Llona stands out as a distinct voice echoing with deep emotions. His stretchy lithe vocals drip like fresh paint on a canvas, weaving his discography into a portrait of candid life experiences. In every track the rising star has put out, including his most recent, Another Day, Llona continues to create music that feels like mushy hugs on a sour day.
Born Michael Ajuma Attah, the ‘sonic healer’ honed his influences in music from his childhood days in Kogi State, in North-Eastern Nigeria. From hustling to perform on local stages in neighbouring Kano, to going viral with his freestyles on social media, Llona’s commitment to spreading his music is equally as inspiring as his art. The pop singer started his music career as a rapper closely resembling his icon Olamide under the moniker 2Classic. He would later move to Lagos, to begin a purge — shedding his skins as a hard-hitting emcee to the soft-toned vocalist stirring hearts with his therapeutic melodies. Llona is a strong voice set to further entrench this style into the core of the industry. For the iMullar, We catch up with the young singer, to talk about exploring his passion-filled muses; come-up journey, and mission to create melodies that hover as safe havens for the modern-day youth.
What was your journey into the music scene like?
I started from Kano. I was doing my thing in the streets, paying to fill up forms just to perform. I started with music competitions, ones that came with record deals. However, I mixed it up with other jobs. 2019 was when I was fully introduced to the industry. I had a song that went viral and I’ve not looked back since. So, yeah my journey into the music industry has been a good learning experience, going through a series of challenges, a phase I think is very essential for any artist on the come-up.
How was life in Kano, did you grow up there?
Yeah, I grew up there. I grew up with my mom. My mom is a traveller. From Kogi, she travels to Kano, Kaduna but I spent most of my life in Kaduna. It is the one place I had stable relationships with, in terms of making friends and all. I grew up with my stepfather, he was an inspector. And at that time, in 2015, there was this Boko Haram issue, it kind of became like a target. So, our movement was really quick. Any small suspicious movement, we’d moved to another area, so there was no time to bond with friends or have relationships. Before I could make friends, we were already moving to another place. I grew up in Badawa, and then Hausa boys were calling me Olamide because I was imitating Olamide so badly, during the Voice on the Street. It was tough, but one of the things I learned was being adaptable as a person. It gave me strength, and made me settle quickly with everything, especially with my music
How did that nomadic life influence your personality? And Who were you bumping the most?
Looking back now, I feel like it came with its advantages and disadvantages, though I picked up different influences that helped shape my sound, I have come to realise that I get bored of things easily. When I am in a place, just like my mum, the moment I feel unwanted at the slightest miscalculation, I’m ready to call it a day. That can be quite depressing too, you know. It has changed my perspective on life, I don’t dwell on things for long. I had this trauma regarding all the friends I’ve had throughout this journey for this thing they call life. I just know that one day I am going to be six feet down the ground, so I’d put all that on a song, you feel me. I was listening to a lot of Olamide, a lot.
I came across some of your early songs, Were you trying to be a rapper?
Yeah, I was once a rapper under the name 2Classic and I had a project out there that had me rapping, that’s ‘4 AM’. I am trying to channel my Bado bag hahaha. I went for TVC Rap or Drop in 2017. I won Lagos Cool Breeze and some other competitions, but I stopped because I did not want to be that artist that just got tied to the “rap game”. The Nigerian music industry can get you boxed in easily, I noticed that people engage more on my freestyle video than my music, and I don’t want to be that kind of artist. I want to be a different artist. It’s not like any time I come online and post, that’s when you remember me, you feel me. Remember me for my sound.
How did you transition into Liona?
There was an artist back then, T-classic, his name, similar to mine, “2Classic”. It got tricky, and sort of became an issue for me, but I couldn’t take a step toward changing my name because I had dropped an EP then. But I’ve been blessed with meeting people who helped me throughout this journey. I went to Abuja with my boss, that’s where we started. That’s where the Llona journey started, we started transforming. So, I started going to the mountains to write songs, because that’s the place where I find peace. I go there, meditate, and pen down my thoughts. As an artist, I have never had someone who showed me direction, I always had to go through struggles alone. I used to have my cousin around me, that was my right hand, I’d go to him whenever I was feeling lonely, but this time, he was not close by. it’s like God took me away from my family, away from my friends, away from everybody and it was just me, my music.
In your forthcoming music, do you think this is a style you’d want to latch on to? How do you approach art?
You know, people came to me worried about my sound, wondering if the industry’s demand would alter my craft. I’ve always had one answer to that, I will always be me. I am someone that whenever I stray away from my purpose, I become so lost in it all. So, it’s not even about you right now. I have been in relationships, and never has any of my relationships affected my music negatively. The only thing that makes me write is my pain. That’s what triggers me to write. So even if I’m in a relationship, the only time you hear about my relationship is when something is wrong in my relationship. It’s overwhelming to be honest, because I am still developing as an artist. Whenever I write these songs, I get clouded by the emotions so much that I end up shedding a few tears. So, I like to record alone, where everything in the studio is centred around me, but that has also put me in a position where I cannot do without breaking down. After every song, I break down because I keep listening to that song over and over again.
Your latest record is Another Day. Tell us about it.
Another Day is like a year of my life compiled into a song. My mum is a very stubborn person and I am the firstborn of my family. And right from the moment when I started making ends meet, I took my mum away from my step-father. It was one of my priorities, one of the things that urged me to go hard, I wanted the best for my mum, and just like any son, I did exactly that, till now, he does not know where my mum is. I have had this where I wake up every day to a challenge, but then that is life, so I just put the stories of another day, on a song.
What are your thoughts on people seeking therapy, as well?
So, as much as I try to make my music therapeutic for people, I still believe that people need to talk to real therapists. That’s why sometimes I spill so much information. If I want to have conversations like this, I am always in my feelings. Mental health is a sensitive and personal topic for me, that is practically your make or break for peace, it’s such an essential topic that doesn’t get talked about enough, in our space, people don’t even believe its a problem, the main reason why I started a campaign with Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) to give out therapy sessions for people who need it, you can visit my official website for details. It’s one of my accomplishments, and I’m glad it came to fruition.
What informed picking Bella Shmurda for your HBP duet?
First of all, a big shout out to my brother Bella, he is an amazing guy. For us to work together, it means we must have had to attain a certain level in our friendship that I treasure, Bella texted me, and for him to reach out naturally, that means it’s coming from a genuine place. He had so much to say, and the night he texted me was the night we recorded it. We went to his place with my manager. Even before we recorded, we shared some moments and had an interesting conversation.
What would you like people to experience from your artistry?
I want people to know that I am not perfect, and understand the fact that I’m human. Secondly, I want people to know that whenever they see me they should know that they are not alone. So that’s why I will not come and lie to you in my music, I will tell you how it is. I want them to see me as someone trying to make the world even more peaceful.
So, what’s next for you now?
To be honest, I think it’s time, because right from Nobody, I have been lining up, even when I still dropped Comforter, I knew that people would doubt me and one of the things I hate most is when people take my craft as a joke. Even with HBP, I knew people would still doubt me, which was why for Another Day I came with chaos. Now the next thing for me is that I just need to make people understand who I am and where I am coming from, and how do I do that? I will do that with my project which is coming, like I am right at your door.
