MUSIC | TALENT
ABOUT
Listening to Obongjayar feels like a bolt from the blue. His voice: elastic in its register. His sound, a cosmic mix where afrobeat meets baile funk and gospel, where rap collides with experimental electronics and Nigerian folk. Speaking to him is striking in a different way—the London-based artist delivers ruminations with energy and without filter. “Identity is something you discover by creating,” he tells hube. “Creating is a journey of discovery.” And what a journey it’s been. Obongjayar grew up in Calabar, a port city in southeast Nigeria, before moving to the UK as a teenager. His early work was heavily influenced by American rap, a musical accent that he dropped when he realised that someone else’s voice would never be able to tell his stories. Since then, he has delivered two critically acclaimed albums, collaborated with the likes of Danny Brown and Lil Simz, and achieved Platinum for “adore u” with Fred again.
Talent: Obongjayar
Photographer: Finlay Flint
Stylist: Gabriella Norberg
Makeup and Hair Artist: Min Sandu
Producer: Angel Garcia Brown
Styling Assistant: Paolo Bensimon
With special thanks to Nick Dierl, Sofie Araya, and the entire team at Orienteer
