BLessJ

before he left Nigeria. He always loved music and he didn't hesitate to pen down his thoughts even though he couldn't record due to economic limitations. He was however able to release his first single in 2013 and he hasn't looked back since then. "My first single was released in July 2013. Before then, I have been writing songs since 2008 but I didn't record because I didn't have the resources." After relocating to Italy, Bless J took along his talents and love for music and it was in Italy that he released his debut EP 'Motion, Juicy and GoTrue'. And singles. Residing in Italy and making Afrobeats comes with unique challenges and Bless J tells me he had to navigate these challenges. Getting his songs across to consumers hasn't been easy for Bless J especially as he had to work with a company that doesn't have the sound or the market he's trying to reach. An example of such dissonance between the artist and his previous Italian-based distributor was his track 'Calling You' which indicates a 2Baba feature but which, in fact, doesn't have 2Baba on the track. "It was a mistake on the part of the distribution company. They asked me which famous artist did that type of music and I told them 2Baba and that's why they mistakenly added his name there. I have tried to get the song down but the company hasn't been forthcoming." On the last track on the EP 'Play', Bless J features Nigerian street-pop veteran Terry G. He tells me that his first interaction with him was way back in Nigeria when he met the artist in a show. He would later connect with Terry G and it eventually led to his song 'Play'. "Way back in 2015, Terry G performed at a show in Uromi and I was there and he even gave me a chain even though I couldn't see him because of his security. In 2020 when I was working on my music, I messaged him through IG and he responded that's how we exchanged contact and it led to the project." Bless J had the privilege of working with a producer Si Nic and a video director Zec Alym who supported his music without asking for a remuneration in return. He tells me that the exotic video for his collaboration with Terry G, the Video Director didn’t charge him for the ex*****on. An excited Bless J confessed that he screamed when he received the news. "When I asked him how much the video would cost, he told me he was going to do the editing and other aspects for free and I screamed
because I didn't expect it. For him, he was helping an upcoming artist but it meant a lot to me."