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Now and then, Afrobeats sees the advent of new stars bubbling with talent and hunger to showcase their artistry and attract mainstream attention.
In a highly competitive music space, getting mass market attention is increasingly difficult as marketing budget continues to rocket while attention consumer attention is very difficult to attract and sustain.
In the face of these challenges, talent must be complemented with creativity and hard work in the hope that good fortune will align with these factors in favour of an artist.
One artist whose time under the sun has come is the rising star Mightyyout, whose talent has earned him a spot on the books of DWW HQ.
Being signed to a label is often a feat worth celebrating, and getting picked up by one floated by the iconic Afrobeats icon Davido is by all means a big deal, especially when one considers some of the stars his label has helped propel to success.
While Mightyyout might have just been getting into the consciousness of mainstream listeners, his music journey started in 2016 when he set out to make music professionally.
“Sometime around 2016, when I got back to Lagos from Port Harcourt. That was when I knew I had to take music seriously and give it everything.”
Although the journey started in 2016, Mightyyout didn’t release his first song as a professional in 2022 as part of the MbaforAfrica compilation album.
And while the process hasn’t been an easy one for him, the process and the knowledge that he would someday win have kept him going.
“I genuinely love the process. It hasn’t been easy, but I enjoy every bit of the grind,” Mightyyout says on the journey.
“Wanting to get out of the trenches and make a living,” he adds, on the thoughts that occupy his mind while he painstakingly pursues his dreams.
“Being an emerging artist is really tough,” he says with a laughter that holds painful flashbacks and triumph of an artist who has endured challenges that led many to forfeit the dream.
For emerging acts, talent is never enough, and Mightyyout perfectly understands this reality.
“The real struggle is getting heard. When all you have is talent, it’s hard, especially without the finances to push it the way it should be.”
In the face of these challenges, Mightyyout drew hope from the support of family and friends, and from the applause that met every release.
“Family and friends. The support I’ve received and the applause I get from every record keeps me going.”
This resilience would pay off when Davido heard his unreleased song in Jamaica and mistook him for a Jamaican.
“Sometime last year, Davido was in Jamaica for his wife’s birthday. He heard an unreleased record of mine playing and thought it was a popping Jamaican artist. When he found out I was Nigerian, he was surprised. Shout out to Sir Banko, he was the one playing the record that day. Calls were made, and the rest is history.”
For Mightyyout, a lot is riding on his music, and the unfaltering confidence he has in his ability shines in his music he describes as a breath of fresh air.
“Something unique that cuts across genres but still feels familiar” is what he calls his music, which holds the familiar fusions that define Afrobeats and continues to propel the genre and culture to new heights.
To better capture the uniqueness of his sound, Mightyyout crafted a word he calls "Nchancha".
“It’s a vibe of its own. Afro-dancehall with energy, flavour, and attitude. A lot of people think I’m Jamaican because of how I sound,” he says about the sound and music that has won him a career-altering record deal.
An artist who takes from Dancehall and interprets it with his cultural influences and Afrobeats, Mightyout drew inspiration from listening to the works of music icons Akon, Sean Paul, and 2face.
His latest single ‘Paradise’ holds the sound with which he’s aiming to impact the scene. Mightyyout describes the song as one that embraces freedom, which is a core part of his ideology.
“My guys and I were just vibing in the studio after a long day, talking about summer and what that would feel like. The energy was just right. ‘Paradise’ gives me a strong sense of freedom, which is a huge part of who I am.”
He shares that the song reflects his artistic evolution and he’s now more confident and willing to showcase a highly level of originalty.
Mightyyout is drawing inspiration from his life’s journey and its many challenges, which he considers an advantage he hopes to use in carving a niche for himself.
“The struggles I’ve been through and conquered when no one was watching. That shaped me. Going through that process and learning from it. It’s a rare advantage I hold close.”
For Mightyyout, even after a decade, the journey is just starting, and he’s eager and ready to share more music. He has his debut EP on the way, and he’s upbeat about it.
“You’ll experience Mightyyout in a whole new way. I welcome you to Mightyyard,” he says with the confidence of a man who knows the gifts he holds and a clear vision of his path.
“Shoutout to the Yout Dem all over the world showing love—God bless you #ForTheYout,” he says to his fans and listeners with whom he hopes to make history.
Mightyyout is doing it for himself and all the struggles that led him here. He’s doing it for family, friends, and fans whose applause kept him going.
He’s doing it for the youths around the world who need a reason to keep dreaming and believing.