Interview: Bad Boy Timz Bounces Back
The final time Morebranches spoke to Bad Boy Timz, he had simply pulled off a function with considered one of Nigeria’s greatest acts and was reeling within the success of getting the music, ‘Loading’ turn into one of many greatest songs of 2020. Since then, he’s been placing within the work carving out a distinct segment for himself and has been reaping the rewards, successful ‘Rookie of the Yr at The Headies final yr.
Regardless of label drama that stopped him from releasing music for some time, Unhealthy Boy Timz has bounced again, discovering his toes with the discharge of ‘Skellele’ which featured Olamide, ‘Iz Going’, and extra lately, ‘Large Cash,’ a music that’s steadily been morphing right into a sleeper hit.
Along with his sophomore EP, ‘No Unhealthy Boy, No Occasion,” set to launch later this yr, Unhealthy Boy Timz talks to Morebranches about his new album, navigating life, defining what success means to him, and the whole lot he’s been as much as.
What have you ever been as much as for the previous yr?
Because the starting of this yr, I’ve simply been engaged on strengthening my sound with an infusion of what’s taking place in the intervening time whereas nonetheless engaged on correct afrobeat songs for the venture. I’ve been engaged on the venture, ‘No Unhealthy Boy, No Occasion,’ and I’m additionally engaged on my model as greater than a music model, branching into the style facet. Yeah, that’s all I’ve been engaged on.
You’re going into trend, is it one thing you’ve launched already, otherwise you plan on launching quickly?
I’m nonetheless engaged on my merchandise, and I’ve been carrying extra Nigerian streetwear manufacturers as a substitute of going out to purchase designers. In a approach, I’m appreciating the Nigerian streetwear tradition and likewise working alone merchandise, which is unquestionably going to face out.
What Nigerian streetwear manufacturers would you say are your favorites?
Proper now, I put on numerous Excessive Vogue, Crowd Gear, there’s this Cult Assortment, there’s EO Cartel by Jeriq, Wakadod; they’ve good hats. A pair extra mehn, I fuck with numerous Nigerian manufacturers.
When do you intend on launching yours?
It comes with the venture.
You’ve got plans to drop a brand new venture quickly. What’s the venture about?
The title is ‘No Unhealthy Boy, No Occasion,’ it’s a press release, if I’m not right here, it’s not a taking place place. So from monitor one to the final monitor on the venture, it’s simply totally different sides to partying and afrobeats as nicely; there are messages as nicely. Within the content material of this venture, there are sturdy messages, love messages, acutely aware messages, and my actuality as nicely infused into one venture, and the title is ‘No Unhealthy Boy, No Occasion.’ It’s a complete load of enjoyment from the start to the top. The concept is ‘No Unhealthy Boy, No Occasion,’ extends into being a venture. It’s initially an EP, however the deluxe is an album with extra songs and options that may are available on the deluxe.
Who did you’re employed with on the venture?
I labored with P. Prime, Shimzy, Beats By Timmy, Magic sticks, and Child Bleats; he’s new, however he’s fireplace. Yeah, that’s all, and for collabs, simply Olamide on Skellele.
The venture is finished, yeah? When do you intend on releasing it?
Yeah, it’s. Prime secret.
What was the inventive course of for the venture like?
The songs on the venture will not be songs I simply newly made; a few of them I newly completed, However these songs are a compilation of 2020, 2021, and 2022, so there’s a complete lot of labor that has been put into it. The inventive course of is extra of my day-to-day life, what I’ve been by, different folks’s tales, and my actuality. That’s what impressed me to make this venture.
What would you say was your greatest problem engaged on the venture?
Clearance of some songs. I sampled some songs, nevertheless it’s not likely a venture, and it’s going to get sorted, so it’s not likely an issue. However clearance is turning into a giant huge a part of the trade.
What would you say has modified for you since Timz dropped in 2019, particularly with creating?
It has modified my mindset on some issues, and it has helped me sharpen my songwriting talent, my beat choice abilities, and simply have the ability to do it otherwise. That’s what I’ve actually realized on this journey.
An entire lot has modified for you because you debuted in 2019; what has it been like personally for you, the change, ending college, and turning into a full-time artist?
It wasn’t simple, however what’s meant to occur would occur whether or not you’re ready for it, so you need to match up with the power. Nevertheless it’s been an emotional roller-coaster for me as a result of I’ve had occasions once I’ve needed to cease making music for a yr. I needed to go away my label, and I may drop music or carry out for some time, however now it’s been sorted and I’m impartial. Then I returned and needed to drop some songs that weren’t doing in addition to I anticipated trigger perhaps that’s not what folks anticipated from me. It’s simply development on the finish of the day, the smoothest roads don’t make one of the best drivers. I respect the expansion and really feel like development has had a significant function to play in my profession. Yr after yr, there are new issues to study, there are new issues to see, and the sounds change and evolve. So the duty is how do you evolve with the sound, and I’ve been capable of break that yoke trigger I by no means cease working.
How has it been being an impartial artist?
Males, it’s not been simple, however I’m getting a maintain of it. The monetary a part of it’s loopy, however I’m getting a maintain of it, and I’ve survived and would undoubtedly win.
You talked about dropping a few singles you’re feeling your followers didn’t anticipate of you; how has it been managing your self as an artist and who your followers anticipate you to be?
I really feel like everybody remains to be rising to know who they really are. You possibly can by no means actually know your self fully. So if I give my followers a specific sort of music they usually’re not feeling it as a lot as I anticipate them to really feel it, I’d make them at the very least attempt to hearken to it and in the event that they don’t, I transfer on to the subsequent one. There’s at all times a brand new fan per launch; that’s how I see it. There are a few of my followers now that may not like ‘MJ’, however they like ‘Loading’. The nice information is likely one of the songs I stated my followers didn’t actually settle for, proper now, in East Africa, that’s the music they’re having fun with. So that you see the best way it really works, it’s not even about what occurred instantly after you dropped the music as a result of music is simply evergreen. You possibly can by no means inform what would occur to a music in a single yr. Have a look at what occurred to Ckay. So yeah, that’s simply mainly how I’m going about it. I felt unhealthy, clearly however I used to be identical to bro, do you need to proceed to really feel unhealthy otherwise you transfer on? And I moved on, and look the place we’re at proper now, Large Cash is doing wonderful all over the place.
Positive the inspiration for ‘Large Cash’ is clear, however in your personal phrases, what impressed it?
I made ‘Large Cash’ in 2020, and it was simply me desirous to have some huge cash for myself, to simply be comfy, simply be impartial, no one needs to depend upon anyone. I’m nonetheless praying that God, Naira is just not costly anymore; I need extra {dollars} and kilos, worldwide exhibits, endorsements, you recognize. It’s simply me wanting greener pastures. I’m praying for far more than I have already got. Like I stated, “as you may see, you may see, my pocket by no means full I dey go Yankee, Department London greet Iya Charlie, for you I match to crash their financial system.” That half even wasn’t on the unique one I recorded in 2020; I added it in 2022. I simply felt like this music is a really good music nevertheless it wants additional, and I did that and it was insanity. That’s the place we’re at proper now, folks adore it.
What would you say success can be like for you? Large Cash already offers an perception into what success means to you, however for you as an artist, so that you can say I’m profitable, how would you outline that for your self?
First off, the reception you get and secondly, I’ve an opinion that you just’re by no means too profitable, the second you hit a mark, you need extra, the second you hit one other mark, you need extra. So success to me is sort of a reward that you just frequently need to do. It’s extra of a necessity than one thing you simply get. There’s at all times a should be extra profitable than you’re. That’s how I see it.
How about proper now, what’s the necessity for you?
Proper now, what I’d categorise as success is a worldwide smash hit proper now. A music that’s disturbing the globe. I’m so completely happy for Oxlade; see what he’s doing for himself. That sort of pull, a music that may go that far. I do know I’ve these songs; it’s only for me to drop them.
What music in your venture do you suppose is that music?
I’ve a music titled ‘Maradona’ and a music titled ‘Igboro’, these two songs. Then there’s ‘Hearth on the Dance Flooring,’ these three songs are fireplace as fuck.
Are these different songs you’ve launched going to look on the venture?
No, it’s simply ‘Transfer,’ ‘Large Cash,’ and ‘Skellele’. The venture must be dropping later this yr.
What are your expectations in regards to the venture?
Large wins, man. I personally don’t prefer to rush success, I really feel like my songs develop on folks, so I need the venture to develop on folks. I don’t need a state of affairs the place folks hearken to it for one week, after which now not listen. I’d push it in a approach that it’ll develop on folks. My expectations are excessive, however I maintain them minimal, put within the work, and anticipate one of the best. This venture has simply Afrobeats, however on my subsequent album, bro belief me, this album is fireplace, however the subsequent album… The subsequent album is “Younger and Incharge,” and it’s virtually prepared for submission.
