On his new self-titled fourth album, Adedamola, Fireboy features Nigerian music legend Lagbaja, Grammy-nominated Afrobeat star Seun Kuti, Grammy winner Jon Baptiste, and hitmaker Lojay.
In a recent interview with Apple Music Africa Now, Fireboy discussed the making of his album and his experience working with Lagbaja and Seun Kuti.
Fireboy revealed that during the recording session for their collaboration “Back & Forth,” Lagbaja wore his iconic mask the entire time. “You would not believe this: [Lagbaja] was masked up in the studio. It was crazy—I did not get to see his face,” Fireboy shared. He added, “I had a few interesting thoughts; I wanted to ask him if I could see his face! But you know, all that matters is that we made the music. That’s what makes Lagbaja, Lagbaja. You know, ‘Lagbaja,’ where I’m from, in Yoruba, means ‘Mr. Nobody,’ an anonymous person; so it’s only right that I do not get to see his face. I’m glad he got to be on the record—a special person, a special artist, a special record.”
Regarding his collaboration with Seun Kuti, Fireboy credited the album’s A&R and YBNL label boss Olamide for suggesting Kuti for the track. He described Seun Kuti as “an amazing and funny person” and enjoyed working with him. “Big shout out to Olamide, one of the A&Rs on the album. When we worked on the song together in the studio, he advised me, ‘I hear Seun Kuti on this,’ and the moment he said that it just clicked.”
Fireboy also dedicated a track on the album to Afropop star Wande Coal. He noted, “I recorded that in 2021 in SPINALL’s studio in Lagos. It just made a lot of sense to me. I listened to the beat once and it immediately took me back to 2015-2016, when I was listening to Wande Coal’s records. It’s sort of like a tribute to him; [everyone] knows I respect him so much.”
The album, Adedamola, is a nod to the legends who have influenced African music and represents a nostalgic journey through Fireboy’s musical evolution.