Sensational singer John Ighodaro, popularly known as Johnny Drille, has shared how his unique music style made it difficult for him to land a record deal in the early stages of his career.
He revealed that two major record labels showed interest in signing him but pressured him to change his sound,a move he refused in order to stay true to himself.
The ‘Wait For Me’ singer praised Mavin Records boss Don Jazzy for taking a bold risk by signing him, noting that the decision was driven more by genuine love for his music than immediate commercial gain.
Speaking in a recent episode of the CreativTea podcast, Johnny Drille said, “People could never had imagined that a Mavin Records under Don Jazzy would sign an alternative artist like myself. It was weird for a lot of people.
“There were two other major labels in Nigeria that wanted to sign me but the conversation was always around, ‘How do we change your sound? How do we make it faster? How do we make it danceable?’
“However, when I met Don Jazzy, there were no conversations like that. He was just really a fan of the music…that was a big risk to take, but he pulled it off.”
Johnny Drille gained prominence after participating in the sixth season of Project Fame West Africa in 2013. His debut single ‘Wait For Me’ was released in 2015.
The singer joined Mavin Records in 2017 and released his debut album, ‘Before We Fall Asleep’ in 2012.
