Happy Birthday, Buez!
In the vibrant world of Nigerian hip-hop, Chibueze, known by his stage name Buez, has carved a niche for himself with a style that seamlessly blends rap and singing. As he celebrates another year around the sun, we dive deep into the mind of the artist to uncover the stories and inspirations that shape his unique sound.
1. The Genesis of Buez: To kick off our conversation, Buez unveils the origins of his distinctive stage name. Rooted in his Igbo heritage, Chibueze, meaning “God is King,” metamorphoses into Buez, a name he believes signifies “Is King.” Join us in exploring the cultural and personal significance behind this musical identity.
2. The Evolution of Sound: With his latest track, “DND (Do Not Disturb),” Buez takes a bold step, introducing a new dimension to his artistry. Delve into the inspiration behind this shift in style, as he reflects on the transformative power of life experiences and the pursuit of artistic excellence.
3. Battles and Stages: From conquering battle rap competitions to gracing major stages, Buez reflects on his journey in the music industry. Discover how each win and challenge has not only shaped his approach to music creation but also provided a platform to share his authentic story with fans.
4. A Father’s Blessing: In a candid moment, Buez shares a pivotal turning point in his career—one that involved winning the approval of a once skeptical father. Learn how this encounter fueled his passion for music and the drive to make his father proud.
5. Navigating the Hip-Hop Landscape: In the heart of Nigeria’s vibrant music scene, Buez discusses the influence of conversations with industry veterans like MI, Mrs. Folu, and Loose Kaynon. Uncover how these interactions and his experiences within the hip-hop community have shaped his musical journey.
Join us as Buez opens up about self-doubt, sieving friendships, and overcoming challenges in a saturated industry. Learn about his dream collaborations, the delicate balance between artistic vision and industry trends, and the unexpected birth of “DND.”
In celebration of his birthday, Buez extends a heartfelt message to his fans—the pillars of his strength. Discover the role social media plays in his career, his preference between battle rap and music, and the significance of staying connected with his audience.
Aspiring artists take note! Buez shares valuable advice on self-love, perseverance, and the importance of grabbing opportunities. Look ahead to his upcoming projects and collaborations, as he promises to deliver The Wonder Effect in the coming year.
Get ready for an insightful journey into the mind and music of Buez, where authenticity, growth, and gratitude take center stage. Happy Birthday, Buez—may this year be filled with more successes, milestones, and, of course, incredible music!
Happy birthday, Buez! To kick things off, can you share the story behind how you came up with your unique stage name?
Thank you, my bro!
Sure thing. Part of my name is actually Chibueze which is an Igbo name translating to “God is King”, Buez was coined from there, I like to think the shortened form also means “Is King”.
Your latest song, “DND (Do Not Disturb),” showcases a different side of your artistry. What inspired this shift in style?
The truth is my art has always been a reflection of my reality, my truths but I believe DND is special because it’s the first time my listeners actually heard me sing and seamlessly blended my rap too. I mean I’ve had songs where I sang the hooks but DND had me singing a full verse instead of the usual rap option that’s my default setting.
Safe to say taking a break from doing music and focusing on other aspects of my life broadened my view on how to give my art a more epic and captivating approach.
I love Rap so much and I also believe singing makes me a complete artiste, so the challenge towards being better was the main catalyst for this new sound.
From winning Battle Rap competitions to performing on major stages, how has your journey in the music industry shaped your approach to creating music?
I won’t even lie, it’s been one hell of a run and I’m grateful because I’m way more confident than I used to be and ready for the demons and milestones ahead. The morale boost from my wins creates an avenue for me to tell my story to the fans in a different light and as long as it’s a real experience for me, music creation becomes even more welcoming, it’s like a breath of fresh air and with each win comes more enthusiasm to put out my story out there.
Could you tell us about a memorable moment or turning point in your career that had a significant impact on your musical direction?
This is a story few of my friends know but my Dad used to be my biggest critic and he wasn’t a fan of the whole music idea, he’d rather I became a Pastor, honestly.
So it wasn’t up until he heard me rap while I was sleeping before he woke me up, sat me down and asked if this was what I truly wanted, after which he gave his blessings.
