Renowned singer Joeboy recently opened up about his journey to becoming a celebrated musician, recounting a pivotal moment during his university days when he worked at a sachet water mill due to a three-month strike. In a recent interview with the Afrobeats Intelligence Podcast, Joeboy revealed that this challenging experience fueled his determination to succeed in the music industry.
During the university strike, Joeboy struggled to find employment for three months in Lagos. Faced with the difficulty of securing a job, he eventually took a position as a marketer in a pure water factory. The experience of tirelessly searching for employment and working in a water factory prompted him to reflect on his future and inspired a stronger resolve to make it as a musician.
He shared his thoughts, saying, “I studied Human Resources and Personal Management. When I was in the university, there was a strike for like three months. So I decided to get a job, and I was searching for a job for like three months in the whole of Lagos. I did not get one single job. There was even a time I worked in a pure water factory as a marketer. At that point, I was like, ‘I’m looking so hard for a job and I can’t find any. Is this how I’m going to end up when I finish school?’ So that was also a trigger. I told myself, ‘You really have to make sure you make it [in the music industry].'”
Joeboy referred to his life as a “miracle,” highlighting the unexpected turn of events that led to him being signed to Empawa, where his music career took off. Despite initial skepticism from some quarters, Joeboy has emerged with what he deems “the best label deal in Afrobeats history in Nigeria.” Recently founding his own record label, Young Legend, in addition to his affiliation with Empawa, Joeboy has solidified his position as a prominent figure in the Nigerian music scene.