Yugoszn, a 18-year-old musical artist from Lagos, Nigeria, was born Ugochukwu Mgbeoji. Discovering his passion for music at a young age, Yugoszn skillfully combined his innate talent with unwavering confidence to embark on his current career path. A self-dubbed “mad scientist” of sound, this emerging artist refuses to confine himself to a single genre, instead embracing experimentation, storytelling, and the element of surprise to captivate his audience. With the recent release of his self-titled EP, Yugoszn introduces listeners to his eclectic soundscape. Garnering attention from international press and receiving recognition from Live Nation, Yugoszn is only at the beginning of what already looks like a promising journey.
Describe Yugoszn as an artist to us
Yugoszn is a go-getter, Yugoszn is a mad scientist. When it comes to music, sometimes I can be creative in ways that surpass human understanding. [I’m] someone that really wants to inspire and to touch people with music.
Was it always your vision to be an artist or were there other dreams that took precedence?
When I was younger, before I decided music was the thing that I wanted to do full time, I actually thought of becoming a civil engineer […] But when I started experimenting with music and seeing how much impact I can put into the world if I actually take this stuff seriously, I was like, ‘You know what? There are a lot of civil engineers in the world.’
Would you say that you received any kind of pushback from your family or the people around you?
No, actually that’s the most wonderful part about it because I already had songs that I was writing and would show to the family. So when I told them that I wanted to do this for real, they embraced it so much, saying things like “Why didn’t you decide this earlier?” and “We’ve been waiting for you to say this.” They supported me 100%. It’s wonderful. I really love that.
From the moment you dropped your first single to releasing your debut EP, how would you say your life has changed?
Well, I have really learned and experienced a lot of things in the industry, making, writing and recording music. There are a lot of things that I would teach my younger self now. So in that sense, there are a lot of things that I have learned, and a lot of experiences that I’ve gained over the period of time. So yeah, it has really changed my life.
You’ve gained quite a bit of traction online, especially on TikTok, do you feel pressure to maintain that level of consistency and recognition?
No, not really. This is something that I was prepared for. When it comes to TikTok, I remember I would spend nights with my journal, jotting down and analysing the moves I made and the results that come out of it.
So I had it in the back of my mind that when this thing goes right, they’re gonna come plentifully. So I would tell myself ‘I’m ready, let it come.’ I had predicted it.
Let’s get into the EP, Yugoszn. It’s a mixed bag of sounds from hip-hop, Afrobeats, Amapiano to R&B. Did you have a vision and musical influences you were working with when putting this project together?
For me, this EP was an introduction to my diversity and how crazy I can be when it comes to different sounds. I wanted to show the world what I can do on different things. For every genre I explored in the project I had my musical influences for them. The fact that there’s R&B and then afrobeats along with my rap… You have the Yugoszn that you know, and then there’s the Yugoszn that can do crazy stuff as well. Like a mad scientist.
Your EP touches on various topics from love and ambition to the desire for peace of mind. Were these songs written from personal experiences? Is this present-day Yugoszn as we experience him?
You could say that some songs reflect past experiences that I’ve had, and some are just based on a feeling […] There wasn’t really a set time frame which I was working with in terms of inspiration. It’s like something happens or you get this feeling and then you write a song about it. This EP is a mixture of past and present Yugoszn.
Did you have any expectations about the reception before you released the EP? How has the feedback been so far?
The feedback has been great, some of the songs were featured on Spotify’s editorial playlist, which I would say is the first editorial playlisting of my own song, so that’s a win. It’s been a lot of great things happening so far. Personally, I would say the world hasn’t seen even half of the things I want to accomplish. There’s so much work to do.
Out of all the songs on your EP, is there any song in particular that holds special significance to you?
If I think about the EP, each and every song has a process or story behind it. Each song has something to like for every person. I feel like I don’t have a favourite yet because they all hold a special place in my heart. From the process of writing them, or the story that inspired it, every song is special. My favourites change on a daily, depending on how I’m feeling. Maybe there’s a day when I’m just feeling down so I listen to “Renegade.” Or if I’m feeling really ambitious, then you know I’m listening to “Delusional.”
As an artist, how do you approach balancing experimentation and staying true to your established sound, especially as you continue to grow in your career?
You know, you make what you want to make, but then again, if it’s something that you have to do, that’s where mixing the potions comes in, where you combine the sounds that are true to you with the ones you need to incorporate. But in general, you make the music you want to make. Even if it gets to a crucial situation, you’re still able to get that peace of mind knowing that your spirit still accepts the song.
Out of all the exciting things happening as a result of your EP, what has been the most memorable for you?
Honestly, I can remember everything. I can look back on all the things we accomplished and name them but I don’t think I can pick one crazy moment because everything has just worked out so seamlessly to get me to where I am. There are a lot of things I am grateful for so I can’t really pick one.
What would you say is next for you?
More music. But first of all, the world needs to hear the EP, so I still have a lot of work to do. After that, more music, shows, collaborations. The world is basically going to hear Yugoszn and hear what he’s about and what he can do. That’s the goal, so whatever I can do to achieve that, I’m doing it.
Tell us your top 5 dream collaborations
I would say Kanye as one, then I would put Davido, Burna Boy and Wizkid as my combined second. Rema as my third, then The Weekend, right? For my fifth, it’s a tough decision but it’s between Summer Walker and SZA, so let’s just say both of them.
With regards to you being a mad scientist – you already showed us a bit of that in this EP. Are there any genres that you’re excited to delve into in the future?
Honestly, I’m looking forward to experimenting with as many genres as I can. I call it “mixing the potions.” I’m excited to try a lot more things. A lot of my fans have heard me on drill influences but they haven’t heard me on a full drill song so that’s something that’s to come. There’s a whole lot more to come but I don’t want to spill too many beans. The way the EP came as a surprise, I want the other stuff to roll out that way too.
Written By Anabel Rose Kubabom.