That incident alone showed him how passionate I was about Music and I guess I’ve always had this zeal in me to make Old Man proud. That drives me till this day; oh and by the way, he’s a huge fan now.
Nigeria has a vibrant music scene. How do you think your experiences within the country’s hip-hop community have influenced your sound?
The thing with music generally is you’ve gotta be ready to learn and relearn. Hip Hop is already a controversial genre so there’s a lot that could easily influence you. But I think what impacted me more was having conversations with MI, Mrs. Folu, Loose Kaynon, to mention but a few after a rap competition I entered where I freestyled all the way to the finals. Intellectual conversations especially from people who’ve towed the path before us are like food for the soul and it shapes the idea of what you think you know into what more there is and can be. Engaging in conversations amongst my peers too have made me understand how to channel my message properly so as not to put my listeners off.
What challenges have you faced in your career, and how have you overcome them to reach where you are today?
The number one challenge till date is self doubt. I fight it every day. I have high hopes that I’ll break out globally someday but with the way the industry is saturated, it’s very easy to get dismayed at the chance of blowing up.
I believe friends can play a part in either making or breaking you so part of the challenges I encountered was sieving friends and handling the peer pressure that comes with unhealthy relationships.
I’ve always believed the mind is the most powerful tool in the universe if utilized properly so let’s say I try to be the optimistic guy. Whatever I think becomes my reality and it’s been all waves of positive energy since then and that reflects on the people around me. So for each time they get motivated, I get more motivated too. That’s how I keep keeping on
Catch Up With All The HipHop Africa Special Posts >>>>> Here
Collaborations can be powerful in the music industry. Are there any artists you dream of collaborating with in the future?
Sure! My dream Collab is clearly Marshall Mathers, matter of fact, we had 2 joint albums until I woke up from sleep.
Anyways, I’m open to making good music with anyone serious as long as it’s good music and it’d develop us both.
How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision while also adapting to the evolving trends in the music industry?
It’s not as easy as it looks but I guess reminding yourself constantly why you started goes a long way to keep you in check. It’s not like there’s anything bad with evolving trends, they’re a good help to attain more relevance and boost your longevity chances but then make sure you don’t lose vision of what made your art your art, you dig? Yup, I believe that’s it.
“DND” seems to have a different vibe compared to your earlier works. What was the creative process behind this particular track?
True story, DND wasn’t even planned. I was supposed to record a different crazy song but I met Hilz in the studio when I linked with my bro Gerad and we connected on some 5G ish. I told him how I loved dark chords and at that moment I had a rhythm in my head, I broke it down to him and the genius brought it to life. I wrote DND in like 20 minutes or so. It was easy to write because it was my story I was writing so there was soul to it and it wasn’t forced.
That was how that baby was born. Crazy but knowing me, crazy is quite the norm.
As a birthday celebration, is there any special message you’d like to share with your fans who have been supporting you throughout your journey?
You guys are my strength, clearly. The texts, the calls, the little efforts you make pushing me is seismic in my eyes and I promise I won’t give up. I’ve got way crazier content in store, we’ll get to the top together.
Most of all, Thank You!
Can you shed some light on your songwriting process? Do you draw inspiration from personal experiences, or is it a more collaborative effort?
I’ve always been a songwriter by my lonesome. It’s not hard writing songs or creating poems and beautiful pieces when you have the ability to freestyle. On a good day, I can write a dope 16 in 5 minutes or even less if my mind is locked in.
My environment plays a major role though. I gain inspiration majorly from how I feel at that point either stemming from personal experiences or what I see around me. Having someone else around only hypes me up more but I don’t depend on anyone to write.
In the competitive world of hip-hop, what sets you apart from other artists, and how do you define your unique style?
Nobody punches like me, bruhhhhh! I can create punchlines from things you see everyday but fail to notice. That’s why when I drop them, it leaves you mesmerized thinking; “Why didn’t I think about that before?! That’s why I call it The Wonder Effect.
I also have this sense of humor I infuse that gives my tense verses a comic relief feel. I’ve always been a comic dude but then again I’m a live clown you should take dead serious. Because with the balance I attain with the comedy and heavy punchlines/ wordplay, I don’t think other rappers come close to my pen game.
