Nigerian rapper MI Abaga says his stint in the United States shaped how he approaches music, from his creativity to his work ethic.
Speaking on the Japa Diaries podcast, he revealed that music started as a pastime during his school years, but returning to his hometown of Jos, Plateau State, gave it a professional focus.
“When I went back home, I got a job, and right behind the place I was working, there was a studio called Skynet. P-Square had just released their first project then. These were guys from Jos, and when they were still in Jos, they used to dance and mime Michael Jackson songs with a crew of about ten people. They eventually won a competition and got a record deal. Honestly, a lot of us used to envy them. But seeing their success made us believe we could also do it,” MI recalled.
He described Jos as a city buzzing with creative energy, which motivated him to take music more seriously. With guidance from his friend and producer, E-Kelly, MI began recording his own tracks.
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“I think there was a lot of energy. People were going into the studio often, and the studio was right behind where I worked. E-Kelly helped me out, and I thought to myself, maybe I can do this,” he said.
MI also highlighted that living in the U.S. instilled in him a sense of discipline that became crucial for his career.
“It’s not like artists were making so much money back then. I had a job at an internet café and recorded in the studio at night. That’s the good thing about being in Yankee—it taught me how to grind. When I got back home, I was locked in. One day, I just told myself, I can actually do this. Then I started traveling to Lagos more often—and here we are,” he added.
