Fast-rising artist behind the viral hit Ramadan Tolibian shares how a freestyle he had been refining for years finally transformed into a nationwide sensation. In this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO, reveals how a producer’s fresh beat inspired him to turn the freestyle into a full song and how strategic social media promotion played a key role in its success.
Your song, Ramadan has become so popular that it is on the lips of virtually everybody even non-Muslims. How do you feel about this moment in your life?
Let me start by saying the Ramadan song used to be a freestyle and I’ve had this freestyle for the past, if I’m not exaggerating, let me say seven or eight years. Let me break it down. So, the Ramadan song used to be a freestyle that I’ve had for a long time and every year, I think each year, one year after the other, I’m always doing that particular Ramadan freestyle on a different beat. Sometimes, I would do it on an acapella beat. I would do it as an acapella or I would do it on a random beat. So, I mean, it was just a freestyle that didn’t have a hook or verse.
What does it feel like releasing the song every year and not getting desired results until this year?
So, year after year, that’s how I kept on, you know, doing it as a freestyle until I think two years ago, that was 2023 or 2024, when I dropped it as a freestyle. I dropped it as another freestyle. So, I dropped that Ramadan freestyle that I’ve had for a long time on that Oriental Brothers song. I was playing the Oriental Brothers song as an instrumental and I was doing my own Ramadan lyrics on it. So, I posted that freestyle on TikTok and all social platforms. And I think the following year, or before the end of that particular year when I did the freestyle on the Oriental Brothers song, a producer took that freestyle online and did a new beat and remade a beat on the song. So, he sent the remade beat to me and I listened to it and I felt like, okay, this is not bad, it sounded nice.
How did you finally turn the freestyle into a full song?
I reached out to the producer and said, “Let’s link up, share ideas, brainstorm together, and see what we can create.” Luckily, the producer was already my guy, so it wasn’t like I was working with a stranger. We sat down, bounced ideas off each other, and did the needful. That’s how we ended up with the beat.
So you have been on this for some years…
Like I said, I had been sitting on this freestyle for years, and each year, I added new elements and refined the lyrics. But it wasn’t until I met Grima, who made a fresh beat for the song, that everything clicked. His beat actually inspired me to turn the freestyle into a full song—adding more lyrics, structuring a chorus, and creating proper verses.
Your song also became popular because of the dance challenge. How did that idea come about?
I’d say I’m a creative person, and I always try to stay open-minded when creating. At the end of the day, if you don’t have money, you should have sense. I was looking for different ways to roll out my projects, especially my singles, and I realized that money—or the lack of it—was always a factor.
You have been releasing songs for some years, what did you do right this time that made this different?
Making good music is one thing, but promoting it the right way is another challenge entirely. So I had to think strategically. That’s when I figured that I could use social media to my advantage. I started posting random videos with my song, hoping they would land on people’s For You Page (FYP). My thought process was simple: if I stayed consistent, people would unconsciously keep hearing the song, and if the song was good, it would eventually catch their attention. And glory be to God—that’s exactly what happened!
Do you feel pressured to release another song soon?
Honestly, no. I’m not under pressure at all because I see this as an investment. I understand why I’m putting in so much effort. The results were unexpected, but at the same time, it was just an idea I nurtured and brought to life. Seeing it do well is something I’m truly grateful for. I’ve been working on multiple projects, so after Ramadan, I will definitely be dropping more music. The plan is to release a single first, then an EP, and later an album. But I also want people to understand that Ramadan is an evergreen song. I wouldn’t call it an “annual” song because even outside the Ramadan period, there will always be moments to promote it again.
With all this success, how do you feel right now?
I feel great. When you put in so much work and start seeing results, there’s no better joy than that. I honestly couldn’t have asked for more. Glory be to God.
How do you plan to sustain this momentum?
Consistency is key. I pray for the ability to keep going because, at the end of the day, the only way to maintain this momentum is by staying active and dropping more projects. That’s how I keep my audience engaged. So, my focus now is to keep creating with my team and to continue putting out music. That’s the only way to build something lasting.
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