Raffeal …making music is enough fulfilment, not money

There are many things that endear one to emerging voices in music, and Raffeal seems to have them in his grasp. Being a young musician, the Nigerian-American act keeps popping up on the radar every now and then, with some fiery releases. Saturated or not, Raffeal seems to not care about the hurdles with seizing the spotlight in the music scene. With Raffael, everything remains a pursuit of expression, a satisfaction in the journey, and a never ending aspiration for greatness. “It’s not really about the money,” he tells Guardian Music.

One thing with Raffeal is that he stays true to his style. After starting his career making Christian gospel music, Raffeal made a twist with his creative muses and started creating music that caters to both the romantic and sensual desires of listeners. But his star-factor stays in his vocals. With charming mid-tempo melodies, the young musician remains relevant as one voice on an inevitable ascent to stardom.

In this special episode of Guardian Music, we spotlight the emerging act, exploring his newest record dubbed “Let You Go,” his journey to the limelight, and why he remains steadfast in his dream chasing despite the throes of starting fresh.

Congrats on the new record. How does it feel for you?
Thank you so much, I feel blessed, I feel happy, I feel unstoppable honestly

What inspired the record?
The heartbreak of my home boy inspired record, we were in the studio and he yet repeating how he couldn’t let her go and I just wrote a song off of it

When did you dabble into music?
When I was about 13 I started playing the paint for church and I was in the choir, but I didn’t start recording till I was like 17 and I didn’t start acting writing and making music until I was 20

What has kept you going as an artiste?
Honestly just the grind, I’m at the point where I do not care about blowing up anymore, I just care about making good music and putting it out there, I’m in love with the grind, I’m in love with the photo shoot and video shoots, I’m in love with the promotions, I’m in love with the planning and preparation all of that means a lot to me.

Who are some of your major influences as an artiste?
Honestly everybody, at the end of the day music is art and art is supposed to inspire, so if I listen to someone and it inspires me I appreciate it a lot.

Are you working on any body of work?
If yes, which? Tell us about it. Honestly no not really I’m just making music . I am not forcing anything I am just creating whenever and however I can, if it’s good enough I will put it out, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be putting out an album or EP in the future

Why do you prefer this style of music?
I make happy music, I make love music, I make music that makes you wanna dance, I love this style of music because music fuels your emotions and I don’t believe music and violence goes together so I make happy sounds and spread the love around to whoever is listening.

Do you ever feel like quitting?
Yes of course all the time, I’ll be lying if I said I don’t be feeling like recording sometimes or to give up but I’m addicted to this I don’t think I will ever quite

Who are some people you look forward to collaborating with? It’s a list of them but rn I’m just focused on getting better on my craft

What’s next for you in your career?
The vision is to be great and be the best me that I have seen yet.