Since he broke out with a production credit on Tekno’s hit, “Pana,” superstar producer, Krizbeatz, has not stood still. Whether orchestrating livewire collabs like “Time & Place” with Terri and Victony or the sanguine Reekado Banks and Rayvanny-featuring “Aminah,” he has established his reputation as a deft curator of African music. It all comes from what he describes as an ability to improve on his craft constantly. “For me, creativity is the ability to do the same thing but do it with a different perspective and style,” he says one Friday in February. “It involves taking what has existed and making it better because there’s no fresh idea, we can only make it better.”
His ability to constantly innovate comes from a knack for being at the cutting edge of Afropop and spotting talents long before others recognise them. “In terms of my evolution, I am better at spotting what a thing will be before it becomes,” he says about his approach. “If you take a look at every one I’ve worked with in the last three to four years like FAVE, Victony, and Bella Shmurda, you can see a difference in what their sound was when we worked and what it is after we worked. That’s something I’m thankful for.”
That appreciation of the next generation has always been a Krizbeatz signature but it is taken to the next level on his recent album, Daddy Daycare. Released in January 2025, it reverberates with the essence of a new phase in his life as a father. “As the name implies, I’m a new father and it’s a new space for me working from the perspective of fatherhood,” he says. “I might be making beats in the studio and somebody wants me to carry them or give them attention. I love it, I feel like I’ve been rehearsing all my life to be a father.”
Within its margins, Daddy Daycare also bears the mark of rigour that went into the album-making process. “The Daddy Daycare album is different for me because I paid extra attention to it,” Krizbeatz says. Over 37 artists worked on the project and only 12 songs made the final cut from a pool of 57 songs. “Every artist and everyone I had on the album reflected my energy and paid extra attention to their lyrics and delivery,” he says.
From the beginning of Daddy Daycare, the hypnotic “Ha Yeh” with Alpha P and King Perryy sets a standard that followed through the expanse of the album as Krizbeatz united a cast of precocious rising talents and storied acts. He is particularly proud of being able to bring great performances from his guests. “There’s a record with Taves and Alhaji Adewale Ayuba and everyone has been commenting about how Taves sounds different from the usual way he flows,” he says excitedly. “People said that he’d been tilting towards a particular style but we were able to tweak that sound on this album. In the same vein, Alhaji Adewale Ayuba sounded amazing and was able to bring that nostalgic essence to the record as well.”
As is standard with almost any Krizbeatz project, the sound of the album extends itself far away from just Nigeria, revealing the singer to be in conversation with other parts of the continent as a music-maker. “I need to be able to foster those connections because African music is what I do and not necessarily Nigerian music,” he explains. Acts like Rayvanny. Joshua Baraka, and Bien (formerly of Sauti Sol) join for a showcase of unity and freewheeling experimentation. “It’s important to cater to people who listen to you because I believe that I need to carry my customers along even as I expand my music,” he says. “East Africa is like a second home for me. I play shows out there, and do tours of the region.”
Post-release, he’s been inundated with positive reviews of the album and he’s glad that people can find joy within his work. “I’ve not gotten one bad review so far and I’m still waiting,” he half-jokes. “It’s not like I’m expecting bad feedback because I put my heart and soul into it.” For Krizbeatz, this album is an experience in of itself and the songs speak for themselves in that sense. “It’s not just Krizbeatz going into the studio and making an album,” he further says. “It has the energy of everybody in the studio even people who went to get drinks. If you take a look at “Which Kind Dance” with Reminisce and Wave Choir, you’d never have thought you’d hear Reminisce do something like that. “Belly Of The Beast” with Wizard Chan is another of my favourite songs and the reception has just been crazy. I’m grateful for that.”
