I go through depression to make an album, says Ajebutter22
Akitoye Balogun, the rapper better known as Ajebutter22, says he usually goes through “depression” to make an album.
In January, Ajebutter22 unveiled his highly anticipated 15-track album titled ‘Soundtrack to the Good Life.’
In the latest episode of #WithChude, hosted by Chude Jideonwo, the media personality, the rapper spoke on his struggles with releasing the album.
Ajebutter22 said he had a lot of “self-doubt” but decided to release the project as an “opportunity to escape.”
“EP is less pressure, it is a freeing experience, you just have fun and make the music. For me, an album feels like pressure, for me to make an album I must go through depression,” he said.
“There is self-doubt, ‘is this good enough?’. There is so much overthinking. But all that doesn’t matter, because, for all the questions you ask yourself, you will still not know the answer.
“The best thing to do is release it, it is better to fail fast, if you are going to fail, you are going to fail. I am trying to give us an opportunity to escape. It is an opportunity to japa.
“But you don’t have to physically japa, you can do it in your mind. The album is the ‘Soundtrack to the Goodlife’ from Butter Nation. Butter Nation is not just my fan base, it is a place I invented.”
The alternative music star also revealed how he overcame the temptation to switch to a different music genre.
“I have other options; I didn’t think that music was the end. I went to look for job, although I was still making music. But then, what worked for me in music, was me and my own style,” he said.
“So, I won’t go and try something else. As a musician, you will always go back to what works for you. If the first time I made a hit there were 20 people in the room, anytime I am recording I will want 20 people in the room.
“So, I just went back to what worked for me. Even at the time when music wasn’t working, I was looking for jobs, I applied to Oando, Total, I even failed a personality test.”
The Lagos-based rapper also spoke about how he maintains a peaceful mentality while living in the city.
“I have deliberately designed my life to be like that because I can afford to, when I couldn’t afford to it was first a mental state,” he said.
“My last album was called ‘What happens in Lagos’, the album before that was called, ‘Anytime Soon’, as per when I blow. All the energy I take I just pour into the music. Everybody in Nigeria has an escape.
“Some people’s escape is to be loud and aggressive, and some people are to be chill, it’s all about the personality, but everybody has their way to escape. At this stage I am now, I have tried very much to control my environment.”