Timaya Says It’s Way Easier For New Artists To Blow Up These Days
"Timaya Reflects on the Evolution of the Music Industry: 'It’s Much Easier to Blow Now Than in My Time'"
Nigerian music veteran Timaya has opened up about the dramatic changes he has observed in the music industry, pointing out that it’s significantly easier for emerging artists to achieve fame today than it was during his early days.
Speaking in a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, the “Dem Mama” hitmaker delved into the impact of technology and social media on the music industry, describing how digital platforms have drastically lowered the barriers to entry for new talent.
“Making music is easier for the new crop of musicians than in my time,” Timaya said, reflecting on the struggles he faced in the early 2000s when artists had to navigate a rigid and highly gatekept system. “Before, how do you want to blow? It’s only one person that has all the control.”
Back then, artists were heavily reliant on record labels, radio stations, and distributors to push their music. Airplay was difficult to come by, and success often hinged on the approval of a few key industry players. In stark contrast, Timaya pointed out that today’s artists can bypass many of those hurdles entirely.
With platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, a single catchy song can go viral within hours, catapulting a previously unknown artist into stardom. Timaya described how the current generation of musicians can now set up home studios, record music independently, and upload their work directly to streaming platforms—all without needing a traditional label structure.
“Your father or your mother can just buy you studio equipment. You do one bad song. You can even just register yourself,” he said. “One TikTok song and you are made. All you need is data.”
He shared a recent experience to illustrate how things were done differently in his day. While trying to clear the rights to one of his older tracks—“Can I Have a Dance?”—for a project, he and fellow artist Flavour discovered that the rights were still held by Premier Music, requiring them to pay again for usage. It was a reminder of the kind of bureaucratic red tape that once dominated the industry.
The Bayelsa-born singer, who broke into the mainstream with his 2005 single “Dem Mama,” acknowledged that while he appreciates the new digital landscape, adapting to it hasn’t been easy. “It’s stressful posting. Sometimes I think I don’t have to. But it’s the business—I got to,” he admitted.
Despite the challenges of adjusting to a more fast-paced, digital-first industry, Timaya expressed admiration for how accessible and artist-friendly the current system has become. “Now, you are uploading a song. It’s very, very fast to blow now. You can just be in your house and be shouting,” he said with a touch of humor.
His reflections offer a unique perspective from someone who has not only witnessed but also helped shape the Nigerian music scene for nearly two decades. In highlighting the contrast between past and present, Timaya’s comments underscore how the democratization of music distribution is both a blessing for new artists and a learning curve for industry veterans.