BadTheSoundBoy, also known as Ifiok Ukerewem Albert is a producer, singer and songwriter born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria.
A love for musical instruments such as the piano and talent for producing unique sounds are the defining factors that drives BadTheSoundBoy’s approach to music.
For Bad, every track is a journey and every beat tells a story, a maxim that is evident in his previously released tracks like the smooth and sultry “Book of Bootylations” ft Rindss and the groovy “Anaconda”
His recently released two pack singles, “Siren” and “We Can Do” are a testament to his distinct artistry; a revelation in the infectious rhythms and masterful storytelling that weaves neatly to produce ear worms which resonates his listeners.
In this exclusive interview, we dig into his formative years, his music practice, and recently released projects.
Do you think being raised in Lagos has had any influence on your music?
Oh, massively, massively, like a lot. I see Lagos as the entertainment hub of Nigeria, West Africa and it’s had a massive influence on my music and on me as a person.
Definitely, Lagos is indeed the entertainment hub of Nigeria. When did you start creating music and what inspired you to start music?
Honestly, it feels like I’ve been creating music my whole life. I grew up immersed in music as a result of my mum’s musical influence. Growing up, my mum always played a lot of music around the house, I grew up listening to classic artists like Celine Diom, West Life, Bob Marley, Fela and Michael Jackson amongst other influences. The church was another hub of musical influence; my mum used to work for the church as an altar decorator so on Saturdays I and my brother usually followed her to church to keep her company and I’d spend time playing the musical instruments that were there and that’s how I started; I went from playing musical instruments to recording songs as I got older. I can also remember one time in JSS1, in secondary school when some kids and I started a boy band called Star Boys and we performed at our school’s Christmas Carol, it was the first time a JSS1 set ever performed in the carol so yeah, music has always been a huge part of my life.
What’s the inspiration behind your stage name, BadTheSoundBoy?
So, I used to be a producer before becoming a singer. During my sessions producing for people, they always commented about how good I was at it like, “Omo, this guy bad o”, Bad Guy was a nickname I got because I was always good at whatever I did. When the time came to sign my first contract as a producer, I didn’t yet have a stage name so I just decided to combine the bad guy nickname plus my love for sound and instruments, that’s how the name “BadTheSoundBoy” was born and it’s stuck since then.
Can you share your creative process with us? What inspires you when you need to create music or produce some beats?
I'm inspired by a lot of things, especially stories I hear from friends and family. Most of my songwriting is inspired by experiences of other people and the environment around me so I get to draw inspiration from a lot of subjects.
When working in the studio, me and my producer(s) work hand in hand, starting first with a visualisation of the style of songs we want to make before I go in to record, sometimes they send in beats if I’m not in the studio but when I’m there, we’d work on it from the start. I also produce for myself sometimes; I generally enjoy recording, I’m not a fan of having a crowded studio space, I find it distracting; on the days when I don’t feel like going to the studio, I record in a small studio set up in my room.
At what point did you decide to pursue music professionally?
I decided to pursue music professionally in 2022, I was juggling work with music but when I realised that I was beginning to make more money from doing music and my job wasn’t giving me much time to focus on music so I quit the job and just committed myself to the music, it’s been an interesting journey.
Let’s talk about your new releases. What's the inspiration behind your new releases, “Siren” and “We Can Do”? Which is your favourite and why?
So both “Siren” and “We Can Do” are inspired by the same themes of romance but from different perspectives.
“Siren” is more about slow seduction and playful flirtation but not over the top intense or with vulgarity; there’s a girl playing hard to get but I’m trying to convince her to give me a chance so that I can rock her world and fulfil all her sexual desires and fantasies.
“We Can Do” is actually my favourite because it was an interesting concept to explore, songwriting and sound wise. “We can Do” is pretty much a song about freedom and situationships lol, like a friends with benefits situation. I'm telling the girl in the story that we can do whatever we want without too much attachment, just have fun and vibe. I like “We Can Do” because it pushed me out of my comfort zone with the sound and the songwriting; for the sound, it was a unique beat, not the typical Afrobeats song so I had to change my approach to making music, I am a versatile artist so I welcomed the challenge and had fun experimenting with the dance hall slow vibe on the beat, the songwriting was also a bit challenging because it was a situation that I haven’t actually experienced so putting myself in that scenario where it’s a situationship, trying to express that feeling in a song was a bit of a challenge but I did it and it came out nice and I’m glad I wrote the song. They are both out now so everybody can enjoy it just as much as I enjoyed making it.
STREAM “Siren” and “We Can Do” here.
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