Young Jonn on Life After Grief, Building Hits, TikTok Charts & World Tours | Afrobeats Intelligence

Subscribe To Okayafrica:    / @okayafrica   YOUNG JONN AFROBEATS INTELLIGENCE    • Young Jonn on Life After Grief, Building H...   Young Jonn on Turning Pain Into Power, Producing Classics & Building a Global Sound | Afrobeats Intelligence “Olamide taught me work ethic.” In this episode of Afrobeats Intelligence, Nigerian hitmaker Young Jonn sits down with Joey Akan to reflect on his rise from church keyboards in Osogbo to the global stage—first as a chart-topping producer, and now a boundary-pushing solo artist. From “Story for the Gods” and “Bobo” with Olamide, to solo smashes like “Dada,” “Aquafina,” “Xtra Cool,” and “Sokoto,” Young Jonn’s evolution is raw, honest, and deeply inspiring. He opens up about the loss of his mother, the push from his manager Isioma to take the mic, and the emotional courage it took to own his voice. He dives deep into his YBNL-era production legacy, including working on “Mafo,” “Big Big Things,” “Currency,” and more. He shares the lessons he learned from Olamide: “Work first, shine later.” As an artist, Young Jonn recounts early stage fright, his first show, and how recording “Dada” after his mother’s passing helped him process grief. With fans from Peckham to Houston, and streaming numbers soaring in Toronto, NYC, and Accra, Young Jonn speaks to the diaspora pulse of modern Afrobeats. He breaks down his new album journey, genre-bending production, and what he’s bringing to global stages—from festival sets in London to club bangers lighting up TikTok and Spotify. Whether you know him from Dada Remix with Davido or Chocolate City’s artist revival, this episode connects the dots between legacy, innovation, and purpose. Timestamps 0:00 — Performing live & early personality 5:05 — First time on stage: nerves & adrenaline 6:47 — Losing his mom & choosing to go solo 10:30 — How “Dada” changed everything 12:00 — Becoming an artist after producing hits 16:45 — Church roots, Ibadan memories & quitting football 21:31 — Meeting Olamide & joining YBNL 23:45 — Producing “Story for the Gods”, “Bobo”, “Mafo” 27:25 — Lessons from Olamide: consistency is currency 31:50 — Developing his unique production speed & sound 37:33 — Signing with Chocolate City and going global 46:00 — Afrobeats abroad: From Lagos to Toronto, London & NYC 51:20 — “Aquafina,” “Sokoto,” “Currency” and finding new sound 56:30 — Advice to up-and-coming Afrobeats artists Tags:young jonn, dada young jonn, sokoto young jonn, young jonn interview, young jonn afrobeats intelligence, afrobeats intelligence podcast, joey akan interview, joey akan young jonn, young jonn chocolate city, young jonn olamide, story for the gods, young jonn producer journey, how young jonn became an artist, afrobeats producer to artist, young jonn grieving his mother, young jonn lost his mom, nigeria music industry, afrobeats 2025, afrobeats evolution, okayafrica, okayplayer, young jonn okplayer, joey akan okayafrica, afrobeats storytelling, afrobeats diaspora, afrobeats uk, afrobeats london, afrobeats toronto, afrobeats vancouver, afrobeats houston, afrobeats atlanta, afrobeats chicago, afrobeats new york, afrobeats dc, afrobeats boston, afrobeats denver, afrobeats dallas, afrobeats seattle, afrobeats la, young jonn europe tour, afrobeats europe, afrobeats us, nigerian music scene, afrobeats superproducer, olamide baddo,, afrobeats with purpose, how artists reinvent, chocolate city artists 2025, afrobeats diaspora fans, afrobeats uk drill fans, nigerians in houston, afrobeats berlin germany, afrobeats in toronto canada, nigerian-american music fans, afrobeats for college students, afrobeats fans in london, afrobeats dc brunch, africans in the bronx music, afrobeats montreal nightlife, young jonn youtube interview, young jonn official video, young jonn europe tour, diaspora afrobeats documentary, how to make afro pop, african creatives abroad, olamide ybnl story, joey akan afrobeats podcast, behind the scenes afrobeats, producer to artist transition, building career after grief, afrobeats fans in atlanta, afrobeat brunch new york, afrobeats rising stars 2025, nigerians in paris music, africa to the world sound, afrobeats for uk club goers, afrobeats live sessions, afrobeats intelligence deep dive, afrobeats personality spotlight, diaspora sonic identity, afrobeats behind the fame,african musicians in la, west african artists 2025, pan-african music discovery, viral afrobeats moments, afrobeats genius producers, spotify afrobeats 2025, afrobeats in the gym, young jonn grief story, sokoto to global, emotional music afrobeats, faith and music africa, music therapy in nigeria, what inspires young jonn, viral afrobeats lyrics, best afrobeats concerts 2025, okayafrica artists, okayplayer afrobeat focus, joey akan okayafrica, afrobeats, emotional hooks in afrobeats, afrobeats intelligence youtube, afrobeat producer spotlight,