Producers are the unsung heroes in the rise of Afrobeats.
While the genre’s artists have been the faces associated with putting it on the map, it’s the producers who have been laying its foundation. Though Afrobeats has been captivating listeners since the late ’90s, its worldwide popularity soared much later — it was streamed more than 13 billion times on Spotify in 2022, per the streaming service. Undoubtedly, a main factor of what gives the genre music replay value is its production.
Here are nine Nigerian producers who are major forces in the Afrobeats movement.
1. Don Jazzy
You can’t talk about Afrobeats without mentioning one of its pioneers, Don Jazzy. In 2004, the Nigerian native founded Mo’ Hits Records with D’banj. The era spawned classic hits like the singer’s “Fall in Love” and Wande Coal’s “You Bad.” By 2012, Don Jazzy launched Mavin Records, which catapulted the careers of Afrobeats stars Tiwa Savage, Rema and Ayra Starr, to name a few. Some of his production for the music label’s roster are on Tiwa Savage’s “My darlin,” Korede Bello’s “Romantic,” Rema’s “Bounce” and Mavin’s “Dorobucci” and “Overloading (OVERDOSE).”
2. Sarz
When it comes to the foundation of the music style, Sarz is one of its leading trailblazers. After producing his first official hit with Reminisce’s “Kako Bi Chicken,” he has worked with Wizkid, Tems, Asake and more. Over the years, the mixing engineer has been behind crossover hits including the Lagos singer’s “Come Closer” and Lojay’s “Monalisa.” In addition, he’s one of the producers credited on Drake’s “One Dance,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
3. Kel-P
Kel-P is behind some of the biggest albums to come out of Afrobeats. He contributed to over half of Burna Boy’s African Giant, including “On the Low” and is also credited on Davido’s Timeless — both of which were Grammy-nominated. The popular producer also worked on Angélique Kidjo’s Grammy Award-winning Mother Nature.
4. Spellz
Being that he creates musical magic, Spellz is more than a fitting name for this award-winning producer. Starting to make a name for himself in the industry in the 2010s, Spellz accumulated many production credits featuring several of the biggest Afrobeats artists — including Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage. As for specific hits, his credits list includes Wizkid's “Ma Lo,” Wande Coal's “Iskaba” and Teni's “Askamaya.”
5. P2J
For Beyoncé’s exploration into Afrobeats with The Lion King: The Gift, P2J produced “BROWN SKIN GIRL,” “WATER,” “JA ARA E” and “SCAR.” His collaborative efforts with the global superstar continued on the Tems-assisted "MOVE” from RENAISSANCE. The Nigerian-British producer is also known for his work on Wizkid’s Made In Lagos and More Love, Less Ego. The Grammy Award winner's “Essence” is one of the biggest hits P2J produced to date.
6. P.Priime
Since being a part of The Sarz Academy, P.Priime has been on a roll. His production discography includes Wizkid’s “Anoti” from Made in Lagos (Deluxe Edition), which was nominated for Best Global Music Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. Among the young music director’s roster of artists that he’s worked with is Rema — most notably as one of the leading producers for HEIS. The pair also worked together for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By. P.Priime also produced Burna Boy’s “Alone” on the movie soundtrack.
7. Thisizlondon
Thisizlondon most famously co-produced Rema’s “Calm Down,” the first African artist-led track to surpass one billion streams on Spotify. Along with working on the global hit single, he produced the majority of the tracklist for the "Dumebi” singer’s debut album, Rave & Roses. The London native has also worked closely with Starr for both her debut and sophomore albums. “Bloody Samaritan,” “Commas” and “Sability” are a few of the songs the two have created together.
8. Magicsticks
If you hear the tag “Tune into the king of sounds and blues,” you can expect the song to be a hit. As the producer of Asake’s debut album, Mr. Money With The Vibe, Magicsticks was a part of the YBNL Nation signee’s epic run in 2022. The sound engineer has also worked with Davido, Olamide and Kizz Daniel. He even co-produced Davido’s Grammy-nominated song “UNAVAILABLE.”
9. BlaiseBeatz
As one of the producers for Kizz Daniel and Tekno’s smash hit “Buga (Lo Lo Lo),” BlaiseBeatz has become a force in the Afrobeats scene. Along with the “Woju” singer, he’s joined musical forces with Chris Brown, Davido, Wizkid and Asake. Chris Brown’s “Call Me Every Day,” Asake’s “Lonely At The Top,” Davido’s “FEEL” and 1da Banton’s “No Wahala” are some of the hits that he’s racked up.