Lojay on Making 'Billions", Crafting His Sound, and Starting A Legacy | Afrobeats Intelligence

"I've just got to a point where like the music is like instinctive" This episode of Afrobeats Intelligence peels back the layers on one of Nigeria’s most emotionally raw voices. Known for breakout hits like “Monalisa” (with Sarz), “LV N ATTN” (with Wizkid), “Leader!”, and “Moto,” Lojay reflects on his unlikely rise from behind-the-scenes songwriter to global artist. Timestamps 0:00 Cold Open - Artistic Philosophy 2:46 Music as Immortality & Early Beginnings 9:02: Why Lojay makes music? "A tool to mark my existence." 10:08: Lojay's Struggles in School at Nigerian Turkish International College (Lagos). 10:58: Forming "Decoy" at 13; viral school hit ("Spending Money"). 12:30: Education vs. Artistic Identity 16:00: Lojay's School Crush Made him believe in music. 16:28 - 26:25: UK University Dropout: Choosing Music Over Engineering 23:16: Lojay's DIY studio setup in college dorm 25:19: Lojay's Commitment to music led to failing university. 26:26 - 35:36: Lojay's Creative Process, Measuring Success As an Artist 30:21: Lojay says "I don’t write", How He made "Billions", Collaboration with Sarz, 35:28: Writing Evolution: Lojay's Musical Instinct 35:43 - 52:47: Rejecting Trend-chasing & "Mona Lisa" Breakthrough 45:06 - 56:40: Afrobeats Globalization & Artistic Integrity 56:41 - 59:53: Visual Storytelling & Industry Legacy 56:41: "Somebody Like You" video: 1-night salsa choreography with Rejoice. 58:03: Afrobeats Legacy Blueprint: Wizkid, Sarz & Value-Driven Artistry 1:00:00 - 1:13:04 Industry Exposé: Ownership Crisis & Touring Economics 1:04:07: Calls for collaboration, collective growth. Nigeria’s Individualism Mentality 1:11:18: Solution: "Cultural commitment over ego; build movements, not just hits." From his early days at Nigerian Turkish International College – where 13-year-old Lojay’s rap group Decoy went viral with "Spending Money" – to quitting UK engineering school for music, this interview traces his journey from invisible kid to genre-shaping artist. He reveals how Sarz pushed him to reconstruct