Top40-Charts.com
Support our efforts,
sign up for our $5 membership!
(Start for free)
Register or login with just your e-mail address
RnB 05 January, 2024

Johnel Talks Nigerian Hip Hop & RnB Scene

Hot Songs Around The World

Die With A Smile
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
347 entries in 27 charts
Birds Of A Feather
Billie Eilish
594 entries in 25 charts
Grustnyi Dens
Artik & Asti
209 entries in 2 charts
A Bar Song (Tipsy)
Shaboozey
608 entries in 22 charts
Espresso
Sabrina Carpenter
713 entries in 27 charts
I Had Some Help
Post Malone & Morgan Wallen
369 entries in 21 charts
Too Sweet
Hozier
554 entries in 23 charts
APT.
Rose & Bruno Mars
123 entries in 23 charts
Taste
Sabrina Carpenter
242 entries in 21 charts
Tu Falta De Querer
Mon Laferte
197 entries in 3 charts
Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido
Karol G
223 entries in 13 charts
Last Christmas
Wham!
1174 entries in 25 charts
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Mariah Carey
1326 entries in 28 charts
Snowman
Sia
239 entries in 18 charts
Johnel Talks Nigerian Hip Hop & RnB Scene
New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "Unpredictable" would be the best word to describe fast-rising Nigerian artist Johnel NG. In a short period of time Johnel, born Nnamani Chimaobi John, has created a buzz around his hip-hop-meets-R&B music that smoothly infuses trap music production.

Born and raised alongside his siblings in Lagos, Nigeria, Johnel's interest in R&B and soul was nurtured by artists like Fridayy, Drake, Tems, and Burna Boy. He would applaud these influences in his 2018 debut studio album, rare. But Johnel's journey to stardom hadn't always involved smooth sailings. His teen years saw him striving for attention and subsequently getting turned down even during school.

In those low moments, Johnel found solace in making beats on his Phone using FruityLoops (FL studio). This marked the beginning of his musical journey.

"Making music saved me," he says about feeling overwhelmed about what to do with his life. "Making music kept my mind away from peer pressure and that's why I kept going on with it. There is so much noise and many voices telling you things. A lot of voices are telling you stuff, and there's a lot of noise. If you're not doing well, things could grow crazy for you; this was what was happening to me."

Adding, "I had no idea who I was or why I was in this place., which is something that happens to most kids."

Johnel felt like with every form of success, no matter how little, comes a silent pressure to surpass your current reality. In his early days of producing music, SoundCloud and Audiomack was the global destination for young people looking to find new music. There he thrived and Johnel, along with fellow young artists.

Not long after joining the platform,. Johnel emerged the winner of The Next Star Awards. He began enjoying traction due to his five-track EP under ONErpm 'Happy Story, Sad Reality'. The pressure set in soon after.

On his new EP 'Happy Story, Sad Reality' Johnel delves into an atmosphere of confidence, eloquently expressing the desire for more grace, acknowledging the repetition of rejection. Johnel's strife is also his superpower as a member of Nigeria's burgeoning R&B and hip hop scene, comprised of young people looking to express themselves freely in a predominantly traditional and conservative society like Nigeria. The sub-culture has faced pushback from some cultural gatekeepers determined to maintain the usual state of affairs. Lyrics from his opening verse in "Hear Me Calling" (All my life I've always wanted to be heard / but they don't wanna see me here) reveal that the new school continues to thrive, regardless.

On his new track "Mercy" featuring American rapper Daine Steele, Johnel takes a direction contrary to humanity's ability to forgive and find redemption. "When I feel a grudge in someone or something I just want to dismantle it and start all over. It's like a self-destructive thing my mind tho," he says. "It's like building LEGOs. You build something then when you're dissatisfied, you use different blocks to build something diverse."






Most read news of the week


© 2001-2024
top40-charts.com (S6)
about | site map
contact | privacy
Page gen. in 0.0050471 secs // 4 () queries in 0.0048871040344238 secs