Laycon

Great! Now that I have your attention 👇🏾 Innoson, let’s change my car ! @innosonvehicles

ARC6 CREATIVE CAMPAIGN Campaign 02/06. 33 MOMENTS BEFORE 33 WITH @33ExportNigeria Six creative campaigns. Six brands. Six months. Remember when we introduced ARC6? Well, here’s campaign 02. For 33 Export Lager Beer, we created 33 Moments Before 33: 33 days of storytelling built around three pillars: Personal, People and Celebratory. And just like that, 33 Moments Before 33 is officially a wrap! 33 days, 33 moments, countless memories.

33 MOMENTS BEFORE 33 DAY 33/33 Chapter 33 33 days. 33 moments. 33 years. 🥳 What a journey it’s been! Thank you for coming along, reliving these memories with me and celebrating the people and experiences that have shaped my story. MOMENTS is officially out! Nine songs, one project. Go stream it, share it and tell me your favourite. Let’s make some new moments! 🍻 🔥 Happy birthday to me! 🥳 🎥: @OliseBighead

HAPPY 33RD TO ME! 🥳🎂 It’s my birthday, and I came bearing gifts. 33 years of life, countless moments, and now I’m giving you MOMENTS. Nine songs. One project. A little something from me to you. Go stream it, enjoy it and let’s celebrate! 🥂 MOMENTS OUT NOW!

33 DAYS BEFORE 33 DAY 32/33 MY GUY, JOEBOY I’ve known @Joeboy since 2019, although we didn’t become friends until 2020. I remember the first time I noticed him. He had just started making waves with Baby, and I came across the visualiser for the song. I loved it. I remember going to Basement Gig that same year to watch him perform, and eventually meeting him at Moremi Hall during my Fierce tour. We exchanged contacts, but we didn’t really keep in touch or speak much after that. Fast forward to 2020. I went into the Big Brother house, and one of the biggest songs at the time was Nobody. When I came out of the house after winning the show, I reached out to DJ Neptune because I wanted to jump on the remix. We made it happen, and that was how Joeboy and I started spending more time together. I remember the day of the music video shoot. I think it was around October, about a month after I had left the house. He asked me how I was doing, and I said I was good. But he looked at me and asked again. He said something along the lines of, “No, you just went into the house and came out with all this fanfare and everything. Genuinely, how are you?” That question made me pause. He was the first person who had taken the time to ask me that, genuinely, beyond all the excitement of coming out of the house and winning the show. I don’t think he even realised how much that moment meant to me. Not long after that, I was travelling to Abuja and bumped into him in the plane. Crazily enough, we were both going for the same show and had been booked into the same hotel. He sat beside me, and from then on, we started going to different shows together, especially because of the Nobody remix. And somewhere along the line, Joeboy became my guy. And when I say my guy, I don’t mean someone I just exchange pleasantries with whenever we run into each other. He’s someone I genuinely consider a brother. We think alike in many ways, and I find a lot of the values I hold dear in him. I’d like to believe he sees some of those same things in me too. We’ve been riding with each other since 2020, and six years later, that friendship means a lot to me. He’s someone who shows up for me. Someone who prays for me. Someone who genuinely wants to see me do well. He even gave me a song, Night and Day, and that song holds a special place in my heart because of what it represents and the thought behind it. And I try my best to show up for him too. That’s what friendship means to me. Being there for each other, celebrating each other’s wins and genuinely wanting the best for one another. I’m grateful to have him in my corner, and I’m happy that what started as two artists crossing paths has grown into a friendship and brotherhood I cherish. Big shout-out to my guy, Joeboy. I appreciate you, brother. More life, more wins and more beautiful moments ahead. And to everyone reading this, Joeboy just released a new song called Pretty Girls. Go check it out. You already know!

33 MOMENTS BEFORE 33 DAY 31/33 MA International Relations I got admission into the University of Portsmouth in 2021, but I resumed in early 2022. What followed was a lot of back and forth between Lagos and Portsmouth. I was making music, doing influencing work and trying to keep up with school at the same time. Sometimes I’d spend months in Lagos and only two weeks in Portsmouth. It was a whole juggling act, but somehow, I was having the time of my life. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t always easy. There were nights when I had to stay up working on essays and trying to meet submission deadlines. I remember one assignment in particular, a policy brief on the Russia-Ukraine war. That experience gave me a different perspective on international affairs. It also made me realise just how much I enjoyed the subject and how good I could be at understanding and analysing these issues. Let’s just say that some of the things you see in movies about war, diplomacy and international relations are not as far-fetched as you might think. I also found myself learning a lot beyond the classroom. Between travelling, studying, making music and doing everything else I had going on, it was an interesting period of my life. I was also attending film school during this time, so there was never really a shortage of things to do. I submitted my final project in early 2023. My research focused on transformational democracy, and I genuinely enjoyed working on it. Around March 2023, I received the email confirming my graduation. That was a beautiful feeling. Then came July, when I finally got to celebrate the achievement at my graduation ceremony. Bisi came, my cousin came, and having them there to share that moment with me made it even more special. What made that period even more interesting was that I was also graduating from film school around the same time. Two different academic journeys, both coming together in one season of my life. Looking back, I wouldn’t say the journey was conventional. It was Lagos, Portsmouth, London and back again. It was music, influencing, late-night assignments, film school and everything in between. It was demanding, but I enjoyed every bit of it. I’m grateful for the experience, the people I met, the things I learnt and the opportunity to earn my MA in International Relations from the University of Portsmouth. One more box ticked. 🎓

3 MOMENTS BEFORE 33 DAY 30/33 iCONs FEST December 28, 2021. A day I will never forget. iCONs Fest was originally scheduled for December 17, 2021, but life had other plans. I had travelled to the UK earlier in December for my tour, and unfortunately, I contracted COVID while I was there. I was stuck in the UK and couldn’t travel back to Nigeria in time for the concert, so we had to postpone it to December 28. I eventually got back to Nigeria about three days before the show. Three days! And somehow, in those three days, I had other appearances to attend, rehearsals to do and an entire concert to prepare for. Everything was happening back-to-back, but we had to make it work. And we did. iCONs Fest happened at the Eko Convention Centre, a venue with a 6,000-person capacity, and the place was filled to the brim. The iCONs showed up. They really showed up! It was such a beautiful feeling seeing that many people come out to celebrate me and the music. People were singing my songs word for word, the energy was incredible, and everybody was having a good time. I remember coming up on that stage, looking out at the crowd and just taking it all in. I had performed at different university shows, campus tours, in OAU and even on stages in the UK, but this was different. This was my own headline concert, and it was sold out. What made it even more special was the support I received from the industry. So many amazing artists came through to support me. Bella Shmurda, Blaqbonez, Zlatan, Small Doctor, Ruger, L.A.X, Soundz, Chinko Ekun, and many others. Joeboy even flew in from Ghana to perform while Neo and Whitemoney also came through. It was a beautiful gathering of people who showed up to celebrate the moment with me. And I have to give a special shout-out to @Osi_Suave , who played a huge role in putting the concert together. Big shout-out to the entire team, all the sponsors and everyone who contributed to making the day what it was. Interestingly, Olamide and Phyno also had a show on that same day, so seeing the Eko Convention Centre filled to capacity despite that made the turnout even more special to me. When I look back at 2021, ICONs Fest feels like the perfect way to cap off what was an incredible year. It was something I had never experienced before, and I’m not sure I can fully describe what I felt standing on that stage and seeing the iCONs singing along to every word. It was a testament to the people who had been on this journey with me. A testament to the iCONs, their love, their loyalty and their numbers. To everyone who bought a ticket, showed up, sang along, supported the concert, performed, sponsored it or worked behind the scenes, thank you. I will never forget that day. Big shout-out to the iCONs. Big shout-out to the artists who came through. Big shout-out to Osi, the team and all our sponsors. Big shout-out to myself for making it through the madness. And above all, big shout-out to God Almighty. December 28, 2021. iCONs Fest.

Beyond my brother, Gomey, Scarlett and Bisi, who have been a huge part of my journey, there were other incredible people who played important roles in making Team Laycon what it was. People who showed up, contributed in their own ways and became part of a very special chapter of my life. Today, I want to dedicate this moment to some of those people and celebrate the friendships, memories and experiences we’ve shared. SEUN I met @godterrain through Bisi during my UNILAG days. We weren’t particularly close back then, but after I came out of the Big Brother house, we became really good friends. He became something of a road manager, the guy who made things happen and got things done. Seun is incredibly resourceful, and if he’s locked in with you, you can count on him. Over the years, we’ve shared some really crazy experiences, some that should remain between Seun, me and God! Even after he left the country, we’ve stayed connected and continued showing up for each other. I respect his hustle, his resilience and the kind of friend he is. He’s a real one, and I’m grateful he’s family. DOTUN I met @ThisIsDotun in 2016 when I was preparing to release my Success of YBAG EP. Femi introduced us because he said Dotun knew how to make people trend on Twitter, and he certainly delivered, helping Success, Commercial and Illuminate trend. From the YBAG days to the listening experience and even the period after Big Brother, Dotun consistently showed up for me. He gave his time, energy and support without asking for a dime. He wasn’t necessarily around every day, but whenever it mattered, he held it down. Even after our Team Laycon days, we’ve maintained our friendship, kept in touch and continued checking up on each other. I appreciate you, my guy. God bless you! TAREILA I met Tareila in 2020 during Makama Hall Week at UNILAG, and she’s one of those people who never calls me Laycon. To her, I’m always Conny! During the YBAG days, she was incredibly helpful and was actually the first person who made me feel like a superstar, always making sure I was comfortable and well taken care of. She later introduced me to Stephanie Bass, who helped with The Who is Laycon rollout, and when I came out of the Big Brother house, I discovered she had also been part of the team working behind the scenes. She became an integral part of the journey. Even after we moved on to different phases of our lives, she continued to check in and remind me of my potential. She often tells me I’m one of the smartest people she knows and that I need to let people see the different sides of me. I hope I get to do that. Tareila, I cherish you, and I pray you get everything your heart desires. SORE I met @Its_sore after I came out of the Big Brother house. I remember walking into a room one day and seeing Tareila sleeping on the floor. I asked her to come and sleep somewhere more comfortable, not realising Sore was lying right beside her! Eventually, we got to know each other, and he became one of my guys. Sore is very Sore. He’s such a peculiar and fascinating person, meticulous in how he thinks, communicates and approaches things. I’ve travelled to Ghana and Liberia with him, and over the years, I’ve come to appreciate him even more. One thing I particularly value is how well he understands me. I know I can be impatient and sometimes snap, but Sore has a way of communicating with me that shows he genuinely gets me. Even after he left the country and we moved into different phases of our lives, I’ve continued to cherish our friendship and everything he contributed to Team Laycon. I’m grateful to have you in my corner, my guy.

33 DAYS BEFORE 33 DAY 28/33 My Best Birthday Yet November 8, 2020. The year I turned 27, and the birthday that still holds a special place in my heart. The celebrations actually started a day before my birthday. I visited Bethesda Home & School For The Blind, where I spent time with the students, donated gifts and other items, shared moments, took pictures and I even got to perform with them. It was a beautiful experience. My birthday itself came with an unexpected family moment. My brother and I had to rush from the Island to the Mainland to see my Mum and spend some time with her. After spending time together, we made our way back to the Island, completely unaware of what was waiting for me. I’d always imagined having a birthday where I didn’t have to plan anything. Where the people around me would simply take charge, put everything together and surprise me. And that’s exactly what happened. I had just come out of the Big Brother house, and my fans came together to give me a birthday I will never forget. They got an apartment, decorated the space, filled it with gifts and, in a moment I could hardly believe, presented me with a Mercedes-Benz E350. A whole car! The celebrations also included a private dinner with my friends, my team and some of the people closest to me. Joeboy, Brainee, Scarr, some of my fellow housemates and other special people in my life were there. It was an intimate moment with my people after the bigger celebrations. There were so many other gifts, so much love and so much thought put into making that day special. We eventually took the celebrations to the club, with Nengi, Neo, Frodd, and Davido coming through to celebrate with me. But beyond the car, the gifts and the celebrations, what has stayed with me is the thought that people came together, giving their time, energy and hard-earned money just to make me happy. To everyone who contributed, planned, organised, gave and showed up, I will never take that love for granted. You made my 27th birthday one for the books. It’s still my best birthday yet, and I’m grateful. Here’s to many more beautiful birthdays ahead.