Jeffboy HM: Meet the music talent ready to give the industry the 'different' it lacks
Many emerging artistes often evoke the memories of stars who have gone ahead of them but Jeffboy HM is a unique talent in his own right and is ready to take the music industry by storm.
The Nigerian music industry, along with its Afrobeats global export, continues to grow in leaps and bounds, and there is innumerable evidence to show for it. 10 Grammy nominations in one night are not bad for returns on an African product while Universal Music Group’s majority stake investment in the Don Jazzy’s high-flying Mavin Records is another recent one.
While these are visible products from renowned stakeholders, there are other stakeholders who equally embody the expansion and richness of Afrobeats and are slowly finding their way to the limelight with their captivating music offerings.
One of such is Jeffboy HM, a singer and songwriter whose adeptness at evocative melodies and heartfelt lyrics is impressing music lovers across the world.
The singer, born Jefferson Obanavwe Dennison, who hails from Delta State, Nigeria, started making music at a young age, and his distinctive pop sound is a reflection of the diverse yet rich songs he has been exposed to.
The Nigerian music scene has been blessed with many music greats, from Fela Kuti, Sunny Ade, Majek Fashek, Victor Uwaifo, Osita Osadebe and Onyeka Onwenu, to 2Baba, PSquare, Don Jazzy and D’banj, and it is from the music of these greats, among others, that Jeffboy HM has nurtured his immense talent to emerge a force of his own, with a unique sound and style.
Jeffboy HM officially burst onto the music scene with ‘Another man life’ single, which dropped in 2019. The debut single made an early impact and started getting the talented singer a devoted following of fans who were quick to identify a potential superstar. He has since released several singles to critical acclaim.
The fast-rising music star, in an exclusive chat with AfroDives, discusses his journey in the African music space and why he’s being tipped for great things in the industry.
Speaking on the positives and negatives of his burgeoning music career, which has earned him close to 8,000 Spotify streams and thousands of followers on social media, the Delta native artiste says that his biggest encouragement has been people reaching out to him because of his music and motivating him to keep going.
“The positive in my journey so far has to be me because I have always been positive on everything and in every step. People reach out to me about my music and always say to me, keep going and improving in your craft.
“So, my music helps me secure connections and relationships that make me say to myself that I gat this,” Jeffboy HM says.
Concerning the negatives, the artiste says,
“I haven’t really seen any negativity in my journey, Perhaps the only issue is that people haven’t really listened to what I’m trying to convey with my music. I sometimes feel bad about the numbers but those are what kept me going because I want to create something people will want to listen to without me asking them to.”
Despite his talent, Jeffboy HM understands that it is not enough to get to the top in the ultra-competitive Nigerian music industry. Because of this, he lists his love for the art, passion and uniqueness of style as things that set him apart and will stand him out in a matter of time.
“The music industry is competitive quite all right but I don’t feel it or let it get to me, because I know everyone else is trying to make art for the world, and if I bring something different and am able to get it across, the industry will accept me too.
“No doubt a lot of resources is needed to get to the very top but that doesn’t move me as an artist to stop working even if I don’t command those resources yet. I’m making music because I want to be involved with the art.”
You can catch up with Jeffboy HM on social media and streaming platforms:
Spotify | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter.
This issue is sponsored by Jeffboy HM. For features and collaborations, please reach us on afrodives@gmail.com or our partner hello@whipafrica.com.