LAGOS — Nigerian singer and music producer Pheelz has reflected on his journey through the music industry, explaining that his greatest ambition is not simply to create hit records but to build a body of work that will continue to represent him long after his career has evolved.
The artiste, who recently released his album A Rii Set, said the project represents a period of freedom, creative renewal and a return to the fundamentals of his craft. According to Pheelz, the title was inspired by his desire for a reset — an opportunity to reconnect with music, rediscover what truly matters to him and create without unnecessary restrictions.
For the producer-turned-artiste, the album represents more than another addition to his discography. He described it as a deliberate attempt to fall in love with the creative process again and approach music with the freedom that initially drew him to the craft.
Pheelz also spoke positively about working with some of the major artistes featured on the project, including Tiwa Savage, Young Jonn and Flavour. He described the collaborations as a rewarding creative experience and expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to work alongside established talents and other creative minds.
He said the most important part of such collaborations is allowing the music to remain at the centre of the process rather than allowing ego or unnecessary pressure to interfere with creativity. For him, working with other artistes becomes particularly fulfilling when everyone involved is focused on producing something meaningful.
The singer’s career has undergone a significant evolution, moving from his widely recognised work as a producer to establishing himself as an artiste in his own right. However, Pheelz does not regard his development as a straightforward transition from one role to another.
Instead, he described his career as an ongoing process of reinvention, explaining that the person behind the music has remained fundamentally the same even as the way he expresses himself has changed. He sees the journey as one defined by growth, maturity and an increasing willingness to occupy new creative spaces.
Pheelz said experimentation has also remained an important part of his artistic identity. Rather than judging his creative decisions by whether they produce commercial success, he said he experiments primarily because it gives him a way to express himself.
That approach means commercial results are not the main measure by which he evaluates his music. He said he enjoys experimenting and creating, leaving the ultimate reception of those works to his listeners and God.
His relationship with music dates back to childhood. Pheelz explained that he grew up in an environment where music was an everyday part of life, particularly through his involvement in church. He played music there and at one point served as a choir master, giving him extensive exposure to performance and musical practice from an early age.
His interest continued into his school years, where he developed a close relationship with the music teacher and participated in the school band. Looking back, he said music had consistently been present throughout his upbringing and ultimately prepared him for the professional path he would later pursue.
That early foundation has also influenced the way he approaches live performances. At Blast Fest, Pheelz experimented with a performance format that allowed him to operate essentially as a one-man band, recreating and controlling the music himself on stage rather than relying on a conventional live-band arrangement.
He described the performance as an opportunity to reinvent himself once again and test a different way of presenting his music to an audience. Blast Fest became the first show where he tested the concept, and he said the response and atmosphere convinced him that the approach could work effectively.
For Pheelz, live performance is ultimately about treating the stage as a blank canvas. Rather than simply reproducing recorded songs exactly as listeners know them, he wants to use live shows to reconstruct those songs, introduce new elements and give audiences another way of experiencing familiar music.
He believes live instrumentation and live performance are particularly important because they allow artistes to deepen the emotional connection between their music and their audiences. Recreating a song in a different setting can give listeners a fresh perspective while preserving the feeling that made them connect with the original recording.
Beyond performance, Pheelz said his larger ambition is centred on the legacy of his catalogue. He stressed that he does not make music primarily in pursuit of hits, even though successful records remain a welcome outcome of his work.
His priority, he explained, is to create an exceptional body of music that can endure. Pheelz said he believes he will live forever through his music, making the construction of a lasting catalogue more important to him than chasing individual moments of commercial success.
The singer also reflected on the attention that has accompanied his growing profile. Rather than viewing fame as a burden, he described being recognised and appreciated by listeners as a blessing and said he remains grateful to his fans for the support they have shown him.
He acknowledged that public attention can occasionally become overwhelming, but said he considers that manageable. When he needs space, he can step away, relax or find somewhere quiet to recharge. Overall, he said he enjoys being famous and values the relationship he has developed with his audience.
Pheelz’s perspective on the industry has been shaped by a career that began at a remarkably young age. His work with Olamide and the YBNL family was an important part of his development, exposing him to a changing music business and helping him understand both the creative and commercial sides of the industry.
He said one of the biggest lessons from that period was that change is constant. Having entered the industry during a different era, he has watched music marketing, consumption and the wider business evolve significantly, while Afrobeats has continued its transformation into a globally recognised genre.
Pheelz said witnessing that growth while contributing to it in his own way has been an extraordinary experience. He continues to learn, grow and expand his understanding of the industry, describing himself as someone who remains excited about what the future could bring.
His years in the business have also taught him resilience. Pheelz said he has been operating in the deep end of the industry since he was 16, when he made his first hit record. Starting so early forced him to develop the ability to navigate the pressures and challenges of the music business.
He said those experiences taught him how to protect his space, understand the business and hold his own among established players. His experience as a producer has also given him a broader understanding of artistes and their creative processes because of the number of performers he has worked with over the years.
That background is one reason he does not describe his development as a producer becoming an artiste. According to Pheelz, he has always considered himself an artiste because even during his years primarily known for production, he was writing, singing and working behind the microphone.
Rather than describing his current position as a career change, he sees it as the unlocking of something that had always existed within him. He believes that creative opportunities arrive at the appropriate moment and that when the time is right, an artiste has to recognise the opportunity and move forward.
For Pheelz, the journey remains unfinished. His focus is still on creating, experimenting and developing a catalogue that can outlive individual songs and career phases. His latest album, A Rii Set, reflects that philosophy by presenting a period of creative renewal while continuing the evolution of an artiste whose relationship with music began long before fame.
As he looks ahead, Pheelz remains focused less on proving himself through individual achievements and more on continuing to grow as a creative. His story, from church music and school performances to production, collaborations and his emergence as a recording artiste, has been defined by constant reinvention.
And while commercial success may come with the territory, Pheelz’s central ambition remains much bigger than a hit record. He wants the music itself to become the lasting evidence of his journey — a catalogue capable of preserving his artistic identity long after the moment has passed.
‘I’ll live forever through my music’ — Pheelz speaks on growth, fame and building a lasting catalogue
