The DJ Who Hated Music, But Made Chart History Years Later
DJ Phil tells The Naija Way how he ended up being a DJ and achieved a crazy feat with his Amapiano mix.
Two things are true, and three things are undisputed;
Boy Alone by Omah Lay was the best album of 2022
Seyi Vibez and Asake have different styles
Every Nigerian club DJ must have an amapiano set
The third fact is why we are here.
Amapiano, with its hard log drums, jazzy piano keys and soulful singing, has planted its flag on Nigerian soil for a few years and is an essential part of today's music-listening experience.
Whether in the four walls of claustrophobic nightclubs, editorial playlists or the streets of Lagos, amapiano is omnipresent. The house sub-genre is so hot that an amapiano mix crept into the Top 10 Naija album charts on Apple Music.
The Amapiano Essentials (DJ Mix) was also the most streamed mix by a Nigerian DJ on Apple Music in 2022. The man behind this feat is DJ Phil.
Amapiano is a known entity, but who is DJ Phil?
"I have two sisters, an older sister and a younger sister. I am the second born of my parents, the only guy," says Philip Eze during our Zoom interview late December in 2022.
The origin story for most music superheroes is that they came out of the womb with music in their veins or that they grew up in a family with a strong background in music.
DJ Phil does not have this story. He cared little for music. "Growing up, I was not interested in music. I wouldn't say I liked music. I used to wonder how people liked music, like how people could sing songs word for word, like how they could hear a song and know it is this artist who sang it," he tells The Naija Way.
And this is where the story begins for our hero. The boy grew up not liking music, and then he finished secondary school and got into university in 2014.
Unless you find yourself in an ivory tower created by a cult (oops!), I mean an ultra-conservative pseudo-militant religious organization, a university is a place of liberty, freedom and sexual awakening.
While in university, DJ Phil observed the power of music and how it influenced culture. It sparked his interest.
"I started listening to music because of the people around me. That is when I got interested and wanted to do something in music because of how powerful music is," says DJ Phil.
Itching for something more than being a listener, DJ Phil soon became the life of the party thanks to the aux cord.
"In university, we had parties, get-togethers and events. And in these parties, we needed someone to play music and dish out the vibes. I was always that person. I was always on the aux, playing music, and people liked my song selections," narrates DJ Phil.
After getting a buzz as the aux cord guy, he decided to take it up a notch by researching what it took to be a professional DJ.
"There has been a lot of growth and opportunities. I have met different people," says DJ Phil about becoming a full-time DJ.
Now he has been able to secure for himself an enviable record in the streaming-conscious Nigerian music industry.
"That record makes me feel good. It makes me feel like all the work and effort I have been putting in have not been in vain. It makes me feel like I am playing my part in the culture", he says.
While remaining tight-lipped for his plans in 2023, DJ Phil tells The Naija Way that his "short-term plan is to be a household name in the Nigerian music industry."
If he scores another record in 2023, he will surely be.
Introducing Wuccii
Wuccii (Walter Onyekachi Egwuonwu) is an Afro-Fusion artist whose style leans towards soul, lo-fi and highlife.
The indigene of Enugu state is out with a project called ‘Oluebebe’. It’s a 13-track project released in late 2022.
According to him “Oluebube means miracle in Igbo. This project is a mixtape of different themes ranging from love on ‘Slow Down’, and ‘Necessary’ to heartbreak on ‘Move On’.
He also says there is a political commentary on tracks like ‘Life’ and ‘Grace’ as well as ‘Tony Montana’ and ‘Communique’.
Wuccii explains “‘Prayer’ kicks off the project and essentially describes my hopes and aspirations for my budding career, everything is in this project, to be honest.”
Wuccii who is the second child of four kids says music was a hobby for him before going fully into music. “I had a group back in school called the Lasers,” he says.
His first official effort was a cover of Jerusalema by Master KG in 2019. He followed by another freestyle titled ‘WUCCII’. He dropped his first EP called ‘Moonlight’ in late 2020.
His recent musical influences are Burna Boy, 2Pac, Immortal technique, MI and Erigga.
Wuccii’s next project is a collaborative EP.
You can stream ‘Oluebebe’ HERE
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