Easter weekend in Lagos is always intense, but this one felt different. For DJ and producer Yosa, it was a marathon of sound and motion, packed with back-to-back sets at some of the season’s most anticipated events. From the immersive lights and energy of Hi-Fi by Homecoming to an electric Boiler Room performance that left no one standing still, we followed Yosa through it all. Just before he heads out on tour with Rema, we caught up with him to talk about rhythm, roots, and what it takes to stay grounded while moving at full volume.

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Please, introduce yourself. Who is Yosa?

I am a music producer and DJ living and working in Lagos, Nigeria.

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How are you feeling lately? What kind of headspace are you in, and what emotions are you feeling right now?

To be honest sometimes I have a hard time acknowledging good things because I dont want to jinx it but right now I feel great. I just did boiler room this past Saturday night, which went well. A literal dream come true moment for me. Crazy night overall. I spent today picking up clothes for some of my favourite Nigerian designers and right now I am packing and prepping to head off to tour for two months. So there are a lot of good things happening, a lot to be grateful for. There’s also a tinge of pre travel anxiety, that nervous/excited/anticipation feeling you get as you’re climbing to the top of a roller coaster. 

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What’s the most recent sound or track that made you feel something?

Gosh by Jamie XX. Just listen and you’ll get it.

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Where did you grow up? What was childhood like for you?

I grew up in a few different places but the place that hold the most memories is Boston, MA where I spent my highschool years. 

My childhood was pleasant. My parents were/are pastors and missionaries so I spent a lot of my childhood moving around a lot and inside a church building. We would move to different places to start or join new churches. So it was always a new house, new city, new school. I feel like I was always the new kid. That lifestyle has its pros and cons because on one hand I became quick to make friends, but on the other I never made deep connections because one day I might move and never see this person again. 

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Did you grow up in an artistic/creative household?

Not necessarily, but my parents did encourage us to learn instruments and we were always listening to music. Also like I said I grew up in a church-building household. And anyone that grew up as a pastor’s kid knows you have to learn to do everything a little by force. There were periods where I’d lead praise and worship, welcome guests, run errands, man the slides, clean, collect offering,  etc etc. So I guess that’s part of where the creativity comes from.

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What was the music like in the house growing up?

I mostly, almost exclusively listened to christian/alternative rock they played on christian radio. Bands like Relient K, Jeremy Camp, Skillet. 3 Doors Down. Mostly Christian, very white. Also mostly cringey when I listen back now but some songs actually still bang. As I got older I got into my rebellious rap phase.

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Can you remember the moment music or sound first caught your attention?

Nope. But I was always around music. I was leading praise and worship as a 12 year old or something. So it was kind of always a part of my life. 

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When did DJing enter your world? Was there a defining moment when you realized, “Yeah, this is it”??

I started DJing the year after high school, just before entering UNI. Long story but I took a year off from school and didnt have much to do at home. Somehow I stumbled on “Virtual DJ” and downloaded it to my computer. I also had just discovered Wizkid’s Superstar album and Mavin records. So I fell in love with those at the same time and would just want to mix them all the time, finding cool new transitions, making mixes. Then went to Uni and DJing was part of my identity. I would play literally as much as possible. There was one time I was heading back from a party I’d just played at, I was with a good friend, Mamadou. We were approaching the entrance to our dorm and as he was bringing out his keycard to unlock the door, he paused and looked at me and said “You’re really good at this DJing shit bro, you should keep doing it.” Literally. So casually. Then just moved on to whatever else we were about to get into. But I remember that moment pretty vividly. I’m very grateful for that moment. I remind him of it sometimes.

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Before all of this, what did you imagine you’d be doing by now?

Might be hard to believe but this is pretty close to what I imagined.

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How would you describe your style, as a DJ and as a creative?

I feel my style as a DJ comes primarily from my experience DJing almost non stop in college. I’d play mostly frat parties and bars. Open format. Mixing genres and BPMs for hours. I think subconsciously, I like to keep that sweaty, frat basement feel as much as I can in my sets till now. Fast pace, party energy, different genres, with pockets of nostalgia.

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What does preparing for a set look like for you? What’s your ritual before you get behind the decks?

It depends on the set but generally I’ll start by going online (Soundcloud, YouTube, Spotify, Beatport, 1001tracklists etc) to find new songs that impress my mind. I add them to my library and play with them amongst the music I already have to get comfortable with them and to find new blends and sweet transitions. I don’t actually have a ritual yet. I have a weird feeling that having to do a ritual for me to be able to play can be an extra mental hurdle I’d have to surmount each time. I like the idea of just being able to do the thing anywhere, anytime. Like a mf mercenary. Do mercenaries have rituals? That’s how I feel about it right now, I also feel like it’d be nice to develop one that makes sense for me in the future. I’m not apposed. Also I guess practicing is my preshow ritual. 

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What do you want people to feel when they’re at a Yosa set?

Someone once told me my set felt like they were seeing a new color. Blew my mind. That feeling every time, for every set would be ideal.

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What’s next for you? what should we be watching out for?

Really just more and more sets. I’m actually about to go on tour for the first time everrr, to the US and Europe from May through June, opening for Rema. So it’ll be a busy summer for sure. I’m excited. 

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Do you feel like the industry is evolving in a way that benefits creatives like yourself?

Yea its interesting because it seems like the stars are aligning for Lagos creatives and  creatives in Nigeria generally. It’s felt this way for some time now. The Nigerian industry is becoming more open to new and emerging sounds. In Lagos you weren’t able to throw a big party and expect people to actually show without a major artist headliner. Or as big of an artist as you can afford. Now the DJ focused events that were kinda fringe two years ago are the new mainstream, the biggest parties in the city. Its been fun to watch and be a part of.

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Finally, what metaphor best describes your life right now?

Silence is Golden :)

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