There is a lot that can be said about Osagie Onobun but the concept of mediocrity. Professionally known as 10Ten, the musical prodigy and Chocolate City honcho has, over the years, committed every second of his life to eradicating mediocrity from the mainstream African music scene.

From Blaqbonez’ Sex Over Love to his own recently-released record dubbed, ‘Dealer’ (featuring Tar1Q and Blaqbonez), 10Ten continues to etch his mark as a musician-per-excellence on Afrobeats’ walls of fame. Whether it’s producing music, singing or writing them, or working as an Artiste and Repertoire (A&R), 10Ten seems to always know the right ingredients for every song.

Overseeing the A&R department at Chocolate City for the last three years, 10Ten has built a solid reputation as a genius for emotive Afrobeats. His drive for bohemian expressions continue to keep him on his toes, especially with finding and making music with remarkable young talent.

What’s the fuss about becoming an A&R these days? What’s the fulfillment in tripling such a workflow with singing and record production? 10Ten’s artistry seems to hold answers to these certain curiosities and he shares his story in this exposè with Guardian Music, from his come-up days as a teenage church drummer, to building an audacious discography with Chocolate City, and so much more.

How long have you been singing?
I mean I have been actively creative, for the longest time, I mean since secondary school thereabout. Yeah.

What year?
I think 2007 or 2008.

Why did you decide to delve into music?
I started music quite early, but I got into the music business in 2018. That was when I fully got into the music business and I started working with Chocolate City. Before that I will say I was doing music only as church work. You know the whole church choirmaster/choir mistress thing. I was usually singing in the choir and also a few school competitions here and there. I also had a group in school then, and we just freestyled to some beats here and there. On actually getting into the Industry, it was in 2018 with Chocolate City as an intern, and then I began working my way up to being the head of A&R till now being able to put out my music.

So, you always had the desire to still put out music?
It’s always there, because of the design of my work. I’m always in the studio with the artiste so it’s not like I stopped making music; I continued. So, there was never a break; we were just not releasing.

How would you describe your sound?
I think I’m a very niche person; niche in the sense that I like when people are vulnerable on songs. And not vulnerable in the way that – you know everybody just wants to be sad – but music that when people listen they feel like they are listening to the truth. They can feel that I’m not wasting their time. You know, with the lyrics, with the melody, it’s all very sincere. And coming straight from a real place.

So let’s talk about ‘Dealer’. What inspired it?
Okay so, I made the beat after listening to Wizkid’s ‘Mood’ and I was just playing it and I needed to pop on it. And TAR1Q too was trying to get on it at the same time. I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s just get both of you on the song!’ And it was seamless. It just blew naturally. Blaqbonez spoke about what he was facing during that period. So, it’s like really, you know just putting out there reality out there.

You have quite juggled a lot of responsibilities in the music industry. Which one of them brings you the most joy amongst all the things you do?
So, I think it’s when I’m in the studio, either as an A&R or for whatever reason I’m in the studio.

Do you have a particular creative process?
I think if you even stick to a routine, that’s when you don’t get the best. So it really is just as it comes.

What is one memorable experience you have had while working in the studio?
There was once a guy who was smoking in the studio. I was there and I was inhaling everything. I didn’t know, but I think that was my first time working with someone that smokes. So, I didn’t know what it was and I was just inhaling everything while working. And for forty minutes straight, I was trying to fix something on my system, I can’t remember what it was. But I was working and I was sweating and everything.

And like after forty minutes, someone just hit me and said that I had just been staring at TV. So, there was a TV screen and there was the laptop screen, and for forty minutes I thought I was doing something entirely different. I didn’t know they even made a video of me, and I was just there, staring at the screen. So, it was a wild experience for me. I was like, ‘So, this is how it feels to be high and stuff. That was it.’

How do you think you want to stand out, with your forthcoming music?
Okay, that’s an interesting one. So, I realized for a long time that people don’t actually know what being an A&R is. Look at Sarz, look at Pharrel, Don Jazzy, look at Basket mouth, look at DJ Khaled. These are the people that have no limit, as regard what type of creativity they are going to pull out. Like you just see something incredible, and then it’s there. Pharrel could be working on Khaled’s project, or working on Travis Scott’s project, while working on his project, or dropping songs.

So, basically that’s how fluid I want to be; I want to be limitless. I don’t know what step I’m going to take from here, but I know it’s going to be creativity in music. It’s going to be evolving. But I will definitely be at the highest level, so yeah.

So, what is the story behind your name?
So, my birthday is October 10th. And in secondary school there was a teacher that identified us with our birthdays. You know 10/10 10ten, that kind of stuff.

So, if you were born on nine eleven, would she have been calling you 9eleven?
There was no nine eleven, but there was a 10ten, and there was 5five. It was just weird that period.

Finally, what would you want people to experience from your artistry?
I want them to experience an escape into art, especially expressive art. I want it to be a safe space to go like, you know when you want to run from everything. Just know that what you are expecting from 10ten is genius.