Nigerian Afrobeats star Joeboy has raised concerns about the growing influence of ego and unhealthy competition in collaborations within the country’s music industry.
Speaking during an interview on Cool FM alongside fellow artist Wizard Chan, the singer explained that he now prefers working with artists he already has a personal connection with.
According to Joeboy, collaborations tend to work better when there is mutual respect and no underlying rivalry between both artists.
He said he believes featured artists should bring something unique to a song and should not feel pressured to compete with one another during the creative process.
The singer noted that when he invites another artist onto a track, he expects them to deliver strongly rather than hold back in fear of overshadowing him.
Wizard Chan, who recently teamed up with Joeboy on the collaborative project Agaba Romantic, shared similar views about studio dynamics during collaborations.
The singer criticised situations where artists attempt to control how their collaborators record or perform on songs after requesting a feature.
According to him, the purpose of collaboration is to allow different talents and styles to complement each other creatively instead of turning the process into a contest.
Wizard Chan also stressed that artists are usually invited onto songs because they possess qualities or sounds the original artist cannot personally deliver.
Joeboy further expressed disappointment over instances where some musicians reportedly rework or replace their verses after hearing a collaborator’s contribution and feeling outperformed.
He maintained that such behaviour defeats the purpose of collaboration and creates unnecessary tension in the creative process.
