How we got Davido to feature in “Ogechi” — Brown Joel, Hyce, BoyPee

The artistes behind the viral hit “Ogechi,” Brown Joel, Hyce and BoyPee, have shared how they convinced Afrobeats star Davido to feature on the track.

The trio, who have individual music careers, appear to be the joint owners of the track released on 10 May.

In the Nigerian music industry, it is rare for relatively unknown acts to collaborate with an already-established musician like Davido, especially in their major debut.

The surprise collaboration is a feat many upcoming artistes would cherish forever, hence the curiosity about the backstory of the trio securing a coveted collaboration with one of Africa’s most prominent musicians.

The group shared one of the best-kept secrets in an interview with YouTuber Didee Talks.

In the interview, the trio credited the celebrity barman with helping bring the collaboration to life.

Spotlight

The trio said they kept their lifelong dream alive for over five years ago when BoyPee’s musical prowess was discovered.

BoyPee said, “It began in 2019 when the Cubana Chief Priest requested to see me. He has been pushing my music since 2019. I did a song for Chief Priest, then. He is a very free man. I knew Cubana Chief Priest through a friend. The friend pushed me to record for Cubana. I didn’t know who Chief Priest was; I had to review his profile. I recorded the song, and a friend of mine sent it to Chief Priest, and he reposted my song.”

Singer BoyPee also described the collaboration as life-changing.

He recounted, “Anytime Priest calls me, my heart always races. He had not called me on a video call before, so when he called me, I was surprised. When I picked up the video call, he said, ‘How far? Where are you now? David is here, and he wants to speak with you.’ I said, ‘My God.’

“As Davido spoke, I wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying; I was just excited and shouted, ‘Is this Davido?’ I was in a boat and had to turn back because Chief Priest said we should come to his place, where Davido was. It was a thing of now or never. I had to call the other guys to get ready quickly.”

Perfect timing

Surprisingly, BoyPee stated that he has been reaching out to Davido on Instagram since 2020, affirming to himself that one day, the singer would acknowledge his “hard work and talent.

Reflecting on their overnight success, Brown Joel described their swift rise as “overwhelming,” BoyPee expressed gratitude for Cubana Chief Priest’s ongoing support and described him as a significant “influencer.”

Brown Joel described the emotional impact of the Afrobeats star’s feature, saying, “Davido recorded his verse, and Chief Priest came in, heard the verse, and started crying. Davido recorded his verse just two days before the remix was released. The song’s theme, “God’s Time,” perfectly aligned with the events’ timing’’.

When asked if they had been making music before and knew themselves, they said “no” and credited singer Zyno—Topboy with bringing them together during a tour in April, which led to the creation of “Ogechi.”

Brown Joel mentioned that given their new success, “everything is overwhelming”, and there is the tension of “what’s next.”

They noted that the speed of Davido’s collaboration taught them that “dreams come true.”

READ ALSO: MUSIC REVIEW: In ‘Ogechi’ visuals, Davido pays homage to Chioma’s roots

Ogechi

“Ogechi” quickly gained traction on TikTok, amassing over 200 remixed videos within two weeks. The song’s remix, featuring Davido, was released on 26 June, the day after Davido’s wedding, and it took the track to new heights. The visuals, which pay homage to Davido’s wife Chioma’s roots, have garnered over 1.4 million views on YouTube.

The track also topped the TurnTable Nigeria Top 100 chart for the week of 28 June – 4 July 2024, with 6.76 million on-demand streams and 49.3 million radio broadcasts.

The “Ogechi” remix outperformed songs by other prominent names in Nigerian music. Burna Boy’s “Higher” came in second, while Olamide’s “Metaverse” moved to third.

This is Davido’s second number-one hit in 2024, following his performance on Kizz Daniel’s “Twe Twe” remix.

See the music video below.