Singer Jesse Nnaemeka Dibe, popularly known as Jesse Flames, speaks with MUSA ADEKUNLE about his background, the challenges of balancing singing, writing and producing, and his latest single, Flex featuring Jesse Jagz.

Tell us about yourself, your background, including your age, early education, and what growing up was like.
My name is Jesse Nnaemeka Dibe. I’m from Imo State, Nigeria. I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, and I grew up in FESTAC, Lagos, to be precise. I was there for about 16 years. Then I went to London to further my education. I attended Middlesex University to study film production. I also did a mixing and mastering course for music.

I started making music at the age of 11. I loved music from when I was young. My mum was in a choir. I started playing drums in primary school and also the piano, and I just gravitated to music. I officially kick-started my career in 2016 when I dropped a track called Like That and also Double Double.

Why did you go into music, and where did you get the stage name Jesse Flames?
When I was growing up, my brother and sister were always performing music in school. When they came home, I admired them. I also looked up to people like Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber. Since I could play the drums and piano, and also rap, I felt music was the right thing for me.

It was my calling. It was either music or basketball. I was really good at sports, but music was my first love. So, I decided to pursue it properly as a career. I started off as a rapper.

Your songwriting and production feel very seamless. Can you walk us through your creative process from the first idea to the final track?
My creative process is different sometimes. I can be inspired by nature when I am outside. It could be me just recording on my voice notes and later making the beats. Sometimes in the studio, I come up with the beats first, depending on what melody I infuse.

Then I go into the songwriting process. Sometimes it can be the beat first, sometimes it can be the chorus or hook before the beat production. It varies.

You’re about to release Flex featuring Jesse Jagz. Why did you choose this track, and what inspired it, and what mood did you want to create with it?
This track was very effortless, very creative, very unique. We did not even try much. It was organic. Jagz came to my studio. He honoured my invitation. We were just talking, having a few drinks, discussing. Then we started producing.

My producer and I started making the beat from scratch. We played him a couple of beats, like 20 beats. He liked them but did not choose them. It was the one we created from scratch that he gravitated to. From there, we started building the song.

It took me less than five minutes to come up with the chorus. It took him even less than 20 minutes to write his verse. It was very organic.

Why did you choose Jesse Jagz for the collaboration?
I did not think of other artistes. Jesse Jagz is one of my inspirations in the Nigerian music industry. He is a producer like me. He is a lyricist like me. He sings. He infuses melodies the way I do. He is a legend.

I looked up to him from his freestyles back in the day, Tim Westwood, Jesse JTD, Jaggo, and other songs he dropped that inspired me. I always wanted to work with Jesse Jagz, Ice Prince and M.I., the whole Chocolate City. So, it was an honour.

I got the opportunity to work with him through a friend of my brother who knew Jesse Jagz from Jos. I was very happy.

Which other artistes have you worked with in the past?
I’ve worked with Ice Prince. I have a song with him after Flex, it’s called Commander. That’s a hit as well. I’ve worked with Oritse Femi, Mike Magneto and Shmalee. I am yet to work with M.I., but it is in the making.

You released Freaky Baby in May in 2025. What inspired that track and why the title?
Freaky Baby was a club song inspired by how I was feeling after my producer made the beat. I had just come back from the club at around 5.30 a.m. There was a girl I was talking to at that time.

I decided to appreciate her by singing that song. She was bold, sexy, nice and beautiful. I felt she deserved that record.

Afrofusion put you in a global space. How do you blend Afrobeats, R&B and Pop in a way that feels unique to you?
The fusion of my music is natural. Growing up in Lagos, being born in America, and living in London made me very multicultural.

That is why you can hear Pop, R&B and Hip-Hop in my songs. My music blends cultures together. People hear my sound and say they can recognise my style, accent, melodies.

My influences range from Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade and Osadebe, to Lil Wayne, Drake, Tupac, Biggie, R. Kelly, Usher, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber and even highlife. I listen to everything. I am musically inclined.

How has your background shaped your music and storytelling?
My background shaped me in many ways. Growing up in Nigeria gave me the foundation I needed. It made me street smart. Everybody can relate to that.

Being able to speak Yoruba and Igbo also played a huge role in my music. It helped me craft a diverse sound.

You sing, you write and produce. What is the most challenging part of switching between these roles?
I started in JSS1. Back then, my mum and dad used to give me pocket money. I would save it and sneak out of boarding school to record at a studio in FESTAC where people like Sound Sultan and 2Face used to record.

At one time, a producer collected ₦25,000 from me and refused to give me my song. That money was like ₦200,000 today. That experience pushed me to start producing my own beats.

The challenge is that when you do everything alone, it slows you down. There was a year I only released one song because I had to make the beat, record, mix and master by myself. It was difficult.

Now, I work more with my crewmate Raj Beats who handles the production. I focus on songwriting because juggling all three is very demanding.

What feeling do you want your listeners to take away from Freaky Baby?
I want my listeners to feel my journey. I want them to feel joy and happiness, but also my struggles and emotions. I want them to connect with me through the music.

Can you share a fun or unexpected moment that happened in the studio while recording this song Flex?
The experience on Flex with Jessie Jagz was very natural and organic. Imagine me having the opportunity to host him in my studio through my brother’s friend.

So just going to the studio, making the beat from scratch, creating the chorus, him creating his rap. So it was very fun and playful.

If you are to describe this song in just one word, what would that be?
Legendary.
You have given us Good Intentions EP in the past. What should fans look forward to next?
Fans should expect more music and more features. From the start of my career, I dropped singles mostly by myself. But now, I am focusing on collaborations.

What is your biggest dream in the music industry, and do you see this as long-term?
Music is my life. It is a journey. I see myself doing it till the end of time. Even when I stop singing, I have my label. I will sign new artistes, give them a voice, and inspire the world.

Do you look forward to being signed to a record label?
At the moment, I enjoy being independent. If I ever sign to a major label, it would be a distribution deal where I own my masters, while they share in the success.

How has the journey been, doing everything yourself?
I would not call it lonely, but it has not been easy. People see me at the front, but my brothers and close friends have been supporting me.
I have received many “no’s” but they made me stronger. I have also received many “yes’s.” The industry is not easy, but if you have passion and you stick with it, you will succeed.

My advice is, do not wait for someone to discover you. Push yourself. At the end of the day, it is God who controls everything, not man.

If you have one piece of advice for your younger self, what would it be?
Do not be too harsh on yourself. Every step you take is success. Count the little wins as success too. Stay positive and be optimistic.