I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. Population 20 million people.

I was exposed early to the ingenuity and relentlessness of my people. I wasn't brought to music stores as a child, but I was a musician from the beginning. My brother and I made Pangolo drums from milk containers and buckets. We played day and night. We'd go all over our area to find music—sometimes hopping up on walls to listen to master musicians like Kollington Ayinla rehearse. We played at church, at parties, anywhere we could, anytime we could.

I came to Ireland as a teenager and met musicians from all over the world. I had that young spirit and energy that allowed me to be up all night playing or writing music before college. That energy helped me cart my drum across the country. I even played gigs when I didn't have a drum kit. I did whatever I had to do to be in music. And I still do.

This is why Orogun Media exists. The industry and infrastructure we need—we've just said to hell with it, and we're making it ourselves.

I look at so many incredible artists from this land who, for whatever reason, were either over-saturated in Ireland or mismanaged by their "team." You know what I mean—it's your "manager" nipping off to the bathroom and returning with a sniffly nose, it's returning to the same venue in your city five times in one year whilst never having had a reason to bring your passport in your gig bag. Who is building the link abroad for these artists? Who is helping them get on a plane and test their proof of concept? And more to the point, in an age where music from the Black diaspora continues to sit at the top of the charts (as it has since the charts were invented), who is ensuring its creators receive their just financial and economic dues?

I've had to ask myself: beyond the fantasy of touring the world, hopping in and out of recording studios, and taking selfies on stages in front of sold-out audiences, what are the actual figures needed to turn my fantasy into reality? And what support do I need to ensure this reality comes to fruition?

As the business of music began to dawn on me, and the music industry model started making way for social media (post-Myspace), I began to feel at odds with where I was and the people around me. Where was the drive to do this? What value do we place on music? Where is the support infrastructure from the "industry" here?

Now in 2025, the landscape for music has changed drastically. Venues, labels, financing and monetization models are either turning to dust, closing doors, or slipping into the hands of corporations hellbent on reducing the PHENOMENON that is music to another product listing on an online store. It seems you have to find a corporation that will take you in on the basis that you'll help shift units of their product to maintain a career.