'Time': The Record That Took Kxyyz to International Audiences

Combining themes of perseverance, faith and ambition with a contemporary Afrobeats sound, the song gained traction across streaming platforms and social media, accumulating millions of streams, reaching listeners in over 30 countries, entering Spotify’s Viral 50 (Nigeria) and inspiring tens of thousands of user-generated creations on TikTok. 

For Kxyyz, the producer and co-creator behind the record, 'Time' represented a significant milestone in his creative journey, demonstrating how production, artistic collaboration and digital distribution can bring African music to international audiences. 

“It showed us that an African record can connect with people who may not necessarily be familiar with the artist or even the market the record came from,” he reflects. 

At its core, 'Time' is a reflection on the realities of pursuing ambition. Its opening refrain, “time no dey, friend no dey, family no dey,” captures the isolation and sacrifices that can accompany personal growth before shifting towards faith and spiritual conviction.

Kxyyz’s production provides the musical foundation for this emotional progression, bringing together rhythmic precision,  melodic depth and contemporary Afrobeats influences to complement Patomant’s delivery. The result is a record that communicates a distinctly African experience while engaging listeners through themes that transcend geographical and cultural boundaries. 

The song’s growth also illustrates the changing pathways through which African music reaches global audiences. Rather than depending exclusively on traditional industry structures, 'Time' gained visibility through streaming services, radio exposure and social media engagement. Its performance across these channels highlights the role of music producers in creating records that can connect artistically with listeners while also finding opportunities for discovery in an increasingly international music market. 

Beyond the immediate success of the release, the experience has informed Kxyyz’s broader approach to music production and artist development. His work extends beyond creating the instrumental and sonic identity of a record to understanding the wider processes that shape its journey, including collaboration and audience engagement. This perspective reflects an increasingly important dimension of contemporary music production, in which creative expertise and an understanding of the global music ecosystem can work together to expand an artist’s reach. 

Through 99DRMZ, Kxyyz is applying this experience to the development of African artists and the creation of opportunities for cross-border collaboration. His wider ambition is to strengthen connections between African creatives and the rest of the world, contribute to the development of emerging talent and help African music reach new international audiences. 

For Kxyyz, 'Time' is therefore more than a successful release. It is a defining reference point in his development as a producer and a practical example of the international possibilities available to African music when distinctive creative expression meets a strategic understanding of the industry. As he continues to develop his production work and artist-development initiatives, the record provides a foundation for his ambition to contribute to Afrobeats’ continued global growth.