I can literally rap about anything I see around me or even you so I’m really entertaining and a wonder to watch. That’s my unique style.
Looking back at your achievements, is there a specific accomplishment that you are particularly proud of in your career?
This year has been a crazy rough year but I think it’s had more records of my wins too. I explored live battle rap since May and I haven’t lost a battle since then.
But I’d say winning Vector’s Big Flexa Challenge was among my highlight for the year. It was a challenge that had hundreds of entries from different insane rappers so I believe it gave me respect and that’s part of what Hip Hop is centered around; respect from your fellow Emcees.
Dropping DND was a huge accomplishment too. It pushed me to come out of my shell and show people a side of me they hadn’t seen before so I’m grateful for that.
What role do you believe social media plays in the success of emerging artists, and how do you navigate its influence on your career?
The world is a digital market now, social media brings what you want to your doorstep because the generation of kids these days are always on their phones. So if you’ve got just the right thing to catch their eyes, they’re sold so social media is really important not just to artistes but to Business Moguls, Connoisseurs and the likes.
Inasmuch as social media is a great catalyst for growth to an up and comer in the music industry, I personally deal with Nomophobia so I discipline myself to take some off time so as not to be oversaturated with the contents and messages been fed online. Doing that helps me sieve out what’s real from what’s meant to be planted and it doesn’t let the thought of others become mine. With just the right balance you can control it and not let it control you because at the end of the day, it’s key to note that people would always have their 2 cents but you shouldn’t let all the talks get to you. You can only do that if you establish control over what you perceive and digest online.
Your journey includes both battle rap and music. Do you have a preference between the two, or do you enjoy blending both elements in your music?
I love Music. Battle rapping is just me trying to branch out and sharpen my rap skills more because it’s a sport for the quick witted and not the faint at heart. The same way I’m trying to master singing and also hone my freestyle skills too. They’re all important too because they’ve enlightened people to my skillset and given me respect among my peers too. But at the end of the day, I wanna do music in the long run. I’ll live and die for her.
As an artist, how do you approach handling criticism and feedback, and how has it contributed to your growth?
It is important to always have an open mind. You can never grow in your comfort zone, getting criticized is a way for you to learn to adapt to change and develop yourself even as a person.
So I always try my best to listen to whatever you have to say and understand it. I don’t necessarily have to respond immediately. When you listen just to talk back, you’re not learning, you’re arguing and trying to prove you’re right. And like I said earlier, you have to be ready to learn and relearn in this music industry so most times you listen more and say less. That helps you digest both the negative and positive comments and improves your people skills too because the more you learn from people without actually trying to fight or prove you know more, the more value you attach and it would reflect in the long run because you tend to attract like minded people and growth only gets better from there.
Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that your fans can look forward to in the near future?
Collaborations, yeah, projects, yup. Next year, I’ll shock everybody. You’d feel The Wonder Effect so just brace yourselves.
How do you stay connected with your audience, and what significance do your fans hold in your musical journey?
I’m like Kitana from Mortal Kombat, I’m nothing without my fans. They mean everything to me, that’s why I call them my Wonders. I always try to engage the texts I receive online and interact too. Feedback from them is always a must because it helps me get better and I do it to make them know they’re the reason I do it in the first place. There’s no Buez without them.
What advice would you give to aspiring young artists who look up to your success in the industry?
Love yourself and never lose hope and give in to the self doubt because it’ll always be there.
Grab opportunities as they come. So you’ll end up saying “Thank God I did” instead of “I could have”.
Keep practicing too. You’ll only get better. If the greats that we look up to keep grinding every single day, how much more us. Anything that’d make you harness your skill properly and own it, do it consistently and passionately. It’s not gonna be easy, I know that personally, but yo, you know what they say about hard times.
Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for the next phase of your career?
Honestly, I wanna be a solid artiste, better my singing and also push my pen too, then blend both of them and feed the world good music.
Looking forward to dropping the EP too and networking with more creatives next year than I did this year.
I also hope to take a break from Chelsea, I don’t wanna be involved in toxic relationships anymore.
