Producer Spotlight: London
Rising Nigerian producer London is bringing exclusive sounds to the continent's biggest stars. Approaching our interview, I become acutely aware that no matter how many times I shuffle my Afrobeats playlist, all my top songs will begin with the poignant “London.” tag. What becomes increasingly apparent is that this 22-year-old producer has quickly made a name for himself in the most marketable genre in Africa, and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
London (born Michael Hunter) launched into the production credits of Wizkid, Rema, Tiwa Savage, Ayra Starr, and more; amassing a reputable and sought-after musical profile in the last two years. Having grown up in Kaduna, Nigeria, he has been surrounded by music for as long as he can remember. Harnessing and developing his juvenile talent through playing drums in his church group, the drive to be involved in accompaniment music was introduced. Through the emergence of his first laptop and the subsequent FL Studio program that he learned through Youtube tutorials, London mastered a natural and self-taught progression into the level of technical finesse that we have come to hear in many of the standout singles in his numerous recent releases. Although an audible technical gift, the rising producer claims to not have the technical skills of his peers; “It’s melodies in my head that I just bring out,” he admits.
Having abandoned the plan to study at a tertiary institution, London chose to pursue a career in music which took him to the entertainment hub of Lagos, Nigeria, which is where he is based today. Although only having produced at this level since 2018, this moment’s producer has since cultivated what he deems an “exclusive sound”:
“I made up my mind I wasn’t just going to be everywhere for everyone [in terms of production]. When its exclusive, it’s valued more. With my choice of sounds I know I have my own style, but I made sure my sound wasn’t out there for just anyone.”
London
And this sound is one that has served him pretty well. Technique and instrumental credits aside, possibly the most recognizable aspect of London’s production…is his tag. The deep and gruff “London” tag, a nickname given to the artist on account of his father’s nationality, creates an immediate standout effect on the track, not only adding some vocal variation; but ultimately creating an expectation of the quality of sound and production to follow.
Although having worked with a number of reputable Afrobeats artists, London notes his collaboration with Rema on “Soundgasm” as one of his most memorable. Having described the experience of creating the track as one which saw the two artists sneaking and whispering around a hotel in Nigeria attempting to record, the playful nature of the experience is almost replicated in the song.
“We got into trouble for recording…it felt sneaky like we were doing something wrong but it felt magical,” he shares.
The track, garnering international acclaim and having reached tens of millions of streams to date, sees London and Rema creating a euphoric dialogue between sound and voice. The track attempts to create an ‘orgasm’ of sound; one that with Rema’s cooing and melodic vocals paired with London's choice of instrumentals achieves that very thing. It is ultimately London's use of pulling and pushing with elements of production that are able to most effectively encapsulate the nature of the track. He is able to aptly allow for a vocal presence to work complimentarily with his production, foregoing the track it's achieved acclaim.
His relationship with Rema has since grown, as they join forces once again in Rema's latest single “Calm Down” which London co-produced with Andre Vibes.
London’s work with breakout artist Ayra Starr is another notable relationship having resulted in production acclaim. The young Nigerian songstress’ popular single “Bloody Samaritan” brings London’s production forward in a different light to that of Soundgasm. The track’s intro, bridge, and outro feature traditional string and woodwind samples as well as a jazzy saxophone solo; giving the track a soulful and expressive feel perfectly suited to Ayra’s accompanying vocals and lyrics.
London hopes that his fellow and aspiring producers maintain the mindset that he has in his years developed. The youthful producer notes that “everyone is so focused on coming into the limelight and having that one hit song and they tend to get disappointed when they see nothing happening”. However, he encourages consistency and drive, “Nothing good comes easy…you have to accept that failure is not the end. You are able to feel, you’re a human, nothing will just come to you on a platter,”. London drives home the importance of belief and patience in one’s abilities and the law of attraction that will follow. He recalls how his biggest dream was once to work with Wizkid, which materialized through his work on the record-breaking album Made in Lagos. For someone who has achieved so much in a relatively short space of time, London maintains he still has a long way to go. His dream collaborations include Drake and Kanye West, among many others.
Maglera Doe Boy takes us to his hometown of Makazana to reflect on his past life, multicultural upbringing, and why community is such an important part of his enviable rise in the South African music industry.