The most glaring fact about AQT is that his story is not typically a grass-to-grace tale but one of a person who acknowledges the power his privileges play in shaping him while still brimming with a persistent determination to showcase the glorious Nigerianness that forms the foundation of his existence through music.
Growing up in the diaspora across America and the Middle East, his plural experiences— a cultured family that heavily spoke Yoruba, an active Islamic community in Houston, listening to different genres of Nigerian music, whether fuji or afrobeats and immersing himself in the cinematic display of the Nigerian life—fostered strong ties to his roots. “Living across different continents has built my identity in a sense, because, you know, I am Nigerian. That’s the first thing, the foundation. But I was born in America and have an American accent. Still, I was cultured at home. My parents speak Yoruba heavily. I watch Nigerian movies. I’ve been travelling to Nigeria frequently. I’m a Muslim as well, so I speak Arabic.”
By extension, AQT’s music combines all these factors to create a fusion that’s profoundly peculiar to him because his journey has been his alone. “I wanted to fuse everything and give myself a new, fresh sound. I don’t want to sound like nobody. I don’t want to be in nobody’s lane. I want to appeal to different audiences. So I thought, how do I do that? Music was the great focal point because it is a universal language.”
For many years now even as far back as 2013 when he released his first music with his friend under a moniker called GalaktiQ, the mission was always to make Afro fusion a sound that traversed continents way before Afrobeats or Afrofusion became a global sensation, “ Everything that’s going on now, we envisioned it 13 years ago that Afro fusion was eventually going to break into America. And we believed we could be the first to bridge the gap, which propelled our first single.” True to their belief, the song did go viral in its own weight, “Everybody in Texas and its environs was listening to that song.”
Little did they know at the time that a successful music career required more than passion and talent; that knowledge of the music business, as well as financial input, was the catalyst for climbing up the global ladder. This realization set in, halting their journey as a group and prompting their individual careers. “Music is so capital intensive that there’s always gonna be a point where you ask yourself, is this thing for me or not?”
The chasm, at the time, could have easily been seen as an obstacle, but like the beauty that can sometimes hide behind ugliness, that break became an integral part in building the current version of his story. He reached the epiphany that he could be directly involved with the music industry as an executive, even if he wasn’t actively making music. “I used my company to help broker deals and handle logistics when artists came to America.” Thanks to his existing access to global artists and a successful career in project management, the opportunity presented itself when he wasn’t actively searching.
As time progressed, the lines became blurred., “Some big-name artists were looking and confused because of the way I look, the way I move, and how I dress.” Then the questions were posed: “Who is this guy? Is he an artist? Is he an executive? Is he a businessman?” And that propelled the making of his latest album, “Olánrewàjú.” It was the answer. “I was like, okay, now I gotta really tell my story.”
“Olánrewàjú” spans 11 tracks, each song tailored to tell his story. “I basically wanna showcase to people the evolution of the man that I’m becoming.” Corroborating that, he intentionally imbued crucial details that make all the difference. One is the eponymous title taken from his middle name. Second is the album cover, an old picture he snapped at Mount Arafat in Mecca, where he told God his greatest wish: “That was the beginning of the evolution I feel, because I remember telling God: this music thing, I want the world to hear me one day. I want the world to know who I am.”
Now that he’s on the path to getting heard globally, his utmost wish for the listeners of “Olánrewàjú” is for them to feel inspiration, breakthrough, passion, vulnerability, and spirituality. “I hope they notice the versatility and rawness of my sound.”
As for his personal hankering as AQT the artist, he wants to bridge the gap between the Nigerian and American Afrofusion scene, to show that although the situations back home and in the diaspora are different, it doesn’t diminish the authenticity of the latter, “I wasn’t born in Nigeria, so my story is not the typical grass to grace story but I have an identity too and it hasn’t been proven. Unlike the UK, which already has the fan base, in America, we don’t have the foundation. So that’s another thing that’s been driving me. I want to accomplish this so I can open the doors for others behind me.”
Elaborating on the possible cause of the disconnect for American diasporian artists, he circles back to an observation earlier shared by Burna Boy, “he said, people in America can’t do Afrobeats. And I understood where he was coming from. Take for example, myself, I had to go back home numerous times to hone in the culture even though I already had that in me. The disconnect is that a lot of these people want to compete with the Afrobeat artists who already naturally do it. I’ve always said it, you can’t do what they do. You can only do yours to the best of your ability.”
This is why he is setting the baton for the next generation of Nigerian-Americans who want to create music that helps them feel connected to their roots “Part of this album is to let people know that no matter where you are coming from, as long as you embrace your identity, appreciate the journey and believe in God, they’ll see what you’re doing and definitely get on board.”
“Olánrewàjú” is the portal through which he bears his aspirations, pouring all of his heart and soul into showing his younger self that music is always possible regardless of the obstacles they’ve faced, and maybe one day, their coast will widen and they’ll win a Grammy. “I’m striving for greatness. I’ve always dreamt of winning the Grammys.”
