Kel P Interview: Taking the Leap From Producer to Recording Artist

With Afrobeats springing up in the 2000s and 2010s undeniably has come a long way and this progress has been pioneered by music creatives who have worked tirelessly to ensure that our genre of music receives the attention it deserves. So many creatives have diversified into the Afrobeats genre and a notable position has to be Music Production. The likes of Kel P, who has been a team lead in the production of music projects which has launched Afrobeats worldwide, is one for the books.

Born Udoma Peter Kelvin Amba, Kel-p is a Nigerian multi talented, Grammy nominated music producer who with his rhythmic sounds has found ways to promote the beauty of African music especially Afrobeats to Billboard charts and more by creating beats from his ever evolving dedication to his craft.

Producing music albums such as Burna Boy’s “African Giant” in 2019 of which he got an international nomination, The Grammys, proved that Afrobeats has made an impact in people’s choice of music. We sat down with Kel P to give us insights about his career, the progress so far and most importantly, What’s Next?

We Know Kel P as Grammy nominated producer but we want to know something different.

My name is Kel P;Kelvin Udoma and like you said, I am a Grammy nominated music producer. I started producing music in 2017 but my career took off in 2018. Afterwards, I produced Burna Boy’s album in 2019 which took my career to the next level.

At what point did you make up your mind to venture into music production?

I have always wanted to go into music but my parents never wanted me to go into music production. It is a common African parent thing when they have a different plan for their child and the child tries to choose something different. Still, I found my way out and went for what I wanted.

What’s a typical day for you when you have a project to work on? Do you have any ritual you practice before working on a job?

First of all when I wake up, I listen to music, go through my phone, make some phone calls or check emails, workout and then go to the studio. Sometimes, I record at home. That’s pretty much it.

How do you try to keep up with new updates in the music industry?

To get updates with what’s happening in the scene, I watch what everyone is doing, especially those that inspire me. I watch comedy, listen to music and hang out with my friends, that’s how I keep up.

What’s your view on Afrobeats impact in today’s music?

Afrobeats has done a lot of good work. I remember then when it was hard to get others to listen to Afrobeats or to even penetrate the international scene but today, all that has changed and it’s all thanks to the OG’s who made this possible; they were consistent in getting our music out there and here we are today. Though I feel Afrobeats still has a lot to do. We still need to diversify our approach and by that I mean, we should have Afro-pop, Afro-Soul, Afro- Swing and many others. Regardless, It is a great feeling to be alive and to experience the progress Afrobeats has made so far.

You recently released a single called, “One More Night”, what inspired you to take a shift from producing to singing?

Being in the music industry inspired me to release my single. I have been singing for a long time so it’s not something I started today, I never just released any of the songs until now I just wanted to remain behind the scenes and produce music. I actually started working on this project in 2019. I sampled a couple old American songs just to try it out, then I went to my manager and friends and they said it was good to go so we decided to put a face to the Kel P brand.

With your years of experience as a producer, what has been your major highlight and challenge?

I have experienced a lot of things in the business and creative aspects especially in terms of business. I have been blessed to be in a position where I can make good choices in business and this comes from lessons learnt so far. It has been an enlightening journey so far.

If there is someone you could collaborate with as a producer and as an artist, who would that be?

I have so many people I would like to work with and I’m currently working with them. In the African scene for producers, I’m working with Sarz, Kriz beatz, Don Jazzy and many more. I’m working with all A-star producers. For artists in the African scene, I have always wanted to work with Bella Shmurda. He’s a creative that I look forward to working with.

What’s next for Kel P?

An EP is next. My EP drops on February 24th. I’m also working on an album but an EP first. In all, I plan to keep putting out more songs alongside producing songs.

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