Sola Benson
In a candid conversation on Cool FM Lagos, Afrobeats star Joeboy and fellow musician Wizard Chan peeled back the curtain on one of the less-discussed challenges in the Nigerian music scene—ego in collaborations.
Rather than focusing solely on the creative excitement that comes with features, both artists pointed to a growing mindset issue where competition often overshadows chemistry in the studio. According to Joeboy, the spirit of collaboration is sometimes distorted by artists trying to outdo one another instead of building a unified sound.
Joeboy explained that his approach is intentionally built around comfort and familiarity, saying he works best with people he shares a genuine relationship with, as it reduces tension and ego clashes during recording sessions.
“It is easier for me to collaborate with artists that I am cool with or friends with. Because there will be no ego or inner competition. Personally, if I feature you, I expect you to outshine me in the song. That is why I featured you. So, I don’t get the competition,” he said.
His perspective frames collaboration not as a battle for dominance, but as a platform where another artist is expected to bring their strongest self—even if it surpasses his own contribution.
On his part, Wizard Chan emphasized that his frustration lies less in the idea of collaboration and more in how some artists behave during the process, particularly when ego interferes with creative freedom.
“My problem with collaboration is just ego. I would never interfere when you’re recording; you just also do the same. Some artists will ask for a feature and want to tell you how to do your job. That is wrong. Let me do my thing.
“The reason I would feature anybody is because I cannot do what they are doing. And I can not even tell them to sound like me or do my style. The aim of collaboration is to bring a different aspect to the song. And it is not a competition. But some artists would go as far as changing their verses when they hear their collaborator’s own and it sounds better than their’s. It is not supposed to be a competition,” he added.
Together, their comments highlight a growing conversation in Afrobeats about whether collaborations are still rooted in shared creativity—or increasingly influenced by ego, comparison, and silent rivalry.