If you had not heard the vibrant “TYTAAAAA!!!” tag on any Afrobeats record since the turn of the decade, you couldn’t have missed it at the very end of Joeboy’s “Check My Phone”, Track 3 off his newly released “Body & Soul” album — only this time, a more subtle “Tytanium” tag.
Ojekunle Taiwo, known professionally as Tytanium is a Nigerian record producer/Sound Engineer currently based in Germany whilst being one of the new school producers holding Afrobeats and her movement down.
The day is May 19 and Tytanium’s biggest lick and credits have just come in via being credited as not just the producer but also as the co-writer of Track 3 off Joeboy’s newly released sophomore album, “Body & Soul”—Tytanium had brought the track “Check my Phone” to life.
Urged on by his love for music and how exactly music records came about, Tytanium started to learn how to make beats off—wait for it —Youtube. In a generation where the likes of P. Prime, Kel-P, Tempoe and many more went through a more informed school of learning, the Sarz Academy, where they learned their craft under the tutelage of legendary and iconic beats maker, Sarz. It cannot be stressed enough how amazing and inspiring Tytanium’s self-taught journey is.
“I Love Music so much and I was really curious about the creation process which lead to how I started making Traps/Hip-Hop beats from what I was learning on Youtube at the time”, he said.
Like most things music, Tytanium’s background is inspired by Hip-Hop and it’s no wonder why a bulk of his credits have come via frequent collaborator and good friend, Rapper Laycon. But of course, he had to bring out the African in him and he had to learn to make music potential clients could resonate with.
“…After a while I had to start learning how to make Afrobeats because most people around me would jump on your beats only if it has Afro elements in it”
Laycon’s role in the vibrant producer’s story is not one he undervalues. So much that he cites their very first meeting in 2019 as his “best moment as a producer”. His sentiments begin to make more sense when you realize the former introduced Tytanium to the African pop star, Joeboy, in 2021, around when the acclaimed “Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic” arrived. They would connect on a higher frequency and go on to work on many recording sessions.
Fast-forward to about a year later, “Check My Phone” was made in the most dynamic of ways
“On a random day, Joeboy called me and asked if i was in the studio and I said yes. Fast forward to some hours, he pulled up. He said he has a vibe he recorded on his phone and would like if we started the recording session with that.”
He continued, “I heard it and it was the Check My Phone chorus. I could tell it was so personal and turned it into melodies. As he was coming up with the verses, I was working on the groove of the beat, making the drums and in less than 2 hours, we were next to done with the record including recording the vocals. Then the intro was feeling empty, then I was thinking of what to add, the curiosity gave birth to the violin we all hear today”
It’s only normal that Tytanium should know that he touched gold with the violin cut on “Check My Phone”. It catches the attention when the track kicks off as the violin riff mixes seamlessly with the bouncy new-school Joeboy-like Afro-pop beat. Delivering one of the most catchy songs on very first listen of the album. With of course, Joeboy’s impeccable delivery and songwriting.
Regardless of what the super producer thinks is his best work, “Check My Phone” is definitely up there as arguably his Magnus Opus.
That is of course in consideration of the other top records he’s worked on including “Spiritual Gbedu” by Joeboy, “LOL” by Laycon, “Level Up” by Bella Shmurda, “Peekaboo” by Kahren and many more.
Tytanium is only just getting started. His growing discography speaks for him and it’s only certain that the producer tag “TYTAAAAA!!!” is set to be a more frequent ringing in your ears.
