After showcasing his ability, many believed that T-Classic didn’t get the recognition he deserved. These concerns weren’t without merit as he curiously failed to pick up a nomination for the Rookie of the Year at the 2019 Headies Awards.
When T-Classic released his debut EP ‘UNDERRATED’ in 2020, it was a play on the sentiments that surrounded his career at the time.
Two years later, T-Classic has circled back with a new EP he calls ‘VOICENOTE’. For the artist, the name of the EP was derived from the process behind most of the tracks which he interestingly casually recorded on the Voice Memo feature on his phone. For this writer, the name connotes a s much more significant meaning which was a resounding reminder of his talent.
In this pulse interview, I sat with the soft-singing Afrobeats star to discuss his new EP, his fixation with love songs, and his ambitions to take his career to the next level.
In 2020, T-Classic made an EP he choose to call ‘UNDERRATED’. This was a curious choice for a title as he was adjudged not to be getting his deserved recognition. I asked T-Classic what was the motivation behind the choice of name and he tells me it was simply a sarcastic way to let listeners know he can make good music while not being obsessed with the opinion of those who think he deserves better even though he might agree with them.
“One thing about the title ‘UNDERRATED’ was that at that point, there were lots of talks about me being underrated. So I simply choose to go with the mood and called the EP underrated as the initial plan was to call the EP ‘RATED’.”
Since he made his debut, T-Classic has constantly explored the subject matter of love and romance which is a recurring theme in his discography. From ‘Nobody Fine Pass You’ where he was appealing to a self-destructive lover to ‘Yes or No’ which was about an indecisive love interest, down to his more recent hit single ‘Dangerous’ where he’s again fallen for her emotionally unavailable damsel. T-Classic is a lover boy who keeps giving his love to undeserving women. I asked T-Classic if the content of his music was internally sorted and what was the driving force behind his fixation with damaged women.
A flustered T-Classic tells me that while some were from experience, most were just him putting himself in the shoes of other people. “You know, I just like to make relatable songs,” he says with his trademark infectious smile. “Some are personal while some are stories I hear from what’s going on around me. Sometimes, I just like to wonder what I will do when I am in a particular situation” he shares.
T-Classics artistry has evolved and he now explores the intersection between being a lover boy who gives his love to underserving women and a bad boy with a large appetite for beautiful women. He placed this new identity on display ‘Oliver Twist’ which is the lead single from his latest EP ‘VOICENOTE’. I asked T-Classic if he’s gradually stripping himself of his lover boy cloak. He tells me he just wants to make music for beautiful women across the continent.
“I was just trying to make beautiful music that celebrates the wonderful women in Africa. Me calling the names of those celebrities was just me trying to extol the virtues of beautiful, strong, and talented black women.”
Afrobeats is spreading its tentacles internationally and T-Classic isn’t going to be left behind. In his latest EP, he featured fast-rising UK sensation S1mba on ‘Body’. I asked him how the collaboration came about and he told me it all happened spontaneously.
“I was in a studio with S1mba when he was in Nigeria and I played ‘Body’, and he instantly fell in love with it. Next thing we opened up a verse and he recorded his verse within minutes.”
With ‘Oliver Twist’ gaining traction across multiple platforms, I asked T-Classic if this is his favorite song of his EP and like an artist torn between his art he tells me he doesn’t have a favorite song.
“I love all the songs on the EP and it’s very difficult for me to have a favorite. One moment I think this is my favorite and the next, another song takes its place.”
‘VOICENOTE EP’ is T-Classic’s way of reminding listeners that making enjoyable music is a piece of cake for him. He carefully crafted the EP to offer listeners a wholesome experience irrespective of their preference. I asked him what he hope to achieve with this EP and he tells me “I just want to give people music they can love and relate to”.
A simple explanation for music so easily digestible and instantly pleasing to the ears from an effortlessly talented artist. With such an impressive EP, we must agree that the man deserves the success that comes with it.
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