Krizbeatz, real name Chris Sunday, is one of the music producers that command respect in the entertainment industry. With two albums and multiple hit songs to his name, Krizbeatz, in this interview by KOLA MUHAMMED, speaks about his career and the attention his new album has been getting.
You delayed your album for months. Now you are releasing it at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has dealt a huge blow to the career of many music artistes. How do you feel?
It took about 20 months to put the album together. We started recording in 2018 after we finished promoting my first album ‘Afro Dance Music’. It took a lot of time, patience and aggressiveness to pin down A-list artistes to do a verse and even more strength to get time in their schedule to be available for video shoot. The pandemic favoured me, as all the artistes were free and it helped me complete the project. We already shot three videos last November, so I was just putting out videos during the lockdown and teasing my fans ahead of the album release. I feel bad for artistes who could not go on tour or organise shows, but I think it is a wakeup call for us in showbiz to have investments in real estate and other essential businesses as we cannot be actively playing gigs all our lives.
This is another body of work that would likely change the game for you. How much work did you put into this?
Like I said, I recorded it for about 20 months and I had to travel to different continents to ensure that artistes were ready. We recorded in Lagos, Abuja, Tanzania, Nairobi, Dubai and London. I have shot and released three videos already; I have a video dropping this month. We have three more videos to complement the songs in the album and push the album.
You are rated as one of the most respected music producers; does this come with any pressure?
I know many people look up to me because I am one of the producers in Africa with a success blueprint for music production. I know a lot of people are studying my career. Many of my colleagues tell me they watch and follow in my footsteps. So, I am conscious of what I do, but not really under pressure. I am not where I want to be. I am under pressure to beat my last records and be where I want to be.
For some time, the name Krizbeatz appears not to be getting attention as it used to be. Is this album a way of getting back into reckoning?
You don’t see Lamboghini or Rolls Royce every day. I am expensive now; not every artiste can afford me, and that is fine. The numbers are there, every year with big records doing numbers. I don’t have to produce every Jack and Harry.
Why don’t you focus on dropping singles rather than album?
This year alone I have released three singles with videos, despite coronavirus. It is time to give my fans a body of work. My last album was in 2017 and I have been consistently dropping singles and videos in the last two years.
Why does it seem like you have been quiet on the music scene?
I don’t understand what you are talking about because even during this pandemic I have been consistent. My last record had 1 million views in a week and I just reached 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. I am the first African producer to reach that feat. On top of those, I just produced Kizz Daniel’s album.
With Young John and a host of other top rated producers, what’s the fate of Kriz in an industry that keeps growing?
The only way to find out is for you to wait and see.
How did you manage to drag all those big names on your album?
It is a statement of my name in the industry.
What’s the relationship with Ceeboi now as we heard there was a time he threatened to quit your label?
Ceeboi is free to do anything, the relationship is not a cult or under oath. As far as I am concerned, he has a wonderful deal and he is happy here. However there is an easy exit clause in his contract.
Why is he yet to reach his full potential?
Overnight success in the music industry takes 10 years, he is paying his dues, but he is already writing big songs for big artistes locally and internationally. He recently wrote songs for Diamond Platnumz, 9ice, Sauti Sol etc and he is getting better on his releases and his numbers are coming up. He currently has 70,000 monthly listeners on spotify; one of his songs has 300,000 streams on spotify alone.
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