Music And Moments With Big Banju

Big Banju: Go Big or Go Home

Music And Moments with Big Banju

Issue 13.0 (Sep. 2025)

Interview Conducted by Olulana Mofiyinfoluwa

Design by Chiagozie Mbuba

Q: You were born in Akwa Ibom, grew up in Ondo, and now you’re in Lagos. How have these different environments shaped your music?

Big Banju: The music scene in Ondo is very different from Lagos. Lagos is the best place to make music; it pushes you to adapt. Before I moved here, my sound was different. But Lagos changed my style and I like the direction it’s taken.

Q: You’re quiet offstage but your lyrics are powerful. Who influenced your sound as you were coming up and any chance of a collaboration with them?

Big Banju: The big names; Olamide, Wizkid, and Davido. It will happen definitely. Maybe not right now, but it will.

Q: I’d say ADA really put you in the spotlight. What’s the story behind creating that song and why did you feel it was the right way to introduce yourself as an artist?

Big Banju: I record music based on real experiences, not just random ideas. Honestly, I went through a heartbreak, that’s what inspired ADA. I wanted people to first hear the truth of what I was going through.

Q: Before the EP dropped, while you were making music, when did you realize you weren’t just making songs you were actually preserving culture?

Big Banju: After I released ADA, I saw how people responded even artists like M.I, Blaqbonez and Zlatan commented. That made me feel like, “Okay, I’m not small. I’m making an impact”. That’s when I decided to drop the Who Is Big Banju EP.

                                                 

Q: What’s the story behind creating “Who Is Big Banju” and what did you want people to discover while listening to it?

Big Banju: When I released ADA, people kept commenting, “Who is Big Banju?”
So I decided it was time to show them that Big Banju isn’t small at all. That’s why I dropped the EP to let people know exactly who I am and what I stand for.

Q: How did the name Big Banju itself come about?

Big Banju's Manager: The industry is crowded, so we wanted something that stood out. His name was already Banju, and we thought, “That’s simple but how do we make it bigger?”
We said, “Go big or go home.” So we added “Big” to the name. It’s a mindset: in everything; music videos, collaborations, marketing; we go big or we don’t bother.

Q: Tell me about the creative process behind the seven songs on the EP. What’s the theme?

Big Banju: If you listen from track one to seven; Bless Me to Taboo you’ll notice different moods. Some songs came together like freestyles.
One day I was in the studio with Cater and we just started vibing no lyrics written down, just energy.
But Bless Me is different; I started writing it back in 2018. Every line is intentional. For me, once you’re in the studio you should create something meaningful that people will want to listen to.

Q: The EP features two notable collaborations. Let’s start with In Love With You. How did that track happen?

Big Banju: I had already recorded the song. Then Zlatan commented on one of my posts, something like, “Big Banju, what’s happening?”
My label boss asked me which artist I’d love to feature, and I said Zlatan. I thought he was joking when he said, “No problem.”
The next day he told me, “You and Zlatan are recording together.”
I went to Zlatan’s studio, played him my songs and he said, “This In Love With You is the one.” We replaced my second verse with his.

Q: Those hyper-aggressive ads were my first introduction to you. I remember Zlatan saying, “Why would you spend 400 million naira on ads?” Was that actually real? Whether it was or not, the rollout was perfect. After the buzz everyone kept asking, “Who is Big Banju?” and then you dropped the EP. I think it was genius.

Big Banju: The credit really goes to my record label Explorer Music Group. They were the brains behind that entire rollout.

Q: You’re known to be very reserved. Even though your name is out there and you’re in the spotlight, you’re a very private person. How do you balance that quiet personality with the demands of being a public figure?

Big Banju: Growing up, I mostly stayed with my dad and I wasn’t the type to make a lot of friends. I got used to being on my own.
But even if you’re naturally quiet, when it comes to business you have to show up. I take my work seriously, I’m focused and I don’t play when it comes to business.

Q: In an earlier interview you said, “Listen to my lyrics, not my personality.” What do you mean by that?

Big Banju: When you go to church, you’re there to worship God, not people.
It’s the same with music: don’t judge the artist, just listen to the music. Don’t listen because you like or dislike me; listen because of what the music says.

Q: Have you ever performed any of your songs live?

Big Banju: Yes, I have.

Q: What was that experience like? What moment on stage has stayed with you the most?

Big Banju: There’s nothing like performing and having your guys show up to support you. That kind of energy, I don’t take it for granted.

Q: What’s been your biggest challenge breaking into the industry?

Big Banju: I come from a family where nobody is in the public eye.
Even as a kid, I told myself: when I grow up, I want to be a musician, an artist, to be famous. I prayed for it.
My biggest challenge was simply making sure I broke into the industry because I knew if I didn’t, I’d regret it.

Q: If you could lock in a dream collaboration, who would it be and what kind of record would you want to make?

Big Banju: For now I can’t name anyone specific. I just pray that whenever the opportunity comes and it’s with a legend, I’ll embrace it.

Q: Where do you see Big Banju in the next five years, beyond just releasing singles?

Big Banju: I want to be sitting at the same table as people like Dangote and Elon Musk right there with them.


Big Banju: Let me ask you a question. When you call me “Big Banju,” how does it make you feel?

Interviewer: It feels like I’m speaking to someone truly big. Saying “Big Banju” feels like calling Wizkid “Big Wiz.”