“I miss the old music It’s an entirely different era now” – Timaya says as he recalls pirating his album to blow

Nigerian dancehall star, Timaya, has bared it all in a fresh interview with Afrobeats Intelligence—throwing light on his journey from the trenches of Port Harcourt to stardom, while calling out the state of today’s music scene.

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The 44-year-old Dem Mama crooner said he misses the old era of heartfelt music, unlike now where songs feel empty and driven by trends.

“Most artistes these days no even mean wetin dem dey sing. The music no dey connect,” he said. “There’s a misinterpretation somewhere—probably because so many artistes now rely on songwriters. And these songwriters aren’t necessarily giving you music that fits you; they’re giving you what they think will sell.”

Timaya, who began his solo career in 2005, described today’s music scene as commercial and soulless, comparing it to classics like Alex Zitto’s Tickle Me.

“It’s an entirely different era. I miss the old music. Those melodies came from the heart.”

Reflecting on how far the industry has come, he recalled how expensive studio time used to be, saying artistes back then had to be sharp and prepared because they were paying by the hour. “Now, anyone can just set up a studio at home and blow on TikTok.”

Opening up on his early hustle, Timaya revealed how he sold his debut album True Story for ₦500K—after marketers tried pricing him as low as ₦25K. But the real shocker? He pirated his own album to make it go viral.

“One marketer gave me ₦500K. I knew he couldn’t push it, so I paid ₦11K to pirate it myself. That was how the album blew.”

He added that after the success of True Story, his second album Gift and Grace fetched him an advance of ₦24 million. “I told the marketer I wanted 25, he said 18. We argued, he paid 24. That same day I recorded, ‘Timaya don blow from Port Harcourt, I break into their Lagos.’”

Despite his love for the old ways, Timaya admitted that today’s music business is not for the faint-hearted. Promoting one song now costs nothing less than $100,000, and even then, there’s no guarantee it’ll blow.

He said that back in the day, PR cost him ₦750K for two pages in Encomium magazine, but causing a little drama could earn him 23 pages for free.

Timaya also noted that music videos alone now cost over ₦100 million to produce. “Even though it’s easier to blow these days, do you know how hard it is to get your song on radio? You could be making music in your room like a madman and still go viral.”

Speaking on how music saved his life, he said he had no Plan B. “I never had a job. I’ve never earned a salary. I told myself music must buy my pot, pants, and spoon.”

He revealed he used his first ₦500K advance to rent a one-room apartment, buy a power bike, a Sony Ericsson phone, and second-hand clothes from Yaba. “I packaged my life. Music wasn’t just a dream—it was my only option.”