Description
This episode of Afrobeats Intelligence is powered by OkayAfrica, the pulse of African culture, and presented by Martell.
Jeriq has built a career by staying deeply connected to where he comes from while finding his place in the mainstream. In this conversation with Joey Akan, Jeriq reflects on growing up in Enugu, the determination to make it out of a difficult environment, and how his community became the foundation for his music, identity and career.
He talks about staying true to his sound while learning how to navigate the mainstream, why he continues to live and create in Enugu, and the tension between representing the East and building a global career.
Jeriq also discusses the lack of structure and access for artists in the East, the evolution of his music, the rise of Iyoo Cartel, his fashion brand and the importance of building a community that can grow with him.
At the heart of the conversation is a simple ambition: to show young people from the streets that there is more beyond what they can currently see.
0:00 - Intro
0:50 - Welcome Jeriq
2:05 - Saving yourself
4:20 - Making it out of the neighborhood
11:20 - Staying in Enugu
14:20 - Enugu’s role in Jeriq’s creativity
16:31 - Mainstream popularity
23:41 - The experience of traveling to different countries
26:02 - Eastern influence
27:44 - Support
32:18 - Building community / Iyoo Cartel
38:05 - Fashion
42:21 - Going mainstream with Iyoo Cartel brand
47:51- Getting a cease & desist from the church
51:15 - What’s your why?
54:09 - Doing stadium shows
57:37 - Credits
Discover more about Martell’s journey with Afrobeats: https://www.martell.com/en/martell-afrobeats/
Follow Joey Akan for the latest coverage on African music culture and news.
Substack: https://afrobeatsintelligence.substack.com/
https://www.instagram.com/joeyakan
https://www.instagram.com/afrobeatsintel
Follow Jeriq: https://www.instagram.com/jeriqthehussla
🌍 For more music, news, and culture from the continent, check out OkayAfrica here: https://www.okayafrica.com/
Follow us on socials:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okayafrica/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okayafrica/#
X: https://www.twitter.com/OkayAfrica
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@okayafrica
Join the OkayAfrica Whatsapp channel! : https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaEhs9oIN9isCqSED809
Shop OkayAfrica merch here: https://shop.okayplayer.com/collections/okayafrica-shop