What to do to ‘blow’ as an artiste – Illbliss

 

 

 By Nehru Odeh

 

Popular Nigerian rapper, actor and businessman, Tobechukwu Melvin Ejiofor, aka Illbliss, has revealed two simple things young Nigerian artistes should do in order to develop their craft and succeed.

According to the award-winning artiste, who is also known as Oga Boss, young artistes need to build a community wherever they are located and get the required information

He made this known on Friday, September 19, at a session themed  “Who Owns the Future of Imagination: Digital Renaissance – Invention, Influence or Extraction.

The session was one of many at the 2025 African Creative Market, which was held at Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. Distinguished guests from across Africa attended the three-day event

Illbliss, whose talent management outfit, The Goretti Company, was responsible for launching the careers of  Chidinma and Phyno, among others, said artistes need to start from where they are, build a community, that is, people who believe and can invest in them and get the required information to do things on their own.

If I were to speak to a 20-year-old artiste, I would advise that you go and build your community of people who would follow you. I don’t care if it is the guy down your street, the people in your hostel or the people that live in your village. Let people start to believe in you.

“Secondly, get information. Lots of artists are not informed. They need to be informed because they think it’s up to the management. God will not send that destiny-shaping management from somewhere to come and shape it. You are your first management, your first marketer, your first choreographer, etc. Every single thing is up to you. There is no team.”

Illbliss went on to cite the independent spirit of Liona, Nigerian Afrobeats sensation, who, according to him, funded his tour across Nigeria as a veritable example.

“I come from an era where if the manager is sleeping on you and as he is recording music, he destroys the music in the process of recording your vocals,  you will find a way to do it. So you build a community first.

“Have you heard of an artist called Liona? Liona went on. 24 State tour, not funded, from his pocket. He would just move. ‘Today I’m in Yola, tomorrow I’m in Enugu.’

“So you have to figure it out yourself first before anybody can key into it. Build your community. Then let your listeners, the people who believe in you, take you from there. And then information,” Illbliss maintained.

Well moderated by Ms Bukola Oloyede, Media and Creative Consultant as well as TV and Film Producer/Director, the session also  featured Clarence Peters, Founder, CEO, Capital Dreams Partners; Kofoworola Eze, Legal Executive, EbonyLife Group; Malik Afegbua, Artist, Filmmaker, Designer, and Creative Technologist; and Seju Alero Mike, Founder, Creative Director, Osengwa.