are striving to become over the next few years?

Honestly, I would maybe just drop one or two over the next maybe four or five years. Maybe just one or two projects and then disappear. The way I’m used to making music, I’ll probably make music, disappear for a year, do actual business stuff. Because I don’t know, I feel off top, this year or last year with the whole Drake-Kendrick Lamar thing, it really made me feel as an artist, being just an artist is actually crazy because someone like Drake that has become one of the biggest artists of all time still had to deal with people just not liking him and working against him, and he didn’t really have anything to do about it. It was just a matter of him getting a new deal or something like that. So I feel moving forward, I do want to take a lot of control over my business. I don’t know how to explain it but yeah, I can’t be at anybody’s mercy anymore. So I think over the next few years I want to expand myself rather than just being an artist and releasing music. I’d maybe own a label or work at or maybe head a really big label that everybody knows, something like that. I don’t know.

So the business you would like to do would still be music-related.

Oh yeah. Still music. Yeah. Like a Jay-Z. Maybe head a couple of artists. That’s really what I’m about. I like artist development.

Okay. That’s cool. And then you said you want to keep your usual pace of “drop one and disappear”. So you’re not one of these “an album per year” guys.

I don’t think so. Maybe Nigeria will change me, and I’ll become that. But personally, I’d rather be an Adele or a Bruno Mars; drop one album, disappear for a couple of years, let people eat off these classics, and I’ll be back soon.

So what’s the ultimate dream?

Ultimate dream for me? Wow. I don’t know. I wake up every day with a new idea of what I want to do. I’m pretty dynamic as a person. So I don’t know if I have an ultimate dream. At some point, I might be tired of music as well and start something else. I don’t know. But I don’t know if I have an ultimate one. I just want to be successful at this music thing first and then move on to something else.

You know how they people say ‘never say it could never be me’? What’s one thing in the music industry that you know that actually could never be you?

I don’t know. I’ve actually learned the hard way that when you say that, there are forces that come together to make sure that it’s indeed you. It has to be you because you have now opened it. So I will not be jinxing myself, thank you very much.

But do you have a ‘never again’ thing? 

I haven’t really had anything too crazy. I’m an introvert. So I don’t really get into a lot. I don’t think I’ve even had any experience that crazy in this music industry to say never again. I’ve just been in my house making music. The people that I work with are my friends. So I’ve not actually gone through anything yet.

If someone were to ask you to use five song titles to describe you, your music, and your journey, what would you pick?

I’ll start with one of my songs, “Tampico”. Then, I’d pick “Manya”, Burna Boy’s “Spiritual”, Omah Lay’s “I”, Drake & Wiz’s “Controlla”, and Rihanna’s “Work”. Those would be my choices.