Nigerian pop-star Yarden joins The.Wav NG's Djaji Prime in the maiden edition of our series "Afropop's Most Essential" to discuss his new EP "Muse", his experiences clearing the sample for his hit "Wetin", his goal of reaching 1 billion streams, and much more!

Cover artist: Yarden

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Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

1:30 - People Only want to listen to you when you’re successful

3:20 - Why Yarden thinks like an exec not an artist

6:55 - Yarden wants to build infrastructure for creatives

8:10 - “I feel things that I can’t describe when I make music”

9:50 - The influence of Nigerian radio and parents on Yarden’s music

12:00 - Is any creative original

14:18 - Yarden’s hit “Wetin” had sample issues 

20:05 - Career Beginnings at Yabatech

22:23 - Meeting and battling Victony, meeting Boy Director as well (TG Omori)

24:29 - Yarden’s hack to social media

27:03 -How Yarden made his debut EP “The One Who Descends”

30:50 - Carrying people along brings peace of mind

33:45 - What makes Yabatech a creative hub?

37:45 - Misdirected Ego is a bad thing, no one knows anything

39:25 - Yarden’s musical influences 

40:52 - Learning to use social media like Qing Madi, Odumodu & Rema

45:57 - Breaking down the creative process behind “Muse”

49:00 - Recording with Taves

54:29 - Allowing creatives thrive 

57:00 Nobody cares about the background once the content is good

1:02:10 - Yarden’s strategy to reach 1 billion streams 

1:05:55 - Why do Nigerians abandon the country when they succeed

1:11:00 - Most interesting country where they listen to Yarden

1:16:50 - What would a Yarden x Daft Punk song sound like?

1:17:56 - Creating a safe space for artists

1:19:45 - No one knows anything