BOJ: The Alté Wonder Kid

Bolaji omo Dapo re

Bolaji 1 bolaji 2

Bolaji omo Shekemi

Boj on the microphone is my name

So you better get to know

Boj on the microphone is my name oo

Let me do my own and do your own

BOTM, 2013

I have never doubted the abilities of an African man, particularly in the music space, probably because of my undying love for the work of art. Here’s BOJ, who announced his name to me properly with his track in 2013 – ‘BOJ is my name, so you better get to know’. From that moment, the name stuck like sand at the riverbank.

BOJ is one of the founding fathers of the ever expanding alté lifestyle inNigeria. A lot of people mistake the alté lifestyle for a genre of music with elements of afrobeats, pop and rap into however, alté isn’t a genre of music, it’s more of a lifestyle or a state of mind. From its name (alternative), you can depict it means irregular.

BOJ is one of the coolest guys you will ever meet, and as much as he describes his lifestyle as alté, he claims to be an afrofusion artist. ‘I’m an alté guy, but my music is afrofusion’, he said.

I have been following 27 year old Bolaji since 2013, and he has not failed to make me a proud fan, especially when there’s heat 🌚 from BOTM till Abracadabra ft Davido and Mr Eazi. His sound, amazing. Skills, awesome. Diversity, impeccable, what more can’t you say of BOJ.

In an interview with Patta, he opened up and said ‘people need to understand that alté doesn’t describe music, it’s a lifestyle where people are free and don’t conform to the culture’, and he has a problem with people labelling sounds that ain’t mainstream as alté. Really, it isn’t.

BOJ has a lot of mainstream features in his discography like Falz, Teni, Davido, Kewsi Arthur and Tiwa Savage among others, and I’m sure he still has a lot up his sleeves.

What do you think his fan base should be called?