I create, therefore I am | A STORYTELLER
Joined December 2011
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Innoson, let’s change my car !
@innosonvehicles
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!
Laycon retweeted
Stream my single so I can get sexier.
Thanks 🥹
ffm.to/veetelz-secret
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.
33 MOMENTS BEFORE 33
DAY 27/33
And the Winner Is… Laycon!
I spent ten weeks in the Big Brother house, but the funny thing is, I never actually went in there thinking I was going to win.
In fact, I didn’t even go in with winning as my goal. I went in to promote my project, Who Is Laycon? EP. That was the plan.
So, from week one to week two, week three, all the way to the final week, I kept asking myself the same question: Why am I still here?
Every time I survived eviction, I would tell myself, “Okay, one more week. Let me enjoy myself, promote my music and make the most of this experience.” I was taking it one week at a time. I genuinely had no idea how far I would go.
Then came the finale.
I remember seeing Dorathy in her gown and thinking to myself, “This girl looks beautiful. She’s definitely going to win.” The gown was elegant, she looked amazing, and I had already convinced myself that the crown was hers.
As we stood on that stage waiting for Ebuka to announce the winner, I wasn’t even thinking about winning. Honestly, I was tired. I just wanted to leave the house and experience life outside those walls. I couldn’t wait to move on to the next phase of my life.
Then Ebuka called my name.
I remember moving backwards in complete shock. I couldn’t process what had just happened. Ebuka came over to me and said, “Bro, you just won. Scream!”
That’s when I screamed.
And just like that, everything changed.
I don’t think I even understood the magnitude of what had happened at that moment. The victory overwhelmed me so much that it almost numbed me. And the next six months to a year of my life moved at an incredible pace. Everything was happening so quickly, and I was trying to understand and experience this completely new reality.
Looking back, I genuinely cannot forget that day. It was the day an experience I had entered for one reason changed the entire direction of my life.
To everyone who voted, supported me, believed in me and played a part in getting me to that point, thank you. I appreciate every single one of you. Above all, I am grateful to God Almighty for the opportunity and the journey.
I didn’t go into that house expecting to win. But I walked out with something that changed my life forever.
And for that, I will always be grateful.
33 DAYS BEFORE 33
Day 26/33
Neo and Vee
When people talk about my Big Brother experience, they usually remember the drama, the entertainment, the friendships and, of course, the fact that I won. But there are some people who made that experience a lot easier for me, especially during moments when I wasn’t in the best place emotionally. @NeoAkpofure and @veeiye are two of those people.
I met both of them in the Big Brother house, and during my time there, I went through a difficult emotional period involving someone I genuinely liked. Things didn’t quite go the way I hoped, misunderstandings happened, and I found myself in a place where I wasn’t emotionally settled. Neo and Vee stood by me through that period. They supported me, stayed close and helped me get through it. They were there for me when I needed people around me, and I’ll never forget that.
But what makes these friendships even more special to me is that they didn’t end when we left the house.
Vee is an artist, and we’ve gone on to create music together. We even shot a music video for one of her songs. Neo has also continued to show up for me. He came through for my music video, attended my concert and even joined me on stage. These are people who have continued to show up in different chapters of my life.
And here’s the thing: Neo and Vee were together in the house, and they continued their relationship outside the house for a while. Today, they’re no longer together, but my individual relationships with both of them remain. I still visit Neo, I still speak with Vee, and we still show up for one another.
It’s been about six years since we met, and I still love these two people dearly. I’m grateful that Big Brother didn’t just give me an opportunity to change my life; it also brought people into my life whom I genuinely want to keep around.
So today, I’m dedicating this moment to Neo and Vee. Thank you for standing by me when I needed it, for the memories we’ve created and, most importantly, for the friendship we’ve continued to build beyond that house.
I love you both. Always.
33 DAYS BEFORE 33
DAY 25/33
The Jacket 💡
For the opening night of Big Brother Naija Lockdown, we needed to find an outfit for me to wear on stage. @_michaelodyssey was the one who started working on the look, and my brother @alakeoflagos suggested the light-up jacket. He had shown me an example of something Michael had created for someone else, so when the idea came up, I was cool with it. I thought, why not?
But there was a little more to the story.
I was housemate number 19. @tolanibaj was number 18, and @NeoAkpofure was number 17. As the housemates were being introduced, things were already getting interesting. By the time @Thedorathybach , housemate number two, entered the stage, we could hear people talking about what was happening online. Apparently, people were already reacting to the housemates and their appearances.
I started having second thoughts about the jacket. I switched off the lights and decided I wasn’t going to wear it lit up.
That was when I had my first interaction with Neo.
He encouraged me to put the lights back on. His point was simple: we were all going into the house anyway. Whatever people were saying outside, we weren’t going to be there to hear it. So I might as well wear the jacket and do my thing.
And I did.
But something else happened after @Ebuka announced my name. As I was walking onto that stage. I heard Accolades, a song from my Who Is Laycon? EP, playing.
I completely lost it.
I remember thinking, “Fuck, I haven’t even started yet, and they’ve already started playing a song from my EP!”
That was why I was smiling so hard when I stepped onto the stage. It wasn’t just the excitement of being there. Hearing my own music play at that moment did something to me. After all the work that had gone into putting that project together, there I was, walking onto the Big Brother stage with one of its songs playing.
I switched the lights on, walked onto that stage, and people saw the light.
And my life hasn’t been the same since.
That’s one of the reasons I have so much love for Neo. He probably doesn’t fully realise what that small moment meant to me. But that encouragement stayed with me, and I’ll always appreciate him for it.
Big shout-out to Michael Odyssey for bringing the jacket to life, my brother for the idea, Neo for giving me that confidence, and of course, to myself for putting it on.
And above all, big shout-out to God Almighty. 🤍
3 MOMENTS BEFORE 33
DAY 24/33
Who Is Laycon?
I started working on Who Is Laycon? in 2019. In fact, the entire year was spent creating and putting the project together.
At some point, we had so many songs that we practically had three different five-track EPs. We eventually started mixing and matching songs from the different selections until we arrived at the project we wanted.
But the title, Who Is Laycon?, came from a rather interesting experience.
In 2019, I released Fierce, and the song started getting a lot of attention. People knew the song, but they didn’t necessarily know me.
Whenever I went out to perform at events, people would hear Fierce and ask me, “Who sang this song?” I’d tell them, “Laycon.” And they’d look at me like, “What? You’re the one who sang this?”
It happened so often that it became a funny but interesting situation. I was an upcoming artist, so I would usually be placed near the beginning of event line-ups. But once the DJ played Fierce, and people realised I was the person behind the song, they’d tell the organisers, “Ah, na you sing this song? You no go perform yet o. You go wait!”
They would move me closer to the end of the show because people wanted to see the person behind the record. And the funny thing was that people knew Fierce word for word.
Here was a song getting attention, even making it onto MTV Base, but the person behind it was still introducing himself to people. So the question became: who is this guy?
And that was how Who Is Laycon? got its name.
For the project, I worked with producers including Echo, Que , Tytanium and Miraculous. Echo produced Come With Me, Hip Hop and Who Is Laycon?; Miraqulous produced Motivation; while Tytanium produced Narcos and Accolades. I also worked with Gomey and Kabarn on the intro and some of the interludes.
The project featured YKB, Tinu, Chinko Ekun, Reminisce and Deshinor. It was a body of work I was genuinely excited about.
There’s also a funny story behind the artwork. The picture we eventually used was actually the last picture we took on set. We’d gone through all the outfits and taken all the pictures. I was just about to leave when I thought, “Let me take one final picture.”
I picked up the turtleneck, pulled it over my face, and took the picture. That was it. That ended up being the artwork for the project.
Looking back, the timing made the picture even more interesting. This was during the COVID period, when people were covering their noses and faces with masks. So the image of me covering my face took on an entirely different meaning in that context. It wasn’t something we had planned around COVID. It was simply the last picture I decided to take that day, but it ended up fitting the moment in a way none of us could have anticipated.
The EP eventually dropped in April 2020, right in the middle of the COVID lockdown. And I remember how much I wanted to push this project. I’d put it together with the same kind of intention I had when making YBAG, but this time, I felt I needed to go even harder with the promotion.
My plan was to take the project to UNILAG and do a lot of physical promotion, just as I’d been doing throughout 2019. I had ideas for the kind of activities I wanted to organise and how I wanted people to experience the music.
Then lockdown happened.
Suddenly, the plans I had made were no longer possible. I had to find another way to get the music out there. I was already creating videos and promoting my music online, using platforms like TikTok, which was just beginning to gain attention, and Triller.
I kept asking myself: what else can I do? How else can I get this project in front of more people?
Then I came across a link.
I thought about how everybody would be at home, watching television, following what was happening. I saw the Big Brother application and thought, “People will be at home watching this thing now. Let me apply and see if I can promote this EP on Big Brother.”
And that was it.
But that’s a story for another day.
Laycon retweeted
…I’M READING POOR DAD RICH KID
MY FATHER HMMM
DIDN’T HAVE ALOT OF DOUGH
BUT HE LIVED BY MANY QUOTES
NEVER RAT ON CATS FOR THE CHEESE
THATS THE BRO CODE
NEVER RAISE YOUR HANDS ON A CHICK
THATS A NO NO
NEVER LOSE YOUR FRIENDS FOR SOME PUSSY
THATS A LOW BLOW
33 MOMENTS BEFORE 33
DAY 20/33
My Dad 🤍
My first memory of my dad is running into his arms and having him throw me up into the sky. I remember watching Indian action movies with him and movies like Commando and Rambo. Back then, he was the person I ran to, the person who encouraged me.
As I grew older, especially when I became a teenager and got into university, we weren’t as close. But there are things I learnt about him later that made me look at our relationship differently.
My mum once told me that when I was younger, I would walk around with my headphones on, rapping to myself. People in the neighbourhood would ask my dad why his son was always talking to himself on the road. And he would tell them, “No, he’s rapping. That’s what he’s doing.”
He never even had that conversation with me. He didn’t need to. He understood what I was doing, and he defended it to other people.
In 2012, my dad had an accident and had a fracture in his leg. His recovery took almost a year, and that was around the time I got my university admission. I would go to check on him, and those were some of the moments we shared.
Then, in 2016, he fell ill. He didn’t really tell people much about what was going on, and by late 2017, things had become serious.
I was serving at the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy at the time. I remember going to see him on a Wednesday evening and leaving on Thursday morning. That was the last time I saw my dad alive.
When he saw me that morning, he tried to speak. I remember praying with my brother for him. I remember him crying. I was scared, and everything was happening so quickly that I don’t think I fully understood what I was witnessing.
I was supposed to visit him again on Saturday. Around four am that day, my brother called me. Before he even said anything, I knew.
“Hello, Lekan. Popsy don die.” Those were his words
I went home. Because he was Muslim, he was buried that same day. I was there when they bathed him. I helped carry him, dress him and bury him. I put sand on him, and I cried.
There was one thing he asked me to do before he died that I didn’t do. He wanted me to perform for some boys in our neighbourhood, and I said no. I don’t live with that as a regret, because I know I didn’t understand what I understand now. But sometimes, I wish I had done it. I wish I had known that it would be one of the last things he asked of me.
Years later, when I started working on Káshìmaawòó, I began hearing more stories about my dad from other people. I learnt things about him that I hadn’t known before. I got to see more of the person he was, how intelligent he was, and the parts of him I had only caught glimpses of while he was alive.
And somewhere in all those stories, I began to realise something: I am him.
A lot of the traits I have came from my dad. Some of the things I admire about him are in me, and some of the things I didn’t like about him are things I’m still working on in myself.
It’s made me understand that this isn’t about trying not to become my father. I already am my father. The work is in becoming a better version of him. Becoming the person I believe he could have become, taking the things he passed down to me and doing more with them.
Because if I can become my father, then my son can become me.
And perhaps that’s part of what it means to carry someone forward. Not to pretend they were perfect, not to erase their shortcomings, but to recognise what they gave you and take responsibility for what comes next.
I miss my dad. There are conversations I wish we could have now, questions I wish I could ask him, and things I wish he could see. But I’m still learning about him, even in his absence. And I’m learning about myself in the process.
I guess a part of growing up is realising that our parents were people too, still figuring things out, with their own strengths, flaws and unrealised possibilities.
And now, some of that work belongs to us.
33 MOMENTS BEFORE 33
DAY 23/33
Gomey and Scarlet
I met @temigomez in 2014, and I met @thescarletgomez around 2015/2016, when I was finishing up my YBAG mixtape. I wanted Gomey to help me with an interlude, so I sent him the entire project to listen to. Somewhere along the way, Scarlet heard Success with Deshinor and loved it. That was how I met her, and from there, our relationship grew.
Over the years, Gomey became someone I could learn from, professionally and personally. When I wanted to get signed, I knew I needed someone who understood the industry, so I introduced Jackson Fierce to him. That connection eventually grew into something bigger, and we started working together more closely. He also helped me secure a management role at the studio I worked at before my life changed.
When I got the call to enter Big Brother Naija, they knew they would be part of the journey. I went into the house to do my thing, only to come out and discover how much Scarlet had held things down behind the scenes. What she did during that period meant so much to me. She’s one of the best people I could have had in my corner.
Today, seeing Scarlet become one of Nigeria’s biggest actresses, leading major productions and starring in the highest-grossing Nollywood film, makes me genuinely happy. I’ve watched these two build their lives and careers, and I’m grateful to have witnessed and experienced a part of that journey.
Beyond everything they’ve done for me, I admire the relationship they’ve built together. I don’t believe any couple is perfect, but there’s something about what they share that I value and hope to carry into my own relationship someday.
In my 33 years, Gomey and Scarlet are two people who have influenced me in ways I will always cherish. I love them, I’m grateful for them, and I don’t take their place in my story for granted.
