King Imoh describes his music as Afro-fusion, a mix of the traditional Nigerian music he grew up listening to in Lagos, and the R&B, hip-hop, and Southern rap he later discovered as a teenager.
“My music blends these influences in a way where a Nigerian could listen to it and think, ‘That sounds like afrobeat,’ but a Canadian would think, ‘That’s R&B,’” says Imoh. “They both can claim it, and that’s the ideal blend I want to achieve.”
Imoh moved to Canada in 2008, after high school, and studied business administration at Trent University in Peterborough, ON. He got his start in music as a promoter, organizing shows and events, and then as a producer, working with other artists. Imoh always considered himself a “behind the scenes, connecting the dots” kind of guy, but once he gained experience as a producer and beat- maker, he became more confident as a songwriter.
Late last year he released his debut EP, Now or Never, which he mostly wrote and recorded during the pandemic. The standout single “You Said,” is an ambient, R&B slow-jam, featuring Imoh’s friend Cubah.
“All of her verses were freestyled, and done in one take. I played the beat and she just felt the vibe,” says Imoh. “It was one of the last songs I finished, and it ties together the album.” On another single “One Plus One,” a hypnotizing, syncopated beat offsets the vocals of artists HK, Shafluss, Ighost, and Mista Dre.
This year, Imoh plans to release a documentary that shows how the EP came together, and spotlights the artists he worked with. He also plans to network with other artists in the GTA, having just moved to Toronto from Calgary in January of 2021.
“I don’t know what I’ll do next,” says Imoh. “I might be finding the next artist I can work with, writing, or producing. But I’m loving the process.”