TOPLINE
When Jesse King Buga entered the music space, the rules were clear: follow what works or risk being ignored. He chose the risk. “I don’t want to sound like any other person. I want to have my sound—my own kind of sound.” It was not an easy decision. Like many emerging artists, he questioned whether listeners would accept music shaped by highlife and storytelling rather than what dominated the charts. “I came in asking myself, who is going to believe me? Are people going to receive my music?”
Picture a young artist in a studio, surrounded by reference tracks that could guarantee quick attention if copied. Buga resisted the temptation, understanding that imitation might open doors quickly, but originality would keep them open longer.
Buga’s grounding began early. He grew up in church settings, his father a clergyman. Music was present, but so were discipline, reflection, and restraint. Those values shaped not only how he sings, but why he sings. His musical compass was set by legends—Rex Lawson, Victor Nwaifo, and Victor Olaiya—artists whose music carried culture without apology. Highlife became his anchor. “This is me. This is my culture. This is what I know. That is what I can defend.” He also finds inspiration in nature, which explains his intentional distance from chaos.
Rather than the centre of Lagos’ hustle, Buga lives on the outskirts, where silence, space, and routine feed his creativity. “I need calm to create.” Growing up on Lagos Island further shaped his outlook. “Everybody knows each other. There is love.” That community life influenced his music and its themes of family, neighbours, and shared experiences.
Before recognition, Buga worked in broadcasting and production, creating radio jingles and sound design. The experience gave him structure and a realistic understanding of the industry. “That work taught me how things function,” he said. “Step by step.” It also removed illusions. “There is no salary. No gratuity. What happens tomorrow if there is no music?”
That realism informs his advice to younger artists. Originality, he believes, must be matched with planning. “Confidence comes from believing in what you are doing. What I am offering is unique.” He understands the pull of trends. “People follow what brings money. That is the reality.” For Buga, this is why cultural music struggles—not from lack of interest, but from lack of investment. “You cannot just say promote culture. There has to be support behind it.”
By choosing originality over trends, Jesse King Buga accepted uncertainty. In return, he gained something more enduring—a recognisable voice. “When you hear it, you know it’s me,” he said. His journey proves that while trends fade quickly, identity lasts. And sometimes, the boldest move an artist can make is to remain still, rooted, and true.
