Production and beat making is such an essential ingredient in music, if not the most pivotal cog of the machine, that needs to be in optimal state. For an art medium as vast and rich music is, production isn’t only saddled with the responsibility to elevate the artist’s vocal performance but to also distinguish between varying genres and styles of music. There is so much inherent culture embedded in music, in the sense that different drums originate from different parts of the world—all having their own distinct elements and identity and when put together and arranged, have the capacity to speak languages that can’t be communicated in mere words.
A style of music that is ever so reliant on production is West African contemporary music i.e Afrobeats. I mean, beats is in the name and it’s a style of music, that whilst having so much depth, culture and history seeping underneath the surface—remains a brand of music with fundamentals geared towards the aim of escapism. The African continent is belabored with numerous socio-economic vices and so the people invariably seek solace in their expression of art, opting to have a good time with the grooviest of rhythms and frequencies. Of course, our music can be very nuanced, thought provoking and even realistic too but its innate ability to do all the aforementioned, whilst still being fun is its one true superpower.
Our superstars understand this and have an orientation that places maximum emphasis on flows and cadences intended to induce a good time. And just like superstars from any other part of the world, we sing their praises and champion their causes but sometimes we overlook the true architects of the sound, who not only lay the foundation but are also sonic innovators, experimenting with sounds to unearth new horizons and soundscapes.
They are the true connoisseurs of the sound, who understand the genetic make-up of beats, instruments and the peculiarity of various genres and their affiliated cultures. And in this article, we’ll be spotlighting some of the greatest producers of Afrobeats ever.
If the question of greatest Afrobeats producer was ever posed to me, Sarz would be my pick. Of all his peers, he’s had the most resounding longevity and influence on the next generation of producers. Through his academy, he’s trained new generation producers who are now the frontrunners of the new gen like P.Priime and Tempoe. His breakthrough moment came in 2010, after producing Jahbless’s smash hip-hop hit record, Jor Oh. Two years later he would lose the Dynamix awards’ Producer Of The Year category to Don Jazzy, who ended up giving said award to him—affirming the fact that he is indeed a prodigy.
Over the course of the decade, he would go on to work with countless superstars, with Wizkid being the most notable name on this roster and the duo’s chemistry would eventually result in international recognition on the producer’s part. His longevity is once again in uncharted territory, as there is almost no one from his generation still at the forefront, producing for notable new generation popstars like him. A decade after losing an award to Don Jazzy, he won the Headies producer of the year award in 2022. This feat speaks volume of his longevity, and just like poetry he dedicated the award to his own protege, P.Prime who he felt deserved the award.
Don Jazzy is the more popular choice for the title of all-time greatest producer in Afrobeats history and for good reason. He might not have the sheer longevity of Sarz, but he’s much older and is more involved in the industry on a larger scale than his peers. Asides from founding two eras of the most successful record label Nigeria has ever witnessed, he’s also a philanthropist who has discovered artists and producers alike.
He has soundtracked sonic phases of artists on his roster and pulled strings to ensure the propagation of their gospel. He’s also featured as a guest artist and on multiple occassions, stolen the shine of the lead artists with his astounding unique tenor vocals and seasoned deliveries. At the inception of the exportation of Afrobeats to the world, Don Jazzy was also at the forefront with Dbanj and was producing for Kanye and Jay Z, as far back as 2011. Don Baba Jay has done it all and when it comes to overall legacy, there is not one single African producer in existence that could rival him. Matter of fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find any individual at all—artists inclusive—who can hold a torch to his legacy overall. Asides maybe Olamide.
Speaking about Olamide, you can’t mention the Hip-Hop’s kingpin success without acknowledging Pheelz in the same vein. The duo met at ID Cabasa’s Coded Tunes, with the producer notching production credits and a feature on Baddo’s debut album, Rapsodi—at the young age of only 17. His major breakthrough wouldn’t come until a year later with the smash hit, First Of All after Olamide left the label to set up his own oufit, YBNL with Pheelz assuming role of production head honcho for almost an entire decade.
Pheelz has production credits that include Wizkid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Fireboy DML, Adekunle Gold and even Usher. He’s been head producer for numerous classic albums, most notably Olamide’s trifecta run of YBNL, Baddest Guy Ever Liveth and Street OT, Adekunle Gold’s Gold and Fireboy DML’s Laughter, Tears & Gossebumps and Apollo. Like Sarz, his longevity is also off the charts and he has evolved gracefully over the years to adapt to new sounds and trends. If anything, Pheelz doesn’t get enough credit as a producer because he’s genuinely up there in the conversation as the greatest of all time. His catalogue of hit songs is simply unrivalled and the fact that he went toe to toe with Masterkraft, another legend who precedes him in the game—and won is all the confirmation you need.
Make no mistake, Masterkraft is very much a legend in his own right. Hailing from the Eastern part of the country, he is not only a successful producer but a cultural custodian of the Igbo highlife indented brand of pop music. His roster of artists include Olamide, Flavour, Bracket, Banky W, M.I, Sound Sultan amongst others. He has a signature style that’s so unmistakably his with an affinity for very visceral drums and percussion.
Another legend who isn’t as mainstream and deserves his flowers is Cobhams Asuquo. Despite being born blind, the producer didn’t let that deter him from being a lofty dreamer who always envisioned a life of astounding success for himself. He was pivotal in launching Asa, with the success story that was her debut album through his ingenious production and uncanny mastering of instruments. Artists on his roster include Banky W, Omawumi, Eldee, Sasha, Dare Art-Alade, Waje, Timi Dakolo etc.
Uzezi Oniko and Okiemute Oniko make up the duo of Legendury Beatz, one of the more notable producers of the 2010s. After early work with Weird MC in 2009, their careers wouldn’t take off until 2011 when they produced Brymo’s smash hit, Ara. Two years later, they’ll sign with Wizkid’s Starboy after establishing good camaraderie from their collaborations when the artist was still signed to EME. Their production credits include global stars like Bad Bunny and J Balvin, British rapper Wale, Olamide and others like 2Face, Ice Prince and Banky W. Like Masterkraft, they also had a signature sound that was very heavy on kinetic drums.
When it comes down to the caliber of artists an Afrobeats producer has worked with, there is hardly anyone topping P2J’s production catalogue, who is yet another Wizkid close associate. Boasting of collaborations with the likes of Beyonce, Doja Cat, Burna Boy, WSTRN etc that has earned him numerous Grammy nominations on albums like Beyonce’s The King and Burna Boy’s Twice As Tall, which he did win—P2J remains a powerhouse and one of the most internationally acclaimed producers of the genre. It’s no mystery why Wizkid handed the sonic reins of his new era of R&B fusion since 2020 to the producer.
Speaking of close associates of superstars, Shizzi is another powerhouse in the production space. After achieving widespread recognition for his work on Davido’s breakout single, Dami Duro and the singer’s ensuing debut album—he would go on to work with Wizkid on the artist’s first 2 albums also. Other superstars on his roster include Olamide, Wande Coal, D’Prince, Chris Brown and many more. However, his biggest song till date is Fireboy DML’s Peru, a 45-minute freestyle that exploded on the continent and became one of the genre’s biggest hits after an Ed Sheeran remix.
Like Masterkraft, ID Cabasa is also a legendary pioneer for street hop music in Afrobeats. After founding Coded Tunes in 2002, he signed and worked with the likes of 9ice, Lord Of Ajasa, Reminisce, 2phat and most notably, Olamide. The bulk of the artists on his roster were pioneers of indigenous Yoruba rap music and contemporary pop also and he played a major role in mentoring, nurturing and managing these respective talents. His legacy can’t be questioned.
Producers like Kel-P and Young Jonn have also had impressive runs in the past decade, where they were so hot and in form—everybody wanted to work with them. Sarz played a major role in the discovery of Kel-P, as he mentored him for a while and helped out in choosing his tag. After producing Sold Star’s Eleganza in 2018, Kel-P would go on to work with Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Phyno, Diamond Platnumz and many more.
Young Jonn was discovered by Olamide in 2014 at Hit Factory studio, with his work on Story For The Gods. For the next half decade, he would join Pheelz as the second in-house producer for YBNL, crafting numerous hit songs for Lil Kesh and Adekunle Gold, whilst also working with Davido. His high demand and work would earn him a producer of the year nomination at the 2015 Headies. At the turn of the new decade, he would leave to chase his artist aspirations just like his colleague, Pheelz.
Kiddominant and Spellz are another set of artists-affiliated-producers who have great legacies going for them. Despite kick starting his professional career in 2011, Kiddo didn’t really take off until 2015 when he produced Davido’s The Money ft. Olamide. He’ll mantain close associate status to DMW for the next couple of years, getting numerous production credits on the Davido’s sophomore album and also working with the likes of Wizkid, Popcaan, AKA, Mayorkun and then Rema, Ayra Starr and Rich The Kid, much later. His biggest record, which he also co-wrote remains Chris Brown’s Under The Influence.
Spellz on the other hand has been an household name, as far back as 2011 for his work on Chuddy K’s hit song, Gaga Crazy. As the years went by, he would develop a close working relationship with Banky W, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage, and then Burna Boy and Wande Coal eventually. Other artists he has worked with include Davido, Olamide and 2Baba.
OJB Jezreel passed away nine years ago, but his work cannot be discounted. His work on 2Face’s Face To Face which is still regarded as one of the greatest Nigerian albums of all time was instrumental to the popstar becoming a worldwide phenomenon and the album, a cultural landmark success. Other artists he worked with include Rugged Man, Jazzman Olofin, Weird MC, Paul Ik Dairo, Daddy Showkey, Sir Shina Peters and Olu Maintain.
Last but not the least, we have P. priime who is already being regarded as the greatest of his generation. After graduating from the very first edition of Sarz’s academy, he notched a production credit on Fireboy DML’s debut album, with Like I Do which turned out to be one of the albums biggest songs. A year later, Olamide would put him in pole position to handle the bulk of production for his 8th studio album, Carpe Diem and the rest is history.
Carpe Diem is a modern classic and owes a huge chunk of its success to prime’s immersive, soulful production. A year later, he would work with Wizkid on the deluxe version of Made In Lagos and since then has stacked production credits with the likes of Burna Boy, Davido, Fireboy DML, Rema, Asake, Joeboy, Omah Lay, Asa, Zlatan and so many more. He’s handled the bulk of production on three albums, Asa’s V, Rema’s HEIS and Olamide’s Carpe Diem and yet all three albums have very distinct sonic soundscapes that testifies to great detail about his prodigious talent.
Honorable mentions: Dr. Frabs, Killertunes, London, Tempoe, Blaisebeatz.
