In a recent appearance on The Esther Show, Nigerian rapper and singer Lil Kesh opened up about the pivotal moment that launched his music career — getting signed to Olamide’s iconic label, YBNL (Yahoo Boy No Laptop).
According to Lil Kesh, it was his breakout single “Lyrically” that caught the attention of Olamide, popularly known as Baddo, and earned him a record deal. “Lyrically is the song that got me my record deal,” he said, crediting the track as his official entry into Nigeria’s mainstream music scene.
While he’s widely known for his rap roots, Lil Kesh revealed he prefers not to label himself strictly as a rapper. “I am a rapper, but I don’t like to identify as one intentionally,” he said. “I came into the game as a rapper, but I knew that alone wouldn’t be enough.”
He explained that his decision to lean into more pop-oriented sounds stemmed from a keen understanding of the Nigerian audience. “Nigerians love to party,” he said. “Rap alone wasn’t going to bring the kind of commercial success I was aiming for.”
Lil Kesh went on to highlight how many artists who identified strictly as rappers struggled to maintain long-term relevance. “Most rappers couldn’t stand the test of time,” he noted, contrasting their careers with that of his former label boss, Olamide — one of the few exceptions. According to Kesh, Olamide’s ability to fuse rap with commercially appealing Afrobeats tracks is what helped him remain consistently successful.
By embracing versatility and pushing beyond genre boundaries, Lil Kesh has carved out his own lane in the industry — one that blends rap lyricism with the infectious energy of Afrobeats.
