NIGERIAN PUNK ROCKSTAR CHI WANTS YOU TO SEE THE LIZARD PEOPLE
Chi has taken her Nigeran roots and created her own unique sound with heavy influences in hip hop, rock and pop – just to name a few sounds. As she cultivates her sound and expands her reach, Chi is the artist you need to add to your playlist immediately!
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
You are from Lagos and currently live in London. Talk to us about your cultural roots and how it has influenced your music sonically.
I love the whole British punk era I thought it was so fab, sonically and aesthetically so I started taking a lot of influence from that because it comes very naturally to me. I also love being Nigerian, I left Lagos when I was young, but I remember when I moved to the UK, I’d make sure people knew I was from Lagos!
I started experimenting with adding Afro elements to my sound a while back, particularly melody flows and percussion. I love African drums so much and I find the melody flows used way more interesting than any other genre of music and both happen to go so perfectly with indie or rock guitars. I’ve been working on mixing those two worlds together for a while now, and I think I found a sweet spot.
What genre would you define your music in?
This is such a hard question for me! I don’t think I can choose one, my mixtape is all over the shop. Experimental is the first word and then indie, afro, pop, punk, rock. I really don’t know. Let me not try and define it right now, I’m still figuring it out!
Let’s talk about your new song “Lizard People”. When creating songs, walk us through your process.
I don’t have one set process, sometimes I get sent a beat and I record at home, sometimes I’ll make it from scratch in the studio with a producer. Sometimes I’ll write and create the beat around that. This song in particular Genio started making the beat while we’re were all together at a friend’s house. When I first heard the loop, I remember feel like I was in some kind of soft horror film montage, so I said the ‘bloody mary’ line and I recorded that first verse there and then.
I took it home and did the hook. Mowa was with me when I did the verse and she’d initially laid some references down, so I had to get her to finish her part, booked a studio and Deto came along with us that day and so I obviously I ask her to go on it also. Finished the final arrangement after they’d all recorded and that was that.
How hands on were you for your latest music video for “Lizard People”?
Honestly, Zach took the lead. We’d met up to talk about potentially doing a photoshoot together, we were talking about styling me in Mowalola for it and I was like, you know what, I would love press images for Deto, Mowa and I for this song. I played him the song and he was like I want to do a video for it!
I showed him a reference of three girls looking scared in a car and talked to him about an initial idea I’d had about us being chased and that was all references I gave him. He then came back with this wonderful treatment, 10/10, no notes.
The post was the hardest part, it took us like 8 months to finish! I ended up having to edit the first sequence, and then sent it back to them to jazz up. The vfx editor Jordan literally killed it! This initial editing house we got to do it dropped out. It was so traumatic. Lol! But yeah, there was a lot of back and forth with Zach, Jordon and I. Shout out Zach and Jordan for real!
“I’ve Seen the Lizard People” is your first full-length project that features 10 songs. Talk to us about the process of making this album and your current favorite song from it.
That project is really just a collection of some of my favorite songs I’d made in the past 2 and a half years prior. I released my first song in 2019 and I realized in 2020 that my music literally wasn’t good, so I spent so much time developing my sound from then on, barely released anything, and was just figuring stuff out.
So those are my favs from that development time. So, it’s definitely a mixtape not an album! I think my favorite is ‘The Answer’ I just love the lyrics, i remember the first time Tyler sent me that beat I was like wow! I find myself listening to it when I’m a bit down still, it just keeps me motivated.
When you’re back home in London, what are a few things you’re doing for fun or to relax?
Honestly, making music relaxes me so much and it’s so fun. Sounds so cliche, it’s like therapy and hobby. Otherwise, I love playing chess. I’m a chess.com addict.
How would you describe your fashion style?
Sexy? Fun? Problematic? People are always coming for me online over the shit I wear! But honestly, I’m quite a lazy dresser. I don’t like to think too much about it, if it looks hot, I’ll wear it.
What are some fashion brands you’re loving right now?
Oooo, okay I love Dilara, her pieces are so sexy I feel amazing every time I wear it. I love Fanci Club, again, so sexy. Raga Malak is fire, love everything they do. Alexander Wang has been killing it recently also. Greg Ross is fire!! I am obsessed with these pieces. Obviously, I love everything Mowalola does! I’m probably missing a few vital brands but those are the first ones that come to mind!
What American artist could you see yourself collaborating with one day?
I high-key collaborated with one of my favs recently, who was in the studio with Fousheé last week. She’s so iconic! I would love to collab with Caroline Polachek or Willow. I literally listen to their music every day. I think me and Teezo Touchdown would make beautiful music and then Doja Cat would be like final boss dream.
Have you always rocked the blonde curly fro? Would you rock any other styles?
Omg no! I shaved my hair at the start of this year! I used to have a big ass fro but I’d had enough and took the plunge, best thing I ever did! It’s actually pink right now I get bored so fast when I comes to hair. I think I’m gonna do a buss down for a bit next, like 30 inches!
What’s next for Chi for the rest of 2024?
More great music! More great visuals! More development!
TEAM CREDITS:
Editor in Chief: Prince Chenoa (@princechenoastudio)
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Photographer: Tatiana Coen (@tatianacoen)